Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!

The other night's movie was Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978, source: library DVD)

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Extremely silly movie with silly jokes, but works if you're in the mood for good-natured silliness.

Staying power (i.e. watching whole movie in one sitting = 10 points)

Chuck (age 7): 10 points. We saw it a couple of years ago, enjoyed it all over again.

Lily (age 13): 0 points. She hated it the first time, didn't bother with a second.

Mom: 0 points.

Dad: Sat next to Chuck and enjoyed the movie again.  10 points.

Total: 20 out of 40.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Tonight's movie was Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010, source: library DVD)

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Staying power (i.e. watching whole movie in one sitting = 10 points)

Chuck (age 7): 10 points. Not the first time he sees it.

Lily (age 13): 3 points. Read the books years ago, saw the movie before, now busy doing homework.

Mom: 9 points. Saw most of it, while doing some chores.

Dad: Sat next to Chuck and enjoyed the movie again.  10 points.

Total: 32 out of 40.

The Lady

Toni's movie was The Lady (2011, source: library DVD)

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Staying power (i.e. watching whole movie in one sitting = 10 points)

Chuck (age 7): 2 points. Lego time.

Lily (age 13): 3 points. Busy doing homework (tomorrow is monday after all)

Mom: Yoga. 0 points

Dad: Michelle Yeoh is good.  10 points.

Total: 15 out of 40.

El Oro de Ulises

La peli de esta noche es Ulee's Gold (1997, source: library DVD)

Saturday morning we raided the Kerrisdale library, and armed with the four membership cards we made out with some good loot, books and DVDs, among them a previously watched jewel of a movie:

 

So I knew already that the movie was pretty family safe (except for some f-bombs and a mildly disturbing scene where a woman has withdrawal-symptom fueled screaming fit). Fonda is the stoic beekeeper forced to deal with the mess left behind by his screw-up son and drug-addict daughter-in-law, with the son's evil scumbag partners in crime an increasing threat. But all played mostly in a low-key and intimate tone.

Early on, Lily brought her homework stuff in front of the TV set with the intention of completing it while watching a movie she barely remembered from when she was seven or six years old. The stage was set for a tug-of-war for her attention: movie or academic pursuit?

Staying power (i.e. watching whole movie in one sitting = 10 points)

Chuck (age 7): as usual, no sooner he finished dessert he took to the Lego floor. But did turn his attention to the movie at some points, like the honey processing scenes. 5 points.

Lily (age 13): sat through the whole movie. 10 points.
Often times she tentatively but briefly glanced to the books and notebooks on the floor laid out next to where she was sitting, but the movie won her over. There's always sundays for last-minute homework.

Mom: Yoga. 0 points

Dad: Sat back and thoroughly enjoyed the movie for the third time.  10 points.

Total: 25 out of 40.

This one is a keeper and eventually I'll get it for my collection.

Ulee's Gold

Tonight's movie is Ulee's Gold (1997, source: library DVD)

Saturday morning we raided the Kerrisdale library, and armed with the four membership cards we made out with some good loot, books and DVDs, among them a previously watched jewel of a movie:

 

 

So I knew already that the movie was pretty family safe (except for some f-bombs and a mildly disturbing scene where a woman has withdrawal-symptom fueled screaming fit). Fonda is the stoic beekeeper forced to deal with the mess left behind by his screw-up son and drug-addict daughter-in-law, with the son's evil scumbag partners in crime an increasing threat. But all played mostly in a low-key and intimate tone.

Early on, Lily brought her homework stuff in front of the TV set with the intention of completing it while watching a movie she barely remembered from when she was seven or six years old. The stage was set for a tug-of-war for her attention: movie or academic pursuit?

 

Staying power (i.e. watching whole movie in one sitting = 10 points)

Chuck (age 7): as usual, no sooner he finished dessert he took to the Lego floor. But did turn his attention to the movie at some points, like the honey processing scenes. 5 points.

Lily (age 13): sat through the whole movie. 10 points.
Often times she tentatively but briefly glanced to the books and notebooks on the floor laid out next to where she was sitting, but the movie won her over. There's always sundays for last-minute homework.

Mom: Yoga. 0 points

Dad: Sat back and thoroughly enjoyed the movie for the third time.  10 points.

Total: 25 out of 40.

This one is a keeper and eventually I'll get it for my collection.

Secretariat, la película.

La peli de esta noche es Secretariat (2010, source: library DVD)

Staying power (i.e. watching whole movie in one sitting = 10 points)

Chuck (age 7): again he watched until he finished his supper, then started playing with Lego. 2 points.

Lily (age 13): sat through the whole movie. 10 points.
The fact that it's friday (no homework) probably helped in sitting back and enjoying it.
She said at the end she found it emotionally exhausting (what with all the racing and what not), but not as much as Captain Philips (she feared he was gonna get killed in the end)

Mom: watched on and off while doing chores. 4 points

Dad: I have deep seated aversion to movies featuring racing horses and talking animals in general. Initially I felt pulled in by the fact that Diane Lane is still pretty hot, later the introduction of J. Malkovich was a pleasant surprise. But they lost me with the pony birthing scene and went to practice some ukulele. 3 points.

Total: 19 out of 40.

In all, moderate success as Secretariat is family safe (no twitchy finger on the remote etc.) and managed to get a teenager to sit for 120 mins without reaching for the ipod/tablet.

Secretariat

Tonight's movie is Secretariat (2010, source: library DVD)

Staying power (i.e. watching whole movie in one sitting = 10 points)

Chuck (age 7): again he watched until he finished his supper, then started playing with Lego. 2 points.

Lily (age 13): sat through the whole movie. 10 points.
The fact that it's friday (no homework) probably helped in sitting back and enjoying it.
She said at the end she found it emotionally exhausting (what with all the racing and what not), but not as much as Captain Philips (she feared he was gonna get killed in the end)

Mom: watched on and off while doing chores. 4 points

Dad: I have deep seated aversion to movies featuring racing horses and talking animals in general. Initially I felt pulled in by the fact that Diane Lane is still pretty hot, later the introduction of J. Malkovich was a pleasant surprise. But they lost me with the pony birthing scene and went to practice some ukulele. 3 points.

Total: 19 out of 40.

In all, moderate success as Secretariat is family safe (no twitchy finger on the remote etc.) and managed to get a teenager to sit for 120 mins without reaching for the ipod/tablet.