Archives for September 2011

Zooey Deschanel is The New Girl on FOX TV

Zooey Deschanel, the zany, offbeat actress we know and love from (500) Days of Summer, Tin Man and other Indy movies joins her sister Emily (Bones) on FOX TV in a new show called, The New Girl. In the half hour comedy, Zooey stars as Jess, a quirky, recently dumped school teacher looking for a new place to live.

In the premiere episode, airing Tuesday, September 20, 2011, Jess moves into an apartment with 3 guys, Schmidt (Max Greenfield), Nick (Jake Johnson) and Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.). Once they learn that Jess’ best friend is a model, in fact all her friends are models, they are happy to have her as a roommate. That is until Jess spends several days lying on the sofa, watching Dirty Dancing and crying. The guys decide to help Jess with her ailing love life by giving her dating tips and the inside track on how men think. But the awkward, Jess has a lot of learning to do, which makes for some very funny moments.

The role of Jess is must have been written especially for Zooey, who has cornered the market on offbeat characters. She has the tendency to tell stories that have no point and oh yeah she makes up little songs in the middle a conversation. On anyone else, this would be annoying, but Zooey, pulls it off.

I am anxious to see how they develop this show and the characters. Zooey Deschanel is a wonderful comic actress and The New Girl could be a big hit. The New Girl airs on after Glee, which won’t hurt her ratings at all. Check it out tonight and let me know what you think of Zooey’s new TV show.

4 Chick Flicks You Should See This Fall

It was truly a long, hot, miserable summer here in Texas, with temperatures skyrocketing past 100 degrees for more than 2 months! Believe me, I have the brown grass in my yard to prove it. But now we are feeling the cool breezes of September, which mean Fall is here at last. Cool weather, falling leaves and a new crop of Fall and Winter movies.

This is a wonderful time of year for true movie lovers. In the Summer, with kids out of school and people on vacation, movie studios release the big blockbuster movies, like X-Men: First Class, Super 8 and Captain America. However, in Fall, movie studios have their eyes firmly fixed on the golden boy, Mr. Oscar. Big movies with big stars will be released on a weekly basis, with not a super hero or mutant in sight.

There are quite a few movies that I am really looking forward to. A few are chick flicks and some just really look interesting, a few others feature my favorite actors (you know there is a Hugh Jackman movie in the mix).

The Fall Chick Flicks

I Don’t Know How She Does It

Sarah Jessica Parker stars as Kate Reddy, a successful executive who is bringing home the bacon for her husband (played by Greg Kinnear) and two kids. When a new account is added to her already full plate, it also adds temptation in the form of a handsome business associate played by Pierce Brosnan). Mmm…Pierce’s salt & pepper would melt almost any woman’s resolve.

I would love to see a movie that moves Sarah Jessica Parker away from her Sex & The City persona. Let’s see how she does it. Release Date: September 16th

What’s Your Number?

I like Anna Faris. She is a very good comic actress. She was especially funny with Ryan Reynolds in Just Friends and Waiting. She just needs to find a really good script and a director who knows how to make a comedy for a woman without turning her into an idiot or a sex kitten or both.

In her latest movie Anna Faris stars as a single woman who reflects on all her old romances and flings and wonders if one of them might have been her one true love. And let’s be honest, who of us hasn’t done that. It is usually accompanied by either a bottle of Malbec, a pint of Blue Bell Cookies and Cream or a bag of Pepperidge Farm Brussels cookies (which goes along with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream). I am sure you have your favorites too. Release Date: September 30th

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

David Fincher (The Social Network, Fight Club directs Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Robin Wright and Stellan Skarsgård in one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Based on the popular mystery novel by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo follows investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist, played by Daniel Craig in his search for a woman who has been missing for forty years, He is aided in his investigation by a young computer hacker with a penchant for piercings and tattoos, Lisbeth Salander.

For those of us who have seen the Swedish language version of the movie, the question remains: Can cute little Rooney Mara take on the role of Lisbeth Salander in the way that Noomi Rapace embodied the character? I am not a fan of Daniel Craig, but he seems suited to the role of Mikael Blookvist. I also wonder if David Fincher will stay true to the book. Lisbeth experiences some brutal and disturbing treatment that gives greater insight into her character. I feel confident that the man who brought us Fight Club‘s Tyler Durden, can do justice to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Release Date: December 21st

The Iron Lady

Meryl Streep portrays the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. The movie focuses on the price she has to pay to become a powerful figure in British politics.

Featuring Our Favorite Male Movie Stars

Real Steel

The Fall movie line up was looking a bit bleak, then we come to October and Hugh appears! You know how I feel about Hugh, so this may not be an entirely unbiased assessment of Real Steel.

Director Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum, Date Night) takes the night off from the museum to direct this futuristic story where robot boxing is a popular sport. Hugh stars with Lost’s Evangeline Lilly as a struggling promoter who thinks he’s found a champion in a discarded robot. Release Date: October 7th

In Time

Justin Timberlake continues his movie career in the Andrew Nicols’ futuristic story set in a world where people stop aging at 25 and are genetically engineered to live just one more year. But what if you could buy more time? Then you would be young forever. In Time also stars Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphy.

Justin is getting better and better roles. Recently starring in Friends With Benefits and doing a fantastic job in the role of Sean Parker in The Social Network. Release Date: October 28th

The Rum Diary

Mmmmm! Johnny Depp! Finally, we get to see Johnny without gold teeth and dreadlocks. Depp stars as American journalist Paul Kemp, who takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1950s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the ex-patriots who live there.

This is the beauty of Johnny Depp and a tribute to his talent as well. he can play the staggering, gold-toothed Captain Jack Sparrow, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Sweeney Todd as easily as he can a journalist living in 1950’s Puerto Rico. But you can bet your DVD of Edward Scissorhands that Johnny will give the role his own unusual twist. Release Date: October 28th

The Ides of March

George Clooney directs Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ryan Gosling in a tense political drama, in which a young idealistic staff member (played by Ryan Gosling) learns more than he wants to know about dirty politics during his time on the campaign trail for presidential candidate played by Clooney.

Ryan Gosling should give his agent a bonus. He is showing up everywhere this year. He was the smooth lady’s man in Crazy, Stupid Love, and a get away drive in Drive.

This is Part 1 of my Fall Movie Preview featuring Chick Flicks and a few of my favorite male film stars. Stay tuned for Part 2, with previews of the next installment of Robert Downey Jr’s Sherlock Holmes, the movie version of Hugo Cabret and Steven Spielberg’s holiday release of The War Horse.

Just Chick Flicks: Summer Love DVD Giveaway

Summer was here and now it’s over. In the immortal words of Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta…”Summer Love happens so fast”. But don’t despair if your Summer Love is over (or never even started), I have a special treat for you courtesy of A & E Entertainment and Lifetime Movies.

Just Chick Flicks is celebrating the end of Summer by giving away a great collection of with movies about love, marriage and romance. Starting Saturday, September 3, 2011, we will giveaway two sets of Summer Love DVDs. All you have to do it Tweet about this contest.

Summer Love Movies

William and Kate

They’ve charmed the world with their romantic love affair, engagement and eagerly awaited royal wedding. How did Kate Middleton, an ordinary British girl, become the wife of Prince William ? Over an eight-year courtship, her warmth, humor, and grace under pressure convinced him she was the one. From University to the altar…this is the true life making of a Princess.

The Lifetime Original Movie William & Kate tells the story of Prince William (Nico Evers-Swindell) and Kate Middleton (Camilla Luddington), from the moment they met at the University of St. Andrews to the intense media attention surrounding their storybook romance. William & Kate also stars Ben Cross (Chariots of Fire) as Prince Charles, Serena Scott-Thomas (The World Is Not Enough) as Carole Middleton, Richard Reid (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) as Ian and Victoria Tennant (L.A. Story) as Celia.

I Do (But I Don’t)

Based on Cara Lockwood’s novel, I Do (But I Don’t) tells the story of wedding planner Lauren Crandell, who has a knack for arranging other couples’ happily-ever-afters but seems to flounder at romance in her own life. But then the lovelorn Lauren meets hunky fireman Nick Corina. Could he be the man of her dreams? Or will she be stuck planning Nick’s wedding to the most psycho bride of them all?

I Married My High School Crush

Seventeen-year-old Sara (Katee Sackhoff) has been madly in love with popular student Brian (Sage Brocklebank) since pre-school and dreams of marrying him. Problem is, he doesn t know she exists. When a solar eclipse inexplicably sends them from high school in 1990 to their actual wedding day in 2007, Sara (now in her mid-30s) discovers that, somehow, her wish came true.

With their grown-up careers in full swing Sara is running for Lieutenant Governor, and Brian is a wealthy investment banker the couple realizes they are not at all prepared for what adulthood has in store. They still feel like the 17-year-olds they see when they look in the mirror, yet everyone else in their lives sees them as 35…and expects them to act their age. Is it possible that Sara and Brian are really fated to be together? Or should they follow a less certain path in their new lives, and risk falling for other people?

Making Mr. Right

Successful magazine editor, Hallie Galloway (Blood Ties’ Christina Cox) is an ambitious, sharp, and focused woman. Hallie is close to the biggest promotion of her life when she s about to get a curve ball she didn’t expect.

In a modern-day reversal of My Fair Lady, Hallie makes a bet with her best friend that she can transform a scruffy con man (Dean Cain, Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman) into her magazine’s “Bachelor of the Year.” A shave and a haircut later, he’s revealed as a handsomely charming rogue. Hallie teaches him manners and etiquette, while he teaches her to live in the moment. As sparks fly, love sets out to conquers the class divide.

Playing House

Frannie (Joanne Kelly is a junior copy editor in New York City when she lands the account of her favorite author, Michael Tate (Eureka’s Colin Ferguson). Everything is coming together for her until she finds out she has accidentally gotten pregnant by her new boyfriend. The couple does what they think is the responsible thing and moves to the suburbs to settle down, but behind the picket fence, neither one of them is truly happy. When a mysterious stranger waltzes into town, he offers to whisk Frannie back to the bright lights of New York City. Will she give in to temptation and the glamorous life that could await her, or will she stay true to her new family and the life she has created with Calvin?

Confessions of an American Bride

Shannon Elizabeth (Scary Movie, American Pie) makes a funny, appealing Samantha in this lively romp about the Big Day… and lots of big problems to go with it. Like battling in-laws, finding a wedding dress, choosing the invitations, the cake, the caterer. Not to mention selecting china while your future hubby plays war with the bar-code gun. By then your emotions are at wedding-day warp speed, running into your secret college crush… and sharing an illicit smooch.

Honey Moon with Mom

Poor Shannon (Virginia Williams, How I Met Your Mother) is dumped at the altar, so her single mother, Marla (Shelley Long, Cheers), suggests they take the planned honeymoon to a remote island resort together. Marla, a publisher of a top magazine, tells Shannon that the trip to paradise will make their relationship stronger, but she has ulterior motives: to land an interview with the resort s owner, Nick Tercel (Jack Scalia).

When Marla finally meets Nick and conducts the interview without his knowledge, she finds herself falling for him. However, when her scheme backfires, Shannon, upset and disappointed, confronts her mother. Meanwhile, Shannon meets a new man (Eric Johnson) on the island, must contend with her ex-fiancé (Edward Finlay), who shows up unexpectedly, and finds herself face-to-face with a man she s been waiting to meet her entire life her father.

How To Win A Summer Love DVD Set

To enter just Tweet: I want to win a Summer Love DVD sets from @AEHomeEnt and @Clarabela! #justchickflicks.

You must mention @AEHomeEnt and @Clarabela and use the hashtag #justchickflicks. You have until Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at midnight CST to Tweet me. We will use Random.org to select the winners.

Just Chick Flicks Reviews One Day

I love romance, I am a romantic at heart. But I don’t believe love is perfect. It is tough and messy and when it comes to books and films I love messy and complicated. I love The Notebook (although not messy enough for me); Beyond Borders; The Thornbirds, Bridges of Madison County, Same Time Next Year, etc. There is something about love conquering all, even if it takes decades that gets me every single time.

One Day has it in spades. The basic plot is a story takes place during a single day each year for two decades in the lives of Dex and Em, two people who met in college and cannot seem to get the other out of their lives or minds.

They dance around each other for years, circling close at times, very distant at others. There is the drama of the “almosts” the “not quites” and the “just nearlies” that keeps me interested. It is bittersweet filled with romance and regret and frustrating moments when you want to bang their heads together, but that is real love.

The Book vs The Movie

I read the book in 10 hours on two 5-hour flight to and from Boston. I drank it in voraciously and I knew I would not miss the movie. While I enjoyed Love and Other Drugs, I had not really seen a movie that could go toe-to-toe with The Notebook and I wanted this one to try. Unfortunately, I can’t say I love it. This might be another book that should stay a book.

I think the problem is that the book has a lot of detail that was not covered in the book and a lot was left out at every jump (July 15th to July 15th from year to year). Amazingly, with all the jumps the film felt slow and a bit boring. You don’t become emotionally invested in the characters and so you can’t feel what they feel.

Anne Hathaway did a brilliant job but I felt the rest of the cast wasn’t strong enough to support her. When I try to visualize who I would re-cast I can’t stop seeing Jude Law as Dexter. And Kevin James as Ian.

This was a first novel for David Nicholls (Starter for 10), he has written a lot for television and might have needed some guidance for converting his book into a screenplay.

My suggestion is to read One Day and rent the movie when it comes out on DVD, streaming or blu-ray!

To encourage you to the read the book(it really is good!) Clara and I are going to give a copy of One Day away, you can read and decide for yourself! To enter, just leave a comment telling us (Clara and I) your favorite love story and why. You have until September 9,2011 at midnight PST to leave your comment. We will use Random.org to select a winner. [Contest Closed]