MJ AND SPENCER’S GUIDE TO YOUR SUMMER MOVIES
It’s nearly the end of June, which means that (at least where I am) the days are long and very hot . . . and for some reason, this brings out the MOVIE BUG in many of us.
I was sitting here with Spencer Martin of Suite Scarlett fame (he says hi). The Hopewell doesn’t have very reliable air conditioning, so the Martins often turn up at my door. He and I were talking about this very subject, and we decided to make a guide to some films we think you should watch—ones outside the scope of the current summer blockbusters. This is not a comprehensive guide to ALL good movies. There are many, many more movies we would both recommend. These were just the best movies we could think of at the moment, and they are all gems.
First of all, a brief memo to Steve Martin. For reasons I cannot understand, this once-brilliant (really, still-brilliant) man is on a quest to ruin all of my favorite movies by doing horrible, horrible remakes. Spencer also likes Steve Martin in general, but feels that his attempts to remake the following two films are a blight on the honorable House of Martin, of which he is a member.
THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS (1970)
This may just be the funniest movie ever made. Really. No . . . really. I saw this movie for the first time in high school—I can’t even remember the circumstances—and immediately embraced its total genius. It practically made my brain melt.
The story is easy to sum up: a man and woman (Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis) come New York City for a job interview and possible promotion. Things start going wrong pretty much from the start, with the husband refusing to admit defeat, and the wife trying to gracefully accept the situation. This movie amazes because it builds so perfectly. Just when you think these people cannot be tortured any more—some new level of hell rises out of the background, and they charge right for it. Jack Lemmon as “the guy who will not give up” is simply the most magnificent thing this side of Magnificentland. This movie is the best example I can think of of something Spencer points out in Suite Scarlett 2: “The suffering of others is fun.”
WHATEVER YOU DO . . . do not get the 1999 version with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. It bears NO relation to this one and it will make you sad and angry, at least if you are me. Everything about this movie is wrong, and everyone involved in its making should be fed to alligators.
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: everyone, I think, but especially people who plan on visiting New York, anyone who has had a bad day, people who refuse to give in, people who like to make lists, people who are convinced the world is after them, people who are convinced things will always work out, Steve Martin.
THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER (1975)
I love the Pink Panther movies, the REAL ones, of which there are five: The Pink Panther (1963), A Shot in the Dark (1964), this film, The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978). All real Pink Panther films feature Peter Sellers, which means that the remake with Steve Martin is DEFINTIELY not on the list. Don’t watch it.
Whenever summer rolls around, I always get the itch to see this movie, which is probably my favorite of the bunch. It’s especially relevant now that I have an assistant. You see, Inspector Clouseau has an assistant named Cato, who is basically a ninja as well as a valet. In order to keep Clouseau on his toes, Cato lies in wait for his master whenever he comes home and attacks him from the least expected place possible. Roxy now does this to me. When I sat down to type out this blog, she detached from my ceiling and landed on my head. This didn’t actually help me, but I am sure you see what I mean.
Maybe not.
The following clip is an excellent example of this, and the very end bit is one of my favorite scenes of all time. It teaches us at least one vital lesson: never answer the door.
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: ninjas, detectives, Roxy Studious, FedEx delivery personnel, Steve Martin.
DEEP BLUE SEA (1999)
Quite simply, the greatest movie in the history of ever. There was really no point of anyone, anywhere making a movie after this. Should have won every award possible—Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Nobel Prizes, Most Likely to BE TOTALLY AWESOME. Possibly the most eloquent film on the subject of why no one should go in the ocean.
Summary: Ultra-smart sharks turn into serial killers and pick off a group of scientists one by one. Did you just hear me? SERIAL KILLER SHARKS. Why are you still reading this? Why aren’t you running to your local film emporium to rip every possible copy of this movie off the shelf? You need further convincing?
Fine. Okay. Here you go. The best death scene you will ever watch. You’re welcome. I have nothing more to say on this matter. Words cannot do it justice.
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: swimmers, Samuel L. Jackson fans, serial killers, sharks.
THE VILLAGE (2004)
This movie was completely stupid, but if you are having a very, very slow night, I suggest renting it and playing this game . . .
I became convinced while watching this that the director of photography was actually a grad student in film who was secretly trying to finish his thesis project, which was a documentary on chairs. He was using the cameras, film, and set of this movie to shoot the footage he needed. This means you can play “spot the chair!” The rules are simple: whenever you see a chair, yell, “CHAIR!” And then start counting. See just how long the chair remains in frame. Bonus points if the chair is the ONLY thing in frame, which happens more often than you think it would.
The trailer gives you only a tantalizing glimpse of the chairs to come. So. Many. Chairs. It’s chairporn.
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: very, very bored people, people who like chairs.
THE WICKER MAN (2006)
To be honest with you, I’ve never seen this movie, and I’m not going to. The reason is—I have all I will ever need to see right here. My friend Gig Saunders sent this clip to me one day, and my life has never been the same. I have fallen out of a chair laughing two times in my life—this was one of them. Spencer agrees: everything about this clip is made of solid gold.
You may also enjoy this fan-made trailer version:
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: beekeepers, people with bear suits, bicycle enthusiasts.
CLOVERFIELD (2008)
Not since the halcyon days of Snakes on a Plane has a movie been as hotly anticipated as Cloverfield. It really should have been a summer movie.
I’d heard a lot about the hand-held shaky camera in this movie making people sick. Turns out there’s a great solution for this: watch it on a plane going through turbulence! That’s what I did. It equals everything out, and also makes you feel like the Cloverfield monster is really coming to getcha.
Cloverfield is tons of fun on many levels. For me, I just like the fact that a big monster has come to eat the city for no apparent reason. When it gets upset, it barfs giant man-eating spiders—which is a pretty compelling argument for giving it what it wants. Which is . . . nothing that anyone can figure. Mostly it just likes to rage around and knock things over. It’s like some mad, oversized tourist. Like in the New York of The Out-Of-Towners, it’s hard to win in the NYC of Cloverfield, but idiots will try.
(Only people who live in New York City understand the true moral message of the movie, which is: if you live in an apartment that big, you deserve to die in the jaws of a massive, pissed-off, spider-barfing monster. Spencer seconds this notion and adds, “Thinking of you, Chip!”)
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: people on airplanes, Chip Sutcliffe, people who think “Friends” reflected real life in New York, Youtube addicts, optimists.
IT’S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER (1955)
At the very least, watch this sequence if you are having a bad day. It’s a favorite of both Spencer’s and mine. Gene Kelly was a @^#&*ing genius, and anyone who says different has to answer to both of us. The man can TAP DANCE on ROLLER SKATES.
Since I am posting that, Spencer insists that I also post this, which ALSO features Gene Kelly on roller skates. Come on. How can you not love a movie whose tagline is: “Open your eyes and hear the magic”? Are you totally heartless? And it features Olivia Newton-John as “the girl you loved in Grease” and Michael Beck as “the dude you will never hear from again.”
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: people with taste, dancers, disco divas, Steve Martin, Barack Obama.
I hope you have found this helpful!
You left MANY, MANY good questions/thoughts in the comments last time, so I will have to do an Q&A post very soon and answer them.
I was particularly intrigued by this one:
I have nothing to add but my congratulations, and let me know if you would like me to perform the ceremony. I was internet ordained last week, and am starting on my quest to marry ALL PEOPLE in the outfit of their choice (Wonder Woman, John Green, etc.).
Today’s THREE books are going to . . .
Suvi in Finland
Pridemarcher
katie!!
I’m just giving one book away today, but that is because I need to get more envelopes. Or send Roxy for them. And I am afraid to ask Roxy for anything. But still! Random commenter! Book! The Summer of Scarlett rolls on!
Spencer himself will sign this copy. There you go.
I was sitting here with Spencer Martin of Suite Scarlett fame (he says hi). The Hopewell doesn’t have very reliable air conditioning, so the Martins often turn up at my door. He and I were talking about this very subject, and we decided to make a guide to some films we think you should watch—ones outside the scope of the current summer blockbusters. This is not a comprehensive guide to ALL good movies. There are many, many more movies we would both recommend. These were just the best movies we could think of at the moment, and they are all gems.
First of all, a brief memo to Steve Martin. For reasons I cannot understand, this once-brilliant (really, still-brilliant) man is on a quest to ruin all of my favorite movies by doing horrible, horrible remakes. Spencer also likes Steve Martin in general, but feels that his attempts to remake the following two films are a blight on the honorable House of Martin, of which he is a member.
THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS (1970)
This may just be the funniest movie ever made. Really. No . . . really. I saw this movie for the first time in high school—I can’t even remember the circumstances—and immediately embraced its total genius. It practically made my brain melt.
The story is easy to sum up: a man and woman (Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis) come New York City for a job interview and possible promotion. Things start going wrong pretty much from the start, with the husband refusing to admit defeat, and the wife trying to gracefully accept the situation. This movie amazes because it builds so perfectly. Just when you think these people cannot be tortured any more—some new level of hell rises out of the background, and they charge right for it. Jack Lemmon as “the guy who will not give up” is simply the most magnificent thing this side of Magnificentland. This movie is the best example I can think of of something Spencer points out in Suite Scarlett 2: “The suffering of others is fun.”
WHATEVER YOU DO . . . do not get the 1999 version with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. It bears NO relation to this one and it will make you sad and angry, at least if you are me. Everything about this movie is wrong, and everyone involved in its making should be fed to alligators.
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: everyone, I think, but especially people who plan on visiting New York, anyone who has had a bad day, people who refuse to give in, people who like to make lists, people who are convinced the world is after them, people who are convinced things will always work out, Steve Martin.
THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER (1975)
I love the Pink Panther movies, the REAL ones, of which there are five: The Pink Panther (1963), A Shot in the Dark (1964), this film, The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978). All real Pink Panther films feature Peter Sellers, which means that the remake with Steve Martin is DEFINTIELY not on the list. Don’t watch it.
Whenever summer rolls around, I always get the itch to see this movie, which is probably my favorite of the bunch. It’s especially relevant now that I have an assistant. You see, Inspector Clouseau has an assistant named Cato, who is basically a ninja as well as a valet. In order to keep Clouseau on his toes, Cato lies in wait for his master whenever he comes home and attacks him from the least expected place possible. Roxy now does this to me. When I sat down to type out this blog, she detached from my ceiling and landed on my head. This didn’t actually help me, but I am sure you see what I mean.
Maybe not.
The following clip is an excellent example of this, and the very end bit is one of my favorite scenes of all time. It teaches us at least one vital lesson: never answer the door.
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: ninjas, detectives, Roxy Studious, FedEx delivery personnel, Steve Martin.
DEEP BLUE SEA (1999)
Quite simply, the greatest movie in the history of ever. There was really no point of anyone, anywhere making a movie after this. Should have won every award possible—Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Nobel Prizes, Most Likely to BE TOTALLY AWESOME. Possibly the most eloquent film on the subject of why no one should go in the ocean.
Summary: Ultra-smart sharks turn into serial killers and pick off a group of scientists one by one. Did you just hear me? SERIAL KILLER SHARKS. Why are you still reading this? Why aren’t you running to your local film emporium to rip every possible copy of this movie off the shelf? You need further convincing?
Fine. Okay. Here you go. The best death scene you will ever watch. You’re welcome. I have nothing more to say on this matter. Words cannot do it justice.
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: swimmers, Samuel L. Jackson fans, serial killers, sharks.
THE VILLAGE (2004)
This movie was completely stupid, but if you are having a very, very slow night, I suggest renting it and playing this game . . .
I became convinced while watching this that the director of photography was actually a grad student in film who was secretly trying to finish his thesis project, which was a documentary on chairs. He was using the cameras, film, and set of this movie to shoot the footage he needed. This means you can play “spot the chair!” The rules are simple: whenever you see a chair, yell, “CHAIR!” And then start counting. See just how long the chair remains in frame. Bonus points if the chair is the ONLY thing in frame, which happens more often than you think it would.
The trailer gives you only a tantalizing glimpse of the chairs to come. So. Many. Chairs. It’s chairporn.
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: very, very bored people, people who like chairs.
THE WICKER MAN (2006)
To be honest with you, I’ve never seen this movie, and I’m not going to. The reason is—I have all I will ever need to see right here. My friend Gig Saunders sent this clip to me one day, and my life has never been the same. I have fallen out of a chair laughing two times in my life—this was one of them. Spencer agrees: everything about this clip is made of solid gold.
You may also enjoy this fan-made trailer version:
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: beekeepers, people with bear suits, bicycle enthusiasts.
CLOVERFIELD (2008)
Not since the halcyon days of Snakes on a Plane has a movie been as hotly anticipated as Cloverfield. It really should have been a summer movie.
I’d heard a lot about the hand-held shaky camera in this movie making people sick. Turns out there’s a great solution for this: watch it on a plane going through turbulence! That’s what I did. It equals everything out, and also makes you feel like the Cloverfield monster is really coming to getcha.
Cloverfield is tons of fun on many levels. For me, I just like the fact that a big monster has come to eat the city for no apparent reason. When it gets upset, it barfs giant man-eating spiders—which is a pretty compelling argument for giving it what it wants. Which is . . . nothing that anyone can figure. Mostly it just likes to rage around and knock things over. It’s like some mad, oversized tourist. Like in the New York of The Out-Of-Towners, it’s hard to win in the NYC of Cloverfield, but idiots will try.
(Only people who live in New York City understand the true moral message of the movie, which is: if you live in an apartment that big, you deserve to die in the jaws of a massive, pissed-off, spider-barfing monster. Spencer seconds this notion and adds, “Thinking of you, Chip!”)
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: people on airplanes, Chip Sutcliffe, people who think “Friends” reflected real life in New York, Youtube addicts, optimists.
IT’S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER (1955)
At the very least, watch this sequence if you are having a bad day. It’s a favorite of both Spencer’s and mine. Gene Kelly was a @^#&*ing genius, and anyone who says different has to answer to both of us. The man can TAP DANCE on ROLLER SKATES.
Since I am posting that, Spencer insists that I also post this, which ALSO features Gene Kelly on roller skates. Come on. How can you not love a movie whose tagline is: “Open your eyes and hear the magic”? Are you totally heartless? And it features Olivia Newton-John as “the girl you loved in Grease” and Michael Beck as “the dude you will never hear from again.”
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS: people with taste, dancers, disco divas, Steve Martin, Barack Obama.
I hope you have found this helpful!
You left MANY, MANY good questions/thoughts in the comments last time, so I will have to do an Q&A post very soon and answer them.
I was particularly intrigued by this one:
moo, cow dont bother me. said...
Hello Maureen, that same thing happened to me except it was a greek 17-year-old named Karkos, and he sleeps under my bed. i feed him cappacinos. He can speak no English but he makes really good fish stew. We are getting married in December.
I have nothing to add but my congratulations, and let me know if you would like me to perform the ceremony. I was internet ordained last week, and am starting on my quest to marry ALL PEOPLE in the outfit of their choice (Wonder Woman, John Green, etc.).
Today’s THREE books are going to . . .
Suvi in Finland
Pridemarcher
katie!!
I’m just giving one book away today, but that is because I need to get more envelopes. Or send Roxy for them. And I am afraid to ask Roxy for anything. But still! Random commenter! Book! The Summer of Scarlett rolls on!
Spencer himself will sign this copy. There you go.
Labels: films, Spencer Martin, Suite Scarlett, summer
posted by Maureen at
7:04 AM
92 Comments:
?xobeciuj a ekil uoy dluoW
Gene Kelly is AMAZING. Now I regret not mastering roller skates more than ever.
"The Wicker Man" seems...interesting. I can't say if "sitting...sitting...DEAD GIRL! IN YOUR ARMS!" sold me or not. (However, it gets points for making me want to watch the "FAME" theme because it appears to be more sane.)
Can't wait to check them out!
I like chairs. My friend and I actually made up an imaginary country in 4th grade, and the people there worship chairs. I think I am going to watch The Village now. Monkeys are pretty high up there, too. Free Monkey would have a blast.
Also, that was a very accurate description of Cloverfield.
*crosses fingers for a Scarlett*
Spencer himself? I want the random copy! Please??? Or else I will ask Steve Martin to kidnap Roxy. Evil laugh.
My aunt marries people, she is a notary. Do notaries marry people? In some states, apparently. She also dresses up as President Truman's wife. I'm not sure if she does this while marrying people.
There are way too many jokes you can make with that word. English needs a re-design. "Maureen married someone" should be more obvious as to what I actually mean. Where are you supposed to write to in order to have this error fixed? *must ask guy who wrote Frindle*
I have to go now, before the mosquito buzzing around this computer tries to eat me.
Hi, Spencer. *dies*
*revives*
Hi, MJ. I want a Suite Scarlett. I want a Suite Scarlett like Meg Cabot wants cupcakes. I need a Suite Scarlett the way you need a restraining order against JK Rowling. I will love that Suite Scarlett like Steve Martin loves ruining movies (y'know, in a very passionately determined way).
*begs*
*begs profusely*
By the way, I saw Deep Blue Sea when I was 10 years old and I was so unbelievably scared. And I had no idea who Samuel L. Jackson was. And I believed that the plot of the movie could actually take place in real life.
As I haven't read Suite Scarlett yet, I can't fully appreciate it being signed by Spencer, since I don't know who is is! (Other than reading the first chapter, and seeing the videos from Grand Rapids, that is). But none the less, I would love a copy, so I can understand what's going on a bit better :]
And also, Deep Blue Sea gave me nightmares for about three years. Every time I would annoy my older brother, he'd threaten to put on that movie and I would cry.
How is it possible that I had NO IDEA that Gene Kelly was in Xanadu? Thank you, thank you for bringing this to my attention!
Thanks MJ!
These movies sound great. Except maybe the one about chairs. I think you’ve come up with a great question. Why does Steve Martin, a great actor, always star in remakes that are not so great? Why do you do it, Steve? WHY?
I am dying and hoping for a copy of Suite Scarlett, especially one signed by Spencer!!
Haha, it's probably wrong to find a guy getting eaten by a shark funny, and i know that it wasn't the intention but ..haha!
I am I giant fan of having someone around to keep you on your toes. Unfortunately I'm not important enough to have a PA - I have to make do with Meryl Streep. She's faster than you'd imagine!
Ah, Gene Kelly.. him and Fred Astaire, you don't get talent like that these days.
-Rob
as much as i would have loved to play the chair game, the village frightens me more than almost anything else (excluding...drowning...but ya know).
i don't know why but it FREAKS ME OUT. i have seen tonsss of other scary movies that do not scare me at all, but for some reason, i was traumatized by the village.
:[
(suite scarlett = not scary = good :] )
That Wicker Man was some scary. Ugh.
you liked it?
Chris in NY
book. book. book. please? book?
I noticed how in The Village clip, when they are climbing down into their hiding spots in the floor, the camera pans away from the chair in the background to.... another chair leg. Hehe. I can't say I ever noticed the chairs up until now, but the next time I find myself watching that movie, it might just be all I can think about.
steve martin is excellent, but his remakes are terrible! The Pink Panther was okay, though....
I ♥ free books!
I heart Deep Blue Sea. I realize it has little to no artistic merit (bad writing, bad acting) but every once and a while I MUST netflix it and watch it.
Many come here for the literature, I come here for the dance clips. Geneius.
The most terrible thing happened to me recently, Maureen.
In our last French class of the year, our teacher told us she'd had an ongoing April Fool's Joke.
Apparently, ever since April 1st, she hadn't been teaching us French... She'd been teaching us German!!!
I failed my French final, but at least now I can speak German.
Haben Sie einen netten Tag!
<3
P.S. The Wickerman Trailer made me "Lachen Sie viel".
Yay! I won a book!
My email is genahy@yahoo.com. If you email me there, I will send you my mailing address. Just don't want to leave it on a public comment board, in case stalkers or zombies lurk. (:
Thanks,
PrideMarcher
I saw the Broadway cast of "Xanadu" sing on the Tony's last week... I was a little scarred by the guy's cut-off shorts (eh...) but besides that just like the movie trailer, lol. Personally, for me, a summer movie I have to rent out is "Airplane!" the funniest movie I've ever seen. The character Johnny alone can give you endless quotes. "The fog is getting thicker-- 'and Leon's getting laaarger!'" Whenever my sis and I say that to each other my Mom looks a little confused and concerned for our mental well-being.
P.S. I love free books! Especially MJ books!
...what kind of a name is xanadu?
Heya MJ!
I have a box set of the OLD Pink Panther movies and I watch them often. The Steve Martin one doesn't even enter their GALAXY of awesome. I'd like a Suite Scarlett because I had to borrow the book from a friend, and then I was going to buy it, but I gave it to my other friend for a birthday present. She loved Spencer too. :)
Here's to hoping I win a book!
Because I'm trying to save money for a car, so I have no money for books. Being able to drive is nice, but it's hard to be unable to buy books...
I want one! Please!
Ooo, a book signed by Spencer? Now that's irresistible!
Gene Kelly is <3.
Ou of all the movies you put up i have only watched The Village- i agree it sucked.. so im going to have to go rent the rest of them. I think im going to need alot of popcorn... and some skittles. :)
You have good taste in movies. :p
interesting selection. i ♥ gene kelly!
i was talking online at (girlslife.com) and they have a whole DISCUSSION on Suite Scarlett!! i (of course) had to join in and give my thoughts. anyhow, i htought you might want to know. you have a good fanbase. :)
*Emilee
ps- i'll check out some of those movies (especially the gene kelly one)
where did that shark come from? i almost peed myself!! it looked like they were in a laboratory too!!
*Emilee
Omg, I ended up seeing the Wicker Man with my friends who like horror movies. We sat there, laughing the whole time, making fun of Nicholas Cage. Also, the best part is the end, where they capture Nicholas Cage, they show a black screen, and all you can hear is him screaming, "MY LEG!!! AHHHH!! YOU BROKE MY LEG! So funny!
So much to comment about, gosh! Um...whoa, um, yeah...M.J., I don't know if you've noticed but...You're really funny. Like, really, really, really funny. Really.
SS plz! I am your random commenter, I believe I am!
Oooh, also I have a question for your next Q+A- I have just been watching some Glastonbury coverage on the tv over here in quainte olde englande, and during 'Goodbye Mr. A', a bunch of wonder women and cat women rushed the stage, and were fighting.
In the end, the catwomen had all triumphed over the wonderwomen. Is this, in your opinion, the natural order of things?
-Rob
I love how the fench subtital's in the "Always Fair Weather" one completely reword what he's saying!
I'm a random commenter! And I'd like a book!
Besides that, I think that your blog is amazing and am curious as to your feelings on John's signing of your book, and Marion's excitement upon buying that very copy. Does that make you with that John signed all of your books, or does it in any way influence you to want to randomly sign copies of your book?
I don't know why I ever let my friends to convince me to see Wicker Man. Althought the youtube clips you have of it is way more interesting than the actual movie.
I find that summer makes me want to watch more movies to. A movie that I just got finish watching bout a half an hour ago is The Dead Poet's Society. It is sad, but awesome and kinda reminded me of John Green's Alaska.
The Wicker Man is a good movie. It makes way more sense if you don't watch the trailer. The Village is hella creepy. But after you see the ending it nullifies the whole movie. It is completely makes it like wow to wtf! Kids watch more movies in the summer because they lack school. If they didn't lack school they wouldn't have time to melt their brain monkeys away.
You need to see the original Wicker Man (1973)...forget the crappy Nick Cage remake! The first one was so cool we watched it in an anthropology class I took in college. AND, Howie's final speech is based upon Walter Raleigh's dying words. (How's THAT for Nerdfighter-like nostalgia?)
I'm not going to lie, when I saw "always fair weather..." I thought of Lauren from 5AG.
I should win a book because my name is one of the labels for this entry!
All I can say to this is thank you, MJ. About two minutes ago, I was in a really pissy mood because I couldn't find the first chapter of Breaking Dawn online. This is because is doesn't exist online, and you have to buy the special edition of Eclipse to read it. I think Stephenie Meyer's publicist also thinks that "the suffering of others is fun" because this is just cruel. Obviously, the quater in my pocket which currently represents all the money I have is so not going to pay for another copy of Eclipse (or a copy of Suite Scarlett, for that matter, which really, really sucks)
But then I read this, and watched that guy get eaten by a shark (three times, because I had to watch it over and over) And then everything was ok. So, thank you, Maureen. You rock! And sorry for using your blog as a forum to rant about Stephenie Meyer's crappy publicist(I had a point, though...so I hope it's ok).
Wow...i agree with you, Gene Kelly is a genius! Oh! and that Samuel l. Jackson link was hilarious!! Thanks for sharing all those awesome youtube links! it brought some entertainment into my boring summer vacation!
The only of those movies that I've seen are The Village and Cloverfield, but now I think I'm going to rent all over the others, because they sound quite interesting.
I would absolutely adore a copy of Suite Scarlett. :-)
It feels so long since I've commented... (my computer died and so I have basically no internet)
anyway...
1) Juno totally should have made the list. My reason: she has a phone shaped like a hamburger! HOW COOL IS THAT? I'm a vegetarian...but I WANT one.
2) I am going to camp tomorrow, and am wondering what I should be afraid of. You are obviously the expert here, so please, enlighten us.
I dont even know if it is possible that i haven't read Suite Scarlett yet, but I havent. So here are some reasons as to why i should get it.
1..If i dont get one from you i won't be able to get one for another 2 months. because the book store lady hates me.
2..I just stabbed my finger with a screwdriver. How? I have no idea. but it hurts.
3..It is about 1636 days, 9 hours, and 22 minutes until the Zombie Appocalypse. AreYouReady?
4..uh, i stabbed my finger with a screwdriver.?
Anyway..we haven't heard much from JK Rowling lately..I was wondering how she was dealing without stealing your cereal.
Is it sad that I enjoyed The Village? Joaquin Phoenix was all dark and mysterious and cute. And the cinematography was to die for. Then again, I may have been the only person to notice it.
I cannot fathom why I sat through the entire movie of The Wicker Man. I loathe Nicolas Cage and I guessed the "giant surprise twist!" within ten minutes of the movie starting.
SPOILER ALERT!
Nicolas Cage's character dies.
Nicky Boy - 0
Jessica - 1
I have abnormal heart palpitations every time I see Cloverfield.
1. That monster is so horrifying. And drippy. And spider-shootingy.
2. Michael Stahl-David, who you failed to mention, just happens to be one of the most attractive people to ever grace God's green earth.
Another really good movie along the lines of strange sci-fi getting-eaten-by-a-giant-intelligent-shark movie is Sunshine with Cillian Murphy and Chris Evans of 'Fantastic Four' fame. Very good flick. They have to reignite the sun when it's dying and they soon run into some creepy Phantom of the Opera-faced guy who tries to kill everyone.
O.O
Did I just win a book?
Just a minute, I have to learn how to breathe again...
I mean... Me? A book? A book for me? A real book, one you can read and everything?
I'll have to come back tomorrow before I believe this... I might be dreaming, you know, and would become so sad when I realize it was only a dream. But it certainly would be the best dream ever!
Okay, let's assume this is true. Wow, I'm going to get a book! It is like winning a big award for being a random commenter... Should I thank someone? MJ, mom, and God? Well, thank you!
Everytime I saw the movie The Village, I thought, "there is some bigger meaning for all this..." Even after the movie ends, and still no one can understand why the movie was made, I knew, there is something behind it all. Now I know, thanks to Maureen: The movie is actually a documentary on chairs! I knew it all the time, someone just had to say it aloud! :D
"STEP...AWAY...FROM...THE...BIKE"....WOW! That had to be one of Nicholas Cage's golden movies right? Thanks for the update, that shark death scene will give me nightmares for weeks! Keep em comin!
CLEARLY, you have never seen the New Zealand horror-comedy Black Sheep. If you had, it would not only have been on your list, it would have been the whole list.
I didn't like the Village, but now I feel I need to see it again to count the chairs. That's weird.
Deep Sea Blue can't possibly be the best movie ever made because BRAZIL is the best movie every made.
But not the "Love Conquers All" version. That one was rubbish.
I'm the random commenter that will win this book! (hopefully)
Deep Blue Sea is a great movie, a classic in my mind, haha.
and Spencer will sign it? what?
Haha, me and my friend would turn off all the lights in her house and watch a milliopn scary movies.
(Deep Blue Sea being one of them)
ANNNND I found a website that explains how to become a minister. =D
http://www.ehow.com/how_2311026_obtain-ministers-license.html
We watched the ending of the original Wickerman (the seventies version) in Latin class - it is so something that everyone needs to see. (I know, we watch this random movie but we don't watch Gladiator.) Anyways, in the end (p.s., spoilers), they stuff the main guy into the giant wicker man and creepy hippiesholding hands sing their happy cult song while they watch it burn. It was hysterical in a creepy way, and had so very little to with Latin, except for a fabulous trivia point: putting people in a giant wicker man and setting it on fire was the way the ancient Gauls made sacrifices. No joke, it's in Caesar. We didn't watch the Nicolas Cage version, though, because my Latin teacher has very peculiar views about movies, one of which is that he doesn't care for any director/actor who is a) still allowed in the country or b) alive.
I would love a book.
I'm going out and renting It's Always Fair Weather this instant.
Okay, now you've done it. You've cursed the greatest seventies movie, XANADU, by asking Steve Martin to watch it and he will now be required to remake it and ruin it. He will take Gene Kelly's role as the tap-dancing roller-rink owner and Hannah Montana will be the ethereal muse, Kyra. And Michael Beck isn't busy these days, so maybe he'll reprise his role. Wait, no, if there's a dancing, shirtless, cheesy role for a guy, it'll totally have to be Mario Lopez. XANADU is totally cursed now. Thanks.
Hahaha, I never thought about all the chairs in The Village, but you're TOTALLY RIGHT. There are almost more chairs in that movie than there are phone calls in Scream.
Nice movie list, and i agree the village was a bad movie :P
Xanadu is one of the most well-known complete flops in movie history. I still haven't seen it, but I intend to someday, when I have the stomach for it. Until then, my cultural knowledge is incomplete.
Bite your tongue, Caryn! You obviously are unaware of genius when you see it.
open your eyes and see
the love that we made is real
they call it xanadu
(it's almost a haiku)
Hey!!! I have actually watched one or two of those. And Gene Kelly really is amazing. Yeah, I think I'll go find these movies and watch them because, sadly, I really have nothing else to do during the summer. A Suite Scarlett would help. Like, especially one signed by Spencer. HI SPENCER!
The first time I saw Deep Blue Sea was after spending a late night watching Monty Python with one of my best friends. I think it was my freshman year of high school. Anyway, it was a special on TV and we were powerless to shut it off. We sat there, saying, "No! Don't stand that close to the edge... oh..."
Those were some amazing times.
I think that having a Spencer-signed copy of Suite Scarlett might be the most amazing thing that ever happened to me. I live in a very, very boring town. Seriously.
PLEASE give me the book, since technically it would be for my friend who's birthday is in August and desparately wants a copy, but has no internet access at the current time. And is glaring over my shoulder, making sure I type this right.
Also, you missed my favorite summer film of all time: MEATBALLS, the 1979 version, not the crappy new version coming out next year. It's pretty much my camp experiences with the names changed.
so, to finish, PLEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE GIVE ME THAT BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!! I NEED IT !!!!
Spencer!
Hi back
I agree! Steve Martin needs to stick to making originals as opposed to remakes.
Jaws has nothing, NOTHING on Deep Blue Sea. It really is one of my favorites (and has one of my favorite actresses, Saffron Burrows, who is probably one of the most underated actresses in Hollywood) Really they should make a psuedo movie that shows genetically mutated kangaroos. Though that might be scarring with the lil kangaroos jumping here and jumping at the screen. ~shudders~
xoxoxo
I agree about The Village. It wasn't scary and the ending was pretty stupid.
gene kelly can tap dance on Chuck Norris's FACE.
So, it's around two in the morning and I'm sitting their watching the Planet Green channel. A commercial for G-Word came on and then all of a sudden Hank Green's face popped on my screen! I watched that commercial like 20 times before i noticed him in it. Did you know about the commercial??
i really hope i'm just like you one day. i mean it.
reading your posts allwsy make my day!
and book are great!
I really wanna watch the Village. It sounds really good.
I hope I win this time. I spend my money too quickly and can't seem to save up $20 to buy it!
I noticed that you've got what seems to be a disproportionately high number of movies taking place in New York City. Do you think this is because you, personally, are more likely yo recommend movies that take place in NYC, or is it because movies taking place there are more likely to be awesome (or is it because movies that are awesome are more likely to take place there?). Any clarification would be appreciated. My head's starting to spark.
Now that you've posted all of those clips, those fishmongers at Youtube took them down :(
Dear Maureen,
Since you live in New York City, I was wondering if you could explain subway etiquette.
Why Barack Obama?
Thanks for all the movie ideas. It will keep my summer interesting!
ran-o-dom comment.
vote for ashley? please?
Hey Maureen:
Love your blog. I was wondering if you could do me a favor and mention something in a blog post? My blog, Shooting Stars, along with so far...ten other blog sites are having a HUGE giveaway of gift cards to a winner at the end of July and they enter by buying I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by debut author Stephanie Kuehert and sending in proof.
You can see more in the HUGE giveaway post, here:
www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com
Anyway, if you could mention this...so more people have a shot of trying, that would be amazing! Thanks!!!
Lauren
Ah yes, The Villiage. I remember watching that on a flight to China.
Good way to set the ol' oriental mood...
o_O
best wishes!
I rather enjoyed Cloverfield, despite the fact that my immediate reaction was to run full speed towards the bathroom and toss up my popcorn.
And that they killed my favorite character (funny camera guy whos name no one remembers.)
I am proud to say i have never seen teh remake of Pink Panther, and that the 60's versions will forever remain the true versions.
Nothing beats stepping out of a limo into a fountain.
wickerman has to be the funniest movie meant to be scary that i've ever seen. i saw it in the theatre with several of my friends (two of which are terrified, and i mean TERRIFIED of scary movies) and the first few minutes of the movie everyone was really quiet and tense, waiting for the scary moments to happen...but after that everyone was laughing. if you are in the mood for something that attempts to scare you in mostly the wrong ways, or are very hyper and ready to mock something...i suggest it.
SPEAKING of summer movies...
OH. MY. GOD.
http://www.mammamiamovie.com/main.html
I don't know if you appreciate this or not mj, but i was pretty excited hehe
long live ABBA! ^.^
i would just like you to know that i just finished 13 little blue envelopes and i absolutely loved it! so i will definately be picking up suite scarlett as soon as i can get my hands on it! you rock!!!
<3 Laura from MN
Maureen!Can I give you to my friend for her birthday? Her free monkey and yours can have a playdate.
I love this list. And I agree that Deep Blue Sea is the greatest movie ever! People never believe me....
As for summer movies MJ and Spencer should see, they are "Mamma Mia" and "Hamlet 2." I think they'd enjoy them.
"HOW'D IT GET BURNED!?"
Nicholas Cage, you have fallen so very, very far.
But that aside, that is possibly the funniest video I have seen in my entire life. I was crying, I laughed so hard.
My friend and I have a Free Monkey. And we wanted to arrange a play date. Our Free Monkey's name is Jasper and he misses playing with other monkeys like him. He really enjoys reading and likes to hide things in my room and make me find them. He goes to highschool duringthe school year. (I have to choice when I get to school I find him in my backpack or on a desk doing my incomplete homework. And his favorite Green brother is Hank and I like John so it a constent fight over who is better. Jasper say "Hi"
thanks for the movie tips!
and id love to win a book =)
ahh i just finished suite scarlett!
it was sooo good but wait, whatever happened with Scarlett and Eric? i NEED to find out. make a sequel pleassseee i'm dying to knoww!!
MJ, I have a question for you.
How excited are you for the movie Mamma Mia?
I am watching Cloverfield as I type. I'm 50 minutes into the movie. At this point I'm rooting for the monster.
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