Movies and Snow
What’s a better combination than a snow storm and a stack of good movies? That’s what I thought when I realized the snow storm was on target.
My youngest brother has the annoying habit of being right at the worst time. Why does that happen with siblings, Dr. Phil? Anyway, last Thursday, I called to sing Happy Birthday and received in turn a gloomy prediction that blizzard warnings would have to be heeded. Until the last moment possible I held out hope for my travel plans. When reality squashed them like an ant hill under a boot heel my next thought was “movies.” Simple mission, right? Au contraire.
The search for a functional video store proved to be an adventure. Brick and mortar video rental operations seem headed the route of vinyl records and the Sears and Roebuck catalog. Hollywood Video in Central Park has shut its doors and the Rt. 1 Blockbuster at the Park-N-Shop Center is also going out of business. They are, coincidentally, selling incredibly inexpensive movies until January 10, 2010 but having exercised my Amazon one-click trigger finger earlier, restraint was in order. However, I did walk away with a few epic treasures like “Australia” and the just plain fun variety, “The Pink Panther 2.” Yes, it is allowed to love kid movies without an actual kid on the premises. “Panther 2,”complete with the inevitable sticks-in-your-head gag line, “it wants me to renew my subscription online, ” made me laugh. Wish I could tell where and when that line comes in — but that would be cheating. Back to my movie quest…………………
Recognizing the familiar symbol of twin laurel leaves, I spotted numerous festival award winners. Snagging a copy of “After The Wedding” for a friend was a no brainer but a couple of others were a coin toss and that’s how I ended up with “Death At A Funeral,” which did not disappoint. Good acting, witty dialog, elegant in its simplicity, and the type of set that aids an independent film maker. I thought it was a good movie and apparently I am not alone. When the roads cleared I had three distinct cabin-fever busting missions; visit friends, deliver Christmas cookies, and view “Brothers” before it departs area theaters. Knowing that “Brothers” is a remake of a 2004 Danish film “Brode,” I was intent on seeing the American version. Susanne Bier makes great movies and I am anxious to compare the two when my copy of “Brode” arrives. So I braved the not-perfect parking lot to see one Hollywood remake and high overhead the popcorn line hung an advertisement for a coming Chris Rock film, “Death At A Funeral.” I kid you not. What are the odds? Maybe I just haven’t tuned in to how often this happens. Now, I am really curious. I am going to be watching for the postman, the remake, and taking note of the storylines I see coming out. I am really interested in what other people think about remakes.
Peace,
Tina