Heather McCoubrey's Blog, page 2

My Favorite Movies - "R" is for Robin Hood: Men in Tights

"The legend had it coming ... Find out where Robin Hood put his Little John, what made Will Scarlet, and what did Friar Tuck into his tights that Maid Marian all of a quiver?"

I know lately I've been starting with a quote, but the tagline for the movie is so fabulous, I had to use it! This movie has been a family favorite for years. My sister and I quote this movie often and even though it's been years since we've watched it (at least for me), we can still quote it pretty well. I heard it's on Netflix right now, so I think I'll be adding it to my weekend activities!

This movie is basically a spoof on Robin Hood (in general) and specifically Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. There's a moment in the movie when Robin Hood (played by the wonderful Cary Elwes) says: "Because, unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent." That quote is referring to Kevin Costner, who played Robin Hood in Prince of Thieves, he tried the English accent at the beginning of the movie, but not too far into it, he abandoned his efforts and stuck to an American accent for the rest of the movie.

There are many characters in this movie and they all make it great. From Little John to Will Scarlet to Maid Marian and even King John is a trip! Some new characters added to the spoof story: Achoo, Blinkin, Latrine (played by Tracey Ullman!), and Rabbi Tuckman (played by Mel Brooks, himself!).

If you like spoofs, if you like Mel Brooks, if you like Robin Hood - this is the movie for you!

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My Favorite Movies - "Q" is for Galaxy Quest

"You broke the ship. You broke the bloody ship."

I didn't have a lot to choose from for "Q" - but of the movies available, this movie was my favorite. With a cast of Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman & Sam Rockwell, you know the movie is going to be good, regardless.

This movie was definitely entertaining. Tim Allen plays the commander of a space ship (a la Star Trek) in a now canceled television series. When the crew come back for a convention 18 years later, a group of real aliens need them to come to space to help them defeat a baddie. The actors all think it's a paying gig until they arrive in actual space and see the aliens in their real form. Of course, being actors, they have no real idea how to run the ship and with no one to feed them lines, they're just winging it.

The one-liners and chemistry between the actors are fabulous. You can almost feel the discord between the actors and their resentment for each other, especially Tim Allen. Of course it's a HEA and everyone becomes friends again at the end - it's fun to watch it happen and by the time you get to the end of the movie, you're really rooting for them.

It's rated PG but I think it's a pretty good family movie night movie. Enjoy!

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My Favorite Movies - "P" is for The Princess Bride & Pretty Woman

"As you wish."

I can't decide which quote is my favorite in this movie. They're all classic, just like the story.

I've loved this movie since it first came out. The cast is amazing - Billy Crystal and Carol Kane are hysterical. "I'm not a witch, I'm your wife!" The story is so fanciful, perfectly full of romance and adventure...and a little revenge. I love that a grandfather is reading this story to his grandson while the grandson is home sick in bed. Grandfather is played by Peter Falk and the sick boy is none other than a young Fred Savage - who, I might add, is not pleased to be hearing this story!

The love story between Buttercup and Westley is tragically sweet. Westley goes away, she thinks he dies, she's forced to marry the Prince only to find out that Westley is alive. Then Westley has to fight to get her back and comes close to losing his life several times in the process. And they pick up some pretty interesting allies along the way. "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

"This is true love. You think this happens every day?"

I have a second favorite "P" movie: Pretty Woman - another favorite since its release. My cousin and I watch this every time we see each other. We make bean dip, grab some adult beverages and turn it on. We know all the lines and it still makes us tear up, 26 years later.

"I want the fairy tale."

Don't we all? The adult version of Cinderella, a little twisted, but definitely a heart-warmer. Vivian learns to trust again, as does Edward - and his heart thaws. I always wanted a sequel to Pretty Woman because I was always curious to see what the next chapter of their life was like. The obstacles that they had to overcome and whether Vivian really did go back to school.

When they came out with the anniversary edition of Pretty Woman, they included some deleted scenes - they put them back in to the movie. I remember watching it for the first time and wondering what in the world was going on - and then understanding more of the story. Those scenes, in my opinion, were essential and why they'd ever been cut in the first place was puzzling. I thought it showed Edward in a better, different, more protective light and it showed his heart thawing and getting bigger...and it showed us how Vivian was able to see him in a new light and trust him.

Kit, Vivian's friend is hilarious, the ditzy, always there for you friend. I loved Mr. Thompson, or Barney, as the manager of the hotel. His father-like attention for Vivian gave her the confidence to be what Edward needed that week. Jason Alexander as Philip Stuckey (Edward's lawyer) was perfectly smarmy and nasty.

I can't imagine you haven't seen this movie - but if you haven't - it's another must-see! Julia Roberts and Richard Gere are fabulous!

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My Favorite Movies - "O" is for Office Space

"PC load letter? What the fuck does that mean?"

We're back in 1999 again today for Office Space, one of my all-time favorite movies. This movie has it all: romance, theft, crazy-psycho employees, good friends, dorky bosses and cubicles. Oh, and quotes to use...lots and lots of quotes.

The cast of this movie is fabulous with Jennifer Aniston as Joanna and Ron Livingston as Peter. David Herman, Deidrich Bader, Stephen Root, Gary Cole and John C. McGinley round out a well-known cast. Gary Cole as Peter's boss is hysterical: "Hello Peter, what's happening? Ummm, I'm gonna need you to go ahead and come in tomorrow. So if you could be here around 9, that would be great. Mmmm K." Imagine a slow, condescending tone and you have him pegged.

Peter and his friends, Samir and Michael Bolten - are also quite funny. Between the printer constantly getting paper jammed or running out of paper to the "penny-pinching" theft idea - they will keep you laughing throughout the entire movie.

You can't help but feel slightlly bad for Milton, the slightly psycho, slightly odd co-worker of Peter's. He and his red stapler will keep you on your toes.

Would anyone like a slice of birthday cake?

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My Favorite Movies - "N" is for Notting Hill

"I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."

I dare you to watch that scene and not cry. Go on.

We're back in London for Notting Hill, another of my favorite movies. What's not to love about this movie? It's got Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville...the list goes on.

I really enjoyed the banter between Anna Scott & William Thacker and I thought they were a good match. I liked Will's friends, they were his grounding influence and his conscience and even more special - they made Anna feel welcome. I always liked the way this was a reverse Cinderella story and how real and normal the whole thing played out like. I can picture myself exactly like Honey - expounding on how I would be best friends with Anna, even though we'd never met.

There's so much to love about this movie - like when William pretends to be a reporter for Horse & Hound magazine. And when Anna tells some rude, loud men off in a restaurant. And the brownie scene.

Definitely a must-see movie, if you haven't yet.

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My Favorite Movies - "M" is for Maleficent & Mary Poppins

Princess Aurora: "Hello Godmother."

Maleficent: "Hello Beasty."

I loved that nickname so much I gave it to my youngest daughter and no joke she lives up to it! Next to Wicked, this is my favorite re-imagining of the old fairy tales. I adore getting to know the other side of the story and both sides have been excellent! I thought the story behind Maleficent's evil was well-thought out and believable. We've always been told that there is two sides to every story and forever we've only gotten one side. I was so excited to see this movie and was thrilled when my 7-year old wanted to see it. She loved it and decided on the spot to be Maleficent for Halloween.

The hardening and thawing of Maleficent's heart is a beautiful thing to watch. And if people allow themselves the opportunity, it can happen in their lives too. It's a wonderful lesson. Perhaps the greatest lesson though, is the lesson that true love takes all forms and there is no truer love than that between a mother and a child - and believe me, by the end of the movie, Maleficent is indeed Aurora's mother.

If you haven't seen it yet, I encourage you to. It was well-done and it's worth your time. I have a surprise for you today - a second favorite!

Mary Poppins - a true classic and every child's dream movie! Who didn't want their very own Mary Poppins when they were a child? The songs were catchy, the antics fun and the movie heart-warming!

One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Mary Poppins is unpacking her carpet bag - when she pulls out that lamp and the children's eyes get so wide with disbelief. It's fabulous. Another favorite part is when they visit Uncle Albert and they all get the giggles. I can't help but join in the fun. This is one movie that I have been able to get the children to watch and while they don't love it like I do, they at least tolerate it.

Mary Poppins was released in 1964, can you believe it? Both of the movies, I feel the underlying theme is family - either the family you're born into or the family you make - both are important and worth saving.

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My Favorite Movies - "L" is for Love Actually

[Natalie, a secretary, is greeting the Prime Minister]
Natalie: Hello, David. I mean "sir". Shit, I can't believe I've just said that. And now I've gone and said "shit" - twice. I'm so sorry, sir.
Prime Minister: It's fine, it's fine. You could've said "fuck," and then we'd have been in real trouble.
Natalie: Thank you, sir. I did have an awful premonition that I was gonna fuck up on the first day. Oh, piss it!

That, right there, is one of the reasons I love this movie. It doesn't take itself too seriously. There are so many stories going on at once, but it's easy to keep them separated. It's all about love and making it work, figuring out where you went wrong and fixing it.

The first time I saw this movie, I wanted to move to London - I wanted to find the love. I wanted to gather it up and spread it around. Anyone who knows me, knows that London is my soul-city and after a movie like this, I knew I was destined to live there forever. Now, 13 years later - I'm still in love with this movie and with London - but I'm not any closer to living there. Someday, maybe after the kids are grown and living their own lives.

There wasn't a bad storyline in the movie and thinking about it now, I'm sad to realize that Harry died recently. He was such an amazing actor and it's hard to imagine we won't see him in another movie.

I think my favorite storylines are the Prime Minister/Natalie - I mean, come on - that's like a Cinderella story right there. I also was a big fan of little Sam and Joanna. And the Jamie/Aurelia story was sweet too. I was rooting for everyone...and I think the best part about the movie is that it takes place around Christmastime - I've added it to our annual Christmas tradition of movie-watching.

What was your favorite storyline or scene?

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My Favorite Movies - "K" is for Kindergarten Cop

"It's not a tumor!"

One of my favorite Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, ever. This was another movie that seemed to be on the television all the time and I had no qualms about watching often. I haven't watched it in years and after doing a little research for this blog post, I have an overwhelming desire to watch it.

I really enjoyed the way Arnold and Pamela Reed played off each other...She was so down-to-earth and when her husband showed up at the hotel to take care of her, it was the sweetest thing. I liked how she gave Arnold advice on how to deal with the kindergarteners, and when the roles were reversed, he gave her the same advice. "Show no fear." It's really true, but no one really understands it until you're faced with it.

The children's antics were the best though. From the boy whose father was a gynecologist (boys have a penis, girls have a vagina) to the little girl who stole the show (I'm not a policeman, I'm a princess) to the boy who ate everyone's lunch - you can't help laughing the whole way through the movie.

But then end, I cry every time. I won't spoil it here, but know that you'll need some tissues for the end.

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My Favorite Movies - "J" is for Jaws

"You're gonna need a bigger boat."

Jaws, the movie that made New Englanders afraid of the water for the first time in their lives. We're always told that the water in New England is too cold for sharks and so it's a rare, rare occasion to find a shark in northern waters. Then to have a man-eating shark terrorizing a tourist town, never happen. But it did, in glorious high definition, all gory and action-packed.

You're probably wondering why, out of all the J movies, this one is my favorite...it's gory and terrifying - who could possibly love it enough to make it a favorite? Well, I'm from New England - Maine to be exact. The highest water temp there is the low-60's - in the middle of August. The likelihood of a shark attack there was minimal. But it made me think, made me imagine and made me just a tiny bit cautious of entering the water...and this, mind you, was maybe 10 years after the film was released. It was released two years before I was born! I love movies that can take me out of my current space and transport me to somewhere different. And this movie does that. I'm on the edge of my seat for most of the movie, my hands are gripped tightly in my lap and my heart rate is crazy.

Going back and watching it now - it's so much fun to see a young Richard Dreyfuss, a young Roy Scheider, to see so many actors that you don't see anymore. Robert Shaw is one of them - he died three years after Jaws was released.

I think the other thing I love about this movie is that it doesn't require humans attacking other humans to be scary. People have a genuine fear of sharks and this movie plays into that.

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My Favorite Movies - "I" is for Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom

"Ah, dessert! Chilled monkey brains!" - not my idea of deliciousness, but to each their own, right? I about died when they wheeled out the monkey brains and placed them in front of everyone. I was right there with Willie when it came down to it, I would not have eaten it either.

This is another movie that was on the television a lot when I was a kid. I loved it. I loved Short Round, I liked the leading lady, Willie. I loved the booby-trapped temple of doom and I loved Indy's sarcasm. One of my favorite parts of the movie was when Short Round kept telling Willie to call Indiana "Dr. Jones" and when he would answer Willie's question of "Is he nuts?" with "He no nuts, he crazy!"

Short Round (who we last saw as Data in The Goonies) was in my opinion the correct amount of comic relief for this movie. Steven Spielberg said Temple of Doom was his least favorite of the trilogy. He said is was dark and out-poltered Poltergeist. Apparently George Lucas was going through a divorce when he wrote the story, which is why it's so dark.

The Temple of Doom is actually a prequel (even though it was released after Raiders) to all the other Indiana Jones movies as it takes place in 1935. Raiders of the Lost Ark takes place in 1936, The Last Crusade in 1938 and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 1957.

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