Tuesday, June 01, 2010

My Fruitless Quest Goes to the Movies

I feel like such a slug for sleeping all the way to 7:15 this morning, but I was both tired and wired from the concert last night, so although I fell asleep pretty quickly, I didn't sleep well and probably needed the rest. I'm really excited about today because I don't have anything planned or anywhere to go (though I have to call about the physical therapy, so I may end up having to go somewhere if there's an appointment available). I seem to have been on the go for more than a week, with things to do during the day and places I have to be at night. As much as I enjoy ballet, I'm so glad we get this week off so I can stay home tonight. I'm also looking forward to getting back to work on this book. The next one is already eating into my brain, and I'm eager to get started on it.

Over the weekend, I found myself wishing that the Enchanted, Inc. movie existed, not so much because of the impact it would have on my bank balance and career, but because that was exactly the kind of movie I wanted to watch. I had this craving for a fantasy romantic comedy, and I realized that there are precious few of those. On the historical/traditional fantasy side, there's The Princess Bride and Stardust, though technically I wouldn't call The Princess Bride a romantic comedy because it's not really about the developing relationship between Westley and Buttercup. You might be able to squeeze A Midsummer Night's Dream in there, but the recent movie version was only so-so. On the contemporary side, which was more what I was in the mood for, there's Enchanted. For classic films, there's Bell, Book and Candle, but while I absolutely love Jimmy Stewart and the supporting cast is wonderful (especially an adorable Jack Lemmon as the mischievous kid brother), that movie as a whole doesn't really work for me. I find myself not wanting the relationship to work out. It's been a while since I saw Practical Magic, but I don't recall it being much of a comedy, really (and I didn't like it enough to remember much about it). Love Potion No. 9, starring a "before she was famous" Sandra Bullock, might have worked for my mood, if I'd had it available. Going slightly at a stretch to include paranormal elements and not just fantasy, there's Kate and Leopold, as a time travel romantic comedy (which, incidentally, was written by the screenwriter who's doing the Enchanted, Inc. script). I think there are a few ghost movies, like The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Topper and the recent Ghost Town. And then some of the Jim Carrey vehicles like Liar, Liar, but that's not what I want.

I ended up watching some episodes of Pushing Daisies, which fit the bill and which were short enough for my time and attention span limitations this weekend. But still, I think the world needs more fantasy romantic comedies. Too much of the fantasy/supernatural stuff is so dark and brooding instead of fun, except maybe in kids' films that include a romantic plot for the adults, like Nanny McPhee.

Is there something I've missed that I should add to my list? I ought to stock up for the next time the mood strikes. A look at upcoming releases on IMDB doesn't give me much hope for new stuff. Sometimes it's a pain having tastes that are outside the mainstream -- or that are invisible to the people making decisions about what should be published or produced.

2 comments:

Me said...

One of my blogger friends said that Pushing Daisies was good..I should really check it out!
PS: I loved the movie Nanny McPhee!;)

Angie said...

How about I Married A Witch with Veronica Lake?