[DVD] Tuesdays with Mell 10/25 Captain America: The First Avenger, Winnie the Pooh & more

Mardi Gras beads, obsessions with blood, gay cinema, killing Nazis, inventions, serial killers, & TI double G er.

Captain America: The First Avenger 2011 Scifi Military Comic book movie Starring: Chris Evans (What's Your Number?"), Sebastian Stan (Black Swan), Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive), Hugo Weaving (Transformers: Dark of the Moon), Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones), Oscar nom Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction), Toby Jones (Frost/Nixon), Neal McDonough ("Desperate Housewives"), Indie Spirit award winner Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher), & Stan Lee. Directed by: Oscar winner Joe Johnston (Raiders of the Lost Ark). Written by: Emmy winner Christopher Markus (The Life and Death of Peter Sellers) & Stephen McFeely. Plot: Marvel action-packed origin story which follows Steve Rogers (Evans) as he volunteers for a secret experiment during World War II. Transformed into a superhero named Captain America, Steve goes after the Axis. With his perfect physique and heightened reflexes -- and his sidekick, Bucky (Stan) -- Steve battles the Red Skull (Weaving), a super soldier created by Italian fascists. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2912787481/ Review: This is probably the only one of these Avenger franchise films that I've actually liked. I like the military aspect of the film because I'm a military wife. I like the story, though a bit simplistic. My only problem is that it's great the first time you watch it, but then you never feel like watching it again. It's not a movie that sits with you. It's not special or original, but it's entertaining. Rating: Stamped out but worth seeing. Watch with: DOA: Dead or Alive & the other Avenger films (Iron Man 1 & 2, Thor, The Hulk, and The Incredible Hulk)

Winnie the Pooh 2011 Family film Voiced by: Oscar nom John Cleese (A Fish Called Wanda) & Emmy nom Craig Ferguson (The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson). Directed by: Stephen J Anderson (Meet the Robinsons) & Don Hall (writer of Princess and the Frog). Written by: the directors & Clio Chiang, Don Dougherty ("Tiny Toon Adventures"), Kendelle Hoyer, Brian Kesinger, Nicole Mitchell, & Jeremy Spears based on the works by A.A. Milne & Ernest Shepard. Plot: Winnie the Pooh and his loyal friends return to the big screen with an updated, hand-drawn adventure in the Hundred Acre Wood: helping an incomplete Eeyore find a new tail that won't be too much of a bother. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1431542041/ Review I love Winnie the Pooh. I grew up with the books and cartoons. I can't help it. I love it. BTW one of the best movie trailers I've ever seen. This movie was like hopping into a time machine. I was 7 years old again reading that old worn-out red book. This stayed true to the original adventures without trying to "hip it up" for the new generation. Why mess with a good thing? Even my hubby who joked around with me for watching a kid's movie, watched and enjoyed the end of the movie with me exclaiming that Eeyore has always been his favorite. SOmething that was updated with this movie was the music. Zooey Deschanel not only sang the original theme song, but also wrote and performed new original songs that fit in perfectly with the film. I think I will even buy the soundtrack. I highly recommend this movie for adults and kids alike. BTW be sure to wait til the end of the credits for an extra scene you don't wanna miss. So, who's your favorite character? Rating: Noteworthy. Watch with: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

Faces in the Crowd 2011 Psychological thriller Starring: Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil series),

Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead"), & Julian McMahon (Red). Written & Directed by: Julien Magnat. Plot: A woman (Jovovich) suffers from "face-blindness," the inability to

remember people's faces. With the serial killer who caused her condition still on the loose, the

woman lives in fear of his return. Trailer: http://www.moviestrailer.org/faces-in-the-crowd-movie-trailer.html Review: This is on my instant queue. It looks really interesting, and yes "face blindness" is a real neurological condition called Prosopagnosia. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.

Mardi Gras: Spring Break 2011 late night comedy Starring: Nicholas D'Agosto (Final Destination 5), Arielle Kebbel ("Mercy"), Carmen Electra ("House M.D."), & Regina Hall (Law Abiding Citizen). Directed by: Phil Dornfeld. Written by: Josh Heald (Hot Tub Time Machine). Plot: Three college pals (D'Agosto, Josh Gad & Bret Harrison) disillusioned with their lackluster social lives decide they need a change of venue. So they pack up and head to New Orleans, where they find plenty of alcohol-fueled party action as they try to change their luck with the ladies. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3994000409/ Review: This is not my type of movie, but any movie that stars my absolute favorite city of New Orleans is a movie I wanna see. I'll let you know how it is though I'm not expecting much. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD

Judas Kiss 2011 Indie Fantasy Directed by: J.T. Tepnapa. Written by: the director & Carlos Pedraza. Plot: While judging at his alma mater's film festival, failed director Zach Wells (Charlie David) has a fling with a student contestant. The following day, Zach discovers that the young man is a past version of himself, offering him a chance to improve his own future. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9bvsLKCyXE Review: This film looks interesting. It seems to be a gay film that doesn't focus solely on the fact that the title character's gay. Instead it's a fantasy film about time travel. It's about life and getting the chance to change your past. It's a film that doesn't get lost in translation if you're hetero like me. Looks good. We will see. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.

The Countess 2009 Biopic Starring: Oscar nom Julie Delpy (Before

Sunset) & Oscar winner William Hurt (Kiss of the Spider Woman).

Written & Directed by: Julie Delpy. Plot: Blaming a failed romance

with a younger man (Daniel Bruhl) on her advancing age, 16th-century

Hungarian countess Erzebet Báthory (Delpy) begins murdering local

virgin girls and bathing in their blood, believing that the grim

ritual will restore her youthful beauty. DVD Features: Trailer.

Trailer: http://www.cinemagia.ro/trailer/the-countess-contesa-5442/ Review: Perfect film for Halloween. This looks pretty gruesome, and it's a true story. Her body count is pretty high from what I've read of her in my Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. This film was gruesome. The gore factor wasn't as high as most horror films, but given the fact that this is a period piece, it felt like a horror film. The directing, music, cinematography, and acting were all excellent. This film felt very unique to me: part period piece, part horror. The were some problemswith the film. The multitude of different accents when all the characters were supposed to be Hungarian took me out of the film, and the narration from 2 different characters muddied the films intention. Technically it was a beautiful film with Delpy terrific as usual, and my strange love of maccabre true stories was satisfied. However, this is not a movie for all tastes and even I had some problems with it. Rating: Not the brightest crayon in the box, but sure it pretty. Watch with: The Last King of Scotland.

Father of Invention 2010 Indie Comedy Starring: 2X Oscar winner Kevin Spacey (American

Beauty), Camilla Belle (The Quiet), Indie Spirit nom Heather Graham (Drugstore Cowboy),

Johnny Knoxville (Men in Black II), Emmy nom John Stamos (The Beach Boys: An American

Family), Michael Rosenbaum ("Smallville"), Craig Robinson (Hot Tub Time Machine), & Oscar

nom Virginia Madsen (Sideways). Directed by: Trent Cooper. Written by: the director & Indie

Spirit nom Jonathan D. Krane (The Chocolate War). Plot: Robert Axle (Spacey) is a humble, if

eccentric, genius whose flair for invention catapults him to fame, fortune and insufferable

egomania, until a terrible incident involving one of his creations brings him crashing back to earth

and into prison. Nearly a decade later, Axle is released, and he's determined to rehabilitate his

reputation and rebuild his fortune. First, he has to convince his daughter (Belle) that he's worthy

of a second chance. DVD Features: making-of featurette. Trailer:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi269523993/ Review: I love Kevin Spacey, and the premise looked funny. I liked the part where he's trying to invent things that have already been invented, but he's been in prison so he doesn't realize it. Unfortunately, laughs like that were few and far between. Spacey was awesome as usual, but his performance seemed a bit phoned in. THe material wasn't challenging enough for him. Belle is pretty, and I love her sense of style; however, she wasn't great in this film. She wasn't in it enough so I never got to care about her character, and she never got emotional. Madsen is a great actress, but comedy is not her forte. This film suffered from a meandering script that dragged the story and a predictable conclusion. Rating: Stamped out so why bother. Watch instead: The Beaver.

The Razzle (trailer) I'm in this!!!!

Behind the scenes

That's me in the blue dress. :)

Watch the trailer: http://vimeo.com/30234979

This movie is premiering at the Rock n Reel event at the Grand Opera House in Macon GA November 15th, 2011. Three short films are premiering that night, with awards to be handed out after.

For more info on the premiere & to buy tickets visit: http://www.gatewaymaconmusic.com/rock-reel/

Final Acts (2012) Trailer (I'm in this movie!)

I'm in this movie in the airport scene and the film festival scene. You can see me in seconds :08-:11. I'm in the black sparkly dress lol.

This movie is premiering at the Rock n Reel event at the Grand Opera House in Macon GA November 15th, 2011. Three short films are premiering that night, with awards to be handed out after.

For more info on the premiere & to buy tickets visit: http://www.gatewaymaconmusic.com/rock-reel/

[DVD] Tuesdays with Mell 10/18 Bad Teacher, Monte Carlo, Sundays at Tiffany's,

Bad Teacher 2011 Comedy Starring: Cameron Diaz (Night and Day), Lucy Punch (Dinner for Schmucks), Jason Segel ("How I Met Your Mother"), 5X Emmy winner Justin Timberlake ("SNL"), John Michael Higgins ("Community"), Jillian Armenante ("Desperate Housewives"), Alanna Ubach ("Eli Stone"), Emmy nominee Molly Shannon ("SNL"), & Emmy nom Dot Jones ("Glee"). Directed by: Jake Kasdan ("New Girl"). Written by: 3X Emmy nom Gene Stupnitsky ("The Office") & 3X Emmy nom Lee Eisenberg ("The Office") Plot: A scheming and coarse-tongued middle school teacher (Diaz) gets dumped by her wealthy boyfriend and rebounds by sinking her claws into a handsome substitute teacher (Timberlake). There's just one problem, though: He's already dating Amy Squirrel (Punch), the most revered teacher on campus. And Ms. Squirrel is not at all eager to hand over her beau, who is slated to inherit his family's fortune. Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movie/trailer/479759 Review: This movie was funny as hell. It just didn't have much of a plot or any likeable characters. Fine for one watch, but it ends suddenly and leaves you wanting more. Rating: Not the brightest crayon in the box but sure is pretty. Watch with: The Sweetest Thing

Monte Carlo 2011 Romantic Comedy Starring: Selena Gomez, Katie Cassidy ("New Girl"), Leighton Meester ("Gossip Girl"), Cory Monteith ("Glee"), Indie Spirit award winner Andie MacDowell (Sex, Lies, and Videotape) & Brett Cullen ("Make It or Break It"). Directed by: Thomas Bezucha (The Family Stone). Written by: director, April Blair, Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominee Maria Maggenti (Puccini for Beginners), & Kelly Bowe based on the novel "Headhunters" by Jules Bass. Plot: Disappointed with their uninspired tour group in Paris, Emma (Cassidy), Meg (Meester) and Grace (Gomez) are swept into a breathtaking whirlwind of wealth, glamour and excess when one of the young friends is mistaken for a British heiress. While the girls are whisked away to Monte Carlo and find themselves falling deeper into the lie, the alluringly extravagant lifestyle opens up new opportunities and unexpected romance. Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movie/trailer/491119 Review: I love travel movies as well as Leighton Meester. My girly side is looking forward to watching this. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.

Sundays at Tiffany's 2010 Made For TV Drama Starring: Alyssa Milano ("Romantically Challenged"), Eric Winter ("The Ex List"), Ivan Sergei ("Gravity"), & Oscar nominee Stockard Channing (Six Degrees of Separation). Directed by: Mark Piznarski ("Gossip Girl"). Written by: Emmy nom Jennifer Heath ("Roseanne"), Heather Maidat ("Mad"), & Nancey Silvers based on the novel by James Patterson (Kiss the Girls) & Gabrielle Charbonnet. Plot: In this supernatural romance, imaginary friend Michael (Winter) revisits one of the children -- now an adult (Milano) -- he used to watch over. Now he's surprised to find that not only does he want to help her again, but he's falling in love.Trailer Review: I never finished the book. I got bored with it and a little creeped out that her imaginary friend when she was a little girl was an adult man in the book. Creepy. When I saw the trailer for the TV movie they made for it, I stopped reading the book and decided to watch the movie instead. In the movie, the imaginary friend is a little boy and becomes an adult later in life when they bump into each other again. I liked that they made that change. I really liked Winter in the role of Michael. I found him to be quite charming. I thought all the actors were well cast. My only caveat is that there wasn't enough time spent with the 2 as children IMO. Those Sundays at Tiffany's are such a huge part of the book, that it needed more time to lay that as the foundation of the story. All in all, though, a nice way to spend a Sunday evening. Rating: Stamped out but worth watching Watch with: The Lake House, Only You, The Wedding Planner.

Freerunner 2011 Action movie Starring: Sean Faris (The Lost Valentine (TV)), Danny Dyer (Malice in Wonderland) & Oscar nominee Seymour Cassel (Faces). Directed by: Lawrence Silverstein. Written by: Matthew Chadwick, Raimund Huber, & Jeremy Sklar. Plot: In a thriller spotlighting the urban acrobatics of free running, a champion runner (Faris) is forced into taking part in a macabre death race. First prize is $1 million, but with the runners wearing explosive collars, losing could prove fatal. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4K4xbyRMIM DVD features: behind-the-scenes featurette; outtakes; bloopers; making-of featurette; trailer. Review: Cookie-cutter premise in the vein of Gamer & Death Race. Even so, the free-running phenomena is really interesting to me so I'll watch and see. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

DVD Tuesdays with Mell 10/11 Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer, The Tree of Life, Beautiful Boy, The Trip, Horrible Bosses, Café, Penguins of Madagascar: The All Nighter Before Christmas & more

Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer (2011) Children & Family Comedy Starring: Indie Spirit nominee Heather Graham (Drugstore Cowboy) & Jaleel White ("House M.D."). Directed by: Sundance Grand Jury Prize nom John Schultz (Bandwagon). Written by: 2X Emmy winner Kathy Waugh ("Peep and the Big Wide World") & Megan McDonald based on McDonald's "Judy Moody" book series. Plot: Never-dull third-grader Judy Moody (Jordana Beatty) embarks on a summer adventure with her brother, Stink, and always-up-for-fun Aunt Opal (Graham). Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2767494425/ Review: I love these young kid adventure films in the reign of Harriet the Spy and The Babysitter's Club. Can't help it. It makes me nostalgiac. Will let you know what I think after I watch this. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.

The Tree of Life 2011 Independent 20th Century Period Piece Drama Starring: 2X Oscar nominee Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), 2X Oscar winner Sean Penn (Milk), Jessica Chastain (The Help), & Joanna Going ("Criminal Minds"). Written & Directed by: 2X Oscar nom Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line). Plot: Cannes Palme d'Or winner set in the 1950s about a confused man named Jack (Penn), who sets off on a journey to understand the true nature of the world. Growing up in the Midwest with two brothers, Jack has always been torn between his mother's (Chastain) guidance to approach everything he encounters with an open heart and his father's (Pitt) advice to look after his own interests. Now, Jack must find a way to regain purpose and perspective. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi612735001/ Review: I've been very curious about this film for a while. Can't wait to watch it. I've heard that's it's slow and musing so don't watch this when tired. Will update when I watch it. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.

Beautiful Boy 2010 Independent Social Issue Drama Starring: Indie Spirit nominee Maria Bello (Downloading Nancy), Emmy nom Michael Sheen (The Special Relationship (TV)), Kyle Gallner (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Alan Tudyk (Transformers: Dark of the Moon), Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation), & Meat Loaf ("Glee"). Directed by: Shawn Ku (The American Mall (TV)). Written by: the director & Michael Armbruster. Plot: Bill Carroll (Sheen) is contemplating separating from his wife, Kate (Bello), when the unimaginable happens: Their 18-year-old son, Sam (Gallner), commits mass murder at his university before killing himself. While coping with their grief, Bill and Kate must deal with the insatiable media, other parents furious at them for their son's actions and their own questions about their culpability. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1283693849/DVD Features: deleted scenes Review: The subject matter of this film touches a nerve with me. A high school friend of mine was killed in the VA Tech massacre. This was a hard one to watch. I often wonder about the family of the man that murdered my friend. The shooter's name was Seung-Hui Cho, and I know why he murdered my friend. What I don't know is why the campus didn't have better security measures. Why did so many people died that day when they didn't have to? Is the family also somehow partly responsible? This film raised the same questions that I have been asking myself since April 16, 2007. I doubt I will ever have the answers. This film didn't answer them either. That's the part I didn't like about it. That and Bello, who's usually amazing, was unbelievable in this film. Sheen was amazing as always and stole the show to me. Thoughtprovoking and heart -breaking though I doubt I'll ever watch it again. Rating: Noteworthy. Watch with: Elephant.

The Trip 2010 British Indie Mockumentary Starring: Steve Coogan (The

Other Guys) & Rob Brydon (MirrorMask). Directed by: 3X Cannes Palme

d'Or nominee Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People). Written by:

Frank Cottrell Boyce (Code 46). Plot: Mockumentary about a pair of

actors (Coogan & Brydon) who embark on a foodie road trip across

England. Mostly improvised and highlighting the duo's penchant for

dueling impressions of famous actors, the film follows them as they

test their friendship while sampling the best restaurants in

Northern England. Trailer:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3607534873/ DVD Features: making-of

featurette; trailer; deleted scenes. Review: I love food movies!

Looking forward to this. Will update after I watch it. Rating: TBD.

Watch with: TBD.

Horrible Bosses 2011 Comedy Starring: 2X Oscar winner Kevin Spacey (American Beauty),

Colin Farrell (The Way Back), Indie Spirit Nominee Jennifer Aniston (The Good Girl), Emmy

nom Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development"), Lindsay Sloane (The Other Guys), Jason

Sudeikis ("SNL"), Emmy winner Donald Sutherland (Citizen X (TV)), Ioan Gruffudd ("Ringer"),

Oscar winner Jamie Foxx (Ray), Emmy winner Julie Bowen ("Modern Family"), Isaiah Mustafa

("Charlie's Angels" 2011), Wendell Pierce ("Women's Murder Club"), & Ron White (Sex and the

City 2). Directed by: Seth Gordon ("Community"). Written by: Emmy nominee Michael

Markowitz ("Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man"), John Francis Daley ("Bones"), & Jonathan

M. Goldstein ("$#*! My Dad Says"). Plot: Disgruntled buddies Nick (Bateman), Kurt (Sudeikis)

and Dale (Day) can't leave their miserable jobs, so they cook up a creative strategy for eliminating

each other's micromanaging and maniacal employers (Aniston, Farrell, Spacey) instead in this

crackpot comedy. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi8756249/ Review: It's nice to

see Aniston in a role other than a rom com. I like the premise of this film. Let's see if it pans out.

Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.

Café 2010 Indie Drama Starring: Madeline Carroll ("Grey's Anatomy"), DVD Exclusive Award winner Jennifer

Love Hewitt (The Hunchback of Notre Dame II(V)), Jamie Kennedy ("Entourage"), & Alexa Vega (Spy Kids:

All the Time in the World 4D). Written & Directed by: Marc Erlbaum. Plot: For the up-and-comers on Philadelphia's west side, West Philly Grounds is the place to be. There, Claire (Hewitt) serves wisdom along with the coffee and scones. The clientele comes to her with advice in love, life and careers. But even the neighborhood's favorite gathering place has a dark side. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1058380825/ Review: I was intrigued by this

film. It's exciting to see JLH in an Indie movie. She's a fantastic actress who doesn't get enough credit. Just watch

her in "Law & Order: SVU" episode 12.3 "Behave" if you don't believe me. I've been waiting for it to come out for song long. Stupid local movie theaters that don't play

Indie films grr. So I watched it. JLH was great in it as usual. I love films about how strangers are all connected. THe

problem I had with this film was that it could'nt quite decide what it wanted to be. It seemed to have a scifi element

with some Christian undertones, but it never completely explained or explored it. It seemed to cop out, especially in the

end. Christianity isn't exactly popular in Hollywood so filmmakers tend to avoid the subject matter. That's fine. Whatever

floats your boat, but by not choosing either genre the movie's ending made no sense. It kind of ruined a film I was enjoying.

I think maybe if the twist had been revealed at the end instead of the beginning, I would've liked it more. I liked this film

up until the ending. I'd still recommend seeing it, because of it's thought-provoking nature and well as the fact that the

only part that I didn't like about it was the ending. Others may like the ending. Rating: Kinda like an inkblot test. Might

be good to some, but just didn't get it. Watch with: Gamer.

Call Me Mrs. Miracle 2010 Family Fantasy Starring: 5X Emmy winner Doris Roberts ("Everybody Loves

Raymond"), Jewel Staite ("Wonderfalls"), & Emmy nominee Lauren Holly ("All My Children"). Directed by:

Michael Scott ("Touched by an Angel"). Written by: Nancey Silvers based on the book by Debbie Macomber.

Plot:When hardships befall both a NY department store and its customers at Christmastime, "Mrs. Miracle"

(Roberts) steps in to magically set things right. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2435357721/

Review: Ok I know I'm a huge dork for adding a Hallmark made for TV Christmas movie, but I secretly like

Christmas movies. I like how it's a Christian Christmas film, which is rare so it has me curious. There I've explained.

Will update when I watch it after December 1st, cuz I'm not gonna be like Walmart and skip over Thanksgiving.

Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.

Video Girl 2011 drama Starring: Oscar nominee Ruby Dee (American Gangster), La'Myia Good

("Judging Amy"), & Meagan Good (Saw V). Directed by: Ty Hodges (actor in The United States

of Leland). Written by: Datari Turner. Plot: sweet small-town girl Lorie Walker (M. Good) thinks

all her dreams have come true when she becomes a famous hip-hop video star, but she soon finds

herself spiraling down into a dark world of drinking and drugs. Trailer:

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1734974489/DVD Features: behind-the-scenes

featurette; cast and crew interviews. Review: Being an actress, I like movies about fame &

stardom. I wathc and take notes lol. Megan Good actually looks like she has some talent in this

one, at least by the trailer. I've never liked her as an actress. She's always come off as mediocre,

but this film might change my mind. We'll see. Rating: TBD Watch with: TBD.

Penguins of Madagascar: The All Nighter Before Christmas 2011 Family movie Voiced by:

Carl Reiner (Ocean's 11). Plot: holiday-themed episode from the animated TV series follows

Skipper, Rico and their lovable penguin pals as they scramble to locate a yuletide tree and Santa to

give the zoo's baby animals a Christmas to remember. Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV-IRIste7A- Review: The penguins were the only things I liked

from the first film. I didn't even bother to watch the sequel. I will watch this for them. We'll see if I like

it. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.

The Princess of Montpensier 2010 French Drama Starring: Mélanie Thierry (Babylon A.D.), Lambert Wilson ("The Philanthropist"), & Gaspard Ulliel (Hannibal Rising). Directed by: Cannes Best Director award winner Bertrand Tavernie (A Sunday in the Country). Written by: the director, Jean Cosmos & Francois-Olivier Rousseau based on the short story by Madame de La Fayette. Plot: Nominated for a Cannes Palm D'Or for best director. Aristocrat Marie de Mézières (Thierry) loves the dashing Duke Henri de Guise (Ulliel), but her father (Philippe Magnan) forces her to marry a prince she doesn't know (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet). With her new husband at war, Marie's passion for Henri grows stronger than ever. Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movie/trailer/486949 DVD Features: trailer; cast and crew interviews. Review: I wanted to watch this film, because I am a huge fan of French cinema as well as Gaspard Ulliel. I'm Creole so my family speaks French. I spoke it well when I was young, but have lost a lot since then. I'm trying to get re-acquainted with it. I pretty much hate films with adultery. There is simply never an excuse for it. The writing, however, did make me feel some sympathy toward the main character. Then the infidelity starts, and it's hard to continue to root for her. This film was well-acted and beautiful to watch but depressing as hell. Proceed with caution. Rating: Not the brightest crayon in the box but sure is pretty. Watch instead: The Young Victoria.

DVD Tuesday 10/04 Fast Five, Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On, Scream 4

Fast Five-Please watch my video review- http://moviemavenmemoirs.blogspot.com/2011/05/fast-five.html

Scream 4- Please watch my video review-http://moviemavenmemoirs.blogspot.com/2011/05/scream-4.html

Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On (2010) Stage Musical Starring: 2X Oscar nominee Bette Midler (For the Boys). Nominated for 1 Emmy (Best Variety Special).

Directed by: Midler. Plot: The Divine Miss M's Las Vegas extravaganza is captured in all its hilarious glory, with a troupe of talented dancers adding to the spectacle. Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1PkwuhjlHg. Review: I love her!!! I had a voice teacher that reminded me of Bette Midler. Looking forward to

this. Will update after I see it. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD

The Caller (2011) Supernatural horror film Starring: Saturn winner Stephen Moyer ("True Blood"), Rachelle Lefevre (Barney's Version), Indie Spirit nominee Luis Guzmán (The Limey), & Ed Quinn ("Desperate Housewives"). Directed by: Matthew Parkhill. Written by: Sergio Casci. Plot: This spooky thriller tracks the private nightmare of Mary Kee, a divorcée who begins receiving strange telephone calls from a woman she doesn't know. After engaging the stranger initially, Mary tries to extricate herself -with horrific results. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi436444185/ Review: I love the premise if this film, and the leads are great. Will update after I see this. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.