Many a movie character has been made in the mold of the small-time crook. Ask the Coen brothers, for example; they’ve made a career on films about ordinary people trying to do brazen (and usually illegal) things. As morally outstanding movie-goers (perhaps I should speak just for myself), we identify with these characters because we […]

I continue celebrating Movie Muse’s second birthday by listing the 25 most beautiful brown-haired ladies on the big (and little) screen. All this stems from my unashamed love of a myriad of brunette actresses and one of my first ever posts:  “Top 10 Brunette Beauties.” If you missed No. 25-13 you should click here before moving […]

Movie Muse turned two years old this week! Last year I shared my thoughts on a year of movie blogging, but this year I’m going to have a bit more fun. My first order of business when the site debuted was to put together a few of the ever-popular “Top 10” lists on things I […]

What’s with all the dang penguins? We’ve known that for decades that Hollywood has a habit of supplying vocal chords or curiously anthropomorphic abilities to all living creatures in the animal kingdom. From animated features to “Dr. Doolittle,” we’ve consistently fantasized about what would happen if our furry, scaly or feathered friends could talk, sing or interact […]

Death by explosion is a terrific (albeit PG-13) way to kill off a significant character in any action movie or thriller. A loud boom with pillars of fire and usually the right touch of slow motion in post-production makes a climactic death scene a fitting one and serves as a very visceral catharsis in any […]

One of the most influential last names in movie comedy that gets the least recognition is “Farrelly.” Maybe its because Bobby and Peter’s films have gotten progressively less popular with fans and critics in the 15-plus years they’ve been making them. Maybe it’s because their motto is probably something along the lines of “goofiness and […]

It’s that time of year again where everyone wants to know what the best and worst of the year were, so naturally, to keep up with the demand, I am forced to whittle down the year’s movies into the ten best in my eyes. I’ll be honest — I like the retrospective take, but this […]

If you’re a woman over the age of 30, he drives you wild. If you’re a woman under the age of 30, he still drives you wild — but in an awkward sexy dad sort of way. If you’re a man, you’ve thought about sneaking up on him with a tupperware container in hopes of […]

They’re known as the movies you have to see twice, or sometimes more affectionately as the movies after which you say “I don’t know what the $%*# just I just saw.” For now, I’ll call them mind-benders: films that are so enigmatic and intricately woven that wow you at the end, even if you have […]

Two of the most popular movie and NBC television comedians Steve Carell (The Office) and Tina Fey (30 Rock) are joining forces for the first time in Friday’s Date Night, from Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum). Of all possible date comedy duos, none could be more promising. This is not Jennifer Anniston and Gerard […]

For some reason, one of my favorite plot devices of all time is time travel, or really any film that messes with the framework of time.  Even a film that tells the story in non-traditional chronological order such as Memento or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind get extra props for time manipulation. With Hot […]

I didn’t see everything 2009 had to offer, but I feel pretty good about this list of the ten best films of 2009. I think most people, at least of my age demographic of 18 – 28, will agree. I gave a lot of films 4.5/5 stars this year, which I was pretty surprised at […]

You’ve waited maybe 24 hours … wait no more. This is for those of you that didn’t see Part 1 (10-6) 5. Cinderella (1950) Ahh, another classic tale just brimming with positive social concepts about women. Cinderella, however, is just a better film than Snow White. It’s a lot more magical and captivating in that dreamy fantasy […]

Almost everyone who grew up in the ‘80s and/or ‘90s has some kind of nostalgic attachment to a Walt Disney 2D animated feature. (It’s a sad world we live in now that “2D” is a required adjective in that sentence.) Hours of our childhoods were devoted to watching a singular Disney title over and over […]

“The Time Traveler’s Wife” came out today and while I have no plans to run to and see it, especially with the buzzworthy and awesome-looking sci-fi flick “District 9” also opening, it doesn’t mean I’m any less hopelessly in love with star Rachel McAdams.  In other words, if you invite me, I will go see […]