The Best Movies To Watch When You're Sick

Because I have been in bed for the past two days with a fever, I have been unable to think of a good post. Then I thought, "Why not share the movies you watch over and over again when you're sick with the world?" I mean, all that I have been doing is watching movies day in and day out. So now I give you...

The Best Movies To Watch While Sick or Incapacitated

1. You've Got Mail 

This is the perfect movie that you can watch without really paying attention and still know exactly what's going on. I've seen this movie a dozen times, and I have come to realize that the reason I like it so much is because half of it is montages (yes, again, I am referencing music and film mashed together. I'm just a little bit obsessed. Just a little). Because of this, though, it is really really easy to watch, and if you're sick, you can space out or be half in another world and this delightful little music video of a film will still be entertaining. Plus, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan make an adorable couple. Every time I watch this, I think, "I want Tom Hanks to bring me daisies right now..." and then space out into oblivion. 

2. Bride and Prejudice

There's nothing that gets your spirits up more than a Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice. Not only do you get to see the characters fall in love, but they sing and dance too! Plus, the colors in this film are absolutely phenomenal, thus providing something entertaining to watch while delirious. I love the soundtrack to this movie, and think that it is a great movie to make you feel better about life. The fact that it is so universal both in the story and making of it (the characters span three continents) makes you feel more connected with the world even if you are just holed up inside your room with several blankets.

3. Amelie

I debated whether to put this movie on the list, because I don't exactly like to have to read subtitles when I'm sick (I know, I know, I'm lazy, so sue me), but I decided in the end that this movie is really good movie for making you feel better. It's just... therapeutic. Amelie touches every person in the film with her kindness and curiosity to the point that you feel like she has reached out and touched you. One of my favorite scenes is when she gives the fabricated letter to her landlady. It just makes you feel like the world is a better place knowing that there's a character out there who doesn't want anyone to suffer, not even you in your sickbed. 

4. Monty Python's Life of Brian

Why I like this one as a sick movie better than the others: it has a plot to keep your interest, but you can pretty much see what's coming if you've read the Bible so you don't have to be fully invested in order to find it humorous. I can't imagine sitting through The Meaning of Life while sick. I'd fall asleep (although, maybe that's something you want when you're sick). Anyway, I like this one because it's nice to have a good laugh that's a little bit intellectual but not intellectual enough that you get confused because you aren't focused. Plus, what better way to feel better than to listen to a song called "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life"? 

5. Gone in 60 Seconds

There's a paradox that you have to think about when you're sick: do you want a movie that is easy to watch but will tire you out? Or one that is peaceful and healing but will make you fall asleep? Gone in 60 Seconds is what I call a comfort movie, one that doesn't require much thought and also keeps you entertained. I can say honestly that it's one of my favorites to watch when I'm not feeling good (to the point that I have it on iTunes) just because it has an equal amount of action and plot (and the plot doesn't bore me to death). For some reason, the almost-sex-in-the-car-scene between Angelina Jolie and Nicholas Cage is highly entertaining when you're sick, maybe because it's easy to identify with the waiting-for-something-to-happen-but-you're-just-stuck feeling. All I can say is, when I am stuck in bed, I reach for Eleanor. 

6. The Little Mermaid

Goes without saying. Who else but Disney can make you feel like a kid staying home from school again?

7. Child Star: the Shirley Temple Story

Unlike the movies listed above, this one has the distinction of only being good while you're sick. It's totally an entertaining fluff piece, and if you watch it when you aren't sick, it's the type of movie where in order to watch, you have to make sure no one's in the room and no one's coming, and if you get caught, you have to say that you were flipping channels and turn it off until the person leaves. If you're sick, however, everyone just assumes that you're too delirious to know what you're watching. It's also a great movie to watch while sick because not once while you're watching do you actually have to think. You can just let the cute little songs and sugar-coated plot melt over you. 

8. Labyrinth

Nothing in the world cheers me up like David Bowie. Nothing. Even if he is a creepy father figure that's a setup for Jennifer Connelly to have an Electra complex. He sings and dances and makes us all escape from the Bog of Eternal Stench which is our sickbed. 

9. Ghost Busters

I'd like to know what happened to Rick Moranis. The Key Master was always so entertaining, and I really haven't seen him in, well, anything lately. Oh, well. This classic is still enjoyable now, and I like to watch it when I'm sick because of its classicness as well as its entertaining factor. Somehow, a giant marshmallow man is really fucking cool when you have had a fever for three days. As much as it makes me sad that Hollywood has to stoop to making a third one when all the actors are in their seventies, I still get endless entertainment out of the original and it always makes me feel ten times less sick. 

10. Guys and Dolls

Okay, so there a lot of things that I don't like about this movie, one being that it was cast all wrong and they left out the best songs and.... well, I won't go into any more griping. However, it is a really good movie to watch when you're not feeling well because you get honestly invested in the characters and want them to get what they want out of life. It's a nice movie to just let your eyes graze on, and as long as you don't overanalyze what they could have done to make it better (which, when you're sick, is hard to do because it takes energy), it's good. Besides, hearing Frank Sinatra's voice has a healing effect all on its own. 

You see? Sometimes a movie can be more healing than a bowl of chicken soup. For those Fall sniffles, take a suggestion from someone who gets sick a lot and also watches movies a lot. These are the best. 

Peace!

The Movie Mistress

The Best and Worst (and Undiscovered) Movies of Summer 2009

sb_post_date = "";
sb_categories = ",";
sb_url_to_rate = "";
sb_rated_title = "";
sb_when_to_load = "immediate";
try { var sb_dp = Date.parse(sb_post_date + ' ' + ""); sb_rated_creation = isNaN(sb_dp)? new Date() : new Date(sb_dp); } catch (e) { sb_rated_creation = new Date(); }

As summer is officially coming to an end, I will follow the lead of other Movie Bloggers and wrap up the highlights of this summer’s moviegoing season. I have quite an eclectic mix of films, so bear with me..

First, the “It Should Get An Award, But I Can’t Place It Anywhere” Award: Up

You already know that I don’t think this is a children’s movie. I loved it, but… I honestly don’t know what to do with it. It’s not the “Best Children’s Movie of the Summer”—that would go to Ponyo. But it’s not the greatest movie I saw this summer. But it’s beautifully done and has a touching storyline. I just don’t know where to put it. I know that it deserves recognition, however (and no, I’m not hoping it wins next year’s Best Animated Oscar- I’m praying for the sake of animation that that award goes to Coraline). So you can see my predicament. 

The “Best Movie This Summer” Award: Inglorious Basterds

I cannot express my awe for the badassness of this movie. Though not as good as Tarantino's other films, it definitely was the highlight of my moviegoing this summer. Read my more official review here to get a better opinion. 

Runner Up: Ponyo

Again, one of my favorites. I actually had a very hard time deciding between this and Basterds for my favorite. In the end, I based my decision on how I remember feeling coming out of the theatre, and although this is one of the greatest and most magical animated films I've ever seen, the emotion I felt coming out of watching The Basterds was stronger. Tough love. Read my review here. 

Winner of the “I Thought it Would Suck, but It’s Not so Bad”: The Proposal

As Romantic Comedies go, this one delivered a lot more than I thought it would. It reminded me of the days when you could have a romantic comedy without sex that still delivered. I found myself laughing hysterically and enjoying myself even though I could predict the ending from a mile away. I hate to say it, but I'm getting really tired of "dirty" Rom-coms. Knocked Up was funny, but Judd Apatow seemed to start a wave that has gone on for way too long. Maybe The Proposal will help bring back the spirit of Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, Amelie, or any other romantic comedy that's actually remembered. 

Runner Up: Funny People (SPOILER ALERT)

I heard from every review I read that this movie was slow, boring, and scattered. Those are all true. However, it did make me laugh, something you would hope out of a movie titled "Funny People." And after the first hour or so, it picked up. And I thanked God that Apatow did not take the cheese route and have Sandler's and Mann's characters end up together. He kept it real, and in that way, this movie delivered an honest picture of comedians and show business. That was what made me enjoy it. 

Winner of the “I’m Laughing, But It’s Not Supposed to be Funny” Movie of the Summer: G.I. Joe: the Rise of Cobra

I really don't have many words for this movie that haven't already been said. The overacting, cartoonish characters made me laugh at serious moments, and also the fact that the main villain has played the same character in every other movie I've seen him in and therefore can't really be taken that seriously. If you want the full review, read it here. 

Runner Up: District 9

Are we supposed to love the aliens or hate them? Blow them up or have conversations with them and their weird looking children? This movie was divided, and I found myself laughing just because I didn't know what else to do or how to feel about what was going on. 

The “Best Summer Indie Flick” Award: Adam (Semi-Spoiler)

Quite possibly one of the most adorable films I've seen in a while. No, it isn't as adorable as Ponyo, but it has a sweetness in its realism that can't be ignored. Hugh Dancy was brilliant as the young inventor with Aspberger's Syndrome, and Rose Byrne went where no girl in a romantic dramedy about someone with a disability would go: she put herself first. I definitely did a double take when I saw this movie, and then afterward I immediately had the ultimate respect for the way it accurately portrayed a couple such as Adam and Beth. I could completely imagine this entire movie existing in real life, and that's the beauty of independent film. 

Runner Up: Away We Go

Although it reminded me of an adult version of Juno (think about it: instead of a teenage couple, it's an couple. Instead of searching for the perfect family, they're searching for the perfect home. Even the animation reeks of Juno), I found this to be a delightful little film about growing up and embracing responsibility (wait... where did we see that? Oh right! Juno.). Anyway, I liked Juno, and therefore also liked this film. It was witty, charming, and gave us a lot of really interesting characters. It's nice to see John Krasinski out of the Office and into open air, and I enjoyed this film. 

The “Worst Movie of the Summer”: G-Force

Fucking. Talking. Hamsters. Oh, wait- I’m sorry. Guinea Pigs. Who fight crime. Excuse me while I go cry for Disney’s fall from grace.

Um, no runner-up for this. 

So, there you have it, folks. The end of this summer. It's been grand at times, and there have been times where I wanted to shout, "Hollywood, you're not helping your case right now!" Just remember, good or bad, a movie still deserves to be discussed, because there's always a reason behind the madness. 

Peace! 

The Movie Mistress

Oh, and please comment if you disagree. I want opinions, people! 

Songs That Should Go in Movie Scenes: Part III

No introduction this time. Let's rock this shit.

Opening Credit Scenes:

1. "Prince Charming" by Adam and the Ants

2. "Thrash Unreal" by Against Me

3. "Grace Kelly" by Mika

4. "Love Today" by Mika

5. "Lucky" by Jason Mraz ft. Colby Caillet

6. "New Soul" by Yael Naim

7. "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra

8. "Fat Lip" by Sum 41

9. "Last of the American Girls" by Green Day

10. "Saw Red" by Sublime

Okay, so I realize that two of those are both by Mika, but I just couldn't resist adding both of them to the list because I can totally see them both as beginnings to films. I also have a weird feeling that I've seen a movie where "Fat Lip" is the opening song and that's the reason I like it, but I can't think of if that's true. If it is, will someone please let me know? This is supposed to be an exercise for what could be or what should be, not what is (that's no fun). Opening credits are just so much fun to do (I mean, they set the mood for the ENTIRE movie- that's a lot of pressure, you know?), so I felt I had to include this list.

Feel free to post with your fave opening songs/ potential songs. I will make a playlist later. I also think I might post a list with my favorite existing opening credit sequences. That will be after this series, though. I like to feel like I've completed something.

Peace!

The Movie Mistress

UPDATE: Music brought to you by...

Opening Credit Scenes

Songs That Should Go in Movie Scenes: Part II

There's something about watching an action movie that gets your blood going, and I'm convinced that 90% of the adrenaline you experience while watching Die Hard, or Wanted, or whatever, is because of the music used. So here are songs that I think would be perfect for a really good action/chase scene. I made two lists, so off we go:

Chase Scenes:

Car:

"Smack My Bitch Up" by Prodigy

"99 Problems" by Jay-Z

"Play Your Part (Part I)" Girl Talk Mash-up

"Ride With Me" by The Vines

"Troublemaker" by Weezer

One of my favorite movies is Gone in 60 Seconds, partly because I think it's from a time when action movies were actually good, but that's for another blog entry. Anyway, I apologize if a lot of the songs seem like they could fit into that movie, but it just has a ton of really fucking good chase sequences.

By Foot

"Bamboo Banga" by M.I.A.

"Wipe Out" by The Surfaris

"Blood Sugar" by Pendulum

"Tire Me" by Rage Against the Machine

"Everything's Just Wonderful" by Lily Allen

I am a HUGE fan of chase scenes by foot that have actually no music (Friday-the-13th-esque), but, when it is absolutely necessary, I think I would choose one of these songs. I think chase scenes by foot are better without music because there is only so much chasing you can do by foot, and silence makes whatever footage you have last longer. The more music included, the longer the sequence has to be, in my opinion. Anyway, tell me what you think.

UPDATE: Now you can listen!

Music That Should Go in Movie Scenes

Ponyo

Speaking of children's movies, I recently saw Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo, and I have to say that it was absolutely delightful. No creepy heads were chopped off, no mothers being shot, there visits to prison, and there was no Insane Asylum involved.

The film was an updated version of the classic story of The Little Mermaid, and it was beautiful in the sense that everyone in the film seems to accept that the magic of Ponyo and her family exists. I think that not a lot of animators take advantage of the suspension of disbelief that persists within this genre, but Miyazaki creates a world in which anything is possible and in doing so breaks the divide between animation and real life. In his doing so, we are sucked into that world, and so while I was watching Ponyo turn into a little girl, I completely believed that it could happen. The thing I loved about it was that the mother, Lisa, accepts it too! A lot of children's movies (like Return to Oz) put this barrier between adults and children that allows children to believe and adults to not believe (in whatever the movie happens to be promoting). Yet, Ponyo made it completely natural for magical things to happen and for everyone to accept them.

Another thing I loved about the movie was the animation, which was drawn by hand. It has a softness and smoothness that Disney used to have before they discovered the use of computers. The attention to detail is astounding, and I found myself watching every inch of the screen so that I wouldn't miss anything. And I mean anything. The pictures are so fluid that upon watching I breathed a sigh of relief at not having to watch something created on a computer. It gets tiring, you know? It's nice to know that I'm looking at, well, art. Moving art, that is.

The only thing that disconcerted me was the ending. It came too quickly, and you'll understand what I mean if you watch the movie. I won't give anything away, but I was expecting more conflict. I have read the original story of The Little Mermaid, and I was interested in seeing what direction this story would take (knowing that it is a children's film, however, you can easily guess). I also didn't like the song. I mean, please, I GET what mood I'm supposed to be in after watching. I don't need the main characters singing.

Anyway, I've said my bit, and if you haven't seen this movie. Go see it. It will restore your faith in animation. AND there are no exploding fiery pumpkins.

Music and Movies

Speaking of music and movies, I found an awesome article about the best pairings of indie films and soundtracks. A lot of times, it's the music that makes the movie, but also a movie can make an artist's career skyrocket. It's a sybiotic relationship, kind of like the record companies and radio. Check it out:

http://www.flixster.com/blog/indie-films-and-soundtracks

Btw- I <3>

Movies That Should be Made into Musicals

After stumbling upon a small theatre company in NYC that workshops musicals out of movies, I thought it would be fun to come up with a list of movies that I think would be good set to music. Here it is:

Josie and the Pussycats

Velvet Goldmine

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

Cannibal! The Musical

Moulin Rouge

CAMP

I've realized that most of these are already musicals (maybe not on the stage, but musicals nonetheless), so let's go in another direction...

Memoirs of a Geisha

Up

A Little Princess (1993)

The First Wives' Club

Into the Wild

Oh, and you can check out the company here: Hey You Know What Movie Would Make a Good Musical?

Maybe they will save the world from bad jukebox musicals. The Movie Mistress hopes so!

Peace

Twelve Epic Movie Lines

Ok, so here's the criteria: I put together the most epic movie lines that I think deserve blogging because of their merit. I'm not talking epic movie scenes; that would be a whole other list. I think the lines have to be able to stand on their own without the help of the surrounding scene. I also tried not to include overrated movie lines (you won't find "here's looking at you, kid" here). So here we go:

"Yippy kayay, mother fucker!"

- John McClane (Bruce Willis), Die Hard

Why it's awesome: There's something about shouting "mother fucker!" at an enemy that just gets my blood boiling every time. Not only does this come at the end of the movie when you just want to see Bruce come out of hiding and kick some terrorist ass, but the thought of shouting "mother fucker" in what is considered to be by many a Christmas movie just rocks in and of itself.

"I want my father back, you son of a bitch."

- Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), The Princess Bride

Why it's awesome: You think that because Inigo has spent the past few moments asking the six-fingered man for money, that he's going to accept some sort of bride, so when he busts out with this quote and then stabs the fucker in the chest, there is no other way to describe the most important moment of this character's life than as totally and awesomely epic.

"I kick ass for the Lord!"

- Father McGruder (Stuart Devenie), Braindead (aka Dead Alive)

Why it's awesome: Um... if I heard a priest shout this from a rooftop, jump down and then kick a zombie in the face, I'm pretty sure I'd kill myself because my life would be complete. This is one of my favorite movie quotes of all time. Period the end.

"Spartans, tonight we dine in Hell!"

- King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), 300

Why it's awesome: This entire movie is epic, but this quote pretty much sums up the entire plot of the movie in one sentence. Any quote that is able to cover two hours in three seconds is totally fucking epic.

"He won't even know your name."

- Mercedes (Maribel Verdu), Pan's Labyrinth

(Spoiler alert!!) Why it's awesome: We already have our tearducts shot by this point in the movie, so being able to see the fucker that killed our hero be deprived of his dignity is just chilling. I can imagine that dying knowing that your own son will grow up thinking someone else is his father is ten billion times worse than dying knowing you left death and destruction in your wake, and this villain did both. Not that he died twice. Although, that would have made an epic ending as well.

“Jason, say hello to Mommy... in Hell.”

- Whitney Miller (Amanda Righetti), Friday the 13^th (2009)

Why it’s awesome: What is it about involving Hell at the end of a sentence that makes a line brilliant? It's like playing the "in bed" game with fortune cookies. It worked in 300, and it works in this movie, and if Whitney (who is really just useless until this part of the movie) had just said "say hello to mommy" and then pushed Jason into the sawmill, this quote would not have made the cut. As it is, however, I consider it epic.

“How can anyone love a pebble in their shoe?”

- Baroness Rodmilla de Gent (Angelica Houston), Ever After

Why it’s awesome: It’s Angelica Houston as the evil stepmother that makes this movie worth watching, and if this line doesn’t sum up how badass she is, I’m not sure what does. This one line makes up for Drew Barrymore’s godawful English accent, the not-so-accurate 16^th century costuming, and absurd plot that fails to appear as if it could actually happen, which is why after this line you don’t feel sad at all for Drew (who at this point is bringing about doe-eyed tears) and instead are left to bask in the glow of Angelica’s epicness.

“Madness? This is Sparta!!!”

-King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), 300

I have never seen one line be parodied via the internet in so many ways. King Leonidas didn’t just kill the messenger, but tossed him into a fucking pit with the most terrifying look I’ve ever seen. I don’t want him putting sauce on my pasta. Fuck.

“I may not be able to carry the ring, Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you!”

- Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), Lord of the Rings (the Return of the King)

Why it’s awesome: You have to hand it to Peter Jackson- he knows his epic movie lines. Sam has been pushed aside and stepped all over throughout the entire movie, and yet he still shows up for Frodo at the end (who later ditches him to go chill with elves). This line is epic because it is so fucking sincere and determined. It’s this line that makes you know for sure (whether you’ve read the books or not) that there is going to be a happy ending.

“I'm saying that when the President does it, it's not illegal!”

- Richard Nixon (Frank Langella), Frost/Nixon

Why it’s awesome: Granted, I sort of broke my own rule here because ‘it’ doesn’t really say anything and therefore makes the line not stand as well on its own, but given the line, I think that I can get away with it because its my rule. This line is awesome because it just makes my jaw drop every time I watch the movie. I know Washington politics are and have been crooked, but just thinking about having a president who thinks he’s above the law is creepy. Big Brother creepy. Hitler creepy. The epicness of this line comes from all the things you think about that happen behind closed doors, because what isn’t said is often way worse than what is.

So there you go. Finding epic lines is one of my favorite things to do when I watch movies, and if you think you have anything better, post. Discuss. Any movie can have epic lines, even if it isn’t an epic movie (or even a good movie). Pirates (the porno) has plenty of epic lines. Anyway, this is just a fun list I came up with, to give you an idea of how I voice my thoughts.

Peace!

The Movie Mistress