Category Archives: Movies in Bed
Movies in Bed: Galaxy Quest
Post by Mark T. Locker.
As you know, we have already lost a few great artists this year. One of those was Alan Rickman and although he may always be best known for his captivating portrayal of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies, he won my heart earlier and it wasn’t for his role in Love, Actually and it wasn’t for playing the villian in Die Hard. Rather, it was for his role as the disillusioned actor whose stint as an alien on a Star Trek-like show had marked him for life.
Galaxy Quest is a surprisingly clever and funny movie about a cheesy science fiction program like Star Trek whose passionate fan base elevated it to cult status. Eighteen years since the final episode, the cast stays together for the comic con circuit though they don’t really like each other any more. Then one day Jason Nesmith, who played the captain, (Tim Allen) is approached by a group of aliens in humanoid disguise who plead for the help of his crew. Turns out, they had watched every episode of Galaxy Quest, believing it to be historical documentation, not fiction. Whether it’s for ego or the chance to make a real difference, Nesmith convinces the crew to join him to fight the vicious enemy of their new alien friends.
With a cast including Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shaloub, and of course Alan Rickman, what I thought would be a really dumb movie is actually quite funny and charming. There’s even a tip of the hat to the die-hard fans whose intimate knowledge of the entire series helps to save lives.
Although it has a little violence, it’s a generally family-friendly movie though the Star Trek references will like be lost on younger audiences. A fun science fiction comedy to watch in bed in honor of the great Alan Rickman.
Movies in Bed: Brain Games!
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Ever wonder how a flip book, or for that matter, a movie can take still images and create the illusion of movement? Have you seen that cardboard dinosaur that appears to turn its head to follow you? How do those sleight of hand experts make a coin disappear?
These are the sorts of questions tackled by this National Geographic show, available streaming on Netflix (maybe on other streaming hosts as well). I’m not sure if it is for kids or for adults but we all enjoy watching the show together. My son is the one who discovered it and thought, what the heck, let’s give it a try. I was blown away. The first episode we watched was all about focus and how the human brain will ignore a bunch of really wacky things going on in the background while it pays attention to something else. The show does a lot of public performances to show how these brain teasers work on most people. You’d be surprised how many people feel pain when a fake hand is hit with a hammer!
It’s a fun blend of magic and science working together to amaze and inform. Each episode has a different theme, from memory to focus to deception. The science behind it is pretty interesting but what’s great is seeing your own brain get tricked by these illusions. Especially when you know your mind is fooling you but you can’t do anything about it!
This is a fun, kinda silly, informative show that is great to watch with the whole family as pre-bed brain food.
Movies in Bed: Into the Woods
Post by Mark T. Locker.
I am a big fan of fairy tales. The original 19th-century German tales, as recounted by the brothers Grimm, hold a lot of value to me. To be honest, I never knew that Into the Woods was a musical by Stephen Sondheim until the movie was released. I was intrigued as to what a fairy tale-themed musical might be like.
With an A-list cast including Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, and James Cordon to name a few, it showed a lot of promise. The story contains mix of several fairy tales that will be familiar to viewers: Cinderella; Jack and the Beanstalk; Little Red Riding Hood; and Rapunzel. Their stories merge as a poor childless baker and his wife make a deal with a witch. In exchange for several items, she will give them a child. Those items happen to include a golden slipper and a red robe. Each character finds him/herself headed into the woods for each individual purpose. And one by one they find each other and create a new story altogether.
I enjoyed this movie. It’s a good family-friendly sing-along-able movie with a mix of old stories and new. I only wish the movie had ended at what I assume was the intermission. I felt that everything was resolved nicely and that the second part only served to muddle the story. I found myself asking: why did that character do that? Why did that just happen? When did songs turn into people just singing what seems like regular dialogue?
Aside from that, I would watch it again. I’d probably turn it off at intermission. But that’s just me. If you are looking for a family-friendly musical that’s got a mix of humor, adventure, and tales we all know and love, take a trip Into the Woods.
Movies in Bed: The Martian
Post by Mark T. Locker.
If you don’t live under a rock, chances are you have heard of The Martian. Unlike the other occupied Mars movies of the past (Red Planet, Total Recall, Ghosts of Mars) this one is not some pie in the sky super future movie where all the terraforming and whatnot has already occurred. This story, based on Andy Weir’s novel of the same name, is set in a very plausible near-future and is filled to the brim with science. Much of the buzz around this movie is how scientifically accurate it is and how NASA even helped offer insight to make it as realistic as possible.
Luckily, it has more than scientific accuracy on its side. Though dubiously placed in the “Comedy” category for the Golden Globes, the movie does have some chuckleable moments. But mostly it’s a science drama. When a massive, crazy scary Martian storm blows in unexpectedly, a manned mission is aborted. Astronaut and botanist Mark Watley is struck by flying debris and presumably killed. All the sensors say he is dead. They have no choice but to leave him. But he is alive, if not totally well. Fully aware of his circumstances, he begins working on doing all he can to survive and work out how to get himself rescued.
A surprisingly amusing and interesting movie, The Martian was recently released on video so it’s a great way to wrap up a long week. But schedule your movie in bed early because at a whopping 2 hours and 30 minutes, you’ll be up late!
Movies Television in Bed: The Flash!
Post by Mark T. Locker.
So, I think pretty much every single superhero out there, regardless how marginal and obscure, is getting either a feature-length film or their own television series. To be honest, I’m tired of it all. So when The Flash got his own series to accompany the CW’s Arrow I thought, “Yippee.” But I have to tell you, I’m watching it. My wife and son started in on it and I jumped in a few episodes in. It’s a great show! All the creators behind the series are well seasoned, all of them having been involved in a number of series, from Dawson’s Creek to Arrow to Boston Legal. And it shows. The story lines are as credible as a superhero story line is going to be; the characters are likeable, interesting, and not completely 2-dimensional. There are a few “really??” moments, but so far nothing that would put me off the show.
The premise of the series is that a huge science facility in Center City (aerial shots are of my hometown, Portland Oregon; holla!) called Star Labs was about to start their particle accelerator. Unfortunately, something went haywire and a crazy pulse went out, causing massive destruction. What most people didn’t realize is that it also gave a few people superhuman abilities. Called metahumans, their powers range from the ability to control the weather to the the ability to shapeshift into anyone the metahuman comes in contact with. Oh yeah, there’s also a guy who can run super fast. Star Labs finds Barry, who can run super fast and equip him with cutting-edge technology to allow him to use his speed without destroying his body in the process.
Between battling metahumans, trying to live a normal life on the side, and trying to figure out the relationship between the death of his mother and someone known as Reverse Flash, Barry is a very busy guy. It’s an exciting show but also pretty minimal with the violence so older children should be able to watch most of it without fear. Season one is available streaming and season two is on the air right now. Run over and check it out and dream of being super duper speedy.
