Guinness and The Avengers

I'm going to start every blog post with the IMBD info on the movie I've decided sooo:

The Avengers (1998)

British secret agent John Steed teams up with scientist Emma Peel to investigate dramatic changes in the earth's climate. Under the direction of agency boss Mother - and apparently with Father's help - the trail quickly leads to kilted ex-agent August de Wynter who seems always to be ahead of the game. Peel and Steed have to work fast and closely if they are to save the world and themselves.

So tonight Guinness and I were joined by my mum who decided to pick the movie for the night. Most likely only because Sean Connery is in it, even though he happens to be playing the villain.

This movie is for people who enjoy the ridiculous. Think Austin Power with less lewd jokes and a better plot. This is a '60s TV show about spies turned into a movie.

Let's face it if there is a meeting of villains who are hiding their identities by hiding in costumes of teddy bears in the color of the rainbow...you cannot help but laugh.

Also have to love anytime Eddie Izzard is in a movie, even if only briefly. AND in a red teddy bear suit. He only has one line, but he just makes me smile. For those who have never seen his standup I'm telling you you should watch him. Glorious, Circle, and Definite Article are my favorites.

Seeing Ralph Fiennes in a role where he isn't a bad guy is so odd for me. He's just...like one of those actors that should *always* play the villain, i.e. Francis Dolarhyde in Red Dragon.

Overall the movie is another fun if you're up for a laugh and a bit of ridiculousness about British Agents who are trying to save the world from an evil weather machine. Their overseers 'Mother' and 'Father' are other faces you might recognize Jim Broadbent (Moulin Rouge!) and Fiona Shaw (The Harry Potter series) respectively.

This movie was nominated for a LOAD of Razzies if that gives you any idea. Let's face it though, a lot of us enjoy the movies the Razzie's go nuts over. If you're a fan of the TV show do not watch this movie.

I would include this movie in your watching time if you have Bad Movie Marathons though.

Other movies like this: The Austin Powers movies and any of the Matt Helm movies like The Ambushers. The Matt Helm movies star Dean Martin and were made all in the 60s as James Bond spoofs.

We really need to start watching good movies to give you 'real' feedback.

Good night and happy movie watching!

•Luci & Guinnes•

Legion and Guinness

Alrighty, thus begins the first installment of Movies with Guinness.

Tonight's movie was Legion (2010). Here's a little IMDB information:

An out-of-the-way diner becomes the unlikely battleground for the survival of the human race. When God loses faith in humankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity's only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner with the Archangel Michael.

Now I don't know if anyone of you have ever seen The Prophecy (1995), with Christopher Walken, but I was expecting something similar to it. Which I admit, excited me. Prophecy's plot with a decent budget? Count me in. Here's a little IMBD info on that:

"Some people lose their faith because Heaven shows them too little," says Thomas Daggett. "But how many people lose their faith because Heaven showed them too much?" Daggett nearly became a priest; now he's a cop. He may want to put religion behind him, but one morning a weird, eyeless, hermaphroditic corpse turns up. Suddenly he is on a path that will put him right in the middle of a war in Heaven. And once again, Heaven will show him too much: gore, blood, charred flesh, living corpses and much worse. Even more central to the heavenly war effort is a young girl. This American Indian child has something Gabriel wants. And Gabriel is willing to kill her and anyone in his path - or even reanimate a corpse or two - to get it.

Now I'm not really religious, but I was always interested in these theories of Fallen angels and the like. Even wrote a brief story about how the Fallen were angels that were cast out of heaven and hell (I guess the 'hell angels' would be considered Watchers) because they managed to gain a bit of free will and fell in love either with humans or each other. This isn't necessarily the plot or aspect for either movie, but it's what brought me into them.

Now that I have that bit of background out of the way onto my thoughts on the movie. Guinness was less than thrilled it seemed. The first few minutes of the movie she was sitting patiently beside me watching the TV. Although she perked up once Tyrese Gibson got on screen. She got off the futon walked to the TV and licked it before laying on the floor.

Anyway the movie wasn't exactly what I had hoped. The plot was lacking. Really only toward the end did more plot points get added in (Follow the instructions, find the prophets) and those were just unanswered at the end of the movie. Basically the movie was exactly what the trailer showed. A Mexican standoff at a truck stop in the middle of nowhere with ample amounts of guns and ammo on the side of the good guys and sharp pointy fangs on the side of the bad guys.

I felt that they never really went into detail of what was happening and that it was mostly shooting, and not even that action packed. You do have the occasional 'DROP THE BITCH' moment when people are shooting from the roof, but that's just because you're tired of seeing the 'possessed' running around. The possessed are basically a group of people who look like they're on PCP. Lovely right? Only when the two archangels (Michael and Gabriel) fight do you get excited.

It was a nice enjoyable mind numbing movie if you're looking for one of those. To give it credit it did to something I enjoy from movies where the first lines are the same as the last lines. Adds a nice touch I feel. Netflix said out of 5 stars I would rate it as 3.4. Meh.

It has a decent plot to work with, but didn't use it to the full potential. The acting was good, so I can't knock on everyone too hard. I simply feel more could have been done and less jumping around would have made it a stronger film.

Guinness just looked at me at the movie's end as if to say, "This is what you kept me up for? Tyrese Gibson is a hottie, but there wasn't enough of him to keep me awake. I want to watch something simple and sleep now thank you. Now move the hell over, I need my space."

Not as elaborate as other movie reviews will be, but there's a first time for everything.

So feelings about Legion? If someone's got it, might as well watch it if you feel like something not too deep or you're in need of a movie that you don't care about watching.

I give it a sideways thumb for okay and Guinness gives it an eye roll and a paw down.

But, if you're interested in a movie with a similar ideal, but one I consider to be better, watch The Prophecy (1995).

Happy Movie Watching

•Luci & Guinness•

Hello There Readers...

Why hello there.
There are a number of ways you might have stumbled across this blog. Perhaps you were googling drinking games and saw Movies with Guinness, or mayhaps I sent you this link myself. Well for those of you in the former group I hate to break it to you, but this is not a site for drinking game rules. Well...not for some time anyway.
Movies with Guinness is a blog about watching movies with my dog, Guinness. Guinness is a year old Bernese Mountain Dog who loves people and puts up with my movies obsession. She's a good companion and is occasionally interested in the movies I put on. At least that's what she leads me to believe when she sits quietly staring at the TV.
I figured this could be a weekly blog about my date nights with Guinness and what we think of movies. We might even take requests if the following grows.
Currently this looks like it will be a summer project. I go to University out in Chicago and unfortunately cannot bring the little girl with me. The little girl is the height of a labrador and weights 70 lbs. I couldn't smuggle the 'little' girl in my dorm if I tried.
For those that care I am neither a film critic nor do I pretend to be. I'm a girl who likes movies and loves watching them with whoever happens to be willing. I will be a junior in University this fall and major in Organizational Communication. Fancy title right? I'd love a job working as a liaison between agencies. In all likelihood I will most likely get my bartending license and freelance for a while before I find someone to partner up with and start my own bar. I see it as a win either way. I'd love to bartend. It was one of my future job aspects since the age of 10. What can I say, I like a job with security. People will always want entertainment and booze. But I digress...

So I'll end it here for the night.
Happy movie watching

•Luci and Guinness•