Another Franchise Equals a Happy Me

I love a good movie franchise. The final Harry Potter movie is almost here (bittersweet!). Breaking Dawn has two movies coming, and then Twilight is over. We still have a lot of Narnia movies to look forward to, and I think Disney is doing an excellent job with those. It's not just series that I anticipate, though. 2011 has been especially noteworthy so far because it's bringing us some major bestsellers including Water For Elephants, Jane Eyre, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, The Help, and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I'm a reader, along with being a movie buff, so knowing a book is being made into a movie is always fun news to hear. I think we fall in love with characters because of the detail a book provides, so then the possibility of seeing them come to life on the big screen is exciting. But there's something so fun about a series because we get to enjoy it over and over again. More than one book means more than one midnight opening, more than one gathering of my friends and fellow fans, more than one dinner or coffee before the movie.

So the next big franchise, you ask? The Hunger Games! I have officially jumped on the bandwagon. If you haven't read this can't-put-the-book-down series, I recommend you give it a try before March 23. 2012. The first movie is currently in production and EW just released a first look at the fabulous Jennifer Lawrence as heroine Katniss Everdeen. This picture is AWESOME!

The Simplest Is Usually the Best

June is almost upon us and it might be said the best thing about June is strawberry season. Not only do we go strawberry picking every season, but they're also constantly on sale in this area all through May and June so I seem to have a constant supply in my fridge. The other thing that always happens in June is a constant ice cream supply in my freezer. For the next three to four months I will not want to sit down to watch a movie without a bowl of ice cream. So it would only make sense to combine the two. Last year I tried something new...homemade strawberry sauce! Have you ever tasted heaven? I have since I started making this:

2 lbs. fresh strawberries, diced

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Simmer on stovetop until it becomes syrup.

This sauce also gave me a new appreciation for plain old vanilla ice cream. In my opinion it's the best way to enjoy something as simple and perfect as fresh strawberry sauce. If you're renting a movie this weekend, consider picking up some strawberries and Breyers after hitting the Redbox.

Happy Friday!

Friday is my favorite day of the week. Why, you ask? Because it means a whole new round of movie openings, and this weekend is particularly noteworthy. First of all, the big popcorn movie to start another summer of blockbusters--Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I'm a huge fan of this franchise. For one thing, it's Disney, which means pure magic. For another, Johnny Depp...it could be said he is one of the greatest actors of our time, and yes, my personal favorite. I always enjoy the roles he chooses. There's speculation on if the fourth movie will do well or not, since this is the first without Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, but it's also been said they were a drain on the third movie. I'm not saying I agree. Side note: my kids just watched Curse of the Black Pearl Sunday night and LOVED IT! Even though they're young, they just don't scare easily, and also, the first of the series is a bit more Disney-fied than the rest, with the skeleton crew evoking fun memories of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World.

A second choice is Happythankyoumoreplease. This movie is a big deal in the Columbus area since writer/director Josh Radnor is a Bexley native. He's actually making an appearance at the Drexel Theatre in Bexley tonight to introduce the film and do a Q&A after the 7:30 showing. I would love to be there but can't make it this time. The movie about a group of young adults searching for connection is also a Sundance award winner.

And last but not least, Woody Allen's latest film is Midnight in Paris, starring Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams. This movie showed at the Cannes Film Festival last week and was met with mixed reviews, but I'm looking forward to it. It's a postcard look at Paris and since I've never been there, that's the Paris I'd like to see for now.

Also opening this week...Bloodworth, Cost of a Soul, and Louder than a Bomb. If anyone is out there this weekend, I'd love to hear thoughts on what you see. Happy Friday!