A New Mom’s First Trip to the Movie Theater

Being a mom is the greatest job I have ever imagined, even though it comes with many struggles and sacrifices.  Especially when it comes to seeing movies.  It was weeks after my son was born before I had the time or energy to watch anything new, and that was when my husband put on Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing at home for me one evening.

I’m finding a new groove when watching movies with my son (and by with, I don’t mean that he is watching, or even facing the television.)  I work around his feeding schedule, enjoy the free moments that come with a long nap and pause frequently for his diaper changes and the occasional meltdowns.  Getting a long enough stretch of peace to write, is an even bigger challenge.

One weekend in mid June, with my parents visiting, was the first time I had stepped foot into a movie theater since February.  Just like with the beer and sushi I hadn’t touched in months, I had forgotten how much I missed a dark, crowded movie theater.

My husband and I saw Maleficent.  He graciously and happily gave in to my guilty pleasure over his first choice, Edge of Tomorrow.  It was enjoyable but not great, but I didn’t care.  Much of the time, my mind wasn’t completely on the movie.  I soaked up the beam of light being projected overhead and enveloping the screen, the variety of reactions from the audience around me, even the gross smell of popcorn dissolving in soda coming from the trash cans.  I missed it all so much.

In the back of my mind was my baby back home.  How were my parents dealing with his usual evening fussiness?  Were they feeding him from the right bottles?  Did he miss me, or not even notice my absence?  I also wondered how he would react in the theater; perhaps with curiosity and wonder for some moments and angry, scared tears at so much noise and darkness.

By the end of our first dinner-and-a-movie date night as parents, I was ready to go home.  I missed my son, but was also recharged and so happy to be out on the town.  Movie theaters had always been my favorite place in the world, but now it’s a very close second to being with my son.

So…I’m a Mom Now

-“How do I look?”
-“Like a new mom. Scared shitless.”

Wonderful news, everyone!  My son made an early arrival on March 31st.  He’s a healthy, beautiful baby boy and this mom (and the daddy) couldn’t be more proud.

With my sweet new arrival, this blog will be put on the back burner for a while.  Between all the feedings, diapers and love to give, movies will have to wait.

Not that I can completely cut them out.  We did put on Fantasia during our hospital stay, which my son calmly slept through.  And I usually have something good on during our daytime feedings, be it Frozen, The Avengers or Blazing Saddles.  Don’t worry, I’ll restrict what’s on before he starts paying attention.

Thanks for all the support and kind words, I’ll be back when I have more time and energy to share.

 

How a Film Enthusiast Prepares for Children

I wish I had found some camouflage maternity pants…

I realize things have been pretty slow here since Oscar season, but not without good reason.  I only have a couple of weeks (or less!) left before my bundle of joy bursts out of me Alien style and into the world.  My husband and I have been preparing for months in many ways.  Sure, most everyone gets a crib, some cute tiny clothes and a stockpile of diapers, dreaming of pushing a stroller and witnessing a child’s first everything.  But I’ve been taking it a bit further.

Slowly, I have gathered a decent blu-ray and dvd collection.  And the latest additions have all been treasured Disney and Pixar films.  From sweet classics like Bambi and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh to modern greats like Finding Nemo and Brave, I hope to share these with my child, when the time comes.  Until then, they will still make good entertainment for me and background noise for baby that I can feel good about.  In fact, I hope to put Fantasia on within the baby’s first few days.

A staple in any childhood film collection.

I know one day, as junior becomes more technologically advanced, certain movies will have to be kept out of reach.  The Quentin Tarantio collection my husband and I have gathered won’t come out with little eyes and ears in range.  Just imagine the damage done in just a few minutes of Reservoir Dogs, Jaws or Saving Private Ryan.  We’ll get to those when the time comes, some in a decade or so, but no earlier.

I’m already wondering when to first take my child to a public screening setting.  Taking a baby to a movie theater never seemed right to me, so I know I’ll be out of the loop on new releases for a while.  My husband and I have already discussed how I’ll be going out on my own for most of next years Oscar nominated movies.  However, I am hoping our town continues to screen family classics in the park this summer.  Free, outdoors, informal and with other small children possibly being more disruptive than ours, what a paradise!

Bruce is a nice step as we work our way up to Jaws.

Of course there are some things I don’t want to rush into, got to make sure we put the horse before the cart.  This kid needs to learn to swim before seeing Jaws, it may not work the other way around.  We’ll try to read at least a few Harry Potter books before getting into the movies, as well as The Hobbit.  And I want to make sure this kid can name a few dinosaurs before jumping into Jurassic Park.

Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself, but it’s all so exciting!  Am I the only one who is putting more thought in their child’s film future rather than what onsie to bring them home in?  What film experiences have other parents enjoyed or are looking forward to with their little ones?

November Fun and a Big Announcement

Happy November!  Yes, I realize this is now technically late November, but let me tell you all the exciting things that have been happening lately.

First off, November has, for three years now, been my big break from writing about movies and venturing into dangerous territory.  I participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo if you talk about it enough) and enjoy the rush of writing 50,000 words of fiction in just 30 days.  Though I’m a bit behind (the blue widget at the bottom shows how far I’ve gotten), I’ll catch up.  I just have to make time between all the sleeping I want to do and the constant scavenging for food…

My maternity wardrobe is very Juno inspired, but don’t touch the belly.

Which brings me to my big announcement: I’m pregnant!  Yes, I am growing brand new human inside me as we speak, and it is crazy and amazing.  It’s one of those moments where I realize in my mind, I have no clue what I’m doing, yet my body just knows how to build a person from two haphazard cells.  Insane.  Meanwhile, I’ll just sit back, avoid certain things (I miss beer and sushi!) and keep calm while all this goes on.

As I am about half way through this glorious time of life and well on my way to parenthood, I must ask if anyone has any suggestions for movies I should see before the baby arrives?  I would like to avoid anything really negative, like Rosemary’s Baby, Sophie’s Choice or Alien (I imagine birth will be like the chest-burster scene.)  But any enjoyable movies about pregnancy, babies, motherhood or fatherhood (I can give my husband some required watching) would be much appreciated.

I’ll be back in December with more movies and hopefully, getting prepared (and pumped) for Oscar season.  I’ve already seen Gravity and 12 Years a Slave, let’s hope writing their reviews in advance doesn’t jinx their Oscar chances.

Happy October!

Time to celebrate all those creepy shadows and bumps in the night.

It’s hard to believe that October is here again.  Here at The Best Picture Project, that means a month focused on classic and great horror films that fit into the Halloween season.

Now I realize the past month was a bit slow and I do want to apologize for not bringing enough film fun to my slice of the blogosphere.  Life has been busy, full of new ventures and topped off with a trip out west.  I’m back now, refreshed and with my Netflix queue stocked with horror.

As always, I invite you to suggest your favorite Halloween spirited films.  Right now, I want to promise getting to The Blob, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dawn of the Dead (’78) and Frankenstein.  To see what films I have covered last October, check out my October Haunts page.  I may not be able to review all of them, but having more on my radar is always helpful.   Let’s enjoy a spooky, fun filled October!

Turbo and the Indy 500

An idealistic view from the top of the pylon.

Growing up around Indianapolis, the events surrounding the Indy 500 are just as prevalent in my childhood as Christmas or Halloween.  May was (and still is, for my dad) always an entire month of loading up the cooler and hanging out at the track (what we lovingly call the Indianapolis Motor Speedway).  My dad would usually take me out of school a day or two just to enjoy it all with him and we were there every weekend as well.  It was where he would hang out with all his friends and I’d play with my dinosaurs or run around with my siblings and friends.  I didn’t always to go the race itself, it depended on how many tickets we had and if he could sell them, but I can say that it really is the greatest spectacle in racing.  Going back now always feels like going home, I just wish Turbo had gotten to know my home a little better.

The best seats are to Turbo’s right. Shade and a great view of both pit lane and the finish line.

Now, I’m not really upset.  I’ve made peace with how the film seems to look at the track with rose colored glasses.  In a nutshell, this film is trying to bring more kids to the race and it’s probably the biggest advertisement the 500 has ever had.  You certainly can’t allude to all the beer drinking that goes on, the legends of The Snake Pit (boy, does my dad have some wild stories) or how many drivers have lost their lives there throughout the years.

However, there is a lot of history and culture that is not even acknowledged in Turbo.  If the taco truck gang got there in time to qualify, they were there for a lot of festivities.  Did they really miss out on the fun and free concert for Carb Day?  Did they not participate in the parade?  I was very sad that there wasn’t even a little musical reference to Back Home Again in Indiana, which is always sung just before the race, usually by Jim Nabors.  And there was no announcement of “a new track record,” always a big moment during qualifying at the track.  A snail qualifying definitely breaks some records, what a missed opportunity.

Not sure I’ve ever seen the sun quite like that in Indy. The race usually doesn’t last into the evening. Also, that’s north.

What it does get right, made my heart soar.  Seeing the track recreated in an animated movie is a thrill to me, and they got it (mostly) accurate (there’s no cornfield next door to the track).  We get to see Gasoline Alley, the pagoda, pit road and even the garage area up close.  I had to laugh when the security guards in yellow shirts appeared, they’re my dad’s May nemeses and sometimes good friends!  The iconic yard of bricks (the start/finish line) is of course home to a pivotal scene.  The IndyCars are accurate and beautiful.  And we get a close look at the Borg-Warner Trophy, though I’m not sure if we see any real winners faces on it.  There was even a glimpse of people watching from the infield, where my dad and his friends always hang out.

As your average animated movie for kids, Turbo is pretty good.  But in the eyes of a life long Indy 500 fan and native, it could have been so much more.  The Indy 500 is more than a race, it has its own culture, rich in tradition.  You just don’t go into someone’s home and make a movie about it without understanding what’s most important to its people.

Goodbye Roger Ebert

Thank you for the autograph and the inspiration, Mr. Ebert.

Yesterday, I had just gotten off work and found refuge from the rain in my favorite coffee shop.  My mind was set to write a new review, but out of bad habit, I opened up Twitter, for just a moment, and saw the sad news.  Roger Ebert, the writer I strive to learn from most, my inspiration throughout this blog, had just passed away.

The barista could have guessed I had come across some bad news.  For a few minutes I just sat in disbelief, rubbing my eyes, shaking my head and refreshing my twitter feed as all the love for Roger came pouring through.  What a sad day for the film community, the strongest voice in film criticism was gone.  I’ll never forget the day I briefly met him, seeing all his life and energy shine through despite his tired body.  Though most of us knew of his diminishing health, you’re never ready for the end.

Most film bloggers love Ebert and follow his work.  From the early days of this blog, he has been my go-to writer to emulate.  I’ve strived to learn from his work, not just how to write about movies, but how to become a better writer.  Just earlier that day I thought to myself, “Shoot, I haven’t written a new review lately, Ebert wouldn’t have slacked off in my shoes.”

Over the past three years writing this blog, I have learned a lot from Roger.  On film criticism, I’ve learned that it takes practice, years of it.  It’s not always right to blame actors for a bad movie and if it is a good film (as most that I review are), it’s worth it to be kind and say something good about it.  However, never sacrifice honesty.  That may be the hardest part of film criticism, being brave enough to be honest, especially if you’re opinion isn’t the popular one.

As a writer in general, my God, Ebert’s lessons have been invaluable.  Not only his film reviews, but his blog posts, his twitter account, his memoir, everything he puts out into the world was done with such gusto and care.  They were pieces of him he shared with the whole world and his reach was farther than most writers, of our time or the past.  He connected us, the film community and beyond, in ways we could only imagine.  He made the most of modern communication and helped enrich our human experience.

From this inspired writer, we already miss you Mr. Ebert.  The world is a better place because of you.  Thanks for always being with us at the movies.

Happy November

So, it’s the middle of November and there hasn’t been anything new here at The Best Picture Project since Halloween.  First off, sorry about that.  October was tons of scary fun, but November is a different kind of busy.  You see, for the past two weeks now, I have not been watching many movies or writing any reviews.  Instead, this month is devoted to a new adventure.  This is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short), where the goal is 50 thousand words of fiction and I am all in.

Film always romanticizes the act of writing. How can he play Tetris on that thing?

Writing a novel is a very different from writing movie reviews and right now, it feels great.  I’ve been stretching muscles that haven’t been used in a while and can feel them grow stronger every day.  And lets face it, focusing on movies for so long can start to feel like a real rut.  This feels like a long, refreshing hike exploring new ground.

However, readers know I can’t stay away from movies for long.  Here’s a bit of my latest film fun:

Cloud Atlas – This one blew my mind.  Really, between the visual beauty, the interconnected stories, great actors in multiple roles and ideas of lives connected centuries apart, I was floored.  Thing is, I felt like it was too big, both in the visuals and ideas, to absorb well in one sitting, so I do plan on seeing it again.  I don’t want to jinx it, but this could rack up some serious Oscar nominations.

Wreck-It Ralph – So fun, cute and colorful!  For those who grew up on videogames and remember what an arcade looks like, this feels made for us.  It’s perfectly tailored with plenty of jokes and recognizable characters for the younger generations to enjoy.  My theater seemed to have some segregated laughter  -adults got the video game references, kids lost it over the duty jokes- but still a lot of fun for everyone.

Also, check out IantheCool’s latest installment of Film Through the Ages, where he, a bunch of other great film bloggers and I give some great film recommendations in every decade.  A lot of fun picks over there.

Happy November everyone, and to you other NaNoWriMo participants, good luck!

E.T. & Lawrence of Arabia in Theaters This Week

When an old film I love is re-released to theaters, I see it as an opportunity.  Sure, I may have seen it a dozen times at home, but nothing beats the big screen.

Take a few weeks ago.  When I realized that my town’s IMAX theater was participating in the Raiders of the Lost Ark re-release, I jumped at the opportunity.  Literally.  I got so excited that I jumped and ran around the house in my fedora until I had tired myself out like a child.  In my delirium, my husband said I was more excited at the chance to see Raiders on the big screen than any other cherished moments we’ve had together…like our wedding.  He knew what he was getting into, but I digress.

All my life, I had been watching Raiders of the Lost Ark on TVs.  Big TVs, little TVs, HDTVs, little tiny ones that came with the family van.  I was engrossed in the images no larger than my own head at times.  As I sat in the theater, it was like seeing my favorite movie with a new set of eyes.  A movie that had always been bigger than life was bigger than ever and it was 115 minutes of pure film heaven.

That being said, let me get to the point of why I’m writing this now.  This week, select theaters will be showing two classics that beg to be seen on the big screen.  On Wednesday, October 4th E.T. will be showing in celebration of its 30th anniversary.  The following day, Thursday, October 5th will be Lawrence of Arabia, celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Did you hear that?  E.T. in theaters for a new generation of kids to really experience.  Lawrence of Arabia in all it’s expansive glory on a screen big enough to do the film justice!  You know as well as I that no TV in an average home is really fit to watch Lawrence of Arabia on.  Even my husband is excited enough about it to stay out late for this!

Anyway, join me won’t you?  Click here for E.T. and here Lawrence of Arabia to see if your local theaters are hosting these one night only showings.

Let’s Celebrate Halloween All October!

“Fasten your drool cups, and ready your vomit bags! We’re going to the movies! Frights, camera, action!”

Tomorrow is October!  My favorite month is nearly upon us and I invite you to celebrate with me.  While the air is chilling, the leaves are changing color and kids are gearing up for an all night masquerade-sugar rush, I will be turning my focus to films of the season.  I haven’t had many chances to review a slew of horror films, so here they come, in all their screams of bloody murder and madness, with nightmares to spare! Keeping with my theme of award deserving, quality films, I’m trying to keep to classics and greats that fit into the Halloween theme.  So don’t expect to see remakes or any high number sequels.  To give you a little taste, here are a few films that I promise to review: Poltergeist, Night of the Living Dead, Psycho, Nosferatu,and (for the kiddies!) Beetlejuice.

Now let me ask you, what great horror/Halloween films should I check out?  I can’t promise to get to them all, but you know I’m always looking for good movies to see.  And this October, I plan to be too scared to sleep all Halloween night.  Join me, wont you?