movies | jeanette joy harris

Colin Farrell and Jean-Paul Sartre walk into a bar: Total Recall

August 6, 2012 by Jeanette Joy Harris

I don’t really remember the first Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1990. I am sure I was in dance class contemplating my arabesque while all normal teenagers were sneaking into the movie with a flask to see the famed chick with three tits. And so if you are going to ask me if this Total Recall was as good as the first one, I don’t have an opinion on that. Sorry. What I can say is that in addition to […]

Categories: movies • Tags: Colin Farrell, Jean Paul Sartre, Total Recall

(Dark) Knight in Shining Armor

July 22, 2012 by Jeanette Joy Harris

Aside from Christian Bale’s amazing good looks, Christopher Nolan has made his Batman trilogy focus on the existential state of his major characters. In each movie I have seen hero and villain, alike, wrestle with a decision about what happiness and goodness are. Instead of just providing us with “stock” good guys and bad guys, Nolan gives us characters with realistic strengths and flaws and each plot structure centers around how those are negotiated. Nolan provides us the opportunity to […]

Categories: movies, thoughts • Tags: Batman, Dark Knight Rises, Mental illness

The Hunger Games: Fashion is definitely in its favor

March 24, 2012 by Jeanette Joy Harris

Like thousands of other people, I went to see The Hunger Games last night. And despite the fact that this is a critique of, at the very least, reality tv culture, and, more probably, the unequal distribution of wealth and power, would it be bad if I just wanted to talk about the clothes? Costume designer Judianna Mokovsky, who has outfitted folks from Hogwarts to Pleasantville, provides the Hunger Games with a seamless, visual aesthetic, ranging from the theoretical, powdered wig-riches […]

Categories: fashion, movies • Tags: Hunger Games fashion, Judianna Mokovsky, The Hunger Games

What is the definition of a lady, anyway?

January 19, 2012 by Jeanette Joy Harris

Feminists would say that a huge triumph of the women’s liberation movement is that the definition of “woman” has expanded to include much more than just housewives and hussys. It’s true, each year women continue to move upwards professionally breaking the “glass ceiling” which allows them to make more and more personal choices on how they see their future. This is, indeed, a blessing. But I have to ask — has the broadening of the definition of “woman” caused us […]

Categories: movies, thoughts • Tags: Ann Bancroft, Emma Thompson, Feminism, Greer Garson, Kim Kardashian, Liza Minelli, Marie Dressler, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Shirly Booth

Are the voices in your head demons or angels: The Devil Inside

January 16, 2012 by Jeanette Joy Harris

Many people adore horror movies. The gorier, freakier, demonic the better. This is not necessarily my movie preference, which is overly intellectual and obtuse but I went to see “The Devil Inside” this weekend anyway. This is a movie about demonic possession, the role of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, cover-ups, and, let’s not forget, it’s based on a true story. Of course, it is. But those things, notwithstanding, it actually wasn’t bad which makes me wonder — why are we […]

Categories: movies, thoughts • Tags: depression, exorcism, Gustavo Dudamel, Mental Illness. Bipolar, Psychotic breaks, The Devil Inside, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Exorcist

Should he analyze us or should we analyze him? Michael Fassbender in “Shame” and “A Dangerous Method”

January 10, 2012 by Jeanette Joy Harris

I admit that this time of year I am ready to don my black beret – but not because the weather in Houston is frigid. I pull it out of my tidy closet basket in order to feel like a true cinema-snob. Yes, folks — it’s Oscar season and though the nominations aren’t out yet, I have already started my race to see the major movies. Over the holiday I watched several (ahem, 5) movies and felt like I was […]

Categories: movies • Tags: A Dangerous Method, Carl Jung, Michael Fassbender, Shame

The Art House is Back: Welcome to Houston, Sundance!

December 4, 2011 by Jeanette Joy Harris

Houston has had a fractured relationship with art house cinema. At our best, we had three theatres to choose from: Greenway Cinema, River Oaks Cinema, or the Angelika. After Greenway closed and the Angelika could not renegotiate their lease with the owners of Bayou Place, it closed, as well. Much to my dismay, River Oaks’ selection of films has only deteriorated since all of these changes, with fewer and fewer films and keeping them for longer and longer periods of […]

Categories: movies • Tags: art films, Art movies houston, movies houston, Sundance Cinemas

Do “Stupid” People Have More Fun? Twilight Breaking Dawn

November 19, 2011 by Jeanette Joy Harris

I am not a Twilight fan. In fact, I went to see Twilight with LL and it was the single most horrible movie I had ever seen. You remember the scene where Edward and Bella are all golden glittery holding hands in a meadow full of lilacs? I was cracking up thinking, people like this? I have never had that much dramatic music erupt while I was holding anyone’s hand, not even MB when I was 18. But given the […]

Categories: movies • Tags: Breaking Dawn, Twilight

Friends with Benefits and the death of romance.. Not really

August 5, 2011 by Jeanette Joy Harris

KR and I went to see “Friends With Benefits” last night. Of course, JT was fantastic and Mila Kunis (who normally annoys me) was actually pretty good herself. Rom-coms are usually unyieldingly sappy and for that I love and loathe them simultaneously. (Yes I have Bridget Jones, 27 Dresses, and The Devil Wears Prada on DVD.) But for a movie that fits snuggly in its genre, it also makes fun of its genre, as well. Jamie is a 20-something NYer who has a […]

Categories: movies • Tags: Friends with Benefits, Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, romantic comedies

jeanette joy harris

writing + art

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