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Saturday, October 17, 2009

Let's talk movies

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Given that I've admitted to my couch potato tendencies before, I'm sure it won't surprise you when I say that I love to watch movies. Very often, if Mike and I go out on a date, it will include catching a flick at the theater near our house.

But I like watching movies at home just as much. There are certain movies I consider to be "laundry" films. These are the movies that I've seen so often that I don't have to sit an watch every scene to know what's going on. So I pop one one while I'm doing the laundry, that way if I have to get up and switch the load from the washer to the dryer, or I need to carry a pile of folded laundry upstairs, it doesn't matter if I miss a few minutes.

Currently, my favorite laundry movies are:
  • Fever Pitch
  • The Holiday
  • The Devil Wears Prada
Then there are movies to match my mood. On Friday, I was feeling a bit melancholy and really wanted a movie to complement -- not heal -- my mood. So I asked for suggestions on Facebook. The nominees included:
  • Stepmom
  • Gone with the Wind
  • The Family Stone
  • Love Actually
  • The Way We Were
I ended up going with Dan in Real Life because a) I had it easily accessible and b) I LOVE that movie. It's just such a different role for Steve Carrell (of The Office fame) and the soundtrack is awesome.

Last night, we had a few friends over and we rented Away We Go with John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. What a surprisingly funny and entertaining film that turned out to be. But definitely wait until the kids are in bed or out of the house.

The kids love to have "Family Movie Night." Some of our favorites for that are:
  • Night at the Museum
  • Paul Blart: Mall Cop
  • Star Wars
  • The Game Plan
  • Garfield: The Movie
Of course, I love to introduce them to movies like Free Willy, Space Camp and Big -- movies that were popular when I was a kid.

The Heartland Film Festival is going on now in Indianapolis for the next two weeks. If you're at all within driving distance, I highly recommend trying to get to a few of the screenings. Check out the write up I did for the Indiana Insider blog. I'm hoping to see a couple of the films myself.

Of course, I can't see every movie that I want to see. That's what the Redbox is for! Movies I'm waiting for on the Redbox include Julie and Julia and Rachel Getting Married.

Are you a movie watcher? In-theater or at home? What are some of your favorites?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great classics - though you definitely need to add "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" to the rotation of classic movies - Annie would love it!

Another good one - though it is VERY slow going at first - but has a great message is "Seven Pounds" with Will Smith. Its a deep movie...not one for the kids though.

Twist said...

I love Just Like Heaven. It's an awesome comedy and drama.

Sharon said...

Um, HUGE movie person here. Practically every date dh & I have ever gone on involves the movies. LOVE them. I really wish we lived closer, Amy.

I want to see Julie & Julia, too.
I loved The Proposal.

Laundry movies for me? Many of the 80's, including Big.
I also could watch over & over again:
Spanglish
Mona Lisa Smile
Sleeping with the Enemy
Disney stuff, like Princess Diaries

Gosh, so many, yet I'm having a hard time listing them.
I just love movies. Add some good smelling candles, kettle corn, diet pepsi, and ice cream, and I have a perfect evening.

Joanie said...

John and I love to go to the movies and to watch them on DVD (or VCR) at home. John has well over 400 titles in his apartment (no furniture but lots and lots of books and movies)

Last night we saw Law Abiding Citizen (great flick, but graphic at times). Then we went home and watched Far and Away and this afternoon, we watched Conan the Barbarian.

My all time favorite ever is The Quiet Man with John Wayne (I'm a weird John Wayne buff.. I'll watch anythng he's made)

I don't ever do horror flicks! Not a fan of slapstick comedy and I really don't like movies like Mall Cop.

Romantic comedies are probably my favorite... Just Like Heaven, The women, The Proposal and others like it) I'm a big Reese Witherspoon and Sandra Bullock fan.

I like sci-fi, espionage, thrillers, fantasy.

Oh! And Jason, Angie and Ava? Seven Pounds was amazing!

Amy said...

Angie - Oh yeah, baby! Tune in Tokyo! I think we've watched that one, but we don't own it.

Lurve - (Welcome!) Never heard of Just Like Heaven. Will have to check it out.

Joanie - Conan the Barbarian? Really. I might have sat next to Mike while he watched it, but I would be FBing the whole time.

Michelle said...

Amy,
I love movies too-- "laundry movies" especially!
I would recommend "The Princess Bride," "Notting Hill," "Legally Blonde," "Bridget Jones' Diary," "The Prince and Me," "The Wedding Singer," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Sixteen Candles," "You've Got Mail," "Sleepless in Seattle," "Sweet Home Alabama," "The Replacements" (football movie), "Wayne's World," "Clueless," "Ever After," "Mickey Blue Eyes," "My Best Friend's Wedding," "Back to the Future," "Miss Congeniality," "Two Weeks Notice," "The Lake House," and "Ocean's Eleven."
Whew! That's a lot!
Hope you find some you enjoy in there!

Shannon @ Gabi's World said...

Okay, I am sure we are the same age or around it, and Free Willy was a movie out when my niece was a kid and she's in her early 20's! Nice try, but I got your drift! Now if you had said ET, I would have believed you!

I like the movies, but don't go often, and I don't ever watch movies on cable (It's not worth the money in our house.)I do go to those websites that have the ripped versions of the movies in theatres sometimes. It's got to be something I really want to see though. I've been really disappointed with movies lately. They just don't make them like they used to... interesting I mean!

Shelley said...

I like movies, but I hate going to the movies -- I don't like having to sit still for two and a half hours and you can't get up at the theater because IT WON'T PAUSE. Aaaaaggghhhh!!!!

But I love to watch movies at home! One of my favorite Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus, is ready and waiting for Friday night.

I like thriller-type movies, Jennifer Lopez movies (my motto is "Every movie is better if it has Jennifer Lopez in it"), slightly scary movies and both old and new Disney movies.