Melting Toht Candle
Ummm, this is fantastic. And probably the world's best gift for anyone whose favourite movie was Raiders of the Lost Ark.
As it burns, it looks more and more like Gestapo agent Arnold Ernst Toht as his face melts off at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark (the first Indiana Jones movie), when the Nazis open the Ark of the Covenant and suffer the wrath of God. You can get this ($32) Melting Toht Candle from Firebox.
Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria
The Museum of the Moving Image is probably my favourite museum in New York. The main reason for that? It encourages interaction (ie. there are things you can touch and do there). And the exhibits are constantly changing, which I love. They had the tiny door from Being John Malkovich last year! And Walter White's undies!
The current Chuck Jones exhibit is even a great one to see.
Even their permanent collection's great. Some people may not consider it the classiest of museums, but its focus is on movies and television so my question to those people is, "You think you're better than getting to see Robin Williams' fat suit in Mrs. Doubtfire?"
Who wouldn't want to get a glimpse at the intricacies of The Elephant Man's head?
There's even a (classic) video game arcade area WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY PLAY THE GAMES. Why is this happening?! I feel like this place is a kid's version of what a museum should be.
And of course there are areas that detail the history of cameras, television, etc. but I tend to briskly walk through these rooms (partially 'cause I've already learned about all that stuff the first time I came to this museum and partially because I know where I need to go to get to the fun).
The best part of this place? This spot right here (below).
You can sit down here and make your own stop motion animation that you can email to yourself. It seems like it might be just for kids - but since there are no signs informing me of that silent assumption, I'm more than happy to plant myself here for at least twenty minutes to craft my masterpiece. It's way more fun than I'm letting on. Or wait, am I accurately emphasizing how fun it is? I feel like I might be.
There's also a sound booth station where you can go in and alter existing movies with your own voice. If that doesn't sound neat, I'm not accurately describing it - 'cause it's neat.
Anyway, I love this museum. I feel like it should be the gateway museum for when you're taking a kid to a museum for the first time. Actually, no! It'd be horrible to take a kid here for their first museum. It'll ruin them for all the others that exist in the world where you can't touch anything. Yeah, don't take them. Also, they tend to hog the animation table props whenever I'm there, so it's probably best to keep them at home.
Movie To Watch - Baghead
I saw this movie forever ago and I still think about it every so often. Other than really liking it, I like to encourage almost everyone I know to watch it. You can stream it over here, if you like. I absolutely loved it.
(Also, Happy Devil's Night!)
Tomorrowland
I will forever love teaser trailers. We don't need longer than a teaser for any movie, EVER. When will the world learn that?! I don't even know if I'll love this movie (or even like it), but doesn't this trailer make it look incredible? Or maybe it's George Clooney's voice? I don't know what it is, but I am all about this.
Men, Women & Children Trailer
I can't tell if this looks really good 'cause I'm often tricked by wordless trailers, I always think they look better than they actually are. But I don't know, I really feel like this could be something.
Sidenote: Happy Birthday to my beautiful, kind and original-as-hell nine year old niece, Layla. You make me happier than you'll ever realize and I'll love you forever, lady.
It's Finally October
AMC on 84th Street
Umm, LOOK AT THESE MOVIE THEATRE SEATS!
These are the newly renovated theatre seats at an AMC on the Upper West Side (on 84th Street). Is this a fucking joke? Can this be reality? How can this sort of unholy cinema kindness happen overnight? I don't know whose idea this was, but wow. I'm going here immediately and will report back on how it was. You can read about all the other renovations at the theatre here, if you want.
The Skeleton Twins Trailer
You should know I'm gonna be ALL UP IN THIS MOVIE. Can't wait. Love everyone in it. Comes out September 12th.
The 10 Sweaty, Summer Movies I Frequent
I will always be into lists. I keep them in my purse, around my house, on my laptop, on my phone - it's a sickness.
I also happen to enjoy theme movies when watched during their appropriate time-of-year. You know what I mean - scary movies in October, Christmas movies in December, high school movies in June and the following movies listed below in the summer months. Why these particular films? Well, most of them are on here 'cause they take place in the heat, but some are on here because of how much I was entertained by them when I binge-watched them on summer break when I was a kid out of school for the season.
Anyway, they're really just listed here on the off-chance that you're looking for something good to watch. (Oh! And on every single rainy day from the years 1993 to approximately 1999, I had to watch Clue. It was a must because it's the perfect movie to watch when it's raining and IT'S MAGICAL it's so good. Everyone who knew me during those years saw this movie.) List time!
1. The Seven Year Itch (1955)
Is it feminist to say LOOK AT THAT ASS? Yes, yes it is. Is the movie actually any good? I think it's all right - actually no, it's terrible. I've only seen it a few times and while I hate the storyline more than a smidge, I love watching her in it. I feel like it puts me in a bit of a trance, she's so lovely to look at. Her clothing, the way she moves. You think that it's stupid to hate this movie and still put it on the list? Well, what can I tell you. Take it up with consumer affairs.
2. Take That Waltz (2011)
Anything that Sarah Polley gets her hands on will be good. That should just be a known sentiment. It's hard to describe why I liked this movie so much, I've only seen it twice. I love the way it shows how grossly in love and embarrassingly unbearable a couple can be with one another. Also, the nudity was great. And how it touched a bit on the expectations of marriage and relationships - loved all that.
3. Some Like It Hot (1959)
I know, I know. I'm sorry that two of her movies are on here. This one made the list mainly because this was the first movie of hers I'd seen and I really loved the whole story. I feel like kids would really like this movie, am I wrong? I'm gonna make one of my nieces watch it and I'll update you.
4. 12 Angry Men (1957)
I know this looks boring. Or was it just me who thought that? I'd been putting off seeing this for YEARS and finally saw it last night. It inspired this post! Such a good movie! "At the beginning, the cameras are all positioned above eye level and mounted with wide-angle lenses to give the appearance of greater distance between the subjects and as the film progresses the cameras slip down to eye level. By the end of the film, nearly all of it is shot below eye level, in close-up and with telephoto lenses to increase the encroaching sense of claustrophobia." - IMDB - Is it just me or is that cool as hell? Such a great movie.
5. Stealing Beauty (1996)
I will always love this movie. It's about a 19 year old girl (Liv Tyler) who goes on a trip alone to Italy, hoping to lose her virginity. Ummmm, best synopsis ever? Or at least that's how it sounded to me (and still does?) when I first read the back cover at Rogers Video fifteen years ago. It still holds up over time. Also, nudity. I feel like teen girls are way more into nudity than teen boys. Just me?
6. Field of Dreams (1989)
"They should have stopped making movies after they made this movie. Nothing will ever be as good." - my dad, about Field of Dreams. Now even if I don't feel as strongly as he does, this movie is fantastic and beautiful and everything you could want in a movie. Am I overselling it? No way, man. If you haven't seen it yet? Yikes. Delete my number.
7. Little Children (2006)
There are so many instances in this movie that made me repeatedly think, "Ugh, that's so wrong," and yet I still purchased and still love watching it. I think it might have something to do with Kate Winslet finally being so unlikable in a movie. I love her when she's likable, but this side of her is just fun as hell to watch. Also, all the sex. OH! And the pedophilia storyline? Memorable as hell.
8. Now and Then (1995)
There's a moment in this movie where you can press pause and (for a split-second) see Devon Sawa's junk. I know this because I've done this many times. You do things like this when you're a kid. It blew my mind. He was such a babe in Casper so discovering a gem like this? C'mon. You're not gonna look? Get off your high horse. It grossed me out, but I still watched it endlessly.
9. The Sandlot (1993)
I always wished I could play sports well after watching movies like this one and Little Giants. I wasn't fast (in the daylight) and I wasn't tall, so I pretty much decided to stick with band when I was younger. That doesn't mean I couldn't enjoy movies like this one, though. And boy howdy, did I ever.
10. Stay Tuned (1992)
This is John Ritter's finest piece of work. I've seen it over a hundred times. It's about a man who watches too much television and then him and his wife get sucked into it and have to go through different kinds of (not regular, but hell-inspired versions of) shows to get out. It is amazing.
Well, that's the list. Don't care for it? That's weird. 'Cause they're all great. 'Except number one, remember.
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