We’ve watched some suuuuuper random movies lately. My netflix queue has clearly broken the recommendation algorithm because the stuff they have been suggesting lately is bananas. No thank you, Jean Claude Van Damme movies. But I thought I’d share some snippets from the last few cinematic weeks:
Crazy Stupid Love: I wanted this to be GREAT and while I enjoyed it, I thought it was only okay. I think Steve Carell was better as a romantic lead in Dan in Real Life (I shamelessly love that movie) and for me Ryan Gosling in Drive was his best role this year. Even the gratuitous ab shots couldn’t compete with Drive. Entertaining-ish though. And Emma Stone is cuteness squared.
Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune: Hey-O, not a feel good movie! But an interesting look at a time in history interspersed with an influential artist. Garrett has an incredibly large soft spot for Folk Music (He’d light his lighter up at a Peter, Paul and Mary show for sure!) so this was his pick. But I love a good documentary.
Elf: Dude I know. This movie is completely seasonally inappropriate as well as a million years old. I can’t believe I had never seen it until recently either. But HOLY HELL it was so funny we’ve watched it twice. It will definitely be added to the Holiday Rotation. Will Ferrell has this uncanny ability to make me do a full body belly laugh with just an expression. I don’t know what it is. I miss his Saturday Night Live years.
Another Earth: I loved this movie. It was beautiful to watch and I’m still thinking about it. When I read the plot synopsis I wasn’t sure it would be my kind of movie (it sounded a little sci fi for my tastes) but it was REALLY emotional and interesting in a way that I didn’t anticipate. Worth a watch.
On tonight’s movie menu:
*****
While we don’t watch movies nearly as often as I would like, my heart still goes pitter-pat over the potential of a good film. Every year around the time of the Oscars I get a little bit of entertainment industry nostalgia. Have I ever told you that I was once a very aspiring film student? I think I have but I can’t remember. It was during The LA Years (obviously) and the short story goes like this: when you flunk out of your previous college, film schools in LA laugh at your applications. Actually they probably laugh at applications full of amazing grades, because that stuff is COMPETITIVE. And so my life took a different path. But I still have fond memories of living down there and every year I try my best to watch all of the Oscar contenders to recapture a little bit of that buzz that I used to feel while living in LA. We are woefully behind this year, but I’m going to do my best to make a valiant effort!
Have you looked at the list of nominees?
What movies have you seen on the list? Will you be trying to squeeze them all in?
Any other good movie recommendations for me. My netflix queue is now dangerously low. 
