Indiana Jones Pool Party!

This past weekend we threw our annual outdoor movie party, this year's theme being Indiana Jones! We had friends over to swim, eat "bad dates" and "chilled monkey brains," and watched Raiders of the Lost Ark under the stars! We had a lot of fun with the theme, and drew inspiration from the first three Indiana Jones films, as well as the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull can go take a hike! Photos below!

Oh, and a video too! There were copyright laws preventing us from using the theme from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, so we sang it instead. And it's terrible. Enjoy!

 

The Spectacular Now

Saw The Spectacular Now last night, and I absolutely loved it. It perfectly captures that feeling of being a teenager, when every emotion feels heightened. Great story with both funny and heartbreaking moments, and great acting, especially Shailene Woodley. So glad it wasn't just a one-note film. Love love love.

Summer Cinema!

I have a lot of fun with my seasonal movie watching! I watch certain movies at specific times of the year (ask anyone who knows me how seriously I take this!) and these are a few of my favorite summer titles:

1. The Indiana Jones trilogy (Kingdom of the Crystal What?): Indiana Jones means adventure, and adventure is a big summer theme for me!

2. Gidget Goes Hawaiian: I like the first Gidget movie too, but the Hawaiian setting and colorful characters give the second Gidget movie an edge!

3. Do The Right Thing: Spike Lee's film about racial tension on the hottest day of the year. Not exactly happy and uplifting, but an excellent film nonetheless.

4. Stand By Me: Probably one of the best coming-of-age movies ever

5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Yeah, there's quite a bit of Steven Spielberg on this list. His movies remind me of my childhood, and I'm always nostalgic in summertime. This one's definitely a favorite.

6. The Sandlot: This movie holds up so well for me...it was one of the first movies I remember seeing in a theatre and I still watch it every year.

7. Beach Blanket Bingo: My favorite of the Annette Funicello/Frankie Avalon movies...pure silliness.

8. Jaws: I just rewatched this one after seeing the annual fireworks in my city on the 3rd of July, and I think that might've been the perfect time. It's insane to me that Spielberg was 27 when he made this film...it's perfect.

9. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: Another perfect film. This one makes me cry! So good.

10. Grease: With a song called Summer Lovin', how could I not include this one?

11. The Goonies: Indiana Jones meets Stand By Me? Haha

12. Signs: The wind blowing through the cornfields reminds me of hot summer nights...say what you will about M. Night Shyamalan, he made decent movies once (twice?)

What are your favorite summer films?

Early Hours and Movies Movies Movies

Well hey! I was doing pretty good at updating regularly for a while there, but then they changed my schedule at work and my routine is all out of whack. Boo!

Let's see, what has happened with little ol' me?

Work: My current shift at work is from 6:45 to 3:45. Yeah I have to be there crazy early, but it's kind of amazing getting off work with a nice long evening ahead of me! Plus I'm able to get a lot of stuff done in the mornings, like that the snack art on the wall! Our whole classroom is carnival/circus themed, it's pretty cute!

Life: On the 13th Craig and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary! He makes me so so so happy...and he got me some pretty sweet presents too (he knows me so well)! More on my favorite present later! 

Movies: Viva la cinema! I realize more and more every day how much movies mean to me. I've been watching lots of movies as always, including new-to-me films like Laura (1944), Trouble in Paradise (1932), Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011), and That Thing You Do! (1996) as well as old favorites I've seen a billion times (Gidget Goes Hawaiian, anyone?). Trying to keep up writing for our film blog, but Craig's pretty much running the show over there. Some recent posts I'm proud of: Stand By Me, Listening to Jaws, Disney Tarts, 1920s Fever!, and A Movie Date to Remember. And in even FURTHER movie happenings, Craig and I are doing this fun 30 Day Movie Challenge on Instagram! 

Whew! That's enough for now! We're going to try and attend a screening of E.T. tomorrow night, fingers crossed! Yay!

Frances Ha

Craig and I saw Frances Ha last night, and I kinda loved it. How charming is Greta Gerwig? I just love her. She's so earnest and sincere.  Plus we got to see it in "our" theatre...we don't go very often but we saw Monty Python and the Holy Grail there the night we decided to become an item. Aw! Here's to a night at the movies!

Star Trek Boyfriends

Hooray for another Star Trek movie! I thought it worked as a whole much better than the first one did (although I liked that one too). But mostly I was happy to revisit my Star Trek boyfriends.

And girlfriend!

You ladies can keep your Chris Pine and Benedict Cumberbatch, I'm good!

Jordan Baker

As I said in my last entry, Craig and I saw The Great Gatsby late last night (NEVER doing a movie after 9 on a work night again). While the film as a whole was pretty decent, I was LIVING for Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker. She looked like the flapper love child of Zooey Deschanel and Cate Blanchett. I also want all her clothes, especially her loungewear when you first meet her. Swoon!

Okay, I'm done talking about my 1920s obsession! Go see Gatsby this weekend so you can feel like the cool kids, dig the soundtrack, and Charleston away!

'Becca'lise the Flapper

I've had a longstanding fascination/obsession with the 1920s. It started around 10th grade (4th picture) when I discovered Louise Brooks and devoured every book I could find about her. That led to my love of silent film (it's always movies, isn't it?) and the fashion of the time period. In my junior year of high school my notebooks were covered with photos of movie stars of the period...Louise, Clara Bow, Colleen Moore, Lillian Gish, Mary Pickford, etc. While no longer rocking the flapper look, I love to resurrect it now and again, and I love reading anything about/set in the period. I recommend The Chaperone, Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin, and of course The Great Gatsby! We're seeing Gatsby tonight (I love going to the movies after a work day!) and while I'm not expecting the BEST MOVIE EVER, I think it will be a visual feast! Can't wait!