Christine's Blog Time

Posts on life, likes, reminders and new in 2016, "A Year at the Movies" #AYATM. Thanks to some holiday generosity, JL and I are now proud members of The Roxy Theater in Missoula, MT. Why not blog my way through a year of unlimited popcorn, indy movies, cult favorites, and sing-alongs? I’m not the best at remembering character names or every single plot point, but sometimes I come up with droll quips (Example: Not even “Once”).

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2019 Lyons Family Ornament

This year, I gifted each household in Jordan's family a handmade ornament that pays homage to their favorite Christmas movie. Slightly obsessed, and 99.999% convinced I created this combination of tech and craft, my ornament is a cross stitched QR code that, when scanned by your camera, sends folks here (so I can grab those analytics) and plays the unofficial soundtrack to Christmas Vacation, a Youtube.com playlist put together by the one and only Jar Jar Binks.

I really enjoyed making these, from first being hit with the idea after learning you don't need a special app to scan qr codes anymore! YOU. CAN. JUST. USE. YOUR. CAMERA!!! to figuring out what to link to and how to best capture stats on scans, how color could be incorporated, and, of course, my favorite part, actually cross stitching. Find some process shots in my highlights on Instagram @helenandgerri. Merry Christmas! I hope it's the hap-hap-happiest one since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f***ing Kaye! (That's my favorite CV quote, referring to White Christmas, which is the movie my family grew up watching. Nothing like marriage and a few cursing quotes to blend a family together.) (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-76779394-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); https://ift.tt/eA8V8J from Blogger https://ift.tt/2S0cfzc

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Amy Poehler gave me the perfect thing to reread tonight after my "meh" reaction to a Philip Roth movie made a old stranger dude say "I assume you know nothing about Judaism." Thanks again, Amy.

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Internet Cat Video Festival

Movie: Internet Cat Video Festival When: 5:30 p.m. July 20, 2016 Who With: JL, JP, VP, a coworker run-in, and adoptable kittens! Movie Count: 43 Snacks: Popcorn, Cold Smoke for me, IPA for JL Reaction: So much fun! This was our first time going to the local showing of the Internet Cat Video Festival. It was a blast with a sold out crowd. A ton of kids were laughing their heads off. The kind of laughter where y=they became addicted to the feeling of laughing so you laugh even when things aren't funny (I'm looking at you claymationy balloon cat and purrkour cat) just to try to keep the euphoria pulsing through their young brains. One of the co-founders of Reddit had a nice video about adopting a cat and expressed an idea I hadn't considered before. Cat videos are so the internet because dog people bond outside and share the experience in parks and at sidewalk cafes (although not so much in Missoula anymore thanks to the City's enforcement of the health code, my sincere thanks). Cats are such an at-home experience, it's only natural to share that life online. One cat killed a balloon version of itself, another lazily pushed a dog in a pool, one even scared off a bear through a glass door. Loved it! Tons of fun. Highly recommend it. I also highly recommend getting yourself a cat. We went with more adulty black cats, Isby and Ivy, and they are our favorites. Recommendation: Let’s Go! | Let it come to you  | Let it pass Next Up: Star Trek Beyond ( I actually first typed Star Wars Beyond, my insincere apologies) (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','http://ift.tt/1pxBd1V','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-76779394-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); http://ift.tt/29OHqoG from Blogger http://ift.tt/29N9Ymb

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Midnight Special

Movie: Midnight Special When: Friday May 20th-ish Who With: JL with an AW & AD run-in! Movie Count: 33 Snacks: Beers at Flippers with AW & AD after Reaction: You never totally know what's going on in this movie and that's part of the fun. This was definitely an "it's the journey not the destination" kind of story and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The tagline is He's Not Like Us and the glimpses into the world he is like seem pretty awesome. Our after the movie conversation began naming all the movies that focus on super kids which the government would like to take from their families without just compensation (that's a takings "joke" for you land use nerds and/or constitutionalists). Seemed like there would be a lot but we didn't get too far: ET and The Hunger Games. Got any additions to our pre-empted discussion? Recommendation: Let’s Go! | Let it come to you  | Let it pass Next Up: The Meddler (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','http://ift.tt/1pxBd1V','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-76779394-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); http://ift.tt/1t598G4 from Blogger http://ift.tt/1XAw9Ox

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The Man Who Knew Infinity

Movie: The Man Who Knew Infinity When: 7:30 PM on Wed, May 18th Who With: JL Movie Count: 32 Snacks: Who remembers? Reaction: With The Man Who Knew Infinity, you'll leave the theater with a very satisfied feeling of having seen a movie. It's not trying to do anything fancy, if revealing the truth within us all is nothing fancy. But it's all story and (male) characters here. Movies about math, ya'll, they never fail. And it's good to see that everyone's favorite Slumdog Millionaire didn't let the money go to his head and Scar's trying to be a bit more generous with those around him. Recommendation: Let’s Go! | Let it come to you  | Let it pass Next Up: Midnight Special (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','http://ift.tt/1pxBd1V','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-76779394-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); http://ift.tt/1ObgT7q from Blogger http://ift.tt/1PfmVil

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Blue Velvet

Movie: Blue Velvet When: May 15, 2016 at 5:15 pm Who With: JL Movie Count: 31 Reaction: Holy Smokes! This is a crazy intense movie and I'm not sure I'm old enough to see it. Part of The Roxy's Essential Cinema Series, Blue Velvet was shown for a full week in honor of its 30th anniversary. In between the squeaky clean opening and closing in Lumberton, a town similar to Missoula, the creepiest interactions and dialogue occur. Ears, singing, young love, and warped relationships. David Lynch knows what he's doing in combining a teen story line with the creepiest creepy adult thriller. It's "American Beauty" on creep steroids. If you haven't seen it, you gotta, but I can't imagine watching it ever again. Recommendation: Let’s Go! | Let it come to you  | Let it pass Next Up: The Man Who Knew Infinity (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','http://ift.tt/1pxBd1V','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-76779394-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); http://ift.tt/1XWlfRr from Blogger http://ift.tt/1TNwdE5

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The Room

Movie: The Room When: 9 pm, Saturday, May 14th Who With: JL Movie Count: 30! Snacks: Beers Reaction: I first saw this movie when friends trucked it over from Seattle circa 2010. The four of us watched it in the privacy of our Equinox apartment and I was blown away by how bad this movie really was. Maybe you've heard that it doesn't have a plot or dialogue that makes any sense or that it reveals so much about film making by making the invisible things boldly visible. I was excited to go through the experience again with a theater full of people laughing and quoting along. But, in a twist that would have confounded Tommy Wiseau, graduation weekend took any potential viewers and it was just me and JL in the theater. We should have recruited people! Somehow, with the benefit of time, this movie got hilariously worse. I can't have anything to say that hasn't already been said. And if you haven't seen it you just can't know. Although, visiting the movie's website may give you a hint at what's in store. I really wish the website address was "TheRoomTheMovie" but "TheRoomMovie" will have to do. If you have seen The Room, I would recommend listening to Julie Klausner's 2014 interview with Juliette Danielle ["You're tearing me apart, Lisa!"] or episode 23 of How Did This Get Made?. There is something stupidly fitting that now you have to differentiate between when you're talking about "Room" or "The Room." Here's hoping the person you're talking to has seen both! Recommendation: Let’s [ALL] Go! | Let it come to you  | Let it pass Next Up: Blue Velvet (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','http://ift.tt/1pxBd1V','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-76779394-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); http://ift.tt/1OJu5Ll from Blogger http://ift.tt/1WdvUYJ

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Movie: Everybody Wants Some!! When: 7:45 pm, Friday, May 6, 2016 Who With: JL Movie Count: 29 Snacks: Popcorn Reaction: We're back! This was the first movie we'd seen in a while. Well, looking back, there were only 12 days in between hitting up the Roxy. Not too shabby any other year but worthy of a welfare check nowadays. The tone of Everybody Wants Some!! was the perfect remedy for working hella hard cleaning and moving out of our condo and into the new house (!). This movie follows a 1980s college baseball team and the few days leading up to the first practice. Honestly, it's pretty dumb but fun and just what we needed. It takes you back to a day when dudes were bro-ier, ladies were barely human, and movies knew no other way of being movies. There is a thin layer of struggling with identity but mostly its beer, boobs, and baseball. Maybe surprisingly shallow from Linkletter but he seems to capture the era well and brings something that was probably true for him to it. If you're up for relaxing your standards, or you're mid-move, or you yourself are a white guy feeling slightly threatened in these times, it may be the perfect movie. Recommendation: Let’s Go! | Let it come to you  | Let it pass Next Up: The Room (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','http://ift.tt/1pxBd1V','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-76779394-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); http://ift.tt/1YLnNkn from Blogger http://ift.tt/1W9Ztur

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#AYATM: April in Review

MOVIES Favorite: Songs My Brother Taught Me Least Favorite: Requiem for the American Dream Funniest: Hello, My Name is Doris Important Stuff: The Maltese Falcon Missed Connections: Silence of the Lambs, Eraserhead, Racing Extinction, Kramer vs. Kramer, Footloose Sing-Along, He Named Me Malala, Galaxy Quest. STATS April Movies: Only 4 outside the IWFF Would-a-Cost: $156 with the  IWFF All Screenings Pass Total Movies YTD: 28 Would-a-Cost YTD: $596 Cosmic Dual Membership: $450 - We did it ya'll! We broke even on the membership we didn't even pay for. It was hard work and I'm proud of our commitment. It's funny to get here in April which was not our best performing month due to the house selling/buying project. Pressure's off and with summer coming on strong and a house we love being at, we'll see how the movie pace holds up. OUTSIDE THE ROXY Trapped at the WIlma on April 25th - Want to get mad? See this documentary about access to reproductive care. Animal Reunions, Nature PBS Broad City, Comedy Central on Hulu Start here if you haven't been yet. The Path, Hulu - If episodes weren't doled out once a week we would already be finished with this show. The Turner House by Angela Flournoy - Got it from the library only to have a holder rip it out of my hands before I was done. Don't you know I need to read a novel set in an upcoming travel destination? New York Mag - free with expiring United miles (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','http://ift.tt/1pxBd1V','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-76779394-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); http://ift.tt/23XGz9a from Blogger http://ift.tt/27Bs4fO

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#AYATM: 2nd Half of April

Before we review April, let me flush out the end of the month when posts weren't happening. I saw Requiem for the American Dream on my own on April 12. It had been on my list to go to a movie alone and this one made sense because Jordan wasn't interested in it. Too bad it was terrible. The beginning of the movie opens with text explaining these interviews with Noam Chomsky occurred over a few years and they were his FINAL interviews. Okay, weird. I guess we've closed the door to him doing any promotion for the film. Also, there's not much that you haven't heard before here. Sometimes that can be good, a refresher on what you know but got lazy about thinking on, like most food docs. But we live capitalism run amuck and concentrated wealth everyday and Noam wasn't bringing out anything beyond the blow your college mind conversation. There were three directors on this films. I'm not sure there's anything in this world that benefits from three directors. Then we went to a bunch of International Wildlife Film Festival docs with the All Access Pass our Roxy membership awarded us. Fun to live it up with our lanyards and visit interesting environments full of creatures. Here's our list from the fest: Giraffe - Up high and personal [fine and very into puns but strange animation "humor"] | Life Force 2: The Arib Namib [a look into desert creatures] | The Great Auk [animated story for kids with terrible moments of sound, on purpose I think] | The Daughters of the Forest [environmental science based high school for girls in Paraguay - not perfect but maybe my favorite of the fest] | and a bunch of others but I'm boring myself. Here's the schedule if you want to guess at other ones we saw. The main thing we realized during the festival is that it's hard to beat a Nature episodes on PBS. These all seemed to be lacking a certain something [information] or having too much something else [human ego]. On April 15, we saw Songs My Brother Taught Me. This movie, set on the Pine Ridge Reservation, is so good. You should see it if you can. Beautiful storytelling and real characters. Then I missed my first feature playing at the Roxy. Racing Extinction was a holdover from the IWFF and I wasn't feeling it enough to squeeze it into the stressful days of moving. Then April came to a close. (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','http://ift.tt/1pxBd1V','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-76779394-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview'); http://ift.tt/1WzBipw from Blogger http://ift.tt/1Tg4E6a

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#AYATM: Hello, My Name is Doris

Movie: Hello, My Name is Doris When: 7:15 pm, Friday, April 9 Who With: JL Movie Count: 25 Snacks: I'm guessing we split a bowl of popcorn Reaction: This is a joyful movie that gets into some of the harder stuff of life when it should but doesn't leave you there. Sally Field is pretty magical as Doris - an awkward older lady who is somewhat emotionally stunted, naive, and relatable. Director and co-writer Michael Showalter does almost too good of a job looking at young people through a Baby Boomer/Gen X resentment-filled lens. He picks fun at their crafting, tech, music, and lingo while also relying on these ideas to move the story along. The bit that made my brain talk to itself was when rather than establish a dummy social network, the movie oddly relied on THE social network, Facebook, but makes up an alternative interface for it. Why? Stephen Root is one of those people who makes me laugh by just appearing on screen. Even in this more serious role, his humor seeps out. Part of me wants to think this is a bizarro side story within the Office Space universe, in which Milton's issues have been addressed and now it's time to deal with sister Doris's. All in all, it's a fun sweet movie that I'm glad I hadn't seen the trailer to prior. Semi-spoilers all the way through! Whoa, I just learned that this movie is rated R. That is ridiculous - it's pretty tame. If you're wondering, "Why the long break between posts, Christine?" well, it's because I had a conference in Phoenix, where I snuck into "Chongqing Hot Pot," which I don't think I liked - too violent but the food looked great. I'l let this Variety review explain. It was in a great theatre though, the Valley Art, It's part of the Harkins chain and a 2001 renovation kept the charm and still feels recent 15 years later. They have a great gimmick: if you buy and wear their t-shirt you get free popcorn for the year. Since returning to Missoula on April 6th and the Roxy on April 9th, I've seen four membership movies and will be getting around to posting-o-plenty. Recommendation: Let’s Go! | Let it come to you  | Let it pass Next Up: The Maltese Falcon http://ift.tt/22ERm7C from Blogger http://ift.tt/1Vb4VMW

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Checking out Orange Street Food Farm's viral sensation! (at Missoula, Montana)

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#AYATM: March in Review

MOVIES Favorite: None truly stole my heart but let's give Boy & the World an honorable mention. Least Favorite: There wasn't a dud in the bunch Saddest: Son of Saul Funniest: Where to Invade Next, in Michael Moore's way Funnest: Hail, Caesar! Most Surprising: The Lady in the Van Important Stuff: Embrace of the Serpent It's Art, Dad: Anomalisa Missed Connections: Tangerine, Clueless, The Wisdom to Survive, Shaft, The Clean Bin Project Was TCBP super annoying or surprisingly charming? Anticipating: Springtime bike rides to the theater. Also Eraserhead and The Maltese Falcon STATS March Movies: 8 Would-a-Cost: $128 Total Movies: 24 YTD Would-a-Cost: $384 Cosmic Dual Membership: $450 - I think we'll break even in April! Outside the Roxy Pitch Perfect II, HBO The Detroit episode of Togetherness, HBO - maybe a Whites on Display version but, I'd say, not inaccurate It's Great That Garry Shandling is Still Alive Iceman Reborn, PBS La Maravilla by Alfredo Véa, Jr. http://ift.tt/1VVzNQN from Blogger http://ift.tt/1pNRJ3b

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#AYATM: Boy & the World

Movie: Boy & the World When: 5:30 PM, Monday, March 29 - Birthday Edition! Who With: JL Movie Count: 24 Snacks: Popcorn with Nutritional Yeast, Masala, Garlic and Curry seasoning. Good, but a bit much. Reaction: What a sweet and scary movie. Very beautifully animated with mixed media and a textures of brushstroke that make you feel likes it's being created right in front of you. We see the boy in this world miss his dad, explore an adventure in search of him, and navigate farm labor and revolution. Part of the story is reminiscent of Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry murals at the Detroit Institute of Art (one of many great reasons to visit Detroit!). There was another part when he uses a kaleidoscope and reminded me of little EN with virtual reality at the holidays. We shared the audience with a three year old boy and his dad which was really fun. The boy did such a good job identifying trains and owls and seemed transfixed by it all. The other group in the audience was made up of three grown ups who made too many trips to the concession stand during an hour and a half long movie, talked.the.whole.time.andmademeveryupset! I was almost hoping they were the same people from Mavis! but, unfortunately, this type of person exists in multitudes, dudes. It got to the point where I almost asked, like, what do you get from this experience? But instead, I sent over some glares and only complained to JL and you. There is no way they were following the plot and there wasn't much dialogue and sound was a huge part of it, so please! Shut your pie hole (Shout out to NS and the subversive cross stitch kit). Recommendation: Let’s Go! | Let it come to you so you can control the experience  | Let it pass Next Up: We've got Requiem for the American Dream and Hello, My Name is Doris coming soon. And I'll put together a March in Review post soon. http://ift.tt/1q3oLNw from Blogger http://ift.tt/21Uh3R5

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#AYATM: Anomalisa

Movie: Anomalisa When: 7:15 PM, Saturday, March 26 Who With: JL Movie Count: 23 Snacks: Popcorn with our go-to spice blend: Masala, Garlic, Nutritional Yeast Reaction: This is a heavy movie. I feel like I can't say too much or I'll ruin it. It took us a few minutes to understand the main character's world, which I'd like to think was intentional. David's phone call home from the hotel was the trippiest but gets you on board. He's not the stablest person, but that seems like a lot to ask from anyone who often travels for work. There's a lot going on here and his speech at the end may hold all the secrets to the universe but I'll have to give it another listen to be sure. Recommendation: Let’s Go! | Let it come to you  | Let it pass Next Up: Boy and the World http://ift.tt/1UVyTCS from Blogger http://ift.tt/1UVyTmy

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#AYATM: The Lady in the Van

Movie: The Lady in the Van When: 7:30 PM, Tuesday, March 22 Who With: JL Movie Count: 22 Snacks: Dino Cafe Apparently their last FB post was in 2012.  I got the gumbolaya for the first time and JL got the brisket po boy. Both were great and followed our traditional orders - me getting something stew-ish and JL going for the sammy. Reaction: Maggie Smith maggiesmiths her way through this movie with all the defensiveness layered on top of sass, on top of snark, on top of vulnerability that you come to expect from her but also surprises you with her depth. I think I first met Maggie Smith in Hook. She stays with you through it all, doesn't she? This story speaks to the shared humanity and individual dichotomies with which we all get through life. There's an interesting character device in the non-caring carer that expands the movie beyond what you may expect from the trailer. I read that there are plenty of Brit cameos throughout; the only one I spotted from across the pond being James Cordon. Recommendation: Let’s Go! | Let it come to you  | Let it pass Next Up: Anomolisa http://ift.tt/21Ns5aP from Blogger http://ift.tt/22EXZfx

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A Year at the Movies: Hail, Caesar!

Movie: Hail, Caesar! When: 7:45 PM, Saturday, March 12, 2016 Who With: JL, ST, CT and we ran into AW, AD, and LY Movie Count: 20 Snacks: Pre-gamed it at the Bridge with JL, ST, and CT. Slices and TWO salads 'cause we healthy...and each couple split a popcorn. Also, that chipotle garlic salt we handed over to the Roxy is almost all gone and done making people cough. So, you're welcome and we're sorry. Reaction: The fun old-timey splashy productions and studio movies within the movie are really fun. Not a ton of story to analyze, I don't think. Just fun, inconsequential communism. Recommendation: Let’s Go! | Let it come to you  | Let it pass Next Up: The Lady in the Van http://ift.tt/1pxsBhD from Blogger http://ift.tt/21ynPvS