This was an eventful weekend. Not only did I find the time to view two good movies, but I also got to see my husband perform.
And, to be perfectly honest, they weren't as bad as I thought. In fact, they're pretty good. They played a nice mixture of blues and rock with my husband, Steve, on the bass, his brother-in-law, Dave, on the drums and Dave's brother, Joel, on lead guitar. All in all, it was a nice Saturday night.
Friday night, I coerced my mother-in-law, Judy, into going to the movies with me. I'd like to take this time to apologize to the poor theater cashier who had two vicious ladies shoving money at him, one yelling, "Senior rate!" When Judy tried to trip me on the way to pay for the tickets, I realized she wouldn't willingly let me purchase hers. So, I had to tackle her and put her in a headlock so I could pay for both tickets.
She got the best of me at the concession stand, though. I should have recognized that sly look on her face when she said she wasn't thirsty and didn't want anything. After I had already paid for my popcorn and soda, she mysteriously changed her mind, glancing at me victoriously as she handed the clerk her money.
Anyway, I hope she doesn't mind my telling the story. Perhaps I embellished a little but the essence is still the same.
What movie did we eventually see?
Well, I'm glad you asked.
We saw the new Wes Craven film, "Red Eye." It starred Rachel McAdams as Lisa Reisert, a hotel manager on her way home from her grandmother's funeral. At the airport, she meets a nice man named Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy). Seemingly chance circumstances pull them together - he's behind her in a line, she meets him in an airport restaurant and she has the window seat next to him on the flight to Miami.
Shortly after takeoff, the two begin talking and Rippner reveals his true intentions. He's a contract killer whose mission is to kill a prominent politician, Charles Keefe (Jack Scalia), who will be staying in her hotel. If Lisa doesn't go along with the plan, Jack will kill her father (Brian Cox).
Now, Lisa must find a way to escape the clutches of a killer while saving her father, the politician and the unsuspecting passengers on the flight.
This was a pretty good movie. It kind of reminded me of that film, "Nick of Time," with Johnny Depp, where he had to assassinate a politician to save his son's life.
"Red Eye" is rated PG-13 "for some intense sequences of violence and language," so is only recommended for mature viewers.
It was suspenseful, it was action-packed and Judy and I both liked it.
The other film I saw this weekend was "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." It stars Steve Carrell as Andy, an electronics store employee who rides his bike to work and has an impressive collection of action figures and video games.
After being conned into a late-night game of poker with some fellow employees - David (Paul Rudd), Jay (Romany Malco) and Ca (Seth Rogen) - Andy inadvertently reveals that he is a virgin.
After a few near-misses and major mishaps in his younger years, Andy has taken himself off the playing field and devoted his life to the store and his "collectibles."
His three friends make it their sacred mission to relieve Andy of his virgin status. But, is their help really what he needs? After a failed nightclub encounter where one of his friends tells him to go after the "drunk chicks," they embark on a series of misguided but hilarious attempts to find the woman of Andy's dreams. They send him off to flirt with the cute bookstore employee, telling him to only ask questions. They even force him to date 20 girls in one hour in a speed-dating session called Date-A-Palooza.
But, Andy seems to have found his soul mate when he meets Trish (Catherine Keener), who runs a store in which people bring in their stuff and she sells them on eBay.
But, will Andy be able to tell Trish that he's a little unexperienced?
"The 40-Year-Old Virgin" was an absolutely hilarious movie. I laughed until I almost cried.
It was funny, but it was also a little heart-warming.
The film is rated R "for pervasive sexual content, language and some drug use," so isn't recommended for young viewers.
Hitting theaters over the next couple of weeks are "The Brothers Grimm," "The Cave," "Undiscovered," "The Constant Gardener," "A Sound of Thunder," "Transporter 2" and "Underclassman."
Selina Vert is editor of Bay Mills News.
