Thursday Movie Picks-Time Loops

 

On Tuesday, I kept thinking it was Wednesday...I hate that when it happens. Time...what the hell is it? We look at our watch..oops, phone or, if you are like me, the microwave. We feel time is slower than molasses when we are waiting in line but are amazed how time flies when we are having a great time. I often say to myself, "Time to move my ass." Time is truly freaky sometimes and Wandering Through The Shelves picked a good one regarding time loops. I wonder if we don't get stuck in some time loop when we do the same thing each day and wish to get off that lumpy gravy train. Anyways, I hope you like the movies I chose this week.

1. DEAD OF NIGHT-1945

I just watched this a couple of weeks ago and it fits this theme. A man travels to a cottage, hired to  remodel the cottage. He meets the owner as well as guests who have all been invited for a nice gathering, but the man feels he has been there before, in his dreams, and knows all the faces he meets at the cottage. From there, we learn each person has had some spooky encounter from a strange mirror, a child and even a mental patient. The psychiatrist feels that each person's story can be explained in scientific terms even though he, himself was unsettled by his patient. The ventriloquist part is the most famous and most eerie but I liked all of stories. Funny, I watched this  just before I heard that Sally Ann Howes (you know her from Chitty, Chitty Bang-Bang) passed away because she played the young teenager who helps a little boy in the one segment of this film. If you can catch this rare "horror" film from Britain, I would advise to sit down and enjoy. I wonder if Anthony Perkins watched the last segment to get a sense of his character in "Psycho".

2. GROUNDHOG DAY-1993

Of course I had to mention this famous one which, I believe, will be very popular unless everyone avoids it because it fits the theme so well. I went with the obvious because it is a funny movie with Bill Murray as a jerk (wow, really!?) who is stuck in this small town awaiting the rodent to predict whether we will have 6 more weeks of winter or an early spring. Honestly, it is pretty stupid how all the major news networks etc... discuss what this rodent will do and we all hope the critter will say Spring. What the hell does the rodent actually do to predict the outcome? Anyways, I sound like Bill Murray in this movie. His character is happy when the day is done and he can go back home but this doesn't happen because, the clock (that my brother owns to this day) flicks to 6 am, Sonny & Cher come on and Bill is in a nightmare. He is reliving the same day and he has no clue what to do to stop it. He ends up trying to kill himself which doesn't work so he decides to woo every chick he can because men will do this, let's face it:)). Throughout all the days he relives..ugh..I mean, the same day, he finds out he has true feelings for his colleague, played by Andie McDowell and wishes to change things for the better. It is not only funny but endearing and worth a look.

3. EDGE OF TOMORROW-2014

I normally don't choose newer films, as you all know, but I actually like this sci-fi  flick that stars Tom Cruise as a cowardly, inept moron who must keep reliving the same day to learn how to destroy the nasty aliens who wish to destroy us. Why are all aliens trying to kill us? Maybe, for once, a peaceful film could be made without the shoot 'em ups and death all around movies that we always get. Oops, I digress...so Tom meets the head of this division, played by Emily Blunt, in which she states he is their hope, sadly. It is funny to see Tom in a slightly different role at the beginning of the film and, believe it or not, he is rather funny when he keeps getting killed in various ways. It's a better movie than I thought it would be and worth checking out one Sunday afternoon when it's raining/snowing or blecchy outside and you want to sit back and turn off your brain. 

Which films would you choose?