Halloween weekend this year is an extended event. One thing I feel certain about is that there will be plenty of kid and adult parties.

 The other thing I am certain of is that some people will be hosting a huge horror film fest.

 Let me be honest – this is my least favorite genre. I get nightmares easily and these scary movies do me in every time. When 28 Days Later came out, I had to do some intense romantic comedy movie watching to get the images out of my head before bedtime.

 But that doesn’t mean I have thrown out the whole genre with the bath water. There are some excellent movies that have a horror/psychological thrill to them. What I am going to do is make ten (10) suggestions that range the ages for those people who want to watch scary – although not necessarily gory – movies.

 Let’s start for little, little kids. I am talking pre-school through third grade. These kids want to be like their older siblings but they cannot handle the more extreme scary movies. To allow a small child to watch the intense PG-13 or R rated horror/scary movies is child abuse in my book and it means a little work on the parent’s part to find the right type of scare for the various age groups.

 My fallback plan for pre-school to third grade ages is always anything (1) Scooby Doo. The stories focus on a monster, there are a couple of scary chase scenes and the capture of the villain. The newer animated movies and series have a ‘real’ spirit at times but it is never more than kids in this age group can handle.

 Another cute movie for this age group is (2) The Little Vampire starring Jonathon Lipnicki, that cute little boy from Jerry McGuire. The story is about a lonely little boy who discovers a vampire family has moved into his neighborhood. Soon, he is helping them find a way to end the curse that made them vampires. It is scary at bits but appropriate for the younger kids.

 When it comes to the pre-teens, they are thinking scary on the level of what you see on the Disney Channel. The scares here are a little more intense and in settings that are more likely to happen. This age group might like (3) Monster House which stars a young Mitchel Musso as the best friend to our protagonist. In this beautifully animated movie, a tweener boy realizes that the spooky house across the street might be something more. There are some great scary scenes, especially when the house ‘eats’ the rotten boyfriend.

 Another series I like is the (4) Goosebumps movies. I find they always focus on something that is very close to real life but the resolution comes quickly as well. Gotcha moments galore happen here but our lead characters tend to be relatable and likable.

 If you want to edge a tweener child into horror films start with the classics of (5) Count Dracula, 1931; Frankenstein, 1931; and The Wolf Man, 1941. These movies have some scary imagery without the big scares or the gore factor. They are fun and campy with a slight edge.

Now once kids get to those teenage years, you can take off the gloves. They know what they can and cannot watch if they do not want nightmares. Parents who came up during the 70s and 80s may want to share their love of the ’slasher’ movies with their kids. (6) Halloween, Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street are good, solid movies at their core. They have interesting premises with plenty of gotcha moments and interesting death scenes.

 A sub section of the horror genre that has become quite popular in recent years is the zombie movie. The classic series is (7) the Living Dead movies directed by George Romero. The dead have risen and are looking for something to eat – preferably your brains.

 But these are not the ones I love the best. Recent zombie movies have been fabulous for either being completely action packed or a humorous take on the genre or BOTH. I love 28 Days Later is one of the best zombie movies for the action and the reasoning for the virus in the first place. Shaun of the Dead has Simon Pegg trying to lead his friends to safety during a zombie invasion. It takes some well deserved jabs at the genre while still packing a few good scares.

 My latest favorite is Zombieland starring Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson as they travel across the country looking for other survivors and killing zombies. There are funny bits and serious bits mixed together with moments that are just wonderful. Maybe not as action packed as Resident Evil but what a movie.

 It is the monster that matters in some movies and one of the best is (8) Alien. Who can forget that big John Hurt’s moment or how Sigourney Weaver battles this thing? Sure, the movie has been made fun of over the years. But watch it again and let the terror wash over you.

 Another very satisfying monster is (9) Hannibal Lector. Anthony Hopkins made this cannibal appealing so that the audience actually likes him but he is a devastating killer. Smart, crafty with a polished air, Lector can fool you into a sense of well being. But every moment when you are not the hunter, you are the prey.  

 There is only one movie I consider the best of all scary movies and that is (10) Psycho from 1960, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The blood is chocolate syrup and the villain is who we least suspect. It is filled with drama, tense moments and a shuddering death. The music of that scene will forever remain as one of sharp, piecing noise.

 The best way to watch this movie is completely in the dark on the biggest TV screen you or a friend owns, and no one in the room is making a sound. The scariest part of this movie? Hearing the knife rip into flesh through the shower curtain.

 What are some of your favorite scary movies?

By Karyn Bowman

Last week we finally got the time to see Julie and Julia starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.

The husband and I loved the movie and found we were charmed by it more than expected.

Meryl Streep always impresses me on how she is still able to lose herself when playing some of these roles. I forgot who she was, forgot that Meryl is five-foot-six and played the six-foot tall Child. She had a presence of a larger woman.

The other amazing factor of this movie was the food. While there were not too many great presentations, there was the discussion and talk of preparation of those great recipes.

Yet there are other movies out there that go for the great presentation.  Have you ever seen Big Night with Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub as Italian immigrants who open a restaurant. The cooking is divine but customers are in low supply. That is when Tucci decides to make a grand gesture for one night using the last of their money to get the word out about their restaurant.

There are many wonderful small performances by Marc Anthony, Minnie Driver and Isabella Rossellini, who adds grace just by showing up. She must be one of the most beautiful women in the world. It makes me want to get Arborio rice and heat chicken broth to make a killer Risotto. Tucci and Shalhoub are fantastic – as always – as two brothers who love each other and have totally different temperaments.

Another movie that features food that is a good movie is Soul Food starring Vanessa Williams, Nia Long and Vivica A. Fox. The movie is about three sisters and their relationships with each other and the men in their life. Everything is thrown into turmoil when the matriarch of the family dies and no one knows where the mysterious stash of cash is held.

For the foodies in the audience, there are displays of soul food that makes one drool a bit. Corn bread made in a cast iron skillet, Mac and cheese from scratch. Yes.

But there are two movies out there that show food like no one else. The first is Eat, Drink, Man, Woman. Set in Hong Kong, it is the story of a chef and his three daughters as they navigate life. Every Sunday he makes a feast and the daughters eat. Sometimes there are announcements and surprises as each daughter slowly works her way into the independence of adulthood. Directed by Ang Lee, this is perhaps one of the few perfect movies in the world.

The last is the American version of this movie called Tortilla Soup starring Hector Elizondo. With his deep gravelly voice, Elizondo has managed to be sexy and reassuring no matter how old he is – which is now 73. In this movie we see him carving a pumpkin that is later used as a soup tureen.  He is also romanced by Raquel Welch and later announces a surprising romance of his own.

What all of these movies do is to inspire my cooking to be kicked up a notch. Sunday supper is a time in which we try new recipes and new techniques. Each child gets their turn to choose the menu and it has lead to some surprising successes. We have taken recipes from the internet (molten lava cake) and a Rachel Ray’s cookbook (grilled pork chops with a cherry sauce).

What’s next on the menu?  I am not sure but I know my husband has requested a repeat of Chicken Imperial, braised chicken in a mushroom, wine and cream sauce. Very French, very Julia Child.

Karyn Bowman is also known as Mom Goes to the Movies and wrote for The Daily Journal as their movie reviewer for over seven years. She lives in Kankakee County with her outdoor writer husband and four children. Become friends with Karyn on Facebook.

By Karyn Bowman

Every year someone writes the Top Ten Christmas movie list. And other people then comment on what treasured movie or another was left out. Holiday movies are a very personal issue.

I haven’t done one for a long while for that reason. Plus, I am always forgeting something that should have been there. However, this year I am giving it a go and then all of the readers can debate where I was wrong, where I was right and what should have been there instead. You could even leave a comment here or stop me in the grocery store the next time you see me.

I do have a few honorable mentions that are more in the romatic comedy genre with a holiday theme. Those are: Christmas in Conneticut (1947), Love Actually (2005) and While You Were Sleeping (1995). I also think Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town TV specials belong in honrable mentions as well. If my husband had his way, the segment of Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing The Little Drummer Boy would end up there, too.

Just so there is no mistake, this is in numerical order. Perhaps your order is different.

10. Polar Express (2004) has a beautiful soundtrack along with great voice work and tremendous cgi animation that is almost as beautiful as the book. Tom Hanks plays a variety of roles and makes it work.

9. Prancer (1989) tells the story of a young motherless girl who believes she is healing the leg of Prancer, who has gotten lost from the rest of the Santa’s helpers. It makes you want to believe.

8. White Christmas (1954) stars Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as a song-and-dance team who help out their former commanding officer save his Vermont inn with a classic “Lets Put on a Show” routine with Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.

7. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) is one of those Christmas specials that stick out because it reminds us about the true meaning of Christmas without getting preachy. It tells the story and does it well. Plus, that scraggily Christmas tree has become an icon.

6. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) allows us to spend time with Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and the whole gang one more time for Christmas misadventures. You will laugh so hard you will have tears forming as your guts is spasming in pain. And you won’t care that you are laughing that hard.

5. The Nativity Story (2006) directed by Catherine Hardwicke took me by surprise on the beauty of the cinematography and quality of acting. This re-telling of the Christmas Story will make you cry and realize how much this young couple had to overcome in order to bring God’s son into the world.

4. A Christmas Story (1987) Ralphie wants a very special Christmas gift but everyone around him tells him that he will shoot his eye out. That doesn’t stop Ralphie and nor should it you from enjoying this great slice of life movie about Christmas in the 40’s with an irascible dad and a long-suffering mother. The ‘tongue on the pole’ scene alone is worth the rental fee.

3. A Christmas Carol (1951) with Alastair Sim is the definitive version of this movie. He makes Dickens’ story of the miser who learns the true meaning of Christmas full of spirit and joy.

2. Miracle On 34^th Street (1947). So, you have an old guy state his name is Kris Kringle and he is the best store Santa, ever. Do you believe because of his unfailing kindness and ability to make you smile no matter what or do you doubt because of an unfeeling, cynical jerk tells you to.

1. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946). Let Jimmy Stewart charm you as the guy who wanted to get away from his small home town but instead builds it up throughout the years. When doubts get the better of him on Christmas Eve, Clarence the Angel helps him find his way back home with a little trip to what might have been. Bring the tissues along.

Karyn Bowman is also known as Mom Goes to the Movies and wrote for the Daily Journal as their movie reviewer for over seven years. She lives in Kankakee County with her outdoor writer husband and four children.

When it comes to romatic movies, there really needs to be two different classifications.

Those you watch with your male spouse and those you watch with your girlfriends. The truth that no one likes to admit is that some movies are just beter to watch with your girlfriends.

Is your guy going to sit with you for a Gone With The Wind viewing – more than three hours of Viven Leigh being vivacious, vicious and strong during the cival war and reconstruction era? Can you say that about a Bette Davis or Meg Ryan film fest?

And can’t we women say the same about the Predator series or a collection of Mel Gibson’s work that features his bloddiest and most violent work? Explosions and car chases all night is not that exciting unless it is Thelma and Louise getting back at the system.

While what follows is a list of movies that I think are good for couples to watch together on Valentine’s Weekend, it is certainly not written in stone.

10. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

9. Why Did I Get Married (2007)

8. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)

7. Return to Me (2000)

6. Brown Sugar (2002)

5. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

4. Tin Cup (1996)

3. Forget Paris (1995)

2. Bull Durham (1998)

1. Casablanca (1942)

What films would be on your top ten list of romantic movies for couples to watch together? Please leave a comment below.

~ By Karyn Bowman

Bowman is also known as Mom Goes to the Movies and wrote for the Daily Journal as their movie reviewer for nearly eight years. She lives in Kankakee County with her husband and four children. Her favorite genre is romantic comedy.

If you would like to submit a move, music or TV review for this blog, please email it to Denise Renckens.

By Karyn Bowman

I get! I finally get it!

I finally understand why people have flocked to Mamma Mia! last summer and why it is a very popular rental now.

Critics gave it a bad rating and many people avoided it. But what those men did not realize is this movie is all about fun. And I find it from two different perspectives.

The first is from older women, such as myself, who are remembering their younger days when they may have been wild and care-free. While part of us are glad those days are over, what has not been lost, just buried beneath job and child-raising responsibilities, is the spirit of our once-young selves.

I first watched this movie during a quilting time. Needless to say, not a lot of quilting was done that day. I laughed, I cried, I sang along. Even though I knew that Meryl Streep was too old for the part, she sure could have passed for 40. Pierce Bronson’s singing may have not been the best. But I appreciated a man – who waited for years to be Bond, finally became Bond, and then was kicked out of the part – willing to try something way out of left field.

For those of us who are no longer thin and young, it is refreshing – perhaps reassuring – to see people our age singing and dancing even though they have never done it before. It reminds us old fogies that we, too, can break out of our usual patterns.

The other perspective is that of the young girl who is getting married. She has worked hard to find out who her father might be and has narrowed it down to three men. But beyond that is her desire of doing what is right for her mother and what is right for herself. Will she stay on the island or go away to see the world?

Finally, it is in the party atmosphere of the movie with the wedding. It is joyful in young love that is so certain. It is the stress of making the day happen. It is the happiness of resolved issues and love renewed. Frankly, I am still amazed that Christine Baranski can move as well as she does, knowing she is closing in on 60 as well.

If anything, this is a girlfriend movie. Let the guys have their games and fun. Collect your best friends, park yourselves in front of the wide screen and getting ready to cry, to laugh, to sing along.

Karyn Bowman is also known as Mom Goes to the Movies and wrote for The Daily Journal as their movie reviewer for nearly eight years. She lives in Kankakee County with her husband and four children.

Saw Gran Torino over the weekend and honestly it is one of the best movies I have ever seen. I love Clint Eastwood and he did not disappoint. The writing was amazing, the acting by everyone, especially the young actors was perfect. All Clint had to do in many scenes was just give his infamous look and I was in awe. There are a LOT of racial and ethnic jabs so it is not a movie for the light hearted or easily offended. But the story that unfolded was beautiful and the ending……well I won’t give it away. You must go see it. 5 out of 5 stars

~ Elizabeth

Throughout my life, I have been both a reader and a movie nut. Rarely do I ever find a movie that I liked as well as the book upon which it was based. This past weekend, however, it happened … for the second time in my life, I liked the movie as much as the book when I watched Marley and Me.

The movie and book are both set around the life of writer John Grogan and his wife, family, and beloved if not four legged terrorist of a dog named Marley. From the day they bring Marley home to be a part of their family, he is a destructive but lovable little monster. Unlike most dogs, he doesn’t outgrow it as the puppy phase passes. With Marley, “puppy” doesn’t pass until the golden years when his body just won’t let him be a pup any longer. Until then, his life is one of destroyed furniture, shredded drywall, violating legs of friends, family, and furniture, being booted from obedience school, bailing out of a car window on the freeway (en route to neutering … no stupid dog, that Marley), and adventure beyond adventure.

What prompted me to read and love the book is the same thing that has prompted me to read and love the movie – I have a Marley. His name is Ande, and while he is smaller, he has led me through my share of neuroses (his, not mine), adventures, high speed 3 hour chases, destruction, and mayhem in the 2 years I have had him (I got him when he was two, this is no puppy now). I could relate to John Grogan’s life with Marley, laugh in empathy at his stories, and understand his love for a furry mongrel in spite of his antics. And just like the book, as the story of Marley’s life came to a close, I was reminded that, despite their antics, our animals bring a level of unconditional love and acceptance to our lives that no human can replicate. When the rest of the world wants to kick us, these little creatures want to love us … no matter what.

If you have, do, or will ever own a dog, I highly recommend both the book and the movie. It’s more than just a story about a dog … it’s an easily relatable insight into the same lives we all lead every day … frustrations with work, challenges with family, stressors of parenting, fears, sacrifices, and underlying it all, the unconditional adoration of a beloved pet, there for us when the world wants to trash us once again.

I must end my blog here … one of those precious creatures just put her chin in my lap now, furry face, brown eyes looking up at me, wanting nothing more than to have her ears scratched, for which I will be rewarded with loving kisses and lifelong loyalty.

– Becky W.

______________

Do you have an opinion on the book or the movie? If so, leave a comment below.

Is it just like Forrest Gump? Pretty dang close. War? Check. Sweet, beloved ma? Check. Southern setting? Check. Main character with some affliction that makes him different but more appreciative of this world? Check. Flawed but beautiful love interest who “gets” said character from early youth? Check.

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is not perfect. It appears to be stolen from a previous multiple Oscar-winning flick (writer Eric Roth penned both), and the subplot — of an old lady on her death bed and her daughter — is set in New Orleans minutes before Hurricane Katrina hits. Completely unnecessary.

But that doesn’t matter. “Button” will stick with an audience long after the credits role. The story is of a child born an old man, with the afflictions of an old man, who ages in reverse. The visual affects and makeup necessary to make such a feat believable are stunning — as are the actors. When Brad Pitt, who plays Button, is shown on screen as a thirty- or fortysomething man — when his true age meshes with his physical age — the audience around me gasped. God, he’s pretty. When Cate Blanchett, who plays love-interest Daisy, is first shown as a — it must be said — bitchy dancer of 23, I snuck a glance at my boyfriend. His face was absolutely lit up; this movie showcases Blanchett at her most beautiful. It doesn’t matter that a computer had to generate her back to a girl in her early twenties — she has a flawless complexion, rosy lips and perfect red hair. It’s the stuff of portraits, hung on a Paris museum wall.

These visual effects only enhance Button’s story. It’s simple, really: a man discovering the world as he discovers himself. It almost sounds cheesy. But the audience feels every awe, every wonder, every heartbreak, with him.

– Jaclyn

_______________

If you’ve seen the movie, what did you think? Leave a comment below.

By Karyn Bowman
St. Anne

During the Christmas season, there are two movies that seem to get the most pay on TV – “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Story.” Both are movies that can be enjoyed by the whole family, although I think more kids than adults prefer the first choice.

Both movies are about dreams and hopes with enough Christmas cheer to make us smile and laugh by the end, maybe even shed a tear or two.

But as I have gotten older I have come to realize that perhaps “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a man’s reflection on his life so far and his grief for what he wanted and could not have. George Bailey stayed home when he father died and did not go off to college. He watched others leave and become the success story he wanted to be, including his younger brother.

But then there is the other half of the message – bloom where you are planted. Perhaps you think you are stuck but, without even knowing it, you can effect the lives of an entire town. One person can change hundreds of lives for the better right in their own back yard.

Is that still a dream in this day and age, especially as this county looks at decreased opportunities ? Maybe. But I think it is a dream people want to believe in.

The second movie is a memoir of Christmas way back when. The exacts are hard to tell although some experts figure it to be anywhere from 1939-1946. That is from the age of the family car, the L’il Orphan Annie decoder ring and a baseball reference.

The story is about a boy who wishes for a BB Gun, a very specific BB Gun for Christmas. But everyone keeps telling him he will shoot his eye out. Here we see Ralphie’s life in the run-up to Christmas; The bullying, Flick getting double dog dared to put his tongue on a metal pole, the trek for a tree, the unexpected swear, the pummeling of said bully.

But then Christmas comes and with it some funny an some great presents. And who can forget the scene in the Chinese restaurant. The movie makes us smile and laugh and hope that our children are surrounded by that much love.

___________

What’s your favorite Christmas movie and why? Leave a comment below.

__________

This article first appeared in the St. Anne Record Press.