Putting the ‘F’ in Family Films

Marlon Wayans, star of the upcoming comedy horror “A Haunted House” opposite Essence Atkins and Cedric The Entertainer, is the inspiration for this week’s Monday Movie Meme. Wayans, who also wrote the movie, is known for collaborating with his siblings -- Keenen Ivory Wayans and Shawn Wayans, on box office hits including their “Scary Movie” franchise.

After thinking about how the Wayans brothers (and sister Kim) have turned their film interests into a family affair, the theme for the Monday Movie Meme became a no-brainer: Next of Kin.

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies created by or starring people who are from the same family tree. These relatives may a variety of hats such as co-directors, co-stars , writing/directing teams, directing/producing teams, etc. while also sharing a bloodline. Here are my selections for this week’s Next of Kin theme.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Angelina Jolie stars in this movie with her father John Voight but their roles aren’t much different from reality -- Voight plays Richard Croft, Lara’s father.

Menace II Society
Allen and Albert Hughes, widely known as The Hughes Brothers, both wrote and directed this urban tale about drug dealers in South Central Los Angeles. The Hughes Brothers, among the youngest acclaimed directors in the film industry, also directed “The Book of Eli” starring Denzel Washington and “From Hell” starring Johnny Depp.

The Puffy Chair
Siblings Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass -- also knowns as The Duplass Brothers -- share writing, directing and producing credits on this indie drama about a road trip, birthday surprise and eBay transaction gone wild. The Duplass’ collaborations with each other do not end behind the camera. Mark Duplass also stars in this movie alongside their parents, Cindy and Larry Duplass.

“A Haunted House” Opens Nationwide on January 11, 2013

What movies have YOU watched that either feature or were made by people from the same family?

Out Sick - Monday Movie Meme on Hold

Since I woke up in a lot of pain this morning and cannot seem to sit up for long without being overcome with nausea, I am not in a position to post a Monday Movie Meme at this time.

If my drugs start to kick in within the next several hours, I'll attempt assembling the graphics and content for this week's post. If I fall asleep before then, I'll see you all later. In the meantime, I finally rented "Gran Torino" on DVD but it started freezing last night, so I will have to try to stream it sometime this evening, if I'm up to it.

Hasta la vista, baby!

Lost Memories in the Movies

The theme for this week’s Monday Movie Meme comes to you courtesy of Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out. Arlee realized he couldn’t remember his favorite or most memorable Monday Movie Meme topic, to date. So, the theme goes like this: Lost Memories in the Movies.

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies about people who lose their memories. Simple enough, right? Here are my selections for this week’s Lost Memories in the Movies theme.

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind
While I have yet to watch this film (it’s still lingering in my DVD rental queue), it was among the first titles that popped into my head when thinking about Arlee’s “memory loss” theme suggestion. Actor Jim Carrey, who is also the current selection for The LAMB’s Acting School 101 series, stars in this sci-fi romantic drama about a couple who undergoes a procedure to erase their relationship from each others’ memory.

Resident Evil
Actress Milla Jovovich stars in this sci-fi horror movie about a former military operative named Alice who battles a supercomputer and zombies after an experiment goes wrong. Alice has amnesia and thus, does not remember her connection to the genetic research lab where the experiment took place nor does she remember much about their intentions -- but she soon finds out, especially in the sequels that follow this movie.

The Bourne Identity
Actor Matt Damon stars in this action crime film about a contract killer for one of the CIA’s black ops programs. The main character in this and the subsequent films “The Bourne Supremacy” and “The Bourne Ultimatum” fights for his life while trying to find out who he is by piecing together fragments of his past through flashbacks, confidential documents and information from people working with the CIA.

The Notebook
Duh! I really didn’t want to list this movie since it’s already been selected for previous Monday Movie Meme themes. However, it would be silly to not even mention a movie about a guy who reads to the love of his life, hoping that he can help her improve her memory, despite the fact that she has Alzheimers disease. I mean, to leave out “The Notebook” would just be plain ol’ disrespectful.

What movies have YOU watched that feature people who lose their memories?

Also, this is totally off-topic but...

Dale over at Smurfin’ the Web gave “Hart’s War” (starring Ethan Hawke and Bruce Willis) 3 out of 5 Smurfs in his Thanksgiving weekend movie review. Since then, the Smurfdok has gone all festive for the holidays, trading his signature design for reindeer, snowflakes and related colors for the winter. I’m diggin’ the seasonal look! I haven’t seen “Hart’s War” but it’s on my radar now.
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