Seventeen Again  Nope not the Zac Efron movie that is "17 Again",  Watched this with the nieces on Friday.  Tia and Tamera Mowry star in this tale of regression. Due to an experiment gone wrong, Grandma and Grandpa go back to  age 17 and  have to work out the reasons why they got divorced and rebuild their relationship movie.  It is cute and a nice movie to watch with kids. Nothing scary or too sexy- ends well - a cute little fantasy
Rating:  5. I would recommend this on a case by case basis
Scruff: none at all


First Shot  Mariel Hemingway is the head of Presidential security. (Yeah I know - just go with me here). She is newly married to Doug Savant  and since she works so hard they have delayed their honeymoon.  Sebastian Spence is newly hired and when he first arrives and Courtney  (Michelle Harrison) sees him she says "that is the hottest man I have ever seen"  (He would have looked better in suits that FIT - he looked like he was wearing his daddies clothes.) The President's daughter also commented on his relative hotness. Then the plot thickens - he comes to work and a nice looking guy straightens Sebastian's tie and hugs him, the whole staff figure with the "I left my ex in San Fran to take this job" that he is gay.  Is he is isn't he .. well watch the movie - ;).  Oh yeah .. there was a point to the movie-  Some guys get shot, and the President goes to pay his respects, he gets shot and Mariel, Sebastian and the rest of the crew head out to find the bad guys.  This is a good movie actually - it had an interesting plot and moved along well. It is one that I would actually watch again.
Rating:  8. Would Watch again by myself
Scruff- Doug was sporting a full beard (ick) but Sebastian was nice and smooth

Bulgarian Lovers (Los novios bulgaros) This was an odd movie- It is in Spanish and tells the story of Daniel and his Bulgarian boyfriend and his boyfriends girlfriend. Yep, it is complicated. It seems that Kyril (the boyfriend) does not really love Daniel, but he has some connection to him and is more then willing to have sex with him, b/c that is not cheating on his girlfriend.  Besides the jacked up relationship, there is an undercurrent of refugees and arms deals.  A few times Daniel has these weird fantasies- that are on the edge of surreal and I don't think they help the movie at all.  The entire movie you know things are going south, Daniel is in way too deep and his knows it is bad, but he keeps giving of himself and you know he is going to feel the pain.
Rating:  5. I would recommend this on a case by case basis
Scruff: yes and lots of it, like lots all over the place- they even tease us with a shaving scene where no one actually shaves.

Just Married  This was actually better then I thought it would be. It was actually a cute little movie about marriage and a hellish honeymoon. Ashton Kutcher and Brittney Murphy star in the movie, with Christian Kane  as the foil to the movie. Christian is sporting the short hair (which is nice) and they actually put him in clothes that fit is body (always nice).
Rating:  7. Would watch again with friends
Scruff: a little bit but not so much that it is distracting

Cerberus Oh Sebastian what I do for you. The oversize suit in his first appearance, actually made me cringe.  Honestly, the edge of the cuff hit the second joint in his thumb (yes, I checked carefully). Things did look up when he showed up with sleeveless tank, jeans and a gun holster. The boy has some serious guns on him *sigh*  Oh yeah, plot.  There is a sword that is possessed will give you lots of power. It belonged to Attila the Hun, and is now guarded by Cerberus (the 3 headed  guard dog of Hades). Insert a contrived plot to get Sebastian and a happy team out to find the sword and keep it from the bad guys who have suitcase nukes and want to take over the world, and you know how this 2005 TV movies goes.  The smart chick you know has to fall for the rough and tough Jake (Sebastian) is  Dr. Samantha Gaines (Emmanuelle Vaugier aka Det. Jennifer Angell  from CSI NY). Nothing surprising - well no romance surprised me - lol.

Rating:  4. I only watched it for Sebastian and was worth the giggle. I would show it to people just to see his arms. /shallow
Scruff- Smooth sailing the baddies and the goodies

Happy Endings  Wandering through the lives of about 10 people, their search for a happy ending or maybe just a happier ending all intertwines and weaves together to tell a story of normal people's quest to find happy.  A huge cast does a great job. Lisa Kudrow, Steve Coogan, Bobby Cannavale, Maggie Gyllenhallm, Jason Ritter, Tom Arnold, Sarah Clarke and Laura Dern.  It is a nice movie, nothing too angsty or happy, kinda like life.

Rating:  5. I would reccomend this on a case by case basis
Scruff - Bits here and there, a couple of guys are extra scruffy and a couple are extra smooth

Victim: 1961 film about a man blackmailing gay men to keep quiet.  A prominent lawyer goes after the blackmailer himself, risking everything b/c he is gay and could be exposed.  It was a really good movie, Noirish. The music was a little too dramatic for its own self at times.  Some of the shooting angles and long shots were funny. But over all it was a really interesting and engaging if emotionally distant movie. Dirk Bogarde gives a really strong performance as the barrister in the middle of everything.
 
Rating:  9. Would pick up DVD on Sale
Scruff: 1961- before scruff was ever invented.

Adventureland I really wanted to love this, and go along for the ride. But .. it is a better rental. I think Nick and Nora was a better version of "Geeky guy who is screw up gets hot girl to love him"  then this.  I was trying to figure out who the chick was, she was certainly emo and grumpy and the credits revealed all.  Kristen Stewart (Twilight). She kinda pulled the movie down for me, and I am not sure if it is Twilight backlash from me or not, but her performance seemed confusing. She has these "big bad secrets" and we never learned what they are or why the screwed her up so much, her angst seemed misplaced, and she did alot to screw up her own life, with no one else's help.   Jesse Eisenberg is fine as our geeky hero with a heart, and brings the needed heart to the movie, but he of course does things to screwed up his life and the lives around him, but we expect that. The music is awesome, and Ryan Reynolds plays a great loser.  It drags at times and there are some long shots that go nowhere, but not a bad movie.

Rating:  5. I would reccomend this on a case by case basis
Scruff: 1987 pretty scruff free overall.


ohh maybe I can make it to 100 this weekend, that is a fun test. Seeing Coraline 3D tomorrow with Kurt.

The Man I love(Homme que j'aime, L' Netflix billed this as kinda a light romance, well they were wrong. It is a story of Straight Lucas and gay HIV+ Martin. Martin is in love with Lucas, but Lucas is straight and lives with his girlfriend. Over the course of the movie the 2 boys develop a romance against the backdrop of Martin getting sicker and sicker. It is a really well crafted movie, that is very sad and had me in tears at the end. Not something I would generally subject myself too.. but it was a really good movie. I thought Jean-Michael Portal who plays Lucas did an amazing job as a man who is torn in several directions. I thought a few of the characters were too good to be true, but it is all balanced well in this gentle movie kalarynamery this is one of the "gay for you" stories.

Rating:  6. I would recommend this to my friends (too sad for me to watch again, but a really good movie)
Scruff - not bad. Lucas has a permanent scruff working but Martin is clean shaven.

The Man of my Life (Homme de sa vie, L') Yes, it is French film day. :) Charles Berling who plays Hugo is just a beautiful and mostly scruff free person. Just Beautiful. Brenard Campan who is Frederic is heartbreaking in his struggles. The movie is about a family man on summer break in the countryside with his wife, son and assorted relatives. He invites his neighbor, Hugo, over for dinner one night and thus begins a friendship that changes both men forever. The story is not told in order, but it evolves, and then reverses revealing more of what these 2 share. There is no physical contact, the relationship evolves and matures, placing both men on different courses from where they were heading. Visually this movie is beautiful, the director lets scenes evolve and develop slowly, he keeps a third party distance, so you are never really sure what the guys are thinking or where they are. And then as it comes to a crashing end, you are still left wondering what they will do next. Really a deeply beautiful film, about all types of love, beautiful and ugly, resentful and forgiving.

Rating: 9. Would pick up DVD on Sale
Scruff: there is some, they are on vacation, but for the most part they stay smooth and siky.

Finally saw the end of Her Minor Thing (click to read review)

Oh Happy Day Uptight Jonathan and more chilled out David meet one night and end up sleeping together. The next day at work Jonathan meets his new client - David.  Jonathan's boss has a strict no dating policy and if Jonathan gets caught he will loose his job.  They try to hide their attraction but a weekend in Sussex changes all that.  Jonathan's up tightness of course pushes the plot and the angst along.  It is a beautifully filmed movie, with some really seductive set ups.  There is one song I need to own, but thus far I can't find it.  A pretty predictable, but it has a sweet and tender ending.
Rating:  7. Would watch again with friends
Very Scruff Free.. perhaps not total smooth sailing, just a few examples of scruff


Times Have Been Better (Ciel sur la tete, Le) What a wonderful French drama. When Jeremy, the perfect son,  comes out to his parents the drama has just begun.  This is not a coming out story, it studies the impact that the revelation has on the rest of the family. A family that has been held together by their fantasy of their perfect son being all perfect.  You don't see much of Jeremy and Marc (even though they are the cover and DVD art), but you dive into the hollow lives that remain when his parents and younger (non-perfect) son, have to live without Jeremy's perfection (in their eyes) anymore. A really well acted drama that was interesting and held my attention.
Rating:  9. Would pick up DVD on Sale
Scruff: Pretty much scruff free. But really not many "pretties" to look at.

Sunshine Cleaning Cute and sad movie. I thought they had a lot of potential to have a huge impact, but much of the movie lacked energy to get from scene to scene. Everyone preformed well and were likable enough, but somehow I felt cheated at the end. It had an ending, but the ending felt more of an intermission. I think it could have been stronger emotionally. Yes, I know I cried, but something felt not quite right.   A good indy, if you liked Little Miss Sunshine, then you will dig this movie.  It lets you draw lots of your own conclusions as to where things end, which is nice to an extent, but I needed more.

Rating:
Would reccomend
Lots of scruff


Her Minor Thing  Estella Warren is Jenna a 25 year old virgin whose boyfriend, vainly played by Michael Weatherly (go Tony) outs her on accident. Thus we begin the romcom ride. Christiam Kane also plays a significant as the burned but sensitive photographer.  Well... this crashed my TIVO 2x.. so I am going to need to finish it some day :(
**Update: Finally saw the entire movie. It is fairly predictable, it did get me to second guess myself more then once. Christian is adorable and Michael is Tony. It is a cute movie to watch with friends.

Rating: 9 - Buy on sale
Scruff: WAY too much for my taste.

24 Nights I soooo wanted to like this very low budget movie. Honestly, I am not sure why I did not love it to pieces. I just think a remake would be better.. yeah I'm weird.  Kevin Isola (who apparently is in Damages, a show I need to watch at somepoint) stars as Jonathan, a 20 something boy whose parents are dead and lives with his harpy of a sister who is married to a low budget underwear model. Jonathan still believes in Santa. For Christmas he writes 2 letters, one to Santa asking for the perfect boy. Jonathan works at a gay bookstore and suddenly the cutest boy ever (who has an older b/f starts working there). It does not play out exactly they way you expect. The actors were okay- nothing amazing. The script had potential, but was a little uneven.  It was no budget movie. But I think if there were to change the sister a little and killed out a sub-plot while developing other ones that is could be a really good movie. Hence my desire for a remake.  It is a feel good movie and uses Santa well throughout the entire movie, but something was missing.

Rating:  7. Would watch again with friends

The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy  The best part about this movie is is seeing all the people who are known names now.  It was awesome... I gasped more then once.  Zach Braff with blond spiky hair (it is awesome), Dean Cain, John Mahoney, Mary McCormack, Andrew Keegan (as a really quiet guy- very different from Latter Days), Jennifer Coolidge, Kerr Smith, Christian Kane (as a gym bunny looking hot with short hair) It was directed by the Weitz brothers.  It is a "day in the life" or in this case 6 or 7 months in the life of  a group of gay men who hang out at a bar and play softball together, as they all wander though love and loss. Pretty predictable, but well acted and a decent script. 
No scruff (w00t)
Rating:  7. Would watch again with friends


The Trip Billed as a romantic comedy this movie covers a long time span  of the relationship between Alan and Tommy. Alan a Republican and Tommy an activist meet and much to Alan's surprise fall in love. It all goes terrible wrong and then Alan needs to make it right.  UGH more angst then I like and in some ways a bit superficial, I would have liked a little more depth to the love story, then ending broke me. The wigs were terrible.. just horrible.
Scruff- none
Rating:  5. I would recommend this on a case by case basis


Summer Storm (Sommersturm) German movie about 2 best friends at summer rowing camp. This is a beautifully shot movie and has a lovely story. It includes one of the most beautiful first kisses I have ever seen. Set on a dock at sunset, it is sad and happy and touching and gentle- shot without sound, just the light breathing from the 2 guys. There is also a well constructed heterosexual sex scene that is set against a storm. The movie wraps up kinda, I would have liked a little bit more in the ending, but it was a really enjoyable movie. It was beautifully filmed.
Scruff: none
Rating:  9. Would pick up DVD on Sale

That Man: Peter Berlin  Peter Berlin, porn star, model, icon from the 70's. This is a documentary on his life and errr rise to fame. He is still alive and kicking in San Francisco and narrates part of the movie. It is really well done  explores his life  they way it was and how influential his image is.. probably still today. His apartment is decorated with pictures of himself and he has a kitty as well.  He in interesting, but in someways I find him really sad. He seems terribly lonely in so many ways.  John Waters is one of the many people who reflect on the character of Peter Berlin and has some funny things to say.
Scruff: none.. but LOTS of skin
Rating:  6. I would recommend this to my friends

So, I have decided to start to add a rating to my MOTD reports.

The first rating would be on how I would reccomend the movie on a scale of 1-10

10. MUST OWN DVD
 9. Would pick up DVD on Sale
 8. Would Watch again by myself
 7. Would watch again with friends
 6. I would reccomend this to my friends
 5. I would reccomend this on a case by case basis
 4. I only watched it for *name of actor* and it was NOT worth it
 3. I watched it so you don't have to
 2. MEH
 1. KILL ME NOW - I GAVE UP HOW MUCH OF MY LIFE

**ETA Combined 1 and 2, added MEH based on suggestion from evila_elf 

Have any input on that? Some level I am missing?  Should I go back to the last 60 movies and add in the rating or just go on from here ?

Second is the scruff-o-meter. karaokegal  and I were discussing scruff and the over usage. We are working on a meter reflect the level of scruff in the movies (my last rant should let you know how I feel)

It would be nice to get a 10 point scale here. So far this is the list she provided.
5-Grizzly Adams
4-Hugh Laurie as House
3-Don Johnson as Sonny Crockett
2-Bradley Cooper as Will Tippin
1-Smoothie of your choice

We have agreed that RSL is a good choice for 1 since he should NEVER EVER go without a good clean shave. But what men between 5 and 4 have got their scruff on?  Anyone stand out? and of course we will be needin' pictures.  I will edit this post as people respond.

Two Lovers Joaquin Phoneix is awesome as an emotionally stunted 30 something year old man who lives at home and is still recovering from some sort of breakdown.  His mother, played by Isabella Rossllini, is just amazing as a women who fears for her son and just want him to find  happiness.   Leonard (Phoenix) is torn between the bad (more like emotionally screwed up, then really bad) girl (Gwyneth Paltrow), and the consistent understanding "good" girl Sandra (played by Vinessa Shaw). Every performance is delicate and leaves you with a little pain in your heart.  The movie takes a few obvious turns and the ending is perfect for what the movie is. It is no way happy or sad, just honest and a little sad. This is a good movie- predictable, but okay with fantastic performances making the difference.


only 300 movies left - LOL