Broke Ass People Movies

Oh, how time is flying. It’s a pleasure to start of the first week of October this year by hosting the Monday Movie Meme. Today, the tour stops here after Dale at Smurfin the Web had us traveling through our country last week for a fun-filled Monday. This week’s topic is Poverty. Bloggers participating in this week’s meme are welcome to write about movies that either feature characters experiencing financial hardship or have plot lines centered on the difficulties of making ends meet. Here are my selections of films that are on or below the poverty line.

The Local

Categorized as an action-drama, “The Local” is an independent film that someone recommended to me earlier this summer. The story follows a man who is pretty much down on his luck and has not accomplished much in life. He makes like $35 a day as some kind of errand boy, running drugs for a group of off-the-wall dealers and lives in the cold basement of a couple’s home. All seems to look bleak in his future until a wealthy businessman comes along and offers him a lot of money. Sounds good but there is just one catch.....he has to rescue the strung-out daughter of this businessman.

This poverty stricken man has to make a decision on whether risking his life for a total stranger is worth the cash or declining the offer and continuing in the current danger that is already present as he does illegal stuff just to get by. The associate who told me about this movie said it “looks like a documentary” where the production is concerned. I would agree but sometimes the scenes are far too shaky for me to even pay attention. The acting works for this type of story but the same type of performances would fall short in a similar crime drama such as “The Town” or even other gritty street stories like “The Local” stars Dan Eberle, who also directed this movie. Rent it, or hell....buy it....it’s only like $3 on Amazon!

Born into Brothels

This documentary tells the story of children in the Calcutta district who are taught photography skills, which help them go on to have more options for education and improving their lives. As always in real life, some of the childrens’ adult relatives influence the decisions that they make about staying in the same predicament or trying to whether to take advantage of the opportunities given to them. “Born into Brothels” is an inspiring movie and the main characters are children.....who can say no to that? Not me. Can you?

"Million Dollar Baby" was a runner up for this post but I already discussed this movie in more than a few previous posts on this blog, so it doesn't have to be repeated.

That’s all I have for now. If I think of any more throughout the week, I’ll add them to this post.

What movies come to YOUR mind on the subject of poverty or being broke?

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City Centered Movies in My Netflix Queue #GBE2 #amwriting #meme

Or shall I say, my Quickster queue? That’s a discussion for another day. It’s time for another stop on the Monday Movie Meme tour and this week’s topic title, courtesy of Dale over at Smurfin’ the Web is “The City’s The Place.”

Dale says:
The topic of this weeks discussion is movies that contain the name of a city in its title. Pretty simple really, but can you come up with some good ones? Lets see shall we?

After reading Dale’s post, it looks like another participant took all the good ones.....even ones that are set and were made where I live right now...so here are a few selections I came up with while quickly browsing through my movie rental list. These titles are from movies that I have not yet seen but want to watch sometime in the near future. I selected them to also keep in line with the Group Blogging Experience’s week #15 prompt: Longing while trying to get up to date after slacking off since the week of Growing Wild.

ATL
Set in City: Atlanta, Georgia

What is all the hype about? It is the same question I ask myself every time a friend, relative or acquaintance talks about this movie. Most people that I know who saw “ATL” enjoyed it and have good things to say about this movie. In fact, it is one of my cousin’s favorite movies but I just don’t understand what makes it so special. Maybe it’s the hip-hop/R&B music industry centered story that caused my confusion about it’s huge amount of support among movie goers, maybe it’s the fact that it is directed by a guy who has worked on more music videos and television commercials than films or maybe it’s the singers, rappers and video models in leading roles more than actors who make most of their living doing just that.....acting.

I didn’t want to see “ATL” when it was released in theaters because the movie trailer nor the cast made me put it in my weekend plans and if I never watch this film, I probably won’t wonder what could have been, but......it’s in my Netflix queue so that I can at least find out why people praise this movie.

If I must leave you all with one thing, it is that while these movies are currently on my Netflix queue, this does not mean I will get it from Netflix. I’m still going to rent them but it may be from another company or service depending on the title’s availability my schedule.

Jasper, Texas
Set in City: Jasper, Texas (but c’mon, you all knew that already, right?)

After watching a documentary called “Two Towns of Jasper,” I am interested in finding out if a Hollywood version does this true-life murder any justice. Sometimes, the producers get it right (hmm, maybe “Antwone Fisher,” anyone?) and in an attempt to add their own flair to it, sometimes they transform what actually happened into an absurd story that makes it almost offensive to those who lived through the reality of what a film is trying to represent.....you know, like “Pearl Harbor” (I still like this movie though, in a dramatic sense, from a Hollywood-ized, entertained viewer’s standpoint).

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Set in City: Tokyo, Japan

How, exactly does this film fit within the whole Fast & Furious film franchise? It’s set in Tokyo with a story that involves Japanese organized crime gang, Yakuza, which may make for an action-packed story aside from the race cars. I’ve never been too interested in watching “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” but added it to my Netflix queue anyway just in case I can compare the movie to others in the series and learn some new ideas for event costumes or decorations.

What movies with a City in their title would YOU add to this list?

Movie Characters in Need of Manufacturer Warranties #atthemovies #movierentals

Cheers to another Monday on the Monday Movie Meme tour. It's my turn to host again while Dale at Smurfin the Web gets ready for next week. This week's topic is BUYER'S REMORSE. Share on your blog movies featuring characters who purchased an item that later turned out to be more hassle than a great buy.

The purchased items in quetion in movies like this affect the characters lives in one way or another. These goods have usually become either annoying, tough to maintain, dangerous to the buyer or at the very least, cost the owners way more in the long run than what they initially paid to get it. Here are my movie selections for this week's Buyer's Remorse meme.

Child's Play

The parents in this film got more than they bargained for when their son's birthday gift turns out to be a little devious killing machine. Just like Andy did at first, many kids in real life would likely find it strange that their toys' can talk without batteries but may not take it too seriously because they find it a little cool at first. The Good Guy Doll, however, uses a pretty vulgar vocabulary that extends well beyond what's on the manufacturer's label.

It's not too far fetched to consider Child's Play to be among the classic horror movies because it's scary, doesn't rely on special effects as much as some modern day horror movies have and uses an everyday item (the Toy) as it's main subject instead of a fictitious monster or masked character, so I do place it among classics.

Panic Room

Jodie Foster and Forrest Whitaker stars in this suspense thriller where one of the biggest selling points that convinced a rich married couple to buy a new house becomes the very thing that the mother depends on to protect her and an ill daughter from a group of robbers who seem to become more dangerous by the minute.

The Amityville Horror (keep in mind that I only watched the 2005 version, so if the other ones differ in story, I have yet to notice)

A Brady Bunch-like couple's dream house turns out to be less than desirable when haunted forces on the property make their lives a living hell. I guess no one told these home buyers to consider that a mass-murder of the previous residents may more important than saving a buck on the low-low price before playing Deal or No Deal with the agent offer on this little house of horrors.

I don't know about any of you but I think the main characters in these movies may want to check out the seller's return policy!

Stay tuned for some tidbits from my travels and visit to the 15th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival, which screened some great short and feature length films this year.

What movies would YOU add to this list on Buyer's Remorse?

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