October 2009 Movie Releases

Because it is Halloween month, you will see more thriller/horror films on this list of October movies. I am not advocating you watch horror. I am only providing this list as reference and hope that you will choose wisely at the box office.

So here is the list, with the dates for each release…

Dishing About ‘Meatballs’

Liz Lane and I enjoyed discussing the meatier aspects of the fun, animated flick Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on radio station Positive Hit Radio The Current.

Listen to this edited audio clip about the movie.

Audio Commentary:

— Laura J. Bagby

‘Ice Age 3’: Not So Family Friendly

Me at Positive Hit Radio The Current

Sorry, parents. If you are hoping for a really great PG animated film to take the whole family to, Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs isn’t it. It’s scary in some parts for the younger children, particularly the 3-D version where the dinosaurs jump right out from the screen. And it has much more adult innuendo than this kind of film typically includes. I think it is disappointing. The only saving grace is that silly squirrel Scrat and the chase for his deepest desires.

I shared my thoughts last Friday on the air with radio personality Liz Lane from Positive Hit Radio The Current. This audio review is not the on-air version. It has been cut-down for the purposes of this blog. Take a listen…

Radio Review:

— Laura J. Bagby

Male Gender Issues Abound in ‘Ice Age 3’

Recently, I chatted with Positive Hit Radio The Current’s Liz Lane about Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs on the local radio.

I was really hoping to give a good recommendation on this PG animated film, but I found myself more annoyed than entertained.

What really got me was the portrayal of many of the male characters in the film, who often seemed bumbling, cowardly, indecisive, and passive. And one character in particular, a sloth named Sid, the epitome of the nurturing male, made me want to stand up and say, “Dude, be a man!” What a sad look at how our society these days views men: incapable, troubled, and insecure. It surely doesn’t inspire the male gender to be strong and fearless, now does it?

Listen to my conversation with Liz on the radio about these frustrating issues in Ice Age 3…

Audio Commentary:

The above audio clip is not the original on-air version from The Current FM. It has been edited for this blog.

— Laura J. Bagby

Positive Radio Comments About ‘Up’

Me at the mic at Positive Hit Radio The Current

Every Friday I review recent movies on Positive Hit Radio The Current. I couldn’t say enough about the new 3-D Disney/Pixar animated movie Up, so here is more for you! I spent time on the phone line with radio personality Liz Lane at The Current FM. The first is the radio version of my review. The second clip is commentary about the movie. Enjoy!

Senior Spotlighted on Screen in ‘Up’

New Disney/Pixar Animated Release

Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios’ latest animated release, Up, which opens nationwide Friday, May 29, is sure to be yet another enjoyable ride – an adventurous balloon ride, that is.

As the 10th film in Pixar’s history, Up, presented in Disney Digital 3DTM, follows the life of curmudgeonly 78-year-old retired balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen. After losing the love of his life and nearly losing his home too, Carl chooses to fulfill his life-long dream by tying balloons to his house and heading to the jungles of South America. But along the way, Carl must come to terms with a stowaway: 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer Russell. Through wild and funny adventures and the ups-and-downs of this relationship with the clueless young boy, Carl learns to live again and open up his heart to love.

The film’s director, Pete Docter, who made his directorial debut with Monsters, Inc., talked to the press recently about this fun-filled adventure and where he got this idea to cast a senior citizen as the main hero, a decision that goes against the grain of the typical ‘youth sells’ Hollywood mentality.