An Affair to Remember (1957)

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I have been meaning to watch this movie for so long. After hearing it referenced in both Sleepless in Seattle and Gossip Girl, I knew it was time I finally sat down and watched a movie about an affair that I would most definitely remember. 

Nickie Ferrante and Terry McKay both have lives that seem to be set. Both with significant others and two very separate lives, Nickie and Terry couldn't be more different. But the two can't help but fall in love as they continuously run into each other on the cruise they've individually taken. They agree to meet six months later at the top of the Empire State building, but will they?

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Gosh, this movie was so good. The beginning was so fun and light hearted and I absolutely loved Nickie and Terry falling in love. The settings were gorgeous and their outfits divine. Their bantering was adorable and I loved how they were continuously running into each other on the cruise to the point where they just gave in and decided to be friends. That's what was so great about this romance too- they were actually friends before anything else happened. They flirted, teased, and really got to know each other before they suddenly realized how deeply they had fallen for each other. How romantic is that? 

Of course, there comes a time when the light-hearted banter falls away to real life and real issues that test every relationship. I don't want to give anything away, but this movie definitely tugs on the heart strings and will have you yelling at your television. I was so emotionally invested in their relationship and could not take my eyes off the screen. I think I've found a new favorite movie and I definitely recommend An Affair to Remember to anyone who loves old movies and romances that last a lifetime. 

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Hugo (2011)

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When Hugo came out in 2011, I had absolutely no interest in seeing the film. What could be so entertaining about juvenile film about a little boy who lives in a train station? I couldn't have been more wrong. Little did I know, this film was an homage to the beginning of cinema and George Melies. Ever since I started taking film studies classes when I added my film studies minor, I have become fascinated with all things film. My professor in my history of film class brought up Hugo multiple time when we were talking about the birth of cinema, so I knew I had to see the movie. 

In 1930s Paris, Hugo Cabret has been living in the walls of the train station ever since his father died, leaving him an orphan. Determined to fix an automaton his father was working on, Hugo uncovers secrets he had never known had existed while finding a true friend along the way. 

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This movie was just…magical. I can't think of a better word to describe the world that Martin Scorsese has created with this little boy living in a train station. I absolutely adored Hugo and his obsession with tinkering and fixing his father's automaton. The world he lives in is so whimsical, fantastic, and adventure-filled from the very beginning of the movie. I was fascinated with his life and was immersed in his journey towards unlocking a secret that ended up having to do with the birth and magic of cinema. 

Since I had already learned about George Melies in my film history class, it was fascinating being able to watch his story unfold as if it were currently happening. I've actually already seen A Trip to the Moon twice, so I loved how I was able to see them "discover" such an important piece of film history. The recreation of Melies' filming of his movies was simply magical and I was mesmerized with the film history being portrayed in this film. I was able to pick up on a bunch of references to other early silent films as well, which made the experience of watching this film that much more magical. 

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Any fan of film history absolutely has to see this film. Scorsese truly honors Melies and his contributions to film history in a fun, unique way. The story created around Hugo Cabret's life is impossible not to love and I know I'm not going to forget that little boy anytime soon. For a magical story about a boy who likes to tinker and discovers the magic of cinema, you have to watch Hugo. 

Independence Day (1996)

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Every July 4th, my family and I have one tradition we never ever break: Watch Independence Day. I have seen this movie so many times that I've lost count. What better way to celebrate America's day of Independence than with some Will Smith and alien invasions? 

Thought to at first be meteors, an alien invasion has begun on Earth. With the aliens all but obliterating major cities around the world, the human survivors are determined to find a way to save their planet. After the aliens'  initial attacks, the humans set off towards Area 51, a place the government has been testing on the aliens they've managed to capture. July 4th becomes the day where people from all walks of life come together and fight the aliens for their independence. 

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This movie is just too cool. It takes the cliche alien invasion storyline and creates an iconic movie that has stayed in my heart for almost as long as I've been alive. I love how there are so many characters that are well developed throughout this movie so that you really end up caring for all of them. You have David, the ex-scientist, with his wife who he's been having relationship problems with (who also just so happens to be Eleanor Waldorf from Gossip Girl). Then, you have Steven (Will Smith), who is in the marines and isn't sure if he wants to marry his girlfriend who's a stripper and has the most adorable son and dog ever. Oh, and then there's the president, who's just awesome. If Bill Pullman ever ran for President, he'd definitely have my vote! All of the characters had interesting, complex story lines that helped create such a heart-pumping movie. 

While this is definitely a serious movie where people die and others give some gut-wrenching speeches, I love the funny moments thrown in to lighten things up. Will Smith is hilarious and I love the kick-butt attitude he brings to every role he plays in his movies. Sure, there are aliens that are threatening to kill off the characters we've grow to love throughout the movie, but you have such faith in the characters and expect that everything will eventually be all right. You don't know how, but you know that the American heroes in this movie are going to do everything they can for our beloved Independence. You just can't go wrong with a Fourth of July classic like Independence Day!

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X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

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As huge X-Men fans, my sister and I just had to see the new movie as soon as it came out. We were excited by the idea that the young characters from X-Men: First Class were going to be mixed in with the characters from the regular X-Men movies. Not to mention we were going to get some more James McAvoy in our lives…how could we resist?

With killer robots called Sentinals hunting down and destroying mutants and any human who helps mutants, the X-Men know that they have to find a way to save their race. The only solution, though, is sending Wolverine back to the 1970s to stop Mystique from creating a war between the humans and the mutants. The only way to stop her, though, is by bringing together the young Professor X and Magneto, two men who are in much darker places in their lives than they've ever been before. Can Logan save their future or are the mutants destined to forever be the enemy?

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I had expected this movie to be awesome, but man, it was awesome. I absolutely loved how we got to see some of the characters from the original X-Men movies that I feel like I haven't seen in forever. What was more enticing, though, was how lost Professor X was in the past. He was nowhere near being the insightful, powerful man he is in the future. Instead, he was lost and had no faith in himself or his powers. Watching his struggle to come to terms with his paralysis and responsibility to the mutant race was so powerful and made me appreciate Professor X that much more.

And you know what? This movie had some pretty funny parts! I was definitely not ready for it, but there were moments that were quite clever and had me actually laughing out loud in the theater. I don't want to spoil it, but I loved how the serious was shaken up with some comedy so that the movie wasn't too heavy and was abel to have some variety.

Honestly, what more is there to say? This movie had all of the dynamic characters I fell in love with in the other X-Men movies, but they were all balanced out so that the film wasn't cluttered with too many powerhouse characters. Oh, and let's not forget that Peter Dinklage pops up in this movie as a pretty important character vying to rid the earth of mutants. It was so weird seeing him in the real world setting and not in the world of Game of Thrones!

Logan's journey to change the future definitely had me on the edge of me seat and I never knew how things were going to go in the past. Every X-Men fan needs to go out and see Days of Future Past. Though it may seem this franchise has been overdone with all of the movies that have come out, this one is by far my favorite! So go out and see it now! You're missing out on a fantastic movie that gives you all of the familiarity you love, but with a new, exciting story.

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The Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

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Wow, what a movie. My dad has been wanting to see this movie ever since we saw the trailer for it. We finally had the chance to go see it two weeks ago and it was amazing. Seriously. My family loves any kind of action movie, so it's no surprise that my dad, sister, and I all loved Tom Cruise's newest film. 

With the biggest battle in the war against the aliens taking over Earth fast approaching, Officer Cage finds himself forced onto the front lines. As a man who would rather work the politics and not partake in the action, Cage will do anything to get out of the battle. But when he storms the beach of France with the other soldiers, there's no chance of survival. The moment he dies, though, Cage finds himself in a time loop where he wakes up at the same moment every time he dies. As he relives the day, Cage's skills as a fighter grow and when he teams up with the greatest warrior of the battle, there may be hope of defeating the enemy after all. 

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Like I said, what a movie. Going in, I was really worried about the whole time loop aspect of this film. Would I get tired of Tom Cruise living the same day over and over again? When it happened in Groundhog Day, I was so ready for the movie to end because it became redundant and boring. This movie was definitely not boring! There was the perfect amount of repetition in the day that was lived over and over again, so that you got to see the new stuff and only sometimes watched the exact same events happen. I also think that the action helped too. As a movie about a war with aliens, there is definitely never a dull moment. All of the humans get to wear these intense robot-like uniforms to help them try to defeat these super quick, killer aliens. The gadgets were cool and the action intense.  

The references this movie made were so well done and really made the movie. The battle that Tom Cruise is going in alludes to D-Day when the US stormed the beaches of Normandy. It was clear they were going to have to sacrifice a lot of lives before they made it to shore in order to even hope to defeat the aliens. And while it had the same sort of idea as Groundhog Day with the repeating of the day aspect, Edge of Tomorrow really executed the repetition well. Also, I loved Emily Blunt's kick-butt character. She really was a warrior, which also made her a very closed-off, hard-headed person. Her relationship with Tom Cruise was very interesting and I really enjoyed how Cruise's character grew and built up to her level of skill and determination. 

Overall, this was a phenomenal movie that kept my attention for every single minute. Action packed, but also full of character development and intensity, Edge of Tomorrow is a movie every sci-fi/action fan has to see!

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Pretty In Pink (1986)

I'm pretty sure I was born in the wrong decade. Seriously…the hair, the clothes, the music? Yeah, I am definitely an 80s teen at heart. I think that's why I'm absolutely obsessed with every single John Hughes movie. They capture teen angst so perfectly. I wasn't a big fan of Pretty In Pink when I first saw it a couple of years ago, but I absolutely loved it the second time around.

Andie has always found her place among the outcasts at school, wearing hand-made clothes and working at the record store. So when rich-boy Blane starts to show interest, Andie must choose between her best friend who's in love with her, and a guy who should be way out of her league, but has ended up stealing her heart.

How awesome are those clothes? I so wish I could raid Molly Ringwald's closet for every 80s movie she was in. I about died when I saw those floral pants she wore. Love them. And those glasses? I wish those were still in, because I would so rock them. Haha, why did 80s fashion ever go out of style??

I love how Andie made most of her clothes from thrift store finds. I would love to be that creative and have a style that was uniquely my own. Yeah, people made fun of her in the movie, but they were the rich annoying people who shouldn't even matter. Andie had an awesome fashion sense that I was completely jealous of. I wasn't a big fan of that pink dress at prom at the end, but her gorgeous floral pants definitely made up for that.

 

Can we just take a moment to discuss how awesome Duckie is? Please? He is so gosh darn sweet. That scene where he sang the song to Andie in the record store was too perfect. It's so sad how much of himself he gives for love, only to never have it returned. I'll love you, Duckie!

If you can't tell already, I love this movie. The quirky characters, insane clothes, and angsty storyline give everything you could ask for from a movie. Check it out on Netflix to see for yourself! Now I can't wait to experience some more John Hughes love with Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Some Kind of Wonderful. Marathon, anyone?

Monkey Business (1952)

Another Marilyn movie for me! Though, I don't understand why she's on the cover of the movie poster, seeing as she's more of a secondary character…but Monkey Business was such a cute, old comedy and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Barnaby has been looking for the perfect combination to finally make the fountain of youth pill for his company. When a monkey they're experimenting on gets loose and messes with the chemicals, he creates a formula that gets accidentally mixed into the water cooler. Barnaby gets a dose of the mixture and starts to act like a teenager again, buying a new shiny car and going roller skating with his pretty secretary. His wife takes an even larger dose, and proves that the more you take, the younger you act. Their relationship is put to the test as they try to figure out exactly how they got the formula to work.

Like I said, this movie was so much fun. While it dealt with the difficulties and trust issues in marriage, there was a lighter edge to it when the characters started to act younger and younger. And look at how adorable that monkey is! He would cuddle up with Barnaby and be the cutest darn thing. Who could be mad at something with a face like that?

I thought it was fun when Barnaby spent the whole day he felt like a teenager with Marilyn Monroe's character. He was so uptight and out of it in the beginning of the movie, and he really let go when he took the solution. He drove his new car like a maniac and did all of the things his body couldn't do anymore when he was older. Then, when his wife started acting like a 12-year-old, things got even crazier. She was playing pranks left and right and wearing her now normal-aged husband out. Who knew having a wife could be so tiring?

 

The youth solution definitely put Barnaby's relationship with his wife to the test, and brought them closer. Even though old insecurities about past boyfriends/relationships resurfaced when they were "younger" thanks to the solution, Barnaby and his wife learned just how valuable their relationship as a married couple really is.

Screwball comedies are definitely becoming one of my favorite genres to watch. They're so simple and fun, and I can't get enough of them! Check out Monkey Business on Netflix now to get a good old dose of Marilyn Monroe and realizing youth isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Two words: Marilyn Monroe. It's so random, but I have a serious obsession with her right now. All I want to do is sit on Netflix and watch every single movie she's ever made. I had seen Some Like It Hot about a year ago and loved the movie, but I didn't have an itch to watch all of her movies. Now, that's all I want to do!

The first movie I decided to start out with is The Seven Year Itch, which is about a man who's family goes away for summer vacation while he stays at home and is tempted by his gorgeous new neighbor. The style this movie is told is so fun and I love how the main character Richard just talks to himself throughout the entire movie. He's happy that he can drink and smoke all he wants with his wife and son not around, but his wife's presence is still always there in the back of his mind. While he seems crazy at times, Richard's loyalty to his wife of seven years is put to the test with his tempting new neighbor, who happens to be none other than the gorgeous Marilyn Monroe.

Marilyn is so pretty in this movie, and her character is just too adorable. While she still plays the typical dumb blonde who is praised for her beauty, her character (who I don't even think has a name) simply wants a friend who isn't going to hit on her or propose to her. And what better friend is there than a married man, a man who already has a wife and couldn't possible propose? Marilyn is so much fun, from her chips and champagne, to her love for Richard's air conditioner. I knew I was going to laugh every time she walked into Richard's apartment.

Aside from Marilyn, my other favorite aspects of this movie were the colors and 1950s style. I loved Richard's apartment and office, and how colorful everything seemed to be. There were blues, pinks, greens, and yellows that all seemed to pop on screen. Then, the outfits the women wore were great. From their hair and glasses to their dresses and shoes, the style captured the 50s era and reminded me why I love it so much.

And can I just say, I love all of the books in Richard's apartment. He has a big bookcase making up his back wall that is stacked full of books. Then, he has books lining the staircase that leads to nowhere on the other side of his living room. I would sure love to live in an apartment like that!

 

I had no idea the famous dress scene was in this movie, so I was completely surprised when Marilyn stepped over the grate with her flowy white dress and it blew up in the breeze. She just wanted to cool off in the insane New York heat! Haha, but this scene was, as her character always is, completely cute and fun. I wish I could live such a carefree life, strutting around in gorgeous outfits and only having to worry about air-conditioning.

Overall, while there wasn't much to the plot, The Seven Year Itch was a cute movie with some great actors. I loved the playful nature of the characters and the unique portrayal of Richard's character. You'd think he was crazy from how much he talks to himself, but the comical nature of his relationship with his new neighbor makes his banter with himself just another funny aspect of the movie. For a short and sweet movie with the magical touch of Marilyn Monroe, go ahead and check out The Seven Year Itch on Netflix!

Rent (2005)

You guys, how have I not seen this movie until now? I know so many songs from this film and I know the gist of the story, but I never actually sat down and watched it. And I was absolutely blown away by it! The singers in this movie were so powerful, and the message the film portrayed about AIDS and love was unforgettable.

Rent is the film version of an award winning musical that depicts the lives of various performers who live in New York City. These unique individuals all deal with troubles including poverty, love, and AIDs, and their stories prove just how significant one life can be to the lives of all of the people surrounding them.

First off, can I just say I had no idea that Idina Menzel was in this movie? I texted my sister amazed when I first saw Idina on screen and my sister was basically like, "Duh." Guess I never really paid attention to this movie until now! I absolutely love Idina Menzel (we already know how incredible her voice is…) and thought her character was fantastic . Well, all of the characters were fantastic. How can one movie have a cast of such amazing characters with such complex personalities? I loved all of them! The way they interacted was so interesting and they all had an important role in each others' lives. 

Not only were the characters great, but so were the songs. My favorites were definitely Tango: Maureen, Out Tonight, and the opening version of Seasons of Love. The scenes were so fun and the way the music is interwoven into the story makes everything so much more interesting and fascinating. There were definitely serious aspects of this movie considering it's about poverty and AIDS, but there were lots of fun moments that gave the movie a lighter edge. And there were so many songs. I'm not used to a musical having songs practically very five minutes of the film. As a fan of musicals, though, I loved the constant singing and performances put on. 

I was so surprised how connected I was to the relationships among the various characters. Whether they were between two women, a man and a woman, or a man and a drag queen, I was invested in every single relationship of this film. By the end, I wanted to bawl my eyes out as each relationship went through their individual trials. They have to deal with cheating, drugs, and disease, and it just hurts seeing them hurting. You come to love these characters, and seeing them fall apart after you had so much hope for them just crushes you. There is so much emotion in this story that it's easy to forget that your watching a movie and these people aren't actually real. As your experience their troubled journeys through life, their stories become as real as your own. 

My first experience watching Rent will definitely not be my last. Not only is it my favorite genre (musical), but it also contains an incredible cast portraying incredible characters on an emotionally unforgettable journey of trying to make it in New York. If you haven't already, you definitely have to watch this movie. Catch it on Netflix right here!