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DVD Review: To Kill A Mockingbird

Books I Have Read, Entertainment, movies, Reviews No Responses »

Jan 212012

Every once in a while you just have to watch or read a classic. New stuff is always fun, but the classics are time-tested lessons the whole world has shared. I was so pleased when Universal sent me a preview copy of the To Kill a Mockingbird 50th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy] starring Gregory Peck to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of Universal.

I have not watched To Kill A Mockingbird since I was young and was anxious to watch it again as an adult to glean more of a message. I am also inspired to re-read the book, and have put it on my library list.

Mita and I cozied up on an icy day when the rest of the family were on a snow hike. We popped some popcorn and watched the movie together. I love watching old movies with the kids. Being a black and white film, long beginning credits and the length of the movie itself are a history lesson.

To Kill A Mockingbird is a movie filmed in 1962 and was based on the novel of the same name that was written by Harper Lee. Set in the deep south in the 1930′s Atticus Fitch, a single father, is appointed to be the defense attorney for an accused black man. The story is shown through the prospective of Atticus’ children, and covers far more than the racial divides of the day. For example the topic of a neighbor with a mental delay/illness shows us how people with special needs were treated and feared in that time. The poverty of the depression is shown throughout as is the mourning a family without a mother is noted upon.

I will not give away the story as it is such a powerful one, I do recommend watching this movie and reading the book if you have never done so before. A great movie to watch with your older children. It was great to watch with Mita and point out how things were just 100 years ago. The jury in the courtroom consisted of twelve, white men. The courtroom only allowed blacks in the balcony and the use of the n word and calling grown black men boy was very noticeable.

To Kill A Mockingbird hits the stores January 31st in DVD and Blu-ray. The extra features include a conversation with Gregory Peck, and his Academy Award acceptance speech for Best Actor. I enjoyed watching the Scout Remembers feature and seeing Scout all grown up and learning the story of how she was chosen to act in the film. The book,To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary Edition is now available at Amazon.

(Disclosure: I was provided with a preview copy of To Kill A Mockingbird from Universal Home Entertainment for my honest review. No other compensation was received. Amazon links are affiliate links.)

Movie Review: Breaking Dawn

Books I Have Read, Entertainment, Hubby, It's all about me!, Mom's Free Time 1 Response »

Nov 212011

I saw Breaking Dawn on Sunday with Hubby. Please don’t tell my friends because I went without them. If said friends are reading this I will go with you and see it again, so please don’t hate me!

Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final book in the Stephanie Myers Twilight Saga, just to bring you up to speed if you are not up on the sparkly vampire series. This book is being split into two different movies (a la Harry Potter 7) and what just came out was part one. My review is more of a book made into a movie review than a movie review, as the books are usually my first love. If you have not read the books the rest of this will have spoilers, just to warn you. If you have read the book, I won’t give away any movie secrets. Though I will tell you they threw something in the beginning that was so book one I was a bit miffed, but I think it was done for the non-readers to catch them up a bit.

The movie begins with the wedding. This wedding has to be the best movie wedding I have seen in a long time…if not ever. The wooded scene with simple white flowers, the way they said their vows like they were the only people in the world, the silly and sappy wedding speeches were all perfection. I did not cry by the way, but I did hear some sniffling in the theater.

Of course Isle Esme was as beautiful as I imagined in my mind, though the white room wasn’t as white as it should have been. The honeymoon went pretty much per the book and I will not go into detail..ahem.

Bella’s pregnancy through the delivery was portrayed quite well. They really made Bella look sick and emaciated. The house (which I adore) was a big part of this movie as they spent a long time in it. It is not set up how I imagine it in the book and my mind kept thinking the rooms could have been more dramatic and kept the family closer, but that’s just my mind playing tricks I guess.

Edward looks better in this movie than the other three. All of the vampires have lost some of the ultra-heavy makeup and don’t have that startled look they once had. For those of you that don’t know me, I am Team Edward, but the book Edward, not the movie Edward (sorry Robert Pattison, but you will always be more of a Cedric Diggory than an Edward Cullin). In the movie I find Edward to be more human than ever. His character has grown and he seems less demanding than the first few books/movies. He seems to be more angry at Bella than himself in the movie, while in the books he is angry more at himself and what he has allowed to happen.

Jacob. Poor, dear Jacob. The film did well with portraying the book Jacob. The wolves were more involved in the movie than ever and it was done well. I won’t go into details but there was some changes from the book, but they were done to make the movie more action packed and the changes didn’t bother me.

I adored this movie. It made me happy. Yes. I know it seems lame to some, but oh well! Some people watch reality/tabloid TV and I enjoy sparkling vampires…life goes on for all of us!

I will give you Hubby’s review. Hubby has seen all the movies now, just because he kinda likes me ;) He didn’t like this one as much because he said it there was too much time in the house and not as much action. Then there was the imprinting part… he laughed. Out loud. In the theater. I think if there was any chance he would ever enjoy the series, it was lost at that moment. He doesn’t get it!

There is more blood and gore this time around, not horrible, but enough to warn you!

Go and see if you are so inclined and tell me how you liked it!

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