Interview with The Vampire

Drink: Bloody Mary
Entree: Shrimp Po Boy
Dessert: Praline Brownies

Movie:
Clocking in at just over two hours this film takes you through a 200 year time frame of one vampire's everlasting & grueling existence.  It provides an artistic look at the vampire genre which is rare but leads Tom Cruise & Brad Pitt helped with the prestige factor.  In addition Christian Slater does some of his best work as the reporter versus his traditional role as corny heart throb.  Plus you get to see Kirsten Dunst at a very young age in her first big role give an impressive performance. Take note of the costumes which are intricate if not accurate to the period.  Also as with most Anne Rice story lines it is based in Louisiana so the scenery is beautiful & even includes a shot at the famous Oak Alley Plantation.

As you can imagine it's is easy to distracted by all the big name actors, costumes & settings but pay attention to the story because it is very interesting in its own right.  In fact in the end it questions if mortality is a gift or a curse we all must face.  If given the choice which path would you take?

Mel's Rating: 97%
On a scale of 100.

Brett's Rating: ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
On a scale of 10.

The Other Boleyn Girl

Entree: French Dip Sanwhiches with Au Jus

Side: French Fries

Dessert: French Macarons

Timing: Game of Thrones Premiere Viewing

Movie:

Poor easily manipulated Henry VIII & his six wives is a long saga rehashed over & over but never seems to get old.  The Other Boleyn Girl specifically shows us how the French educated Anne played by a stunning Natalie Portman was the first to maneuver her way onto the throne by any means possible but still ended up at the Tower of London. The film also focuses on the seriously disfunctional relationship between the two Boleyn sisters which we see is only tragically reconciled once Mary grows a spine & takes the future Queen Elizabeth I from the Tower after Anne is executed.  As for the film's details the costumes & setting are beautiful but something just did not click with parts of the cast.  For instance Kristin Scott Thomas' performance falls flat but we can't pin point why exactly.  On the other hand there are a number of talents yet to be discovered such as Eddie Redmayne, Benedict Cumberbatch & Juno Temple that if given the chance could have added a couple of interesting layers of their own.

In conclusion as insinuated above this story of women stepping all over each other for power via men unfortunately rings true today but maybe that's why we still find it so compelling.

Mel's Rating: 79%
On a scale of 100.

Brett's Rating: ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
On a scale of 10.

Frozen Planet: Spring

Appetizer: Edamame
Entree: Shrimp "Spring" Roll Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce
Timing: Annual Spring Picnic

Movie:
We usually like high def nature documentaries but this one borrowed too much footage from the other BBC installments many times resulting in, "I've seen this before," moments.  It's BBC milking the footage they already have but who can blame them as I'm sure it was extremely expensive to create. With that said hopefully some of the proceeds from this franchise were donated to a wildlife fund.

Mel's Rating: 67%
On a scale of 100.

Brett's Rating: ⚡️⚡️⚡️
On a scale of 10.

Adaptation

Drink: Mojito

Entree: Cubans

Dessert: Pineapple Butter Cake

Timing: Making our first trip to the nursery in 2016.

Movie:

Adaptation is a witty dark comedy that takes you from the creative abyss that is L.A. to the no man's land in the Everglades.  Meryl Streep & Chris Cooper both do a brilliant job of portraying lost souls in search to find a passion in life again.  Surprisingly the always annoying Nicolas Cage is actually a good fit in his part as a writer riddled with social anxiety.  Parts that are particularly funny are the Being John Malkovich references & scenes with Robert McKee.  You really should watch Being John Malkovich before hand in order to enjoy & understand the humor behind its inclusion.  Overall this film shows us in a comical way how Hollywood sucks the creativity right out of projects & to gain real inspiration perhaps they should go outside of the political studio machine to get back in touch with life.

Mel's Rating: 92%

On a scale of 100.

Brett's Rating: ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

On a scale of 10.

Dark Side of The Rainbow

Appetizer: Yellow Brick Road (Diced Cheddar Cheese)
Drink: Wine (Dorothy has had a long week.)
Entree: Emerald City Turkey Wraps with Witches Hats (Bugels)
Dessert: Mini Rainbow Fruit Pizzas
Timing: New Moon
Props: Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon vinyl.

Movie:
While still till this day the band claims that the synchronization of Wizard of Oz with Dark Side of The Moon is a fluke we find this hard to believe.  There is also debate on when the movie & album should be started for the best sync.  Some insist that it's the third roar of the MGM lion while others are convinced that the second roar is correct.  Regardless keep in mind there is no plot with this film so it's more of an opportunity to listen to Pink Floyd at high volumes.  Additionally it is important to note that all in all there are about six additional Pink Floyd movie syncs but I would suggest just sticking to this one since it was the first to be "discovered" & the others feel like a stretch.

Mel's Rating: 74% - Not my favorite Pink Floyd album due the excessive radio play it receives.
On a scale of 100.

Brett's Rating: ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
On a scale of 10.