Book Recommendation: How To Stop Time

Less than two weeks ago, I posted a blog about a book I read called The Midnight Library. I really enjoyed it. You can read that blog here:

Another Good Read – The Midnight Library

That was the first book I read by author Matt Haig, and it made me want to find other books by him that I might find just as good. So I went to the library website and found one. I’ve always been a big fan of time travel stuff, so the name of one book stuck out – “How to Stop Time.” While this isn’t a true time travel story in the sense of going back in time or forward in time, I found the premise interesting and ordered it.

Amazon and Good Reads both have this synopsis:

Tom Hazard has just moved back to London, his old home, to settle down and become a high school history teacher. And on his first day at school, he meets a captivating French teacher at his school who seems fascinated by him. But Tom has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but owing to a rare condition, he’s been alive for centuries. Tom has lived history–performing with Shakespeare, exploring the high seas with Captain Cook, and sharing cocktails with F. Scott Fitzgerald. Now, he just wants an ordinary life.

Unfortunately for Tom, the Albatross Society, the secretive group which protects people like Tom, has one rule: Never fall in love. As painful memories of his past and the erratic behavior of the Society’s watchful leader threaten to derail his new life and romance, the one thing he can’t have just happens to be the one thing that might save him. Tom will have to decide once and for all whether to remain stuck in the past, or finally begin living in the present.

How to Stop Time tells a love story across the ages—and for the ages—about a man lost in time, the woman who could save him, and the lifetimes it can take to learn how to live. It is a bighearted, wildly original novel about losing and finding yourself, the inevitability of change, and how with enough time to learn, we just might find happiness.

One review I read said, “How To Stop Time plays like a meditation on the tick and tock of time and mortality. On the preciousness of every moment and the nightmare of having both too few and too many.” I thought this really hit the nail on the head.

Is it a love story? To a degree, yes, but it is more than that. It was another Haig book that I couldn’t put down and finished in two days. There were some slow parts, but all in all, it was a good read. There is talk that Benedict Cumberbatch is going to make a film based on this book.

People always are talking about living forever, but is that really something you’d want to do? Following Tom’s story and the highs and lows of being alive for so long will make you really think about how you want to answer that question.

The Game Is Afoot

Today I finished The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz. It was the Sherlock Holmes novel approved by the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

I really enjoyed it. To me, it read much like one of Doyle’s Holmes stories. I would imagine that there has to be a bit of pressure for any author who takes up an iconic character like this. I think he did a really good job. He also has written three James Bond novels that I may need to check out.

It is funny how my mind pictured various versions of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as I read this book. There were times I pictures Holmes as Basil Rathbone and times I saw him as Benedict Cumberbatch. Then there were times I saw Watson as Martin Freeman or Nigel Bruce. Not that it really mattered, but there were instances where I saw the situations with specific versions of the characters. It is hard not to visualize them. (How can anyone read a Columbo book and NOT picture Peter Falk?!)

If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan, I don’t think you will be disappointed in this book. I recommend it. 4/5 stars.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, he has written a few books with a fictional version of himself working with a former policeman who is now helping the police. In a sense, it is a version of Dr. Watson and Holmes. The next installment of that series is on my “too read” stack.

Next up – a book I have been waiting to pick up for months. It is finally available. Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch have a new offering in their “conspiracy” series.

The First Conspiracy was about the plot to kill George Washington. The Lincoln Conspiracy was about a plot to kill Abraham Lincoln (years before he was assassinated). This one is about the plot to kill FDR, Stalin, and Churchill. I cannot wait to dive into this one.

TV Show Draft – Round 8 Pick-Sherlock

We have come to the eighth round of the Hanspostcard TV Show Draft. I have already picked Columbo and Perry Mason, and for this round I have another mystery show. I’ve noticed a few of the other participants have picked some great BBC shows, so I guess it is now my turn. For this round, I pick Sherlock.

The series ran from 2010 – 2017. Series 1 aired in 2010, Series 2 in 2012, a Christmas mini-episode ran in 2013, Series 3 ran in 2014, a special “period” show aired in 2016, and Series 4 aired in 2017. What I love about this show is the modern take on a classic character. Having Sherlock Holmes solving crimes in modern day was the draw for me and it did not disappoint.

The Premise

The show features Sherlock Holmes, who is a “consulting detective”, along with his flatmate Dr. John Watson solving crimes in a modern-day London. He helps Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade, who at first is a bit suspicious of Sherlock. Over time, however, he realized Sherlock’s intelligence and ability to help solve various crimes and considers him an asset.

Dr. Watson documents their adventures on his personal blog and Sherlock becomes a sort of celebrity. This leads to a lot of press coverage and ordinary people and the British government seeking out Sherlock for help with cases.

The show features various crimes and villains, however, a recurring feature is the battle between Holmes and his archenemy, Jim Moriarty. Many of the stories in the series have been adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes books.

Who’s Responsible?

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss were both writers for another BBC show – Dr. Who. They were both huge fans of Sherlock Holmes. They were both no stranger to taking Victorian stories and adapting it for television. The two men spent many hours during train rides discussing creating a new series featuring Sherlock Holmes. Moffat’s wife suggested that the two begin developing the show before someone else stole the idea.

The Cast

Sherlock Holmes – Benedict Cumberbatch

According to Moffat and Gattis, Benedict Cumberbatch was immediately the guy they wanted to play Holmes. They had seen him perform in Atonement and thought he was perfect. A producer said that he was the only one they actually saw for the role. According to one article: “The part is modelled as a charismatic secondary psychopath or “High functioning sociopath” as Sherlock self-describes, unlike Doyle’s rendering as a primary psychopath, thereby allowing more opportunity or ambiguity for traits of empathy.” Cumberbatch told the Guardian, “There’s a great charge you get from playing him, because of the volume of words in your head and the speed of thought—you really have to make your connections incredibly fast. He is one step ahead of the audience and of anyone around him with normal intellect. They can’t quite fathom where his leaps are taking him.”

Dr. John Watson – Martin Freeman

Actor Matt Smith was originally the actor Moffat and Gattis had in mind to play Watson, but there was something about him, the chemistry with Cumberbatch, and the way he played the character that they didn’t like (They would eventually cast him in Dr. Who). Eventually, Martin Freeman won the role. Moffat says of Freeman, (he is) “the sort of opposite of Benedict in everything except the amount of talent… Martin finds a sort of poetry in the ordinary man. I love the fastidious realism of everything he does.” Freeman, when considering his character, says he is “a ‘moral compass’ for Sherlock, who does not always consider the morality and ethics of his actions.“

Detective Inspector Lestrade – Rupert Graves

According to Moffat and Gattis, many auditioned for the role, but they all seemed to have a comedic take on the role. The creators liked Graves’ approach to it and he was cast. There is some great interplay between Lestrade and Holmes throughout the series. He works for Scotland Yard.

Jim Moriarty – Andrew Scott

Scott is fantastic as Moriarty! Moffat said, “We knew what we wanted to do with Moriarty from the very beginning. Moriarty is usually a rather dull, rather posh villain so we thought someone who was genuinely properly frightening. Someone who’s an absolute psycho.” They certainly achieved this. There were times I was genuinely freaked out by his performance! The creators never intended to have a “confrontation” scene between Holmes and Moriarty, but then they saw Scott’s audition and they knew that they HAD to!

Other Cast Members

Amanda Abbington – Mary (Morstan) Watson

At the time of the series, Amanda Abbington was Martin Freeman’s real life partner. She was cast to play John Watson’s girlfriend/wife.

Mrs. Hudson – Una Stubbs

Mrs. Hudson is Holmes’ and Watson’s landlady. She brings a wonderful bit of comedic dialog to every interaction and scene. Interesting story – Una has known Benedict Cumberbatch since he was 4 years old and she has worked with his mother!

Molly Hooper – Louise Brealey

Molly Hooper works at a morgue at a London hospital. She also has an apparent crush on Sherlock. Because of her work position and crush on him, Sherlock frequently exploits her to let him examine or perform experiments on victims’ bodies. In the first episode of the series she allows him to hit a corpse with a riding crop to see how it might bruise in post mortum.

Mycroft Holmes – Mark Gattis

(SPOILER ALERT) When Mycroft first appears in the series, you really have no idea who he is. He is this mysterious man who tries to get Watson to spy on Sherlock for him. You only learn later on that he is Sherlock’s brother. Mycroft is even more skilled at deduction, correcting Sherlock on occasion and beating him in deduction exercises, as well as lacking enthusiasm for “legwork”. His intellect is borderline superhuman. The sibling rivalry between the two lead to some very good scenes.

Sally Donovan & Phillip Anderson – Vinette Robinson & Jonathan Aris

Srgt. Sally Donovan often works with Lestrade on cases. She resents Sherlock’s presence at crime scenes and treats him with extreme disrespect and rudeness, cruelly calling him a “freak” to his face, and warns Watson that Sherlock is a psychopath who will one day get bored of catching killers and become one himself.

Phillip Anderson is originally a member of the Metropolitan Police’s Forensic Services. From the series opening, it is clear that Anderson and Sherlock have history of mutual dislike with Sherlock repeatedly humiliating Anderson and Anderson refusing to assist him at crime scenes.

Why I Picked It

Growing up, I had read a few of the Sherlock Holmes books. I has seen Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes in movies, and certainly heard many old time radio shows featuring Holmes and Watson. I was intrigued to see just how Sherlock would play out in modern times.

I began to watch the first episode and all it took was the first meeting of Sherlock and Watson, and I was hooked. The way Sherlock is able to tick off things about Watson after just a couple minutes was awesome. Here is that scene:

Pardon me while I sort of digress for a moment.

One of the shows I considered picking in the draft was House, M.D. starring Hugh Laurie. I had heard it said that House was based on Sherlock Holmes. House would often make brilliant deductions about his patients, and often was able to rattle off things about people because of his keen sense of observation – just like Sherlock Holmes. When I began to watch Sherlock, I immediately noticed just how much the two were alike.

The two characters are very similar. Check out the following links:

https://screenrant.com/house-ways-similar-sherlock-holmes/

https://screenrant.com/house-show-sherlock-holmes-comparison-similarities/

Now, back to why I picked it. I love a good mystery, obviously. I was fascinated by the way Sherlock worked and how he figured things out. Sherlock is a bit different that my earlier picks of Columbo and Perry Mason. I loved watching him sort through all the things that helped get him to the final conclusion.

I love good characters. This show is full of them. There are times I laugh out loud at some of the interactions. One of my favorite exchanges between Sherlock and Lestrade happens in the first episode. Sherlock, Watson and Lestrade are in a room and Sherlock yells, “Shut up!” Lestrade answers back, “I didn’t say anything.” Sherlock adds quickly, “You were thinking. It’s annoying!”

Holmes and Watson are the perfect team. They play well off each other. The same holds true for Cumberbatch and Freeman. Their chemistry is magical. I remember seeing the Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law and thinking they had good chemistry, but Cumberbatch and Freeman’s chemistry is far superior.

In between Series 3 & 4, Sherlock aired a special on New Years Day of 2016. The Abominable Bride was set in Victorian London. Set in the time of the original books, it takes Sherlock out of the modern day and places him back where we all know him from. Moffat stated that “The special is its own thing. We wouldn’t have done the story we’re doing, and the way we’re doing it, if we didn’t have this special. It’s not part of the run of three episodes. So we had this to do it … It’s kind of in its own little bubble.”

The special won an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie at the 2016 Primetime Emmy Awards. If you only watch one episode – I’d suggest this one.

The final episode of Sherlock aired in 2017. Steven Moffat stated that He and Mark Gattis had fifth series plotted out, but weren’t ready to fully produce it. Whether or not a new series of shows will come to fruition is still up in the air.

When Benedict Cumberbatch was asked about whether or not Sherlock would make more episodes, he said, “I’m the worst person to ask because my slate’s pretty, pretty full at the moment, as is Martin’s and all the other key players involved. So, who knows? Maybe one day, if the script’s right. And I say ‘the script,’ maybe it could be a film rather than the series. Who knows?”

Sherlock is a multi award winning show full of mystery, adventure, comedy, and fun. If you have never seen it, I highly recommend it.

The game is on!!

Elementary, My Dear Reader

I believe I have blogged in the past about Sherlock Holmes. I guess it is interesting that while I have never read a Sherlock Holmes book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I have read books loosely based on the character. There was a series out not too long ago called The Baker Street Mysteries, that focused on a lawyer who resided at the famous address of Mr. Holmes. It seems they would get letters addressed to the famous detective all the time. I read a few of them, but the last one was quite boring to me, so I stopped.

I always enjoy when the Radio Classics channel on Sirius XM plays old Sherlock Holmes shows. Some of them even featured the Sherlock Holmes I was most familiar with as a kid – Basil Rathbone. He and Nigel Bruce did many Sherlock Holmes films, too.

Over the years, many actors have played the great detective. In the theater recently, Robert Downey Jr. teamed up with Jude Law to play Holmes and Dr. Watson. The first movie was in 2009 and followed by the sequel (Game of Shadows) in 2011. In May of this year, it was announced that Downey and Law will reprise their roles in another sequel.

In 2015, Sir Ian McKellen played a retired Sherlock Holmes in the very touching film, Mr. Holmes. This was very well done and I recommend it if you haven’t seen it.

Without a doubt, my favorite incarnation of the character was in the British series Sherlock. Set in modern times, Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the role of Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman is Dr. Watson. I loved everything about this show! I really wish they’d make more episodes.

This brings me to the main reason for this blog. Over the weekend, my wife said she had seen something while surfing Netflix that she thought I’d be interested in watching. We watched Sherlock together and so when she saw the post about Elona Holmes, she saved it on her “to watch” list.

When she mentioned it, she thought it was a series, but it was actually a movie. It is based on a novel by Nancy Springer. It seems that there are actually 6 books in the Enola Holmes series. I’d never heard of these books, and it seems the reason is that they are written for young adults.

The movie is based on the first book in the series, The Case of the Missing Marquess, which was first published in 2006.

The movie focuses on the teenage sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, Enola. Her mother turns up missing and she’s on a mission to find her. I found the movie to be quite enjoyable. Enola is played by Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown. Her mother Eudoria is played by Harry Potter’s Helena Bonham Carter. Mycroft and Sherlock are played by Sam Claflin and Henry Cavill. The basic plot: when Eudoria mysteriously disappears, Enola undertakes her first missing persons case and reconnects with her estranged detective brother along the way.

It is currently on Netflix and has been well received. There is talk of further sequels based on the other books.

As far as Sherlock’s go, Cavill is ok……but he’s no Benedict Cumberbatch.

Check it out on Netflix.

Favorite Films – The 2000’s

It’s been a couple of weeks since I picked back up on this series of blogs, so I thought I had better. A while ago, I saw a post that suggested you pick one favorite film from every year of your life. So far, I have covered 3 decades. Some years were easier than others. Some years were very difficult, because there were many “favorites”. One quick reminder – the movies are movies that I have seen. There may be a monster hit movie from a certain year that I wasn’t inclined to see, or just didn’t see it.

As I move into the fourth decade of my life, I noticed something that I want you to keep in mind. In 2002, my oldest son was born. As I began to look through the movies of the 2000’s and even in the 2010’s, I noticed the amount of animated and kid films increased. What I also noticed is that in many cases, those movies ended up being better than some of the adult films of those years. Agree with me or not, remember this is MY list. While many of my readers are from Facebook and do not have blogs, many of my readers DO have blogs. It has been fun to revisit each year, and I would love to see the list of some of my blogger friends (hint hint).

That being said, let’s dive into the 2000’s!

Ashton Kutcher became a household name in 1998 as Kelso on That 70’s Show, so it was only a short time before they had him star in a feature film, and naturally it was a comedy – Dude, Where’s My Car? While I found it mostly stale, there were a few laughs. 2000 brought us the funny sequel to Eddie Murphy’s Nutty Professor in Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis were both very good in Unbreakable, Harrison Ford wound up being the bad guy in What Lies Beneath, and Russell Crowe starred in the visually brilliant Gladiator (although at times I was bored with it).

A runner up for my pick for this year was the very funny Emperor’s New Groove, the animated feature that starred David Space, Patrick Warburton, John Goodman, and the amazing Eartha Kitt. I loved this movie and Kitt’s voice work is just amazing. However, music is what made me pick my favorite for 2000 – O Brother, Where Art Thou?

George Clooney plays a convict who escapes from a chain gang and ends up recording a hit record. I loved the story, and loved the soundtrack. I was working in country radio when the movie came out. The phones were constantly ringing for Man of Constant Sorrow! The sound sounded so out of place among the current country hits of the time, but maybe that’s why it did so well. It reminds me of when the Dixie Chicks first hit radio – their sound was so unlike anything on the air at the time that it stood out and sounded great! I still have the entire soundtrack of this movie on my iPod!

In 2001, Morgan Freeman reprised his role as Alex Cross in the movie adaptation of Along Came a Spider. David Spade introduced us to Joe Dirt. Amanda Pete, Jason Biggs, Steve Zahn, Jack Black and singer Neil Diamond all starred in Saving Silverman. Much like Titanic, they tossed a love story into a real life historic event for Pearl Harbor with Ben Affleck. We also got the first installments of some BIG franchises – Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Wes Anderson offered up a gem with The Royal Tenenbaums with Gene Hackman, the Wilson Brothers, and Ben Stiller. Wes Anderson’s films always have a very unique look to them and I almost chose this one as my pick, but instead, I chose Shrek.

The film is based on the 1990 book by William Steig. Chris Farley was supposed to be the voice of Shrek, but his death led them to re-cast the role. Word is that Mike Myers did the voice straight, and was unhappy with it. He recut the voice with his Scottish accent and the rest is history. Now add the talents of Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow and it’s magic! It was a fun movie to watch and remains a favorite that I still watch with my kids.

There were a few animated and kids films in 2002: Ray Romano starred in Ice Age, Disney brought us Lilo & Stitch, and there was a live action Scooby Doo movie. The second (or fifth) installment of Star Wars hit the screen with Attack of the Clones, while other sequels included Men in Black II, Analyze That, and Austin Powers 3 – Goldmember. Two big sequels were Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Sitting here in 2019, who could have known that there would be a gazillion more super hero movies to come … but my pick for 2002 is Tobey Maguire as Spiderman.

As a fan of Spiderman since I was a kid, I was excited to see this one. I thought Tobey was a good Peter Parker. The rest of the cast was great, too (James Franco, Willem Dafoe, JK Simmons)! I always thought Kirsten Dunst was pretty, and thought she was great as Mary Jane. It was a fun movie to watch with good special effects and a good story.

The Lord of the Rings saga continued with the Return of the King in 2003. Will Ferrell appeared in Old School, which I felt was “Animal House crossing the line”. Uma Thurman starred in the first Kill Bill, and Johnny Depp appeared for the first time as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. A clown fish named Nemo stole the hearts of many in Finding Nemo, while Disney offered up the action adventure film Holes. Again, music played a factor in my favorite – School of Rock.

Jack Black is a rocker who gets tossed out of his band. He fills in as a substitute teacher and teaches his class all about Rock and Roll. He also uses the kids to form a band in hopes of winning a Battle of the Bands contest. The soundtrack includes cuts from the Ramones, The Darkness, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Nicks, and the song they play at the end is the classic AC/DC song, It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock and Roll).

Damn you, 2004! There were so many great movies that came out this year!! 7 of them easily could be my top pick! Adam Sadler brought us 50 First Dates with Drew Barrymore. Mel Gibson brought us the controversial Passion of the Christ. Uma Thurman returned to Kill Bill again in part 2. Harry Potter was back with the Prisoner of Azkaban. Tina Fey and Lindsay Lohan gave us a look at public school in Mean Girls. We enjoyed some high school football with Friday Night Lights. Shrek and Donkey were back with a new friend (Puss in Boots) in Shrek 2. Will Ferrell donned a mustache as he told the Legend of Ron Burgandy in Anchorman. Harold and Kumar went to White Castle for some sliders. Zombies were all over the place in Simon Pegg’s Shaun of the Dead (which I loved!). A very funny cast (Vince Vaughn, Rip Torn, Justin Long, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor) told us an underdog story in Dodgeball (Chuck Norris has a funny cameo). Nick Cage stars in a great film that makes you rethink history in National Treasure. Jamie Foxx was just brilliant as Ray Charles in the biopic Ray.

A word about a film from 2004 before I announce my pick. I saw the DVD cover for Napoleon Dynamite in the video store. I am not sure what made me get it. Someone may have mentioned it to me, whatever the case, I rented it. We popped it in. I watched it all the way through. When it was done I remember saying “What the hell did we just watch?!” I literally sat there scratching my head. I just couldn’t figure it out! It was so dumb! But here is the weird part – after it ended and after I sat there for a minute – I started the movie over!!! I watched it all over again. The second time I watched it – I laughed like hell!! All of a sudden, it was a funny friggin movie! When I would recommend it to people, I would tell them “you may have to watch it twice”! LOL

Ok, so my movie picking credibility may forever be tarnished because of that last paragraph….but here is my pick for 2004 – The Incredibles.

Brad Bird (who does the voice of Edna) wrote this masterpiece. Craig T. Nelson is Mr. Incredible and Holly Hunter is Elastigirl (also Mrs. Incredible). Samuel L. Jackson is super cool as Frozone. After getting sued for injuring a citizen, Super heroes are banned from performing their duties. They go into the Super Hero Relocation Program and live as ordinary citizens. Syndrome is a super villain (voiced by Jason Lee) and his antics bring the “Supers” back out into the public eye. The music soundtrack is just amazing. I was SO excited when the sequel was announced. Just LOVE this movie!! No Capes!

There weren’t many films I liked from 2005. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was good, as we see the “birth” of Darth Vader. DreamWorks had fun with the animated film Madagascar. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson were Wedding Crashers. Goblet of Fire was the next installment of the Harry Potter series. My pick for favorite of 2005 is a remake – I know, I know! I have dissed many remakes, but I found Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to be different enough that I liked it.

Johnny Depp is one of those actors who amazes me. When I look at the various roles he has played, each one of them is very unique. His take on Willy Wonka is so vastly different from Gene Wilder’s in the original. It is almost creepy – ok, it is creepy! The whole movie is a bit darker than the original, too. While the story is basically the same, it is different enough that it stands alone as being worthy of my pick.

The success of animated films becomes apparent by 2006. DreamWorks put out two animated movies this year – Flushed Away and Over The Hedge, while Pixar released Cars. Ben Stiller interacts with history in A Night at the Museum. Johnny Depp is back as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men’s Chest. Little Miss Sunshine is a delightful film with Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, and Alan Arkin. My pick for favorite stars Jack Black as Nacho Libre.

While it is a comedy, it also has heart. Jack Black is a cook at a monastery. He grew up there. There are many orphans that live there, and there is little money to feed them properly. He decides to wrestle after hours in an effort to raise money for the orphans. I love this movie, because while there are moments you laugh at loud, there are also heartwarming moments.

Animation movies continued to be big in 2007 – Jerry Seinfeld had Bee Movie, Shrek was back for a third (and probably weakest of the series) movie, and Pixar had the marvelous Ratatouille. Jack Sparrow returned in At World’s End, and Simon Pegg offered up the comedy Hot Fuzz. Harry Potter returned in the Order of the Phoenix, and Nick Cage was back for the sequel to National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Jon Heder, coming off the success of Napoleon Dynamite, teamed up with Will Ferrell for Blades of Glory. The gang from TV’s Reno 911 got their own film Reno 911:Miami. My pick for favorite – The Bucket List.

Admittedly, I did not see the movie until recently, I am glad I did. This movie made “the bucket list” a phrase everyone now uses. We all have items on a list that we want to do before we die. Going to Italy is on mine. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman are just wonderful in this film. If you haven’t seen it – you have to!

Comedies from 2008 included Simon Pegg’s Run Fatboy, Run, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. starred in Tropic Thunder, Rainn Wilson was The Rocker, and Will Ferrell and John C. Riley were Step Brothers (Boats and Hoes!!) Animated films from 2008 included WALL-E, and Kung Fu Panda. Tom Cruise starred in a great story about the plot to kill Hitler in Valkyrie. Harrison Ford reprised his role as Indiana Jones in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (I didn’t care for it). Will Smith was a guy with super powers in Hancock.

Vantage Point was almost my pick for favorite. Dennis Quaid stars in the film about an assassination attempt of the President. The movie shows all the different views of the event – all the different vantage points. It was a very cool film to watch. I hate to say it, because it is kind of a remake, but my pick for favorite is Get Smart.

TECHNICALLY, it is NOT a remake. It is just based on the TV show. At first I was angry to hear they were making this movie, because of my love for the TV show. Then I heard that Steve Carell would be playing Maxwell Smart. I thought he was perfect for the role. Alan Arkin is great as the chief (I like him in almost everything he does). Anne Hathaway is 99. James Caan is the President. The Rock is also an agent. Great cameos from Bill Murray and Bernie Kopell, the orginal Seigfried (although I wish Bernie’s cameo had been longer). Over all, it was a good story. I loved the nods to the TV show, that earned bonus points for me.

As we enter the final year of this decade, three films all stand out as ones that could easily be my pick. Two of the dumbest films I saw were Paul Blart Mall Cop (which even got a sequel!!) and Year One. I am stupider for watching both of those films! Animation and kid films included The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and the Monsters VS Aliens. Harry Potter was back with the Half Blood Prince. Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw starred in The Blind Side. Woody Harrelson kills the undead in Zombieland. I’m gonna be honest – I NEVER saw Avatar, it just didn’t look interesting to me. I was impressed with the new Star Trek movie – I felt the characters stayed very close to the original star’s portrayals. I really enjoyed Inglorious Basterds (always been a fan of WWII movies).

That leaves me with four films – one that I disliked and three I loved. I know that I am in the minority here, so I apologize in advance. I didn’t care for the Hangover. It obviously was major hit which spawned quite a few sequels. Everyone kept saying, “You’ve got to see this movie”, so I did. I really didn’t find it as funny as everyone else did. I don’t know what it is, I just didn’t find it to be the great film everyone else did.

Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law was VERY well done! I enjoyed it very much. I really felt that it captured the Sherlock Holmes from the stories. I found it funny, exciting, and thought it had a great story. When I discovered Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch, I felt that it was done in almost the same vain as this film.

I almost picked A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey as my favorite. First of all, it is one of my favorite Christmas stories. I am sure that I have blogged about it in the past. Second, Jim Carrey does the majority of the voices in it and it just amazing. I loved the animation and it has been one that I watch each and every Christmas season. My pick for 2009, however, is another animated film … Up.

Pixar continues to bring out amazing movies for the whole family. Up is the story of Carl Frederickson(voiced by Ed Asner), and his quest to go to Paradise Falls to fulfill a promise to his wife. The montage that shows the love story of Carl and Ellie is done with no voices – just action and music. It is the most moving thing I have ever seen. Yes, I cried. It is beautiful.

The adventure that Carl ends up going on with his newfound friends Russell, Doug, and Kevin is exciting and heartwarming. I truly wish that Pixar would give us a sequel to this film, just to see more of this wonderful friendship that Carl and Russell have. I LOVE this movie!

9 more years to go and I will pick up the series next in 2010. I hope you enjoyed reading this!