Tag: movies (Page 2 of 2)

Promote yourselves

June 1, 2016 / elizabethdohertyauthor

Here’s a break from your regularly scheduled blogging for you… I don’t check into this site as much as I should, but with summer break on the horizon, I want to turn that around.

So what blogs should I follow? What blogs should I read? I love books, teaching, writing, pop culture, movies, Broadway, adulthood struggles… You name it.

Tell me what to check out. Comment here. Promote yourselves if you want to. Why should I check out your blog? I want to! Here’s me breaking out of my shell.

History nerd vs. Historical movies

March 1, 2016 / edohertyauthor

I love historical movies. Good or bad. If there’s a period costume, I’m there.

Unfortunately, I was a history major in college. Which makes me a history buff. Which makes me pick apart those movies I love.

For example, I am currently watching The Other Boleyn Girl for the first time since I read the book. And it’s not a faithful adaptation of the book (nor was the book entirely faithful to real life events), but the thing that drives me the most crazy? Not the bad accents or the cheesiness. No. WHY ISN’T HENRY’S HAIR RED?

Yes, that is what is bothering me.

It’s like this in every historical movie I watch. I enjoy them, but I find one thing to pick apart.

Is that normal?

Or am I just too nerdy for my own good?

Academy Awards Blogging

January 18, 2016 / edohertyauthor

I’ve now seen all 8 films nominated for Best Picture. I’m kind of a film buff. Usually, I have one movie that I latch on to, that I root for in almost every category. This year, not so much. But I did enjoy most of the movies. Here are my “in a nutshell” thoughts on the Best Picture nominees, in order from my favorite to least favorite.

Room – A heartbreaking film and a breathtaking adaptation of the novel. The performances of the two leads (Jacob Tremblay and Brie Larson) were outstanding.
Spotlight – I am a bit of a dialogue nerd, and I thought the screenplay was excellent. It’s a very “talky” movie, and those can be boring sometimes. But Spotlight avoided those tropes. Wonderful cast. I will not be upset if this wins Best Picture.
The Martian – Okay, so maybe it’s not a comedy, but it’s fun. It’s exciting, not a typical space movie. And it’s got one of the best casts out there.
Brooklyn – A very sweet, heartfelt film. Saoirse Ronan sparkles. And I loved the color and composition.
The Revenant – These types of movies aren’t my cup of tea. That being said, I think this film was extremely well-done. Cinematography and scope was INSANE. Leo better win that Oscar finally! (I won’t be upset if this wins Best Picture either.)
Bridge of Spies – It was fun seeing Mark Rylance with a big role in a movie. And who doesn’t like Tom Hanks? It was good–intriguing–but not my favorite.
Mad Max: Fury Road – Visually, this movie was fantastic. The performances were fine. But I didn’t like the plot. It was weird. I’m sure this is because I never saw the 1980s movies.
The Big Short – I hated economics when I took it in college. This was a unique approach to the market’s collapse, but I couldn’t follow it. And those wigs? How terrible were they?

Special shoutout to my favorite movie of the year: Ex Machina – How was this movie not nominated for everything? It was thought-provoking and intriguing and creepy as all get out! I can’t stop thinking about it.

What was your favorite movie of the year?

Like the movies…

July 7, 2015 / edohertyauthor

Do you ever envision your life in the movies?

I don’t mean picturing you yourself in the movies, starring alongside Johnny Depp or Halle Berry or whatever. But more, do you picture yourself as one of the characters in the movie that you’re watching? Do you imagine what your life would be like if you were that character? Because I do.

And I sound totally pathetic.

But hear me out. As a teacher (who loves her job) slash summer camp counselor (maybe not so much) with no significant other and not much of a social life, there comes times when I like to lose myself in the movies.

When I was little, I would imagine myself as a spy as my class walked from our classroom to the library for reading time. Even my early writings drew a lot from the films that I love. (Why Liz, I hear you asking, does that mean that you wrote fanfiction? Oh yes. Yes it does. And the Harry Potter lover in me still misses it.)

Writing this blog was inspired by movie watching. Julie & Julia, which is about a bloggist, and Meryl Streep’s Julia Child impression. (What? I was in a Stanley Tucci mood.)

I don’t know. A part of me thinks that, from time to time, envisioning life as a movie can be good. It can break the monotony of, oh, I don’t know. A humid summer spent supervising hundreds of children as they play dodgeball and soccer over and over again. For me, it has helped me write on more than one occasion. Throwing my characters into a movie scene in my head, or turning something that I’m going through into a movie scene has helped me when the dreaded writers’ block hits.

And as long as I’m not living in my personal head movie all of the time, what’s wrong with it?

What’s your favorite movie, readers?