Tag Archives: movies in bed
Movies in Bed: Song of the Sea
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Another gorgeous and beautifully animated movie for the whole family comes to us courtesy of Tomm Moore. If you don’t know the name, he is behind the movie The Secret of Kells, a visually arresting animated movie about a young boy living long ago in the Monastery of Kells in a scary, beautiful, magical world. I could watch it over and over just for the beauty of the animation.
His newest movie, Song of the Sea, was nominated for best animated picture last year, for what it’s worth. Taking on Irish legend, the movie tells the story of a boy named Ben and his little sister Saoirse, who is mute. They live alone at a remote lighthouse with their father. One day Saoirse finds her mother’s sealskin cloak in a trunk and puts it on, then runs out to the sea. She dives in and is immediately transformed into a seal. She is a Selkie, one of they mythical creatures who can shed their seal skin and become human for brief periods of time. When her father finds her cold and shivering on the shore the next day, he locks up the cloak and sends the children to their grandmother.
But Saoirse has a shell flute from her mother and its song alerts faeries, both good and bad, to her presence. Soon it becomes clear that Saoirse is unwell and must don the sealskin cloak to survive. Good big brother Bed stops at nothing to keep her sister safe and save the faerie folk from the wicked Macha and her owls who turn them to stone.
This movie is full of so much and yet it never gets muddled or confusing. Half tale of lore, half tale of love of a boy for his sister, Song of the Sea is a lovely and beautiful movie to watch as a family. Watch it in bed and you’ll have the loveliest dreams.
Movies in Bed: Annie Rebooted
Post by Mark T. Locker.
I’ll be honest with you: the only reason this movie came into my house at all was because my son REALLY, REALLY wanted to see it. I don’t really know why but he seems to enjoy musicals. It was sitting on the shelf at the library and he saw it so we got it. I had very low expectations of this movie. For one thing, I’m tired of reboots. For another thing, it’s a reboot of Annie. But I have to say, this movie was not terrible. I give a lot of credit for that to Quvenzhané Wallis, the remarkable 12-year-girl who took on the role of Annie. Known for her roles in more serious movies such as Beasts of the Southern Wild and 12 Years as a Slave, I can only imagine it was a nice change of pace to do a feel-good musical starring Jamie Foxx. She takes on the role of the warm-hearted, selfless girl with aplomb and she’s pretty easy to love as a protagonist.
The story is adapted to a more modern environment, moving Annie and her friends from an orphanage to a foster home and unfortunately replacing Carol Burnett with Cameron Diaz. She’s fine but she’s no Carol Burnett. And the millionaire Daddy Warbucks is updated to cell phone mogul/mayoral hopeful Will Stacks. Like so many kids’ movies these days, the main grown-up is learning that work isn’t everything and sometimes the thing that makes you happiest is right in front of your face.The least plausible part of this movie is the story of Stack’s political advisor, the bad guy who will stop at nothing to get his boss elected, even if it means destroying Annie’s life in the process. It’s your out-of-the box villain whose greed is comically inflated.
Nevertheless, my kid had a great time watching this and I was drawn in despite my initial reluctance. Great family movie to watch on a weekend night.
Movies in Bed: I AM ZIM!!!!!!
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Invader Zim has been around for a long time. Zim-related products have overwhelmed the Hot Topic employees for years. Everyone who has watched the show knows it’s because GIR is amazing. Zim is pretty great, but GIR is where it’s at.
This Nickelodeon cartoon was created by Jhonen Vasquez, which seemed highly unlikely seeing as he was previously known for his very good, but very disturbing comic Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. Zim is a horse of a different feather. He is a very egotistical but highly inept alien from the planet Irk. Their purpose is to dominate other planets. Eager to get rid of Zim for good, this leaders, the Tallest, send him on a wild goose chase to the far end of the universe. Each invader is armed with a robot warrior servant but in Zim’s case they filled its head with garbage. And so is born GIR, the dopiest, funniest, cupcake-loving robot companion you ever will see.
When they arrive on Earth, Zim disguises himself as a human child “I am normal! Nothing to see here! I am a normal human doing human things!” and GIR as a dog, zipper visible in the front plain as day. The only thing stopping him from taking over is Dib, the one person who sees through Zim’s disguise.
This is a super fun cartoon for grown-ups and adults alike. Word of warning though: if you are squeamish, there are a few episodes with a very high “ick” factor, so beware. My son loves this show but to be honest, I was watching it years before he was born. Available streaming on Amazon and surely for sale as well. Enjoy!
Movies in Bed: Back to the Future
Post by Mark T. Locker.
1985! 1985! Such a cool and modern time! That was thirty years ago. THIRTY YEARS AGO. We had a sick day earlier this week and were looking for something awesome to share with the boy. I’d been thinking about Back to the Future, since, as we all know, this is the year that Marty and the Doc travel to in Back to the Future II. People have been scrambling to make that future vision a reality, from really unimpressive hoverboards to Nike’s Air Mag with self-tying laces. All that is well and good, but if you are going to start fresh, you have to start at the beginning.
November 5, 1955!
I can’t say how many times I have watched that movie. Apparently a lot because I can recite most lines from memory. I like this movie because it’s totally fun and it’s harmless. There are a couple words in it I had to gently remind my child that he is not allowed to say. But overall the whole time travel/awesome car/action movie was not lost on the kid at all. He even has a puffy vest like Marty McFly is wearing when he goes back to 1955! Whenever he wears it, I say, “Hey kid, why you wearing a life preserver?” It’s great fun.
If you haven’t watched it in a while, Back to the Future is still a pretty fun thing to watch. It’s classic Steven Spielberg good times, from the same era of E.T. and The Goonies and Raiders of the Lost Ark. What better way to wrap up a long day than with a trip back in time, in a meta-nostalgic movie, in a sweet DeLorean?
Movies in Bed: Spy Kids: All the Time in the World
Post by Mark T. Locker.
There are a lot of things to be amazed by in this movie. Or rather, in the fact that this movie even exists. This is the fourth movie in the Spy Kids franchise. FOURTH! Amazingly, Robert Rodriguez is still at the helm of this sinking ship. Okay, let’s be fair: kids will probably like this if they like Spy Kids. It’s full of kids single-handedly battling malevolent forces. It’s got potty humor. It’s got gadgets. My son thought it was a perfectly acceptable movie. The premise is that Jessica Alba is a retired spy, trying to raise a baby and be a good step-mom. Unfortunately, the bad guys have their own plans and what was supposed to be quick drop-off turns into a disaster when the children come under attack. So clock-faced criminal who is striving to control the flow of time is after them and needs the pendant Jessica Alba gave her step-daughter in an attempt to connect with the surly adolescent. It’s more than just a pendant. It’s something very powerful and the baddies are determined to get it. Action ensues. The faithful dog begins talking because he wasn’t actually a dog at all! He is voiced, inexplicably, by Ricky Gervais. I wonder what crime he committed to be committed to this movie. Also surprising is the other actors who agreed to be in this. Joel McHale, Jeremy Piven. Even Carmen from the original movies returns, this time as an adult.
It’s available on Netflix and if you have a restless kid trying to while away the hours during a spring rain shower or two, you may as well put this one on.
