Moonstruck

Moonstruck is an American romantic comedy, debuted in 1987, directed by  Norman Jewison, and written by John Patrick Shanley. It stars Cher, Nicolas Cage, Danny Aiello, Vincent Gardenia, and Olympia Dukakis.

The film was released into theaters on December 16, 1987 in New York City, and then nationally on December 18, 1987.  This film received many popular reviews from film critics, and went on the gross a whopping $91, 640, 528 at the North American box office, making it the fifth highest-grossing film of that year. 

Moonstruck was nominated for six Oscars at the 60th Academy Awards, winning for Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.

Loretta Castorini, Cher, a widowed Brooklyn bookkeeper in her late 30s whose husband died several years earlier in a bus accident, decides that it's time to get married again. So she accepts the proposal of a nice, middle-aged fellow named Johnny Cammareri. Johnny Cammareri is not spoken well, quite afraid of life, and obviously not a perfect match for Loretta.  Loretta is convinced her first marriage was cursed because she and her husband had gotten married at City Hall; this time, she's determined to do things right and have a real wedding with everything (hopefully paid for by her father, as is customary for the father of the bride to do). She admits to her mother, Rose, that she's not really in love with Johnny. (To which Rose replies: "Good. When you love them, they drive you crazy, 'cause they know they can." Rose speaks from rueful experience; she suspects, with good reason, that her husband, Cosmo, is cheating on her.) Loretta is convinced that marrying Johnny is the safe and sure thing to do, she just wants a normal life. Until she meets his estranged younger brother Ronny, who tends the ovens in a neighborhood bakery. Loretta discovers that in startling contrast to the pleasant, mild-mannered Johnny, Ronny is moody and passionate; what follow are complications worthy of a comic opera.

Ronny Cammareri: I'm in love with you. 

Loretta Castorini: (slaps him twice) Snap out of it! 

This movie, to me, is a classic.  I couldn't imagine growing up without this movie!  The love story is my favorite; it is witty, hilarious, romantic, and full of relatable family scandal.  Cher and Nicolas Cage fall in love in a very passionate and very Italian inspired movie.  The movie itself is a less dramatic version of an opera, which they attend and complete the spell of their love.  They decide to get married, and it is the reality of a true love story. 

I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone and anyone. This love story is way more relatable, I think, to most people and their love stories.  Not everything works out as planned, and this story portrays that in a realistic and witty way.  There is so much scandal in love, and this movie also illustrates that fact.  Also, family is a heavy factor in your life, and if you are a certain nationality, sometimes even more so.  In conclusion, below, I have what is one of my favorite quotes of the movie: 

Ronny Cammareri: Loretta, I love you. Not like they told you love is, and I didn't know this either, but love don't make things nice - it ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren't here to make things perfect. The snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and *die*. The storybooks are *bullshit*. Now I want you to come upstairs with me and *get* in my bed!

Tragedy In The Comedy

Over this past weekend I was lucky enough to be able to watch Tim Heidecker's new film, The Comedy. As a devoted fan of everything Tim Heidecker does I was incredibly excited to see this film, going so far as to attempt to bring this film to Cinemapolis for a screening. That attempt ended in failure after we were unable to get 70 people to reserve tickets online for said film. I scoured the internet for early reviews of this film and when I saw that it was the film with "the most walk-outs ever" at Sundance I knew that this was the movie I was waiting for. The trailer The Comedy: Trailer let me know that this film was not going to attempt to dumb down its message to appeal to a wider audience, this film is for people who understand the character that is Tim Heidecker, a man who is always "on". The protagonist of this movie, Swanson, is one of the most unlikable and morally repulsive characters I have ever seen. He is the bottom of the barrel of humanity. He embodies "Brooklyn Hipsters", this is not an easy film to watch. You will feel unclean at moments, you will cringe and be physically repulsed. The beauty in that is; every emotion you feel, every single cringe, gasp and revulsion is done on purpose. Director Rick Alverson has crafted a world that you know exists, but that world is one that you never want to be a part of.


Story Behind the Scene


Critical reviews have made it a point to say that this film goes nowhere, those critics are missing the entire point of the film. This is a generational statement disguised as a character study. In following Swanson around in his miserable world we are let in on a cultural movement; apathy. Out of touch white men who never had to work for themselves, never had to strain to achieve something, never had to try, have blossomed into a demographic.

My favorite scene in the film is the final one. Swanson is playing in the waves and sand with a young boy on the beach. The closing shot embodies the problem with all those aging white hipsters, they are children who never had to grow up, and probably never will.

This is a film that deserves to be watched several times, and I am going to do just that.

2 Broke Girls

2 Broke Girls is literally about two broke girls. One of the girls Max Black (Kat Dennings) has always been poor and knows just how to get up and do the things she needs to do to get by; while Caroline Channing (Beth Behrs) the daughter of a billionaire, who got caught in a ponzi scheme, and went to prison for robbing the city, is new to not having any money. Caroline ends up in Brooklyn where no one knows her so she can get a job. She ends up working at a crappy diner to make some money and eventually go back to her normal lifestyle. The two girls meet on Caroline's first day of work, because Max works at the diner as well. Max ends up feeling sorry for the other girl and lets her move into her apartment. Together they try to make enough money to make both of their lives better. To begin with Max bakes the best cupcakes ever, and Caroline has an idea to start a business.


I have been watching this show and so far I think it is a very good take on these two girls' lives and the conversations between the girls is hilarious. There is not a time where I'm not laughing, for example I was just watching this show in my room with my headphones on and I was laughing so much my roommate had to check out what was so funny. I think anyone who has a good sharp sense of humor should definitely check it out. Its on Mondays at 8:30/7:30c on CBS. This is definitely a winner in my opinion I really hope that they decide to continue this show for more than one season.