Cue the Data! #MondayMovieMeme

Happy Monday, everybody!

I am happy to announce that Smurfin’ the Web and I will be co-hosting the Monday Movie Meme, which is currently on tour as The Bumbles gets settled with their new wonder....7 pounds 6 ounces and 21 Inches of Samuel Morgan G. who will often be referred to as Baby Bumbles in the future. This week’s topic is...... The Digital Wave - Movies featuring a plot that is centered on technology. Share your movie picks on your blog and visit your fellow Monday Movie Meme participants to read what they are offering up. To start things off, here are my Digital Wave selections.

Four Eyed Monsters

Arin Crumley and Susan Buice’s independent film is the epitome of this week’s digital wave topic, in so many ways. What started as an experiment became a humorous, inspiring, enlightening and sometimes depressing piece of art that has probably changed that way many people view not only movies but independently produced titles. “Four Eyed Monsters” is about finding new ways to communicate without talking to one another.

The main characters in this movie use video cameras, photos, artwork, handwritten notes and other forms of media to share their experiences and feelings. This movie was also made on digital video, combining video footage, drawings, music, text and other visual graphics to take audiences on an unforgettable journey through finding one’s purpose in life, dating, interacting with strangers through the social networking atmosphere and paying more attention to one’s surroundings.

Hackers

Angelina Jolie is one crazy woman, or so I thought when watching “Hackers,” a film that young teens who have a competitive nature along with that “us against the world” attitude will likely find entertaining. Next to her highly publicized marriage to Billy Bob Thorton, this movie was probably the first time that I learned about Angelina Jolie...the actress, not the superstar celebrity slash sex symbol.

I like her short hairstyle for the character that she played in “Hackers” and yes, this has nothing to do with the film but, so what. Fortunately, the computer whiz kids in this film use their skills for good or at least to try and track down the mastermind behind a computer virus and keep the cops off of their tail.

Live Free or Die Hard

Speaking of “Hackers,” Bruce Willis gets introduced to the world of technology in an inconvenient and explosive way as Justin Long’s “Live Free or Die Hard” character becomes the target of a n insane criminal who thinks that the world has to operate around his interests. It’s scary to imagine how a whole city can be shut down with various forms of technology and also interesting to watch the way Willis and Long navigate the whole computerized landscape using cell phones, laptops and crazy algorithms to save the country.

Swordfish

John Travolta, Don Cheadle, Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry star in this crime thriller about an anti-terrorist group who gets a hacker to steal billions of dollars from the government. Of all the movies listed here, “Swordfish” is the only title that I have yet to watch. I wanted to go see it when it was out in theaters years ago but then didn’t get around to it. As time passed, I lost interest in watching this movie out of concern that it might be corny, after reading other people’s reviews about it. Still, “Swordfish” has been sitting in my Netflix queue....far down in the queue, but in there nonetheless and maybe I will either remove it or just get it and play the darn thing in the background while performing other tasks.

When I think about this movie, I also get annoyed at the fact that it seems like audiences take notice of Halle Berry when she’s undressed or in vulnerable roles that arouse but lack much depth within the character. She gets a big payday for being topless in “Swordfish” and later earns an Oscar for having sex with a racist who executed her husband. Hmm...I guess these two performances stand out as a reflection of quality work in an industry where Berry has completed more than two dozen films...what a shame, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Which of these four movies do YOU think fits the Digital Wave the best?

What technology based movies would YOU add to this list?

Attention Monday Movie Meme participants: If you are on Twitter, use the hashtag #mondaymoviememe for comments, retweets and further conversation!

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The Other Side of Disneyland: Depressing Marriages in Film #GBE2 #MondayMovieMeme #MovieRentals

Hollywood may have the reputation for painting romantic relationships like a fairytale where someone gets swept off of his or her feet, married and then live happily ever after in love. Film always tends to have an impact on real-life relationships whether that was the writer, producer or director’s intention or not. Do I need to even mention that whole “The Notebook” fiasco where Ryan Gosling’s romantic gesture cost one real-life guy his fiance’s hand in marriage? Fortunately, there are films offering more practical stories on the big screen and thus providing a healthy balance of real-life scenarios that remind us all that not every relationship has a happy ending.

“Revolutionary Road” is one of these films and I am both appreciative and saddened to watch it this past weekend. I appreciate watching it finally because Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are actors whom I like in most of the films that they choose to star in. I also appreciate developing a different stance on abortion while watching this movie but that is an entirely different post and discussion to have altogether. For all of the aspects that I enjoy....and there are many that I won’t name here, “Revolutionary Road” still made me sad because I wanted the main characters’ marriage to get better, not worse.

The couple in this film had a relationship that was so unpredictable at times, it was like a seesaw. One minute, they are laughing and complimenting each other and the next minute, they are arguing and reminding each other of what makes them either regret or loathe their relationship and home. What makes matters worse is that these two characters are parents, so children are involved in the equation and it is a shame because the little ones always seem to suffer the most in the end. The big kicker in “Revolutionary Road” though is that no matter their problems, Frank and April Wheeler’s marriage did not end in a divorce. Unfortunately, divorce may have been a little easier for viewers.....and at least one of the Wheelers to handle.

*This post serves as my interpretation of this week’s Group Blogging Experience picture prompt and focuses on a film in honor of the Monday Movie Meme, which has been on a little hold upon the introduction of the oh, so precious Baby Bumbles.

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Summer Party Movie References #NaBloPoMo #MovieMeme #Blogging #amwriting

Today marks the official start of party week here at the Madlab Post. In an attempt to extend The Bumbles’ most recent monday movie meme “Summertime” topic, the first subject up for discussion is summer parties. When thinking of summertime, three parties come to mind.......cookouts (also referred to as barbecues), block parties and family reunions. Here is a list of movies that reference at least one of these various types of summer parties.

Cookouts & Barbecues
In John Singleton’s “Boyz ‘n the Hood,” Tre (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.) attends a backyard cookout hosted by the mother of his friend Doughboy (played by Ice Cube) to celebrate the son’s release from prison.

During the barbecue, there are moments of jealous bickering between girls who are attracted to Tre and become pissed to find out that he has a girlfriend who is in attendance. The guys sit around, play card games and discuss sex and STDs in between Doughboy’s recollection of his activities in the penitentiary.

Block Parties
The documentary, “The World’s Best Prom” is about all that comes to mind when thinking about block parties in the summer. It may not very well fit because the celebration highlighted in the movie is a parade but these things take place on the street, right? So, it works for me and for the purposes of this post. This documentary showcases the city of Racine, Wisconsin and it’s prom mania that is like no other in the country.

The parade kicks of the city’s celebration of their annual mega-prom that includes high school seniors from several schools and locals take to the streets before the planning of dresses, suits, red carpet entrances (yes, they go all Hollywood in this movie), transportation and post-high school goals get underway.

Family Reunions
In “Poetic Justice” (another John Singleton movie), Tupac Shakur and Janet Jackson play Lucky and Justice....two characters from slightly opposite sides of the tracks who crash a stranger’s family barbecue with their friends with plans on getting free food. Lucky even goes so far as to impersonate a fake cousin when approached by one of the family members at this reunion.

While they were able to get the free food and drinks, the friends are also given some unrequested scoldings on marriage and relationships by Maya Angelou. who basically calls the younger generations clueless. Their party crashing ends abruptly when members of the group get into a physical confrontation with one of the relatives.

What other movies fit into either of these three summer party categories?

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