10 Years of Mean Girls

No, I didn't see Mean Girls 10 years ago when it first came out. I do remember it popping up in all of the little pre-tween magazines that I used to hoard, but I never saw it until it popped up on TV one day in 2007. I recorded it off the TV on one of those gigantic fossils we used to call videotapes. Unfortunately, the first three minutes cut out of my recording, so I never saw those first three minutes until I bought it on DVD a year later. Yet, I didn't need those three minutes. Mean Girls was, and forever will be, my favourite high school comedy of all time. Hell, probably even my favourite comedy of all time. Why?

Because 7 years since I first saw it, I'm pretty positive there hasn't been a day go by that I haven't quoted it in some way. Like seriously, there is a quote for every life situation:

When someone does well with something: "You go, Glen Coco!"

When someone asks someone else why they're white: "Oh my god Karen, you can't just ask people why they're white."

When you're a mother: "I'm not like a regular mom, I'm a cool mom."

When it's raining: "There's a 30% chance that it's already raining!"

When you don't want to go out with someone: "I can't go out *fake coughs* I'm sick."

When someone annoys you: "Boo, you whore."

Possible valedictory speech: "I'm sorry that people are so jealous of me...but I can't help it that I'm so popular."

When needing to do a rap: "Yo yo yo all you sucker MC's ain't got nothing on me! From my grades, to my lines you can't touch Kevin G! I'm a mathlete, so nerd is inferred, but forget what you heard I'm like James Bond the third, sh-sh-sh-shaken not stirred - I'm Kevin Gnapoor! The G's silent when I sneak through your door. And make love to your woman on the bathroom floor. I don't play it like Shaggy, you'll know it was me. Cause the next time you see her she'll be like, OOH! KEVIN G!"

Literally the entire script is quotable. The entire thing.

My Movie Biography: Extreme Obsessions and My "Favourite Directors" in 2007

So after telling (some of you) all about 2006, I'll move onto 2007 as we edge closer to my third blog birthday. Hopefully you enjoy this entry...

2007 was definitely a blossoming year for movies and I. Here are the most exciting things that happened:

• After going through that rough patch with Jake and Heath, I fell in love with Daniel Craig, all because that poster of Casino Royale was pretty hot. Once I was helping out at a horse show, and when I got bored I would get cinema showing times texted to me because they had Casino Royale in them. I mean, that was true love. I didn't see Casino Royale until three months after, but I did love it. I even bought the book, just because it had Daniel Craig on the front. 
• I bought my first Empire magazine issue. It had Lord of the Rings on the front. I read that issue five hundred times. It is just about in tatters. Now I have over five years worth of issues of the magazine.
• I saw my first R16. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. I used to be the biggest advocate for not watching movies underage. People would tell me about how they watched R16s and then I'd give them a huge lecture about how they shouldn't have watched those movies because they were too young and that is against the law. Had my mother not insisted that we watch Psycho, then I probably wouldn't have seen any R16s until I was 16.
• I really loved that film, though. She showed me The Birds, and I loved that one just the same. Alfred Hitchcock became my first favourite director. 

• Even though I am dipping my toes in horror this month, when I was 11, I used to be a huge horror fan. I saw Carrie, and it became my favourite film. Okay, it was more of an obsession. I saw it one Wednesday night, and after that, I would not stop talking about it. I had to know every piece of trivia, I had to read the book, I watched some of the scenes over and over again on YouTube when my parents weren't home. I even did an entire speech on Sissy Spacek, even though I had only seen Carrie and Coal Miner's Daughter. It was a pretty exciting speech. I got into my first school speech final. Ever since then, I've been in every school speech final. It took me until 2010 to win one, and then I managed to get the speech prize again last year (but there wasn't a final...just a prize for whoever had the best speech). In a way, Sissy Spacek harboured my need to be awesome at speeches every single year.
• Another horror that I loved in 2007 was The Ring (the remake). I had it on videotape (oh the irony), and I watched parts of the movie every morning before school for weeks.
• In this year, I became convinced that I needed to make a DVD collection. I would save up my pocket money, and I'd be all ready to buy some ex-rentals from the shop, but Dad said that I could just "get them out when I wanted for free". So I didn't get any. For my birthday, however, Dad bought me The Devil Wears Prada on ex-rental, and I watched it over and over and over again. Words cannot explain how much I love that film. But I used to hate it when Andy started prioritising her career over her boyfriend, so I would always skip that part. Basically, I would watch it mainly for the clothes, and then I'd try and buy the same clothes from the Warehouse. That didn't go according to plan.
• I saw Mean Girls at some point through this year. I videotaped it off the TV (my main method of watching movies back in the day). That tape had the first few minutes cut out, so while I watched the film billions of times, it wasn't until when I bought the DVD that I saw those first few minutes. Even now they still seem really foreign. 
• I started my job at Blockbuster in 2007. I felt so cool. I didn't get paid though. CHILD LABOUR!
• Another obsession I had in 2007 (jeez, there were so many) was with Grace Kelly. Which of course introduced me to more Hitchcock films, which legitimately meant that I could call him my favourite director. But yes, Grace Kelly lived an interesting life...which I know because I read three different biographies on her.

• Probably the biggest obsession I had in 2007 was with Hairspray. When I say I was obsessed, I was OBSESSED. I mean, I know that 2007 was considered a great year in cinema because we had films like No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood and Gone Baby Gone, but come on, Hairspray was actually the best. It is just so funny, lively, colourful, inspirational...the full package, really. Wanna know how obsessed I was? At work we had some thieves around the place, so we had to change over the cases to more secure cases on the new release wall. This was one of the most boring, systematic jobs ever. There were over 1000 cases to change. It took an entire week, working from early in the morning to late in the afternoon. Honestly, if I was on the payroll, I could have got at least $500 for this. But what did I ask for? A Hairspray soundtrack. Which was like, $23. Maybe I should just remind Dad about that time and get what I truly deserved...
• The last "obsession" I had in 2007 was actually fairly embarrassing. Pulp Fiction was on TV late one night, so I taped it. I then watched it. I then became obsessed with it. The catch is that I DID NOT UNDERSTAND PULP FICTION. I watched it again in 2010, and it was like seeing a whole new film. No jokes. In fact, all I think I took from the experience was Mia's overdose, Mia and Vincent dancing and Quentin Tarantino's appearance in the film. Alas, those three scenes made QT my "new favourite director". Which is really embarrassing. I did try to watch Reservoir Dogs on Christmas Eve but my mother told me to turn it off because it had too much swearing in it. So I didn't see it until 2010.
• Alas, I did get a portable DVD player in this year. Which meant that I could watch movies filled with swearing and stuff without my parents ever finding out. But for some reason, I never finished watching Reservoir Dogs. Obviously, Quentin Tarantino was my "favourite director".

Check back tomorrow for 2008 in review. How about you, who was your first favourite director? Did you ever have extreme obsessions with movies?

A Conversation with Mean Girls

Earlier this evening, I felt like I'd failed you all because I didn't have a movie to converse with. And then the brilliant Nikhat came to me at my hour of need and said "Oh you should totally do one with Mean Girls. It'll be so fetch ;-)" Fetch it would be. In case you don't know, I freaking love Mean Girls - it is definitely one of my absolute favourite films of all time. And not a day goes by where I don't quote it. This should be fun...

CHRISTOPHER: After being tormented by Greek Gods, robots, and a cat wearing boots, I'm ready to talk to a movie about normal people. 
MEAN GIRLS: You go Glenn Coco!

C: My name is not Glenn Coco.
MG: Well then, what is it?

C: Christopher. 
MG: What? Crisp-oaf-her?

C: No, just Christopher. As it sounds. 
MG: My apologies. I have a nephew named Anfernee, and I know how mad he gets when I call him Anthony. Almost as mad as I get when I think about the fact that my sister named him Anfernee.

C: ...Okay. Tell us all a bit about yourself.
MG: I am the guide to being a girl. I will teach you everything. For example:
-Butter is a carb.
-Halloween is the holiday where a girl can dress up like a total slut and no-one will say anything about it.
-You can't do to Taco Bell if you're on an all-carb diet.
-Everyone in Africa knows Swedish.
-Fetch is not going to happen.
-Joining mathletes is social suicide.
-Jingle Bell Rock is the best song you can perform at Christmas time. 
-Ex-boyfriends are off limits to friends. That's just like the rules of feminism.
-Don't have sex, because you will get pregnant and die! Don't have sex in the missionary position, don't have sex standing up, just don't do it, OK, promise?

C: Sounds very...interesting.
MG: Oh, and there's a 30% chance that it's already raining. 

C: Really? How do you figure that?
MG: I'm kinda psychic. I have a fifth sense. It's like I have ESPN or something. My breasts can always tell when it is going to rain. Or, at least, when it is raining.

C: That's a real talent. 
MG: I know, I bet you're jealous. I mean, I'm sorry that everyone's so jealous of me. I can't help it if I'm popular.

C: I'm sure you can't. 
MG: You want to hear a rap?

C: I'm sure you're going to do it anyway.
MG: Yo Yo Yo! All you sucka MCs ain't got nothin' on me! From my grades, to my lines you can't touch Kevin G! I'm a mathlete, so nerd is inferred, but forget what you heard I'm like James Bond the third, sh-sh-sh-shaken not stirred - I'm Kevin Gnapoor! The G's silent when I sneak through your door. And make love to your woman on the bathroom floor. I don't play it like Shaggy, you'll know it was me. Cause the next time you see her she'll be like, OOH! KEVIN G!

C: Wow, that was inspiring. But I thought joining mathletes was social suicide.
MG: Only if you're a girl. And preferably don't make up rap songs. So not fetch.

C: And I thought fetch was never going to happen?
MG: People thought that Lindsay Lohan was going to happen, but she didn't.

C: So fetch is going to happen?
MG: It is going to happen just like Rachel McAdams does in dreary romantic dramas.

C: But Regina George said it was going to happen...
MG: And of course you'd believe that. You've probably felt personally victimised by Regina George.

C: Yes, I have. Who hasn't?
MG: Exactly. Her face smells like a foot, anyway.

C: So in this interview, we've covered the rules of being a girl, that your breasts can tell when it is raining, and you've performed a rap song. Anything else you need to say?
MG: On Wednesdays we wear pink.

What I got (obviously):

I like you, but I don't like your movies: Amanda Seyfried

When I was thinking about my chances of see Red Riding Hood, I could only put it down to one thing: I like Amanda Seyfried, and she is the prime reason as to why I'd see this. I've always admired Miss Seyfried, and usually always watch a movie which she's in. But then I had a little think. I don't really like any of her movies. And that got me thinking even further. Can Amanda be one of my favourite actresses even though I don't like any of her movies? Let's take a look at the movies of hers that I have seen, and I'll weigh up my options: to like or not to like?

Tier One: I actually do like this one.

Mean Girls is one of my favourite movies of all time. While Rachel McAdams is undoubtedly the stand out in this movie, Amanda does a brilliant job in her first feature film as the really stupid Karen. There's dumb, then there's so dumb air is the only thing in ones head, and then there is Karen. In an ethical world, we shouldn't really laugh at ones misfortune, Amanda makes Karen Smith kinda likeable, but still really stupid. Like, a lovable kind of stupid. And, without our Karen, we wouldn't have known that this wasn't true:

"So, you have your cousins, and then you have your first cousins, and then you have your second cousins..."

 And, of course, if all else fails in life, you can use your breasts to find out whether it's raining or not. Karen is like the forgotten heroine of Mean Girls.

Tier two - I don't mind you, but I could do without you.

Okay, I admit, I do like Mamma Mia! Well...I did. I haven't seen it in two years. But seriously, I watched it a lot back in 2008, and I could sing you every one of the songs in that goddamn movie. Oh, and you wouldn't want to try and beat me at ABBA Singstar, because I rock at that. However, because half of the cast can't sing, Mamma Mia! is a painful experience for many. However, Amanda can sing, even though she comes across as trying a little too hard. She's pretty sweet in this movie, as she is in any movie, which is probably why she has built up this persona as the 'sweetest girl on the block'. She's a likeable heroine for such an annoying story, and the fact that her and Dominic Cooper click so well makes it so much easier to watch. I did feel like she couldn't quite stand up to all the talent around her (The Streep, Pierce 'I can't sing' Brosnan, Colin 'King of the World' Firth and Eric off True Blood's daddy), but she made a good effort. And that's all we can ask of Amanda. No matter what everyone says, Mamma Mia! is still great fun.

Here's another guilty Amanda entry...I did quite enjoy Jennifer's Body, but only to a certain point. I would never watch this shit again. Ever. I mean, it has Megan Fox in it. She was horribly terrible in that film. Absolutely horribly terrible. Then there's lots of strange sexualized horror in there which doesn't make any sense at all, and the story is effing terrible. Plus, not being homophobic at all, but there's random lesbian kissing which doesn't make any sense at all to the story. And the end is bloody annoying. Even though everything is so goddamn awful, now I remember it, I really quite enjoyed it. I don't know how, but I did. And I believe that most of that enjoyment came from Amanda Seyfried, because out of everyone in the film, she was the one who could act the most. Not that she had much competition. This is quite a random film to have on her filmography, as it required her to go back to high school long after she'd left, but the fact that it was written by Oscar winning Juno scribe Diablo Cody does give it some credentials. Anyway, this, on paper, must be one of her worst flicks.

Tier three - Dear God, you suck!

Alright, alright. I get why a lot of people would dig Dear John. It has a sad story, I admit. It has a father with mental issues, which is the kind of character I always get attached to. It has that hot buff guy from Step Up. BUT IT'S WRITTEN BY NICHOLAS SPARKS. Therefore, it is awful. Before I launch into a huge rant on why Nicholas Sparks is the most annoying man to have anything to do with literature, I'll say this: how is it that this man can ruin our lives with his horribly schmaltzy pieces of work and still give us enough to get a wee bit emotional at the end of all his films? I hate myself every time I feel like crying at the end of a Nicholas Sparks movie. Which is why I avoid them like the plague. I thought Dear John would somehow be different, since it has such likeable stars like Amanda and Channing, along with back up from Richard Jenkins. Mind you, The Notebook had suck likeable stars as Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling and James Marsden, and it was still annoying. Dear John was just so boring. And to think that this was the film that knocked Avatar off the top of the box office. Do cinemagoers really like being bored like that these days? Amanda shone, though, which was the main thing.

Ah...it's like deja vu. Amanda seems to like her letters. First she stars in Mamma Mia! which opens with a scene of letter postin'. Then she stars in Dear John, which is like a romance told through letters. To round it all off she stars in Letters to Juliet, which is pretty much a film about letters. God help us when she discovers emails. I actually regard this one as a better film than Dear John, even though you could pretty much watch the trailer and know exactly what was going to happen in the film. But, like Dear John, this movie is bland. Just really, really bland. And totes forgettable. Because, since when were a whole lot of letters to someone who never existed in the first place an interesting plotline? Never. But when you have Amanda in the lead role, things just seem better already.

Chloe must be one of Amanda's better performances. The movie is pretty bland, and pretty awful (even though it has Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson in it), but Amanda's out of character turn as a high class hooker was actually pretty good. Even though I'm sure 55% of her performance is based on her being so good looking. Chloe is such a strange character, which I think Amanda played with really well. And this film managed to take all the sweetness out of her and make her a less than innocent being. Which was nice, considering that this is such a change of scene for young Amanda, but the rest of the film was pretty stupid, so it doesn't exactly offer fireworks and what not for her career. Though, to the minority of people who did check this Atom Egoyan flick out, she'll remain as the most memorable thing in this otherwise forgettable work.

What lies in the future for Amanda? Is she better than all of this?

I know that Red Riding Hood is a very present movie, but it's very futuristic for me since I'm waiting for the DVD release. But I've heard quite a bit of praise for Amanda's work, even though this looks like crap. Which is exactly why I thought of this post. She's always good, but her movies? No. Her next movie is one called Now, previously known as I'm.Mortal, which also stars Justin Timberlake, Olivia Wilde and Cillian Murphy. If it has Cillian Murphy in it, it has to be good. And I like the look of it's plot: a world where aging stops at 25 years old. Yeah, Nicole Kidman would like a world like that, too. Then she wouldn't have to use all of that botox.
P.S. Notice how Amanda is sitting in Cillian Murphy's chair? She's great, but not that great.

I think Amanda is still a pretty cool actress, but I'd place her well outside my most favourite actresses since her filmography isn't anything to scream about. But who knows? I think she could pick up an Oscar nomination before she retires.

What are your thoughts on Amanda Seyfried? Is she a yay or nay for you?

Top 10 Favourite Films of All Time (well, as of January 2011...)

So, guys and girlies, I am back from escaping to the city for a wee holiday. Not much to report about that, apart from the fact I finally bought myself an iPod Touch, saw a few movies at the cinemas (including my first 3D...TRON: Legacy) and now have a huge amount of movies to review. And because my holiday has sucked some creative juices out of me, I had to do the easiest topics for this weeks Top 10: my favourite movies of all time. Well, hey, I haven't exactly told you them, have I? But you probably won't be surprised by this list...

Honourable mentions: Pulp Fiction, A Single Man, Fight Club, (500) Days of Summer, Kick-Ass, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Animal Kingdom, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Wizard of Oz, The Shawshank Redemption, An Education, The Hangover, Up in the Air, A Streetcar Named Desire, Batman Begins, The Prestige, All About Eve, Sunset Blvd., Forrest Gump, Revolutionary Road, The Aviator, The Departed, It Happened One Night, Rear Window, Psycho, District 9, Juno, Waitress, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

10. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

"You can be as mad as a mad dog at the way things went. You could swear, curse the fates, but when it comes to the end, you have to let go."

Some may call it a Forrest Gump wannabe, some may call it boring and overcooked, some may call it one of the worst David Fincher creations out there. I disagree with those three statements. When I first saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button around a year and a half ago, I was struck by it's beauty and the way it pulled off the aging process. But most of all, the story really got me. We've seen so many romantic dramas of late, but none manage to come close to the beauty of Benjamin and Daisy's relationship, which is precisely played with undeniable chemistry from Brad Pitt and the oft-snubbed Cate Blanchett. I revisited this film just recently and it is so weird to compare this to other David Fincher creations, particularly because of how spellbinding this journey is through the film. It isn't all Fincher by himself, though, there's that score by Alexandre Desplat which makes this film as magical and as sad as it is.
 
9. Let the Right One In
 

"If I wasn't a girl... would you like me anyway?"

Unfortunately, I think this movie will now be most associated with the American remake, Let Me In, but I'll always be in love with this Swedish horror film. It's practically perfect and just the way I like it: very slow-paced, taking time to take in the story and the scenery surrounding it. The best thing about it? It reminds me that cinema is still the greatest art form. And it also reminds me that vampire love stories aren't just a fad to keep the Twi-hards happy. The love story between vampire Eli and human Oskar is one that is different, often confusing and really sweet. If only more people could see this Swedish gem...

8. The Social Network

"The internet's not written in pencil, Mark. It's written in ink."

I feel like it's a bit of a gamble sticking this movie in my top favourites, but it totally deserves it. Last week I went to go and see it again, and I don't know whether it was before I even knew about this project I was pretty much an expert on Facebook, but I really enjoyed it. Like, I was genuinely entertained by a movie which shouldn't have been entertaining at all. From the amazing performances from Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Armie Hammer and even Justin Timberlake, to the wonderfully subtle and timed direction from David Fincher, The Social Network may just be a masterpiece. Thank God a man like Aaron Sorkin lived to make an interesting story even more interesting by creating a script which was unlike anything I had heard before. And I can't not mention the really awesome score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, which is currently on repeat on my (new) iPod. Coming out of this film for the second time, I could only think of two things: I want to start a million dollar business or make a movie similar to this one. I can't say whether either of those plans will be successful.

7. Inglourious Basterds

"My name is Shoshanna Dreyfus, and THIS is the face...of Jewish vengeance!"

I love Quentin Tarantino, so of course one of his films had to be in here. And it just so happens that I love Inglourious Basterds the most. He had a lot of guts to make this film. I mean, it takes something that actually happened and gave it a fictional twist, compiled his story of World War II in to what could have been five short films, and gave us the most epic ending scene that I have ever seen. All of which couldn't have been possible without the discovery of Christoph Waltz, who gives literally one of the best performances ever as the slightly sadistic, multilingual nutjob villain Hans Landa. It may be a long ride, but I enjoy every single gut-wrenching second of it.

6. Mean Girls

 

"On Wednesday's we wear pink!"

 

While a real cinephile will probably have some black-and-white Russian film that no-one has ever heard of in this spot, I have chosen to go with my favourite comedy ever, Mean Girls. Yes, I do feel kinda strange about putting a Lindsay Lohan movie on my list. But, regardless, this movie is like the bible to surviving 'girl-world', and we have one woman to thank for that: Tina Fey. Her script is an absolute cracker, and it's so true that you can't help but like it. We all know a Regina, a Gretchen, and maybe a Karen, and we've all at some point in our life felt a little victimised like Cady, which is why this movie is so great. Seriously, I could watch this movie over and over and over (and so on and so forth), and it would never get old.

 

5. Meet Me in St. Louis

 

"It'll take me at least a week to dig up all my dolls at the cemetery!"

This movie deserves it's place here because I watch it every Christmas, and it, without fail, always makes me happy. There were so many musicals that came out during that era, but none of them stand out as much as Meet Me in St. Louis. Firstly, because this movie isn't really a musical, as there are only a few songs scattered through the film. Those songs, which include 'Trolley Song' and 'Have Youself a Merry Little Christmas', are simply sublime with the voice of Judy Garland making them what they are. Secondly, this movie has a real heart. It shows the dynamics of a family and sees what happens when everything is turned upside down. And finally, this movie deals with the 'no place like home' theme, which, in the end, reduces me to tears. Gosh, there is no more syrupy fun then there is in Meet Me in St. Louis.

4. Memento

 

"Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts."

 

You know how I had to watch Memento? On youtube. And you know how I had to buy it? As a DVD which has a different region, which I can't play on my laptop. But neither of those slight annoyances stopped me from absolutely loving this movie. I guess it was with this movie that I kinda became really serious about being a screenwriter/director, because I loved the way Christopher Nolan played with a simple narrative and flipped it around so it transformed into something that had to be pieced together, bit by bit, as if you were the main protagonist Leonard. I often just randomly start thinking about this film and jumping for joy (not literally...that would be a bit strange) because it is so great. It just makes me happy that there are some great filmmakers out there who take risks and make enriching viewing experience which give you a lot more if you put in the effort.

 

3. Gone with the Wind

"With enough courage, you can do without a reputation."

Even though I may not watch it as much anymore, I will always love Gone with the Wind to death. I think watching it around the time you are 12 is quite a good way to do it for some reason, because there is just something about it which is so romantic and grand scale epic which manages to sweep you away. It would be nothing without it's heroine Scarlett O'Hara and her performer Vivien Leigh, who dares to do things differently, which is both entertaining and heartbreaking to watch. Say no more, this is filmmaking at it's utmost best.

2. Inception

"She locked away a secret, deep inside herself, something she once knew to be true...but chose to forget."

Y'all probably saw this coming, and I must say, this isn't very 'eclectic' of me. But who says I can't have Inception on my list? This movie is literally my dream come true, and it's definitely one of the films which I have been affected by the most. I mean, I have never walked out of the cinema crying. Inception really did it for me. At least a modern blockbuster can actually be entirely fulfilling at the hand of master Christopher Nolan. I can't really add more...just search Inception on this blog and you'll find at least a million reasons as to why I love this movie so much.

1. The Dark Knight

"Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight."

A few months ago, I came to the conclusion that I had to pick one favourite film. At first, I may have said Inception, but that was really just a phase I went through which may just blow over one day. So I went through a big process of elimination (similar to the one I just painfully went through to make this list), and discovered that there is no film I love more than The Dark Knight. This film is almost perfect...there's only one thing I don't like: the line spoken by Dr. Crane "Not in my diagnosis" (it's a little cheesy). Otherwise, I love the intensity, the drama and the awesome scriptwriting that comes with this movie. It's so much more than a comic book movie. It's a dark tale which is masterfully done by Christopher Nolan (he seems to be appearing a lot around here), and isn't without that amazing performance from Heath Ledger. One watch isn't enough. Neither are fifty watches.

What are some of your favourite films? Please drop some comments in, lovely people!

Week #7 in summary...! Cillian Murphy week, Part I

I watched a few Cillian Murphy movies this week, with some other films thrown into the mix. Oh, Cillian Murphy week runs into next week too...so many movies, not enough days...

• The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006) My first R15 for my fifteenth birthday...just a shame that for my 16th birthday I won't be watching my first R16. I think that happened when I was like 10 years old...6/10


• Mean Girls (2004) The. Best. High. School. Movie. Ever. Oh, it's one of my favourite films of all time too. 10/10


• Inception (2010) The third and probably final time I watch this movie in a while. This blog features some pretty intense actor/character stories, so definitely read this if you have seen the movie! 10/10


• Dear John (2010) I don't think watching this after watching Inception did it any favours...but it's a Nicholas Sparks adaption, so how could I possibly like it?! 4/10


• Breakfast on Pluto (2005) It is still really bothering me that Cillian Murphy is a much prettier girl then I will ever be. Someone should really get me some blue contacts one day and I might have a chance. 7/10


• Sunshine (2007) Cillian Murphy saves the world! And scares me off R13 movies for the rest of my life. 8/10


• Cold Mountain (2003) One of the most down to Earth romance movies I have ever seen. Otherwise, what I like to call the R16 version of Gone with the Wind. 10/10


• Ocean's Eleven (2001) Filled with Hollywood's cool cats and all the fun one with a bowl of popcorn could hope for...8/10

The best week ever. Yes, that is because Cillian Murphy was in most of the movies I saw this week. And I got to watch Inception again with all my friends.

Highlight: Duh. Going to the city with my friends for my birthday.

Lowlight: My actual birthday? Nah, it was a pretty good week for me.

Things I love about Mean Girls...

Mean Girls has to be one of the funniest high school movies ever made, and has completely defined my generation. Sure, it could have just been another teen comedy, but being written by Tina Fey, it's not. It is smart and captures what high school is all about: bitches, bitches, and more bitches. Hey, my high school doesn't really have a group as harsh as the Plastics, but there are people like them in every school.

Instead of going all out on a review, coz you have probably seen it (if you haven't, GO GET IT OUT NOW! You better be gone now...come back later!), I will unleash another 'Things I love review' (maybe a recurring feature on this blog??). I know that most of the following five things are mainly cast related, but that's because the cast is so amazing and they are the biggest contributors to the greatness of the movie. So anyway, enjoy=)

Wow, Lindsay Lohan used to be an actress?
Hard to believe. I'm really thinking that the Lindsay Lohan in this is completely different to the Lindsay Lohan that we see nowadays. It's a real shame because she used to be an alright actress, and the jobs she does manage to scruff up (i.e. Labour Pains) aren't very well received, and basically, no-one even knows they exist. I guess people kinda went off her after I Know Who Killed Me. However in Mean Girls, she makes the role of Cady someone to sympathize with...she is really just a jungle freak who somehow manages to make herself popular. Without the Plastics she probably would have been the same jungle freak.

Rachel McAdams as the mean girl.

She was 27 years old at the time of filming yet still managed to play the part of a teenager so believably, and I'm sure she is a lovely person, but I don't think I have ever hated a character as much as I hated Regina George. Okay, maybe it wasn't hate, because I loved watching her. But Rachel McAdams was definitely the stand out in this movie, by far. Like Regina George, whenever someone was near her, they shrivelled up and were soon forgotten. It's hard to believe that this is the same girl who was in The Notebook in the same year. What a fine, under-rated actress she is. She should so play another super-bitch.

Let's not forget the other mean girls.

I don't think Lacey Chabert has ever had another film like Mean Girls, as I have only seen her floating around the dark corners of straight-to-DVD-land. But she is perfect in this film as Gretchen Weiners, a girl who has everything from her rich daddy but will do anything to make sure she stays in the Plastics and doesn't look like a loner. I know a few people who are like her...they don't like who they are hanging out with but they feel they have to so they can get higher social status. Pretty sad, but that's the way 'girl-world' works. Then there is Amanda Seyfried, who plays dumb girl Karen. I think Karen is perhaps the most entertaining character out of the lot, and believe it or not, I actually know some people as stupid as her. This is definitely Seyfried's finest hour, as the romantic drivel she has been starring in lately (ah, Mamma Mia!, Dear John and Letters to Juliet) have only proved her sweetness but not her talent.

Tina Fey wrote a funny script and then she played a funny character.

Ms. Norbury is a teacher I would like to have. She's just so unsure of herself but can be really funny at the same time. She is like the other characters in this film, and I think what Tina Fey has done with this film is taken real life and made it funny. Everyone is unsure of themselves, and they have to find ways to get over that. And they get over it in different ways, but the outcome is always funny.

I watch it all the time and have never, ever, get bored with it.
Just everything about it is so funny and so easy to relate to. Trust me, I could watch this 1000 times and never be bored. I think you get the point.

I absolutely love Mean Girls. I don't think that it is wrong to say that this is one of the best films of the last decade. They really shouldn't have made a sequel.