The Secret Life of Walter Mitty(2013)

The-Secret-Life-of-Walter-Mitty-

Directed By:

Ben Stiller

Starring:

Ben Stiller

Kristen Wiig

Plot Synopsis:

A day-dreamer escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker are threatened, he takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.

Review:

I haven’t gotten to go to the theatre too much since my daughter was born. I just don’t want to be that person. However over the holidays I was able to leave her with family while my husband and I went out. One of the movies we saw was The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Since I’d seen the preview I wanted to watch this, it was like a movie about what goes on in my brain. Only there were more explosions in the movie and less death. My husband wasn’t as enthusiastic but since I went to see a movie he wanted to see he went to this one as well.

Wow. I was not expecting to like this movie so much and neither was my husband. We both said, when leaving, that it was a must buy when it comes out. I will say I half expected the movie to be one of his fantasies and when I realized halfway through that it wasn’t I was happy and maybe a little bit jealous. I wish I could jump on a plane and just go somewhere, but there’s more than just my baby that’s holding me back on that one. Stupid money. Oh well, it was an awesome movie and I really wish more people had been as excited to see it as I was.

4.5/5

The Well of Lost Plots

the well of lost plots

The Well of Lost Plots By Jasper Fforde

Plot Synopsis

After two rollicking New York Times bestselling adventures through Western literature, resourceful BookWorld literary detective Thursday Next definitely needs some downtime. And what better place for a respite than in the hidden depths of the Well of Lost Plots, where all unpublished books reside? But peace and quiet remain elusive for Thursday, who soon discovers that the Well is a veritable linguistic free-for-all, where grammasites run rampant, plot devices are hawked on the black market, and lousy books—like the one she has taken up residence in—are scrapped for salvage. To make matters worse, a murderer is stalking the personnel of Jurisfiction and it’s up to Thursday to save the day.

Review

I liked this one better than Lost in a Good Book. Possibly because the characters from the Nursery Crime books make an appearance. In fact Thursday Next is staying inside of an early incarnation of the series which is an awesome idea. It’s like seeing the making of for The Big Over Easy. I wish the subplot of what’s going on with her husband would get resolved, and I thought the part where she was losing her memories was just shoved in there. It will probably play a larger part in another novel, but for now it was just there. Overall I still like the series, though not as much as Nursery Crimes, and I will continue on. I’m also still in awe over how creative Fforde is.

4/5 stars

Book two of my fifty books

Road House (1989)

roadhouse

Directed By:

Rowdy Herrington

Starring:

Patrick Swayze

Kelly Lynch

Sam Elliot

Synopsis:

A tough bouncer is hired to tame a dirty bar.

Review:

After almost nine years together my husband was recently surprised when I told him I hadn’t watched Roadhouse. Luckily for us it happens to be available to watch on Netflix Instant. It was pretty good. I saw lots of boobs, though he assures me some were fake. We both agree we couldn’t understand why anyone would want fake boobs that small. I made the mistake of turning away from the TV just seconds before Patrick Swayze’s butt was on screen. Since it’s such a hassle to rewind on the PlayStation I did not get to see it in all its glory. I did get to see his weird looking belly button though. Sam Elliot was in the movie, which I was unaware of, and was awesome. I love Sam Elliot he’s so manly. Swoon.

Liked the action, liked how ridiculous the story was, and **Spoiler** he rips a dudes throat out! Holy shit that was awesome, and while foreshadowed at the beginning of the movie, totally unexpected from the guy in Dirty Dancing.

3.5/5 stars

True Lies (1994)

movies-true-lies

Directed By:

James Cameron

Starring:

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Jamie Lee Curtis

Tom Arnold

Plot Synopsis:

Harry Tasker is a secret agent for the United States Government. For years, he has kept his job from his wife, but is forced to reveal his identity and try to stop nuclear terrorists when he and his wife are kidnapped by the terrorists.

Review:

I’ve watched True Lies a few times but it’s been a while. The other night it was on TV and even though it was edited all to hell I was still reminded what an awesome movie it is. It’s got good action, several laugh out loud moments, and Jamie Lee Curtis dancing in black sexy underwear. It doesn’t get much better than that.

With Hollywood’s love of sequels I wonder why this hasn’t gotten one? Is that something you’d be interested in? Reading more into it, it sounds like there was one in the works but no more.

4/5 stars

The Fourth Bear

fourth bear

The Fourth Bear By Jasper Fforde

Plot Synopsis

The Gingerbreadman—sadist, psychopath, cookie—is on the loose in Reading, but that’s not who Detective Jack Spratt and Sergeant Mary Mary are after. Instead, they’ve been demoted to searching for missing journalist “Goldy” Hatchett. The last witnesses to see her alive were the reclusive Three Bears, and right away Spratt senses something furry—uh, funny—about their story, starting with the porridge.

Review

Really loving this series, even more than the Thursday Next one. Jasper Fforde is ridiculously witty and can fit in so many nursery rhymes and literary references that I can’t help but smile every time I notice one. I wish could write as well as he does. Waiting for the next book will be difficult, in the mean time I will continue with all of his other books because that’s what I do when I find an author I like, I read their entire catalog.

5/5 stars

This was the first book I read this year so this is the first book in my fifty books.