Over the Hedge (2006)

The same year "Penelope" came out, a darling animated movie came out. It was based on a comic strip of the same name. After I watched the movie, I immediately purchased the book containing the strips. I love the strips and the movie.

The movie was put out by Dreamworks and is one of their lesser known movies. There were barely any advertising on it and I would have almost missed it. I'm glad I caught it.

"Over the Hedge" is comic/story told from the perspectives of woodland creatures who have had their habitat completely diminished by suburbia expansion. The movie focuses on the troubles of R.J. Racoon who has made a deal with a bear to return all the food that R.J. has destroyed. R.J. stumbles upon the impressionable and lovable group of woodland friends who are easily duped into helping R.J. collect food in the name of "foraging".

It's got something for everyone. The dialogue is tongue-in-cheek when it comes to the ideas of suburbia. The antics of the creatures are hilarious and silly. Not enough to make you wonder your IQ level but enough for you to smile and chuckle. The relationships between the animals are sweet. Typical of childrens movies, there are alot of reference that adults would get. If you know the reference of course (i.e. Rose.....Bud....).


I absolutely love Hammy the squirrel. He was hyper and cute. I like to think I resemble him in some sort of way...

I really love this movie. It's sweet, silly, cheery yet not done in an over exaggerated manner. I've watched this movie a gazillion times and I still chuckle and smile throughout. It's just such a simply great animated movie. Movies like this are sorely missed in a time where Toy Story beat out Shrek as the top animated childrens movie. I spit on you Toy Story. Spiiiiiiit.

Then again, I am the small niche of people who are awesome for knowing about "Over the Hedge".

The voice casting for this movie would have been spotless except for Avril Lavigne as the the possum's daughter. Thank goodness she doesn't get much lines.
It's another light movie that cheers me up. It's pure entertainment. It doesn't delve deep into the psyche or question morals. It's shallow enough for me to soak and relax.

Penelope (2006)

I love the fantastic and surreal. The kind of movies that are magical and romantic. I especially love modern retakes of fairy tale idea.

"Penelope" jumps into mind immediately. Not only does it star one of my favorite actresses, Christina Ricci, but also my new favorite male actor, James McAvoy. I fell in love with McAvoy after the movie and again in "Wanted".

The base of the movie is absurd but it's all right with me. Ready?Penelope is a young aristocrat that was born with a pig nose.

Still there? Good.

The story goes that her ancestors had stopped the romance between a servant and of the aristocrats son. The son goes on to marry another of his peer. The servant girl was heartbroken and committed suicide. The mother of the servant was so furious she laid a curse upon the family. A curse for any future young girls of the family to be born with a pig nose.The curse went unheeded for several generations since only sons were borne in the family. Until now.

The only way to break the curse is when the young heiress will be loved by "one of her own".

Cursed with a pig nose, Penelope's family forces her to hide herself until she can find someone who can break the curse. When she becomes of age to get married, her family hires a service to find suitors. They would be interviewed through a mirror. They would confess their interest and she decides to come out and face them. Unfortunately they would bolt.


Poor girl. How much of that would mess up her self esteem?

Fed up with the long trail of terrified males, she escapes her mansion. With a scarf wound tightly around her nose, she experiences the outside world. She meets new friends and falls in love with Mc Avoys character.

There's a whole bunch more to this movie. It's sweet and romantic but that's not the main point. The highlight is Penelope's acceptance of herself and having the courage to go through with life. It's another female empowerment movie amidst the comedy and romance.

Fun enjoyable movie that makes you cheers up. If your a girl.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

I am seriously, seriously scared of this movie.

I just watched it and I hurriedly started watching "Beauty and the Beast" to mellow out.

Yet despite how terrified of this movie, it's amazing. Now that I've made myself watch a Disney movie, I feel stable enough to write about this movie.

I usually read the books before I watch the movie adaptations. Not just to flinch every time a key story point is grossly done or overlooked. I read the books to understand know the story and see how this person interprets it. Everyone has their own interpretation and sometimes it's brilliant! Brilliant adaptations such as "Pride and Prejudice"(2005) or "Jane Eyre"(1943). Most adaptations have been horribly, horrible. Case in point:TWILIGHT. The only saving grace in that saga is the gratuitous cute boys without a shirt.

The movie is based on the novel written by Oscar Wilde. I shamefully confessed that I tried to read this novel. I didn't make it past 3 pages. The novel was written in the victorian era and I just can't get into it. Which is weird because I can flow through "Jane Eyre" no problem. I couldn't keep my eyes open in the first chapter of Wildes novel. It's just one of those novels that I could not read.

After watching the movie, I have a feeling that my subconscious knew I was going to terrified. So far that's two authors I have problems reading: Oscar Wilde and China Mieville.


The novels concerns the sins and conscience (or lack thereof) of a young aristocrat named Dorian Gray. As he models for his fellow aristocrat friend Basil to paint his portrait, he listens with an attentive ear to a friend of Basil named Lord Henry. Lord Henry has the reputation for being coldly amoral and models his life on doing perfectly nothing. As Lord Henry talks about youth and how Gray should cherish it, he remarks how the painting will always stay young while Gray will grow old. Gray wistfully wishes that if only it was the opposite.

Somehow, someway his wishes are granted. Gray begins to take Lord Henrys advice to enjoy the pleasures of life to heart. For every sin that he commits, it's reflected upon the painting. Throughout the next twenty years, Gray remains young as he manipulates people and takes his pleasure.

The sins aren't explicitly mentioned in the novel or the movie but there's a whole bunch of it. Sex, seduction jilted lovers, bisexualism, leading people to their own suicide, murder.

This movie is SEEPED in metaphors. Due to two major censorship vehicles.

One was the fact the novel was written in the victorian era. There are alot of literature research done on this novel so I would only mention that high society did not take to reading such colorful exploits readily. If Wilde had not cleverly used metaphors and symbolism to buffer the horror, his novel would not have been published. Most of the movie is dialogue which gives you some clues as to what those horrors are.

Two was the Hays Code. This movie was made when censorship of movies made it impossible to even mention any words about murder or bisexualism.

Yet despite the censorship, the movie still strongly conveys the horror that is Dorian Gray. To live a live so empty and hell bent on obtaining pleasure without any regard to those around him shouldn't frighten me but it does. The transition of the painting from young Gray to the horror of True Gray actually had me yelping. The metaphors (i.e. the blocks in the playroom representing the initials of the the deaths he's responsible for) impresses me. I'm not well versed in classical music but the use of Chopin was amazing.

Plus, seeing YOUNG Angela Lansbury singing "Yellow Bird" was just riveting. Which makes my choice for following this movie with "Beauty and the Beast" since Lansbury is the voice of Mrs. Potts.

Next time I watch "The Picture of Dorian Gray" movie for some reason, I'm watching it in the daytime!

The Major and The Minor (1942)

I have no idea why I love this movie.

Ok, maybe I have just a few teensy weensy reaons why.

Brace yourself, it's another "aww-shucks- the hero-is -broke" movie.

A young woman named Susan played by Ginger Rogers(huzzah!) is completely, completely broke. She decides to go back home on the train to Iowa from New York. Except she only has enough money for the pre-inflation fare.So she comes up with a scheme to dress like a young girl to get half fare ticket.

(Pssst.....Ginger Rodgers was thirty in this movie.)

She's discovered by the train conductors and rushes into the nearest compartment. There she meets a nice young man named Major Kirby. He believes her to be a young girl and allows her to stay in it.

(Pssst....she's a thirty year old playing a young girl in pig tails....pig tails...)

She falls in love with the Major and decides to accompany him to the boys military school where he works. There she meets the Majors fiance and begins the odd love triangle.

The more she pines away for the Major, the more obstacles that get in her way. Obstacles like every single male student wants to date her. Everyone believes she's just a little teenage girl. Riiiiiiiiight.

Seriously, if this is the product of military school then I fear for national security.

She gets found out not by the Major but the fiance. The Majors fiance tricks Susan into revealing her true age by having her wear a beautiful ball gown.In what has to be the most awesome dramatic non violent cat fight I've ever seen. It's so simple but you feel the intense showdown between the two women.

Evil but understandable on the fiances part. Your essentially watching the point of view from the girl who steals the boy away. You should really be hating on this character, right?

Instead it is by the actinng power and charm of Ginger Rodgers that makes this movie a niche favorite. You can't help but cheer for her when she successully dupes a person. Rodgers is not only talented with dancing but also for her comedic powers. The part where she's a phone operator at the military school cracked me up.

There are a lot of clever sexual innuendos throughout the whole movie. There is the obvious pedophile nods but that is the just scratching the service.

I really scratch my head in this one. By all intents and purpose this movie is weird and disturbing. Plus, the story is very silly and unreal.Yet I really love this one.


Sometimes you just can't explain why you love somethings.

I think I'll blame the heat in rattling my head.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

Have you been to the Petersen Automobile Museum in Los Angeles? Its a wonderful museum that features different cars of style and function.

No surprise, my favorite section is the Hollywood section. As I stood staring at the cars from "Batman" and "Dukes of Hazzard", I was wishing they had the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car.

My brother and I loved this movie. I still own the well worn VHS copy ( I have alot of well worm VHS videos). The story was sweet and fantastical. The songs were catchy. The message was hopeful. Something I find I need in times like these.

One of my all time favorite comedic actors, Dick Van Dyke, stars as Caractacus Potts. Potts is a very, very poor inventor who lives with his two children and grandfather. A chance encounter has Potts meeting with Truly Scrumtious (smirk). Truly is the wealthy daughter of candy maker. Truly sees the derelict condition of the family and tries to give Potts a chance to market a new form of whistling candy he made.

Unfortunately, a swarm of dogs answer the whistles and lays waste to the candy factory. Sorry Bub no luck.

Meanwhile, his children become obsessed with a broken down car that they are convinced is a magical car. Potts uses most of his money to get the car to keep the children happy. He uses his skill to transform it into a magical flying beauty that is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!

The whole family and Truly climb abord Chitty and fly off into a land called Vulgaria. Vulgaria is ruled a greedy king that steals Chitty and the children away. Through funny guises and tricks, Potts and Truly attempts to take it all back.

This family is so immensely poor but there is such a strong optimistic wave that your not delving too much in it. Everyone can relate to this movie because of the rough economical time we're going through now. I hate it that I'm broke all the time but I just remember that it's just money and life isn't graded on a money scale.

For me, life is measured in how much happiness I can grow from all the tragedies that I've been through. I have the love of my brother and father. I have the steady love and strength from my ever patient boyfriend. I am blessed with a great group of friends. No matter how much hell we can go through, there will always laughter and magic.


If you made me choose between two cars, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or the Delorean, then I would hate you massively. I would want to covet BOTH cars! The only connection is that they both fly. I would want Chitty for its vintage feel and open interior. I would want the Delorean because it can travel through time.

There are so many wonderful musical numbers in this movie. They're not so sappy sweet that you would vomit nor are they lacking soul. It's catchy and sweet. Even now, I sometimes catch myself singing "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" as I'm stuck in LA traffic.

In the small hopes that my little car will wake up and start flying. Of course.

Pillow Talk (1959)

The Doris Day movie that started my admiration for Doris Day. THIS is the THE movie to watch if you ever were curious about this lovely actress. This is the best entertaining movie that she has starred in.

She stars alongside with the HOT-but-gay Rock Hudson. I like to ignore his true sexuality and pretend he's straight. It doesn't matter his sexuality really. He plays such a charming and suave male that you cannot help but swoon.

I've been thinking of when to actually write a blog about this since I love this movie so much. A special day like my birthday maybe. Or some other significant moment.

Three reasons I'm writing this blog now:
1.I'm holding onto a pillow.
2. I can't fall back asleep.
3. My boyfriend is snoring next to me holding a pillow.

Sounds like a good reason to write about "Pillow Talk".

Doris Day usually plays about 2 types of characters. The lovable and innocent leading lady or the sexy and independent woman. She plays sweet for about 99% of her movies. She only does sexy in this one. To be accurate, naturally sexy.

From the opening shot of her in her apartment, she's only clad in a slip and she's rolling stockings up her legs. You know, I've never understood how these women manage to successfully roll up her stocking in a sexy way. I'm hunched over huffing and puffing as if I'm lacing up boots instead of nylon.

From what I understand (and bear with me since I tend to skewer historical details), getting individual telephone lines were impossible since they were still being strung across the country. Most people had to make due with sharing a line.

Doris Day plays Jan Morrow, who shares a line with Rock Hudson's character, Brad Allen. Jan's biggest problem is that Brad constantly ties up the line since he's always on the phone romancing strings of women. Fed up, Jan establishes a phone schedule where she takes, "the hour to the half hour," and he takes "half hour to the hour" or some schedule like that. Either way they each get 30 minutes every hour.

Brad is under the idea that Jan is an old,ugly lonely thing until he chances upon her in a nightclub. To prevent her from recognizing his voice, he dons a sexy, oh so sexy, cowboy drawl and introduces himself as Rex Stetson (hee hee, clever...'cuz Stetson is a hat...you know a cowboy hat?...heee hee).

So begins a romantic comedy of disguises and lies.

Oh this movie is so much fun! The dialogue is clever and funny. Day and Hudson are such a great acting pair (They were so swell, they made several more movies together).

The supporting cast just adds more fun from the hungover cleaning lady, the elevator operator who dotes on her, and the Brads friend/boss, Jonathan Forbes (hee hee...clever), played by Tony Randall.

Just try and get the theme song out of your head. Just try. And the "Rolly Polly Song"..I want to clap my hands.

By the way, Rock Hudson was gay but in the movie he was not pretending to be gay to get to Doris Day. I have seen a lot of people thinking this. That doesn't even make a remote flicker of sense. Brad played Rex to be the antithesis of Brad: sweet, innocent, kind, and caring. Watch the movie and see if you get "gay" anywhere in that plot point.
The ending of the movie is sweet and you just can't help but smile. Possibly wiggle a bit from how romantic it is. Maybe even squeal.

Ramen Girl (2008)

My roomie and I went to an amazing ramen place near our apartment called Kyushu Ramen. It was absolutely delicious! I loooove noodles. I think my bowl was called Shiyo ramen. It was soy sauce soup with stewed pork. I even tried the gyoza..MMMmmmm. I just had lunch but now I'm craving it! It was a great way to start off the week.

It also reminded me of a great movie that starred Brittany Murphy before her death.I've admired Murphy ever since she played the geek to valley girl in Clueless. I thought she was awesome in "Just Married". She was a quirky actress with huge eyes. Really fun to watch.

In "Ramen Girl", Murphy plays Abby who is now stranded in Tokyo. She had followed her boyfriend only to have him dump her. She doesn't have any mother and she doesn't understand Japanese at all. She wanders into a local ramen shop where the chef takes pity and gives her bowl to eat. From that first bite she is hooked. She is deteremined to become a ramen chef. With much gestures and reluctance, the chef agrees to take her on. She goes through exhausting trials of becoming ramen chef.

Whats the big deal right? It's just a bowl of noodles. Hell, we even have the package ones that every college students covets. Try telling that to a ramen chef and see if you have any genitals left.

Like sushi chef, sumo wrestles, manga artists, or any profession in Japan, ramen chef is taken very seriously. A good ramen chef must balance out the spices and texture to obtain the right bowl. In every movie I've seen that involves food, there is the underlying lesson that creating food food is an extension of your emotions and soul. For the ramen chef, it must be a strong emotion like love that would make it a ramen bowl.

This movie has a great balance of comedy and drama. I don't know if I buy the romance part of it but I can easily look it aside for the comedy. Every time the chef became frustrated, I would think back to how my mom was with me when I tried to prepare a basic thai dish. The language barrier gag will always tickle me silly.

It's a sweet movie and something of an empowerment for me. I'm uplifted by her determination to see being a ramen chef through. What I come away with is, it doesn't matter what your goal is. As long as it means something to you and your determined then fight on!