Post by Mark T. Locker.

Do big hammers make you sleepy? Do you long to dream of swarthy Scandinavians with flowing tresses? Are battle scenes your favorite thing to drift off to? Do you like Natalie Portman? If you answered “yes” to, oh, two or more of the above questions, then you should watch Thor tonight cuddled under your duvet.

I used to get really excited when the next superhero movie was coming out, but now there is a new one every few weeks. Some are pretty good and some are pretty bad. This one was fun, though a bit sillier than I go for in a movie (see Thor smash glass! See Thor misunderstand some simple Earthling concepts!) but if you are looking for beefy men, stuff getting smashed, and lots of fancy shiny armor, then I think you’ve found your next Friday night movie.

Tags: bed, bedroom, Charles P. Rogers, Movie Reviews, Thor

Post by Mark T. Locker.

If you are looking for a movie that Angry Birds has built a game theme around, look no further than Rio, the most recent (I think) release from the creators of Ice Age.

So, it’s probably pretty obvious I’m a parent, isn’t it? I am yammering about the creators of Ice Age, for crying out loud! However, as a parent, I’m not crazy about movies featuring lots of fighting and explosions like superhero movies, and the more saccharine and meaningful message-y a movie gets, the more I want to gag. Rio is neither of those. It’s about birds and propogation of a species (but not in a dirty way) and it’s got Tracy Morgan as a bulldog. And Will.i.am as a rapping bird. As far as kids’ movies go, this one is pretty fun. Mind you there is a bad guy (or bad cockatoo, in this case) but it’s not scary, not violent, not dumb. If I want family movie night to be bearable, I need a movie we can ALL tolerate. My boy laughs at the stupid parts, I laugh at the actually funny parts and everyone is happy.

Tags: Charles P. Rogers, Children, family, Movie Reviews, Movies, Rio

Post by Mark T. Locker.

Last week, I got a twinge of nostalgia for my favorite Saturday morning TV shows and decided, using my son as an excuse, to get my hands on some episodes of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, courtesy of my neighborhood library. (Support libraries!) The show is far weirder than I recalled it being, but my boy loves it. I actually love it (well parts of it, at least) but it got me thinking about Pee-Wee’s chef d’oeuvre, the immortal Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.

Now, if you haven’t seen this movie, let us all take a moment in silence for your sad, sad soul. If you have seen it and dislike it, the same goes for you. The premise of this very silly movie is that Pee-Wee Herman, eternal child, has the awesomest bike you have ever seen. When it is stolen in broad daylight, he goes on a crazy mission to find his bike. From scary truckers to ex-cons to spoiled children, Pee-Wee has an incredible, and incredibly absurd, adventure. It’s got comedy! It’s got action! It’s got a cameo by Twisted Sister! Seriously, what more could you ask for in a Friday night family movie?

Tags: bed, bedroom, Charles P. Rogers, Children, family, Movie Reviews, movies in bed, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

Post by Mark T. Locker.

A couple weeks ago we discussed a classic Humphrey Bogart detective movie, The Maltese Falcon. This past week I had the opportunity to spend the night at a house on the Oregon coast. While the day started out unseasonably mild and nearly sunny, the wild wet weather swept in suddenly and ferociously. So while the rain and wind lashed the windows, we stoked the fire, filled our glasses with whiskey and pulled off the shelf another great Bogart classic, The Big Sleep.

The most interesting I learned while watching this movie was that it was the inspiration for another favorite of mine, The Big Lebowski. Now, I am not a movie scholar, I don’t “read” the movies or anything, so I haven’t really figured out what the parallels are. Whatever Philip Marlowe and The Dude have in common, it certainly isn’t clothing choices.

I like this movie for a few reasons: William Faulkner co-wrote the screenplay; Raymond Chandler wrote the novel; Humphrey Bogart is, well, awesome; and finally, two little words: Lauren Bacall. Need I say more? Watch it. It’s dark, sinister, mysterious, and exciting.

Tags: bed, bedroom, Charles P. Rogers, Movie Reviews, Movies

Post by Mark T. Locker.

Some people have no problem watching shoot ‘em up explosion movies right before going to sleep, but that would do something very wrong to my dreams (which are weird enough as it is). So while I am glad that I saw Super 8 in the afternoon, I’m sure some of you would be just as happy watching it under the blankets.

The story is about a bunch of kids in a small town in 1979 who are making a zombie movie on, yes, a Super 8 camera. When they accidentally record an insane, massively explosive train wreck, they uncover a military conspiracy complete with aliens and everything. With another eerily talented Fanning girl (Elle Fanning) the movie starts off very promising, but about halfway through becomes very, well, J.J. Abrams. Think Cloverfield minus the shaky camera. But if forty-five minutes of exploding cars and gunfire in the obscurity of a dimly-lit night doesn’t bother you, then totally watch this movie.

Tags: Charles P. Rogers, J.J. Abrams, Movie Reviews, movies in bed, Super 8