Movie Review Monday #19: Trollhunter

Last night I watched a Norwegian documentary called Trollhunter. No, seriously.


This film is an edited version of tapes that were found, so it's totally true. Basically, a crew of Norwegian film school students is doing a story on some bear attacks, and they end up following around a professional troll hunter. I don't want to ruin the ending or anything, so that's all I'll tell you. 


My favorite thing about documentaries is that you are simultaneously learning and entertained. Wonderful! So for this review, I give you a list of things I learned while watching this film:


1. Trolls can smell human body odor, so the best way to disguise yourself from a troll is to wipe troll stench all over your body. 
2. Trolls can also smell the blood of Christians, so if you love Jesus, stay away from trolls. I know I will.
3. Trolls are not very nice.
4. Trolls always start with one head and one eye, but they sometimes grow extra protuberances that look like extra heads.
5. Trolls can be killed with sunlight because they can't process the Vitamin D. It ends up either making them explode or turning them to stone, depending on the age of the troll.
6. The Norwegian word for "okay" is "okay."
7. Wearing crudely formed armor is not the best way to guard against a troll attack.
8. A smart thing to do when you see a troll is to scream "TROLL!!!" and run away.

"TROLL!!!"

9. The Norwegian government knows about the troll infestation, but they are doing VERY little to fix it. I mean, there's only Hans taking care of business. He's only one man, and there are tons of trolls out there. People should be worried.
10. Norway is freaking gorgeous.
11. Sometimes I have too much time on my hands.
12. There are many different kinds of trolls. I don't remember all of their names at the moment, which is good because I'm already pretty embarrassed about remembering everything I've already listed here.
13. Spoiler alert: At the end of the film, it says "No trolls were harmed in the making of this film." But trolls died in the film. It made me wonder if this was actually a documentary. Hmm.




In conclusion, I have to give Trollhunter one claw up. You can find it on Netflix if I've piqued your curiosity. Happy Monday!

Movie Review Monday #18: Instant Gratification Version 2.0

Okay, Zoe...my turn! Netflix Instant Recommendations (Does it super annoy anyone else that there's not a place on Netflix Instant where you can simply browse all the titles? I just know there are some hidden amazing shows that I haven't thought to search for but would love nonetheless. Grrr. I guess I can't complain too much for $8 a month.):


Series


1. 3rd Rock from the Sun. This show used to annoy me when I was younger for some reason. Now I think it's hilarious. I wonder what's up with that.
2. Parks and Rec. Seriously. Watch it now.
3. Life Unexpected. Occasionally cheesy. Often melodramatic. Always entertaining. Plus it stars Shiri Appleby from Roswell and Kerr Smith from Dawson's Creek and Britt Robertson from Dan in Real Life. That's a lot of awesome. Also, I'm developing a mild crush on the other male lead. He might replace whoever I had as my number 5 celebrity I'm allowed to kiss. I'll keep you posted, Jeff.
4. Switched at Birth. Also cheesy, melodramatic, and entertaining. But also gives some realistic insight into deaf culture, which I find fascinating.
5. 30 Rock. Tina Fey. Obvs.


Documentaries


Honestly, I've only watched two docs on Netflix so far, but I really enjoyed both. Of course, both were Disney related. Check out The Pixar Story and The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story. It's inspirational and interesting stuff, especially if you love Disney films.


Movies


1. Winter's Bone. See my recommendation here.
2. Ballet Shoes. This was a surprisingly touching, well made film based on a book by Noel Streatfeild. I watched it because Meg Ryan mentions the book series in You've Got Mail and because the film stars Emma Watson, which are terrible reasons to randomly watch a film, so I was pleased to truly enjoy it. It reminded me of The Little Princess, in that the little girls in the film are essentially orphaned and rise above poverty in a fairy tale kind of story.
3. My Future Boyfriend. If you like bad movies, this one's for you. Thanks, ABC Family Original Movies. (I was also hoping to recommend Sunday School Musical for the same reason, but it ended up just being plain old terrible. My sister and I could barely mock it properly.) 


Seriously, Lobsters. Give us more suggestions. Ready? Go! 

Movie Review Monday #18: Instant Gratification

Emily and I have found ourselves plowing through several Netflix Watch Instant features in this season. As I burn through my queue, I'm always needing recommendations for new stuff - so it's been great for us to be able to offer each other suggestions to keep things fresh and entertaining. Perhaps you also enjoy some good movie watching recommendations? Perhaps you have some I should add to my list? Let's compare notes. Here are some of my recent faves:

Series:

I find a good series quite comforting. I have an addictive personality, and this is one of the healthier addictions I indulge in. The familiar characters I can come back to when I feel stressed out seem to help dissipate the anxieties of new challenges. 

Battlestar Galactica

My friend Emily [not of this blog] from grad school bugged me a million times to watch this show. She is this crazy cool goddess-like creature, but I thought this was her secret dorky-side coming out ["Beets. Bears. Battlestar Galactica."], so I smiled and nodded and resisted for a good long while. Maybe it was her dorky side, but oh wow did I get sucked in! I started seeing everything in life according to Battlestar Galactica themes, but I just couldn't stop until I had seen every.single.episode. Thanks Em! 

Thirtysomethings

Something about having my own daughter is making me curious about what my parents were like at this stage in their lives. One thing I vividly remember is sneaking upstairs to the den and peaking around the wall to watch Thirtysomethings over their shoulders until they caught me and sent me back to bed. Watching it now as an adult and parent is really tripping me out because I think they spied into the future into my mind to depict a lot of the things I'm going through lately. Also, the 80's were a funny time!

Parks and Rec 

Just watch it now. 

The Storyteller 

I love good stories. And while a good fairy tale can be great to revisit, it's amazing to hear some old ones for the first time. Super short episodes masterfully wisk you away to far away lands. Good work Jim Henson!

Documentaries:
I may be a little bit addicted to being in school. So when I have no classes to attend and need that intellectual-stimulation-fix, a good documentary can often do the trick. Even if I don't agree with the message of the film, I love having food for thought.

Philosopher Kings
Janitors at universities and colleges tell their stories and impart their wisdom. Surprisingly amazing, touching, inspiring. Really worthwhile one hour and nine minutes!!

God in America (6 episode series)
Holy cow [;)] This was an amazing and thought provoking series that had Manny and I jabbering at each other for days as we unpacked all our reactions and emotions. We attended a christian college and decided this series should have been a required part of the curriculum for all students. While I don't hold the same perspective as the film makers, I really appreciated the way they helped me to be humbled, challenged, and even inspired. Really worth watching!

Soundtrack for a Revolution
I love music and I have a shamefully inadequate knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement - so this won on two counts. It is inspiring, emotional, difficult, uplifting. It really caught me off guard how much I enjoyed this film!!

Movies:

Timer
My mother-in-law tipped me off to this one. Honestly, I started watching it just to be able to tell her I did. But was great. It considers what life would be like if we could know when we would meet "The One."

Arranged
Two women, one othodox Jew, one Muslim, are both entering arranged marriages and teaching in New York a public school. They navigate the challenges of living between their own culture and American culture together. Really endearing and an atypical approach to a familiar theme.

Penelope
Young princess is cursed with a pig nose and seeking a husband to break the spell. Delightfully charming.

Movie Review Monday #13: Shades of Ray

I've been spending a lot of time in front of Netflix Instant lately. A lot. (To be precise, it takes Eiley about an hour total to eat, and she eats about 8 times a day, and a lot of those feedings are spent in front of Netflix.) I've discovered many new shows and already watched every episode of Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, Samantha Who?, and Better Off Ted. I heartily recommend all of these shows. Claws up everywhere.


We don't watch a ton of movies on Netflix, but Jeff and I did recently check out Shades of Ray, an independent film starring Zachary Levi. He plays a half Caucasian, half Pakistani man. The film is mostly about him trying to figure out what it means to be such a unique racial mix and what that means within his family. Observations:


1. This film reminded me a bit of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, in that it was mostly a comedy with some brief touching moments and it provided a little bit of insight into a different culture (in this case, Pakistani Muslim) and a lot of insight into a particular family.
2. The best friend in this film was super cliche: Best friend since childhood and now they're roommates, kind of a screw up, comedic relief, blah blah blah. Well, I suppose that's a cliche for a reason - I still liked the character. The writer in me just got a little annoyed at the contrivance at times. Am I allowed to be a screenwriting snob when I've never even tried to write a screenplay? No? Oh well.
3. Seriously, Zachary Levi has my husband's career. I mean, I've always thought that Jeff looks slightly Middle Eastern, and there Zach was, playing a half Middle Eastern dude. 

Do you see it? Slightly Middle Eastern...slightly.

Maybe when we move back to California we can stalk Mr. Levi and Jeff can go to all of the same auditions. Or maybe he'll need an actor to play his brother at some point. Zachary Levi, if you're reading this, please leave some work for my husband. We have a kid. Have mercy.


In conclusion, this was an entertaining film. Nothing outstanding, but worth the time. I give it one and a half claws up.