Friday, September 12, 2014

The Maze Runner Advance Screening

Wednesday night, the geek and I got to see The Maze Runner.  I got advance tickets through my AMC Stubs reward card. If you don't know what the AMC Stubs program is let me tell you. It is an amazing program that allows you to earn concession upgrades and free movie tickets. Once you spend $100, you get $10 added to your account. You can either spend it on a movie ticket or on concessions. Plus you get free upgrades at the concession stand, so instead of a small popcorn and drink, you can say, "Upgrade." and get a medium for the price of a small!

Anyways, I got an email last week saying, gofobo.com had a screening in my area. (another great site for movie screenings and advance passes) We haven't been to a movie in a long time, so we decided to make a date night out of it.

The movie started at 7pm, and we arrived at 6:30, the theater was already pretty full with the only seats available up front. Next time, we will definitely get there a lot earlier!

Now to the movie, the cast is a mix of what appears to be newcomers and some familiar faces from tv and movies. The guy from We're The Millers (the kid whose dingdong got bit by a spider) is in it along with the kid who played Peter Pan in Once Upon a Time.

I've never read the book so I can't compare the two. I liked it. Maybe not go and pay to see it again, but rent from Redbox type movie. It is an interesting take on a dystopian society. I don't want to give away too much, because the movie needs that mystery and why are these boys trapped in this place questions to linger through out the movie. Plus when you see some of these advance screenings, they ask you to not tell too much.

If you have teenagers, I do think it is a good movie for them. Not too much cussing, I think maybe a few damns or shits. No bloody gore style violence.

The Maze Runner comes out September 19 at a theater near you.


*i have not been comped for this review.*
Sunday, January 19, 2014

Flowers In the Attic Remake


*Spoiler Alert* If you've never read Flowers In the Attic or seen either of the movies, then stop reading unless you want spoilers**


I was so excited when I read that Lifetime was remaking V.C. Andrews book Flower In the Attic. This book was so legendary, so gothic, so much a rite of passage for young girls.

I remember exactly who introduced me to her books. My friend Atlee from 7th grade. She was reading it in Pre-Algebra and I saw the cover and was immediately intrigued. She lent me her copy when she finished. She was another fast reader like me.

Talk about the books being an early education! While my mom was never one to ban me from reading books, she didn't want me reading books with sex in them. If you've ever read one of V.C. Andrews books, you know sex is a staple in it. Still I got to read the books, and was hooked. I read all of the Dollanganger series, the Landry, the Casteel, Cutler, well  all of the books.

I even watched that horrid, cheesy movie from the 80's Flowers In the Attic. Kristy Swanson was awesome, in a cheesy way. Who can forget, "Eat the cookie Mother!"

Last night, I was let down. The movie was better than the original 80's one, but still it felt rushed. I think it should have been a 2 parter or 3 hours. Ellen Burstyn did a good job as the grandmother, plus Burstyn is a great actress. Heather Graham played the vapid mother okay, I think she fell flat though. She just didn't bring enough to the character. The kids playing the twins were just background noise. I wish they had showed just how much Cathy and Chris became surrogate parents more. At least in this one, they actually showed the incest part. And told more about how the mother and father were actually half uncle/half neice.
Plus Bart, the swan bed!!



All in all, it was an okay remake. For Lifetime standards. Now they are working on the sequel book, Petals On the Wind. That one will be interesting.

Did any of you watch the movie? What did you think? Have you read the books as an adult?