Mirkwood Reflections

Watched Spanglish yesterday by myself. I really love that movie! I've seen it before but it's been a while. I am not normally an Adam Sandler fan, as usually his comedies are sophomoric and filled with sight gags and body humor. (I liked Click and The Wedding Singer too - again not the usual juvenile comedy.) Spanglish is a realistic insightful drama about family relationships. Aside from one sex scene, it's a very clean movie. There really isn't nudity, and that scene really does give you a lot of insight into the marriage relationship between two of the main characters.

I was thinking.... (always dangerous) I should come up with my OWN top 100 movie list. Everyone else does it! Sooo.... what would YOU put on a list of great movies?

Saw this on Robin Lee Hatcher's blog : Entertainment Weekly has posted a list of the 100 New Classic Movies. Here are the first ten: 1. Pulp Fiction (1994) 2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03) 3. Titanic (1997) 4. Blue Velvet (1986) 5. Toy Story (1995) 6. Saving Private Ryan (1998) 7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) 8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 9. Die Hard (1988) 10. Moulin Rouge (2001) I've bolded the ones I have seen in the top 10. Go here for the rest of the list. I've seen 39 of these movies. Another 3 or 4 are on my "to view someday" list. Most of the rest I wouldn't bother with. Glad to see Lord of the Rings and The Matrix are in the top 15. And really The Lord of the Rings IS THREE movies, you know, Entertainment Weekly! So maybe we could get rid of South Park and The Evil Dead 2 ? Here are the ones I have seen: 2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03) - Really three movies 3. Titanic (1997) - Adore this movie!

Note: I've waited a few days to post this review, hoping for more time to revise and expand it, but you're going to get it how it is, or not get it at all. lol (I seem to say that a lot here!) The constant begging of a thirteen-year-old was the reason I found myself in the theatre waiting for Iron Man to begin. This film, starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow, has been at the top of my son's must-see list since he heard of it. I had heard from friends that there was an inappropriate scene of sexuality near the beginning of the movie, but that the rest was great. So David was prepared to avert his eyes at the first sign of impropriety. Once that short (and arguably unnecessary) scene was over, the rest of the film proceeded to amaze and please us. The story, in case you are unaware, is of Tony Stark, the obscenely wealthy CEO of a weapons manufacturer. Stark is kidnapped by rebels in Afghanistan and forced to create a weapon of mass destruction. Instead, he create

A young college graduate gives away most of his possessions and heads off... Into the Wild. Intriguing premise for a story! And yet, based on a true story. I read an article or condensed version of this book a while ago and when I saw the movie previews, I definitely put it on my must-see list. Emile Hirsch plays a very convincing Christopher McCandless, the honor student who longs for a more honest and itinerant lifestyle. His parents, played by Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt, don't know about his exodus at first, and when they find out, they don't understand it. McCandless renames himself Alexander Supertramp and spends two years hitchhiking and working his way across the US and Canada, always keeping his final destination of Alaska at the front of his thoughts and words. Gorgeous scenery abounds in the film. McCandless visits some very beautiful places and meets many interesting people. He keeps a journal, which figures prominently in the story. An actress playing his

Only 4 books this month. Lots of traveling and soccer contributed to that low total. Also, I started a few books that I didn't invest the time to finish. Here are the good ones: The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers - 05/05/08 Good - Inspirational Sierra's husband decides they will move and this begins troubles in their marriage. Sierra finds the journal of one of her ancestors and reading it brings her back to her Lord. I love Francine Rivers, but this wasn't one of her best. If you haven't read her before, start with something else, like The Mark of the Lion Trilogy or The Atonement Child. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney - 05/07/08 Good - Young Adult The further adventures of Gregory, this time focusing on his relationship with his overbearing older brother Rodrick David and Emily both read this, so I had to as well. :-) Doesn't She Look Natural? by Angela Elwell Hunt - 05/12/08 Good - Inspirational Jennifer, a divorced mom of 2 boys, inheri