Can Sandra Bullock Bring Back The Funny?

Well.....she's made The Proposal, so I'm willing to accept it & hope that it makes me laugh.

I first saw the trailer for this flick a few months ago in the theater, and I have to admit....I let out a small groan.

The concept just didn't seem all that fresh or creative. A mismatched couple who dislike each other, but pretend to love each other....in order to win a prize (her Green Card, his job).


We've all seen variations on this story before, good AND bad, but I'm willing to hold on to a glimmer of hope because Bullock is still one of my faves (even AFTER a long...very long...string of disappointing flicks).


I also really like the tagline: "Here Comes The Bribe"
(Just hope that's not the best part of the flick)

And....I must admit that I have always liked Ryan Reynolds. No, not just because of THAT.....


Yes, he is a cutie....but he is also very funny, charming and smart.



Hey, I happen to like that in a guy....even better in a leading man.

From the looks of the trailer, the two of them seem to have good chemistry. Sometimes that makes up for lack of originality in the script.

Sometimes.


I mean, don't we know that they're gonna end up together? Seriously, who are we kiddin' here? It's a romantic-comedy for goodness sake...with two very attractive leads, forced together in a somewhat silly quest.

Yeah, we know they're gonna be a couple in the end. Let's just hope the road getting there is as fun & charming as possible.

Speaking of fun, Betty White's supporting role looks to be pretty hilarious and against type. Let's just hope it's outrageous...but not uncomfortably so. Ya know what I mean?


Hey, granny sex jokes get old REAL quick.

I'm just sayin'.

OK, so I'm gonna give Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds and The Proposal a shot when it opens in theaters on June 19th.

Take a look at the trailer below and see what YOU think:




Oh yeah, before I forget -- I was tipped off that the Funny or Die website just posted a pretty funny, yet somewhat off-color "behind-the-scenes" video from The Proposal set.

There are more than a few choice curse words (bleeped out, I must add), and Betty White pretty much steals the show. If you're in the mood for something a little more funny & racy.....click the link below to head over to that site and check it out:

"Behind-The-Scenes of The Proposal": FunnyorDie.com

OK, that's all for now Movie Lovers -- as always, I love hearing your comments and feedback. Keep it comin'.

"Mamma Mia"....I Finally Got To See Ya!

Yes, I finally got to see Mamma Mia over a week ago....and I just have the chance to write about it here now.

I had the pleasure of attending a showing with 5 good girlfriends......definitely the way to see a flick like this.

My friend Betsy was hosting our monthly "card club" that night (OK....so we don't actually play cards anymore -- we really just eat, drink and gab. Gotta problem with that?).

I had emailed a bunch of them to see if there were any takers to attend a future showing of Mamma Mia, and Betsy suggested that we combine it with our "cards night".

What a great idea.

So it turns out, because it's summer and people are on vacations, etc......that it ended up being only 6 of us doin' the ABBA action that evening.

That's OK......a fun time was had by all.

Check us all out here afterward, posin' in the lobby with the movie poster:


(Left to right: Marla, Mary, Me, Betsy, Stephanie and Marri)

In hindsight, I should have also taken a pic of the long line of young sci-fi die-hards (waiting to get into a midnight showing of the X-Files sequel).

I seriously think they thought we were all crazy, and much too old to be acting that way.

Huh. Kids today.

OK, back to Mamma Mia.

It was fun and frothy, silly and sweet and definitely enjoyable.

I liked it.

I didn't love it, but I really, really liked it.

I wasn't a hard sell, mind you. I've never seen the stage show.... but I loved ABBA in my youth and have their greatest hits CD on permanant rotation, so to speak.

Seriously, if you're in a funky mood or just havin' a bad day......pop in some ABBA and start groovin' to "Take A Chance On Me."

Guaranteed to help cure what ails ya.

OK........ So, about the movie.

Here's the deal:

--Meryl is awesome, she can totally sing and should do it more often. She glows.




--The young actress (Amanda Seyfried) who plays her daughter is charming & beautiful, sings like an angel and the camera loves her. She could be a pop star, an actress or both (watch out Hillary Duff --is that chick still around?) She is one to watch, mark my words.






--The entire supporting cast is awesome and totally in it for the fun.

--Special mention: the gals who play Meryl's good old friends and former bandmates....hilarious.






--The guys (the 3 "potential fathers") are fun and totally up to the musical challenge.


--Ooops, one teeny, tiny criticism.......Brosnan, Pierce Brosnan.


--First off, let me say.....he wasn't as bad as everyone is saying. Seriously, I think people are having such a problem with his performance (well, his singing performance) because it is such a disconnect to see James Bond bellow out a ballad.




I admit, when he first opens his mouth to sing.....it sounds a little....off. But I truly believe that part of the blame belongs with the director. She doesn't seem to do 'ol Pierce any favors by shooting him in tight close-up, as he so clearly struggles with a few stanzas.

That aside, once you get used to seeing 007 crooning a tune.....he gets better, much better. I mean, let's face it.....this is one seriously handsome and charismatic guy. That he even took the chance with this flick and the obvious campiness -- well, he gets 2 thumbs up in my book.

I'll just say this : "Hey Pierce....I was shaken, not stirred."


(Ugh, sorry for that.)

--Finally, while I really enjoyed Mamma Mia, I wish it would have been photographed (shot, whatever) just a little bit better. It looked somewhat "fuzzy" to me. Kinda low budget. I can't quite put my finger on it. I mean, watching this flick is probably the closest I'm ever gonna come to visiting a Greek island.....I want that view to be crystal clear, baby!


--OK, to sum up....if you like ABBA and sometimes catch yourself dancing in the living room to "Super Trouper" or "Money, Money, Money" (I'm not sayin' that I do that, it's just a hypothetical doncha know)......you will like Mamma Mia.

And if you get a kick out of seeing a bunch of great actors (and some great singers) having a fun time together.....you will like Mamma Mia.

One final note: If you do go, make sure that you stay through the end credits. I know, I know....you have to go to the bathroom -- but you'll thank me later.

The entire cast dresses up and does a music video. Believe me, it's worth the wait. (I don't wanna give too much away, but let's just say......there's a lot of spandex involved.)


It makes ya want to get up and sing & dance your way out of the theater. Totally fun and worth the price of admission.

If you still aren't sold, watch the video below and listen to Meryl Streep sing "Mamma Mia" to a montage of clips from the film:





Mamma Mia.......I'm so glad I got to see ya.

A Blockbuster Just Waiting To Happen: "Three Matthew McConaugheys And A Baby"

OK.....I'm not gonna say much, because seriously -- this trailer pretty much speaks for itself.

Three Matthew McConaugheys And A Baby

Hmmmm........

Why, oh why.......don't they make more flicks like this?

Enjoy!

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Hi-ya Hellboy, Meet Dave.

Oh......you've already met?

Hmmmm.

At the box office this past weekend?

Oh.

What happened?

Oh.



Yuck.

Sorry to hear that, Eddie -- er, I mean "Dave".

Hey.....perhaps they'll decide to make Norbit 2.

That'll be great for ya.....

Well, unless they release it the same weekend as -- Hellboy 3.

Not so great.

We'll keep our fingers crossed.

Yep, so don't know if ya heard (or care....but stick with me here), but Hellboy 2 caused Meet Dave to literally flame-out at the box office this past weekend.

Click Here: E! Online -- "Hellboy Hot, Meet Dave Not"

I haven't seen either flick.....but I'm actually a little curious about Hellboy 2. The trailer looked visually fantastic and seemed quite humorous.

Plus....I kinda like a big, red, smart alecky guy with muscles.......who doesn't?


NO.......not Carrot Top!

Hellboy........


Yeah, what a stud.

(Hmm...I'm still not sure about those things sticking out of his forehead, but I'll just go with it for now)

Hey, here's what I wanna know.......

How many of you can name the actor who plays "Hellboy"?

No?

Anyone?

His name is: Ron Perlman.

He's been around for a very looooong time.


In fact, Ron made a name for himself playing another, quite famous "fantasy" character on television, many years ago.

Do you know, can you guess?

Vincent.

Vincent, you say.

Who in the world is Vincent?

Here's a clue:

B & B.

No, not Bed & Breakfast.........



Yep.......Beauty and the Beast.

The cult television show, starring Perlman and Linda (Sarah Connor from The Terminator) Hamilton on CBS in the mid-1980's.

Is that crazy, or what?

(Man, does Ronny like the hair, make-up and costumes, whew!)

Wow, I wonder what's next up for Perlman?

I'm thinkin'.....the lead in the touching saga of a disgarded former hero --

"The Gary Busey Story".


Seriously -- don't you see the resemblance?















Is it just me?

(OK, as with most things -- that is possible)

Anyways.....from "Beast"......to "Hellboy".......to Busey.


A quite natural career progression.

Oh yeah baby, it's got Oscar written ALL over it.

Stay tuned........

Will Smith Is The Biggest Star In Hollywood

(No, I'm not referring to his ears.)

I'm talkin' box office.

BIG, critic-proof box office.

Actually.....that's been accepted fact in Hollywood for quite some time, but this weekend's 107 million box office take (Tuesday night through Sunday) for Hancock pretty much cemented his "good-as-gold" star status.

Some quotes from today's Variety.com:

Pic is the eighth Smith film in a row to open at No. 1 domestically, as well as his fifth -- and most successful -- Fourth of July outing. Film’s performance is widely viewed as a testament to Smith’s box office allure, considering that “Hancock” drew generally dismal reviews. Nor did “Hancock” have the same degree of broad appeal that other Fourth of July tentpoles have enjoyed.

“The Will Smith business is a great business to be in. It’s not just a matter of audiences loving him, but they love the characters he plays,” said Sony prexy of domestic distribution Rory Bruer.

“If he isn’t the most bankable guy in our business, I don’t know who is,” a competing studio exec said.

So we went to see Hancock on Thursday evening, the theater was approx. 3/4 full. They were definitely into it. So were we.

Here are a few of my quick thoughts:

-- I liked it, very much.

-- Would I recommend it? Yes, definitely.

-- I understand what some reviewers disliked: It's 2 different films in 1. I kinda liked that.

-- The beginning is what you expect -- funny Will Smith, drunk Hancock, making all sorts of messes.

-- Revelation: Jason Bateman is funny also, and totally attractive and very charming. He definitely needs to work more. Like Will, he is VERY likeable. He and Will have GREAT chemistry together.

-- Jason is so likeable, as a matter of fact.....that near the middle of the film -- when the plot begins to go in a somewhat different direction (a major twist is revealed, I won't spoil it here).....the audience makes an audible gasp. Something is about to maybe....possibly happen, that we don't want to happen. We're kinda like: "Oooh, don't do that." We like Jason and his character that much.

-- Then something totally different does happen, it is a shock and the movie begins it's turn in a different direction.

-- It's not a bad direction, but it definitely makes Hancock feel like 2 completely different films.....a comedy and a more dark character study.

-- I found it interesting. The actors definitely pulled it off.....so it didn't bother me.

My bottom line.... this movie succeeds because of 2 things:

Will Smith and MAJOR cast chemistry.

Will and Jason have it.
Will and Charlize have it.
Jason and Charlize have it.

The storyline may be a little muddled at times, but those 3 make up for it -- big time.

It makes me remember why I was even interested in this flick, way back when I first heard about it many months ago.

I saw this production photo on the internet last August:


Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron, laughing while filming a scene from the movie (back then, it was titled: John Hancock).

There was just something about this shot....the way they looked, his smile -- her laugh. I saved the photo on my computer. I just wanted to know more about this flick.

I looked up the production info and synopsis on IMDb.com (The Internet Movie Database.....one of my go-to sites for movie scoop).

It sounded interesting, so I kept tabs on it. I just had a gut feeling about it.

Hmmm.....guess my gut was right.

OK, enough about me and my gut.

Click on the word "comments" below and let me know your Hancock thoughts.

Have you seen it? Will you see it? Do you like Will Smith? Do you listen to what reviewers say? Do you care?

I wanna know.

I'm listening..........

Hancock Looks Like A Hit

It's already brought in over 24 million since Tuesday evening, and looks to gross about 115 million by the time this holiday weekend is through --

Click Here: "Hancock Off To Fast Start" --
Courtesy of Deadline Hollywood Daily

That's despite almost across-the-board very average to fairly terrible reviews --

Click Here: Hancock review roundup --

courtesy of The Wall Street Journal/Buzzwatch

Yep......Will Smith still pretty much owns the 4th of July weekend box office, that's for sure.


Remember, he's been here before.

Independence Day. Men In Black. Wild, Wild West.

(Hmmm.....forget that last one. I'm sure Will is tryin' to.)

Anyways, it's safe to say that Will Smith is a pretty much universally-loved movie star who people like to go watch do his thing in big summer flicks.

Especially around the 4th of July.

Especially if he's fightin' off bad guys and blowin' stuff up. Yeah....that definitely packs 'em in.

However, more than a few industry insiders (and critics and bloggers....) have recently questioned whether Mr. Smith's power as a movie star (who can actually "open" a picture) will be dimmed by this film (and it's many negative reviews) if it underperforms at the box office.

Click Here: "Can Hancock End Will Smith's Winning Streak?"
Courtesy New York Magazine/Vulture Blog

You know what? I'm gonna go on the record and say........"NO."

Seriously, I'm still not convinced that your average everyday movie-goer even pays attention to reviews and/or movie critics in general.

They might read a review about a flick if they've never heard of it or wanna get some plot scoop.....but I don't believe it influences their trip to the theater, one way or another.

I gather more information than most about upcoming flicks, and I just read reviews for a little extra opinion or insight. They never influence my final decision to actually see a flick.

In fact, Hancock has been on my radar for quite some time....since it was originally titled: Tonight, He Comes. (Uh, good move on changin' that title there fellas.....somewhat of a marketing problem, I'd guess.)


So I always thought it sounded like an interesting premise....a fresh take on the superhero genre. With a good script, a great cast (Helloooo, Will Smith -- Mr. Box Office Gold) and a decent director -- what a fun time at the theater.

I'm not the first to point this out by the way.

Many others (mostly critics) have said that's why they are so disappointed in this flick. It had such promise, and doesn't live up to it -- at all.

OK.....enough about this film that I haven't seen yet.

I plan to remedy that tonight around 7:30 pm.

Our plan is to go tonight, the entire family -- and finally see what all of the fuss is about.

My hope is that the theater is packed. That's my favorite way to see a flick like this.

I'm thinkin' I'll probably like it......there truly aren't many flicks that I don't like. I can usually find at least something good.

"How about that soundtrack? And those costumes.....you have to admit, the characters didn't make much sense -- but they sure looked good!"

Yep, this blog is called Movie Lovers Only for a reason.

I love movies.


Hmmm.....I guess we'll see how I feel about that in the morning.

Happy 4th of July everyone........

"Welcome back Dr. Jones.......

******************************


........it's been 20 years -- we've missed you."

So, as you might have guessed -- I went to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this weekend.


I'm sorry, but that's definitely a movie that you have to see on opening weekend.....no self-respecting movie geek would have it any other way.


Of course.....it's always much more fun to see a flick like that with a big group -- so I invited a bunch of good friends who were willing to join me in a field trip to the multiplex.

A little something I like to call:

"Kelly's Movie Kamp"

Kampers for this flick included fab friends and neighbors Paul and Lois Kolada, Jamie and Liz Taylor (No, not that Liz Taylor.....this one is way cooler, has only been married once -- and doesn't hang out with Michael Jackson).....and of course, the hubs -- Michael, and me.....Kelly, your friendly Head Kamp Counselor.


(Oh yeah--some big, beefy green guy jumped into our Kamp Photo)


He seemed to have a bit of a temper...........


......so I just let him hang with us and stay in the picture.

(What the heck....I did however, make him promise not to sit in front of me during the show.)

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.....one of the best parts of Movie Kamp? Dinner, drinks and discussion afterward.

For this session, we headed on over to Don Pablo's....for a little mexican and margaritas.

And a toast to Indy's return.

Yum.

I'm thinkin' this weekend may call for another Movie Kamp -- those lovely ladies of New York.....you know, the ones with all the clothes and what not....

Yep.....

Sex and The City opens Friday, May 30th.

(Even if you've never seen the show....I've heard the movie is fun -- and a flick like that, always more fun in a group.)

So I'm thinkin' : Cosmos and Cap City Diner.

New Kampers are always welcome. Just contact the Head Counselor if you're interested.

OK, so now for my "Indy" review.......

Also known as:

"Kelly's Movie Kamp ReKap"


It's great to have Indy back.
Spielberg and Lucas, too.
The story isn't a WOW, it's a Wow.
The story isn't important.
It's the big picture.
It's.....Indiana Jones.
It's fun. It's supposed to be fun.
It's kinda retro, in a good way.
It makes you smile and remember the first one.
The first time you met Indy.
Remember? In the jungle, running.....
and snakes.
In the desert, fist-fighting and car chases.
Outsmarting the bad guys.
Then: Nazis
Now: Ruskies
Harrison looks older, but wiser.
A little rough and worn, but good.
The hat.....it's all about the hat.
Oh yeah, and the whip.
(Spoiler Alert)
Shia is good as Indy's young sidekick/son.
A greaser on a cycle, his name is Mutt.
So good to see Marion Ravenwood again.
Karen Allen looks great, what a smile.
She's 56.....an age-appropriate match for Indy.
Loved Indy's line to Marion:
"They all had the same problem,
they weren't you."
Sigh.
True love survives and wins......full circle.
Must mention Cate Blanchett as the villain.
Evil Ruskie Irina Spalko.
Such a character, Boris and Natasha --
rolled into one.
The Kampers didn't recognize her.
Loved her line: "Dos Vadanya, Dr. Jones"
She makes zhoo vant to tock vit a
Rooshian akcent.
Quite the chameleon, that Cate.
So....the flick.
I wanted to like it.
I liked it.
I'm glad they finally made it.
Worth the wait?
Yes.
If you loved the others, you'll like it.
So just go see it.
I'm bettin' there's another one.
I'm sure we'll hear soon.
This one just made $126 million.....
In 4 days.
(Just in the USA)
Add in overseas....
Already up to $311 million.
In less than a week.
Yep --
They're preppin' Shia to take over, I'm sure.
Cute kid. Young blood. Fresh meat.
Mutt tried to put on the hat.
He bent over, he picked it up.....
But Indy took it and put it back on.
For now.

Stay tuned.......


Kelly :)