Pretty pleased

The months between the moment I first glimpsed the trailer for Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom and yesterday, when I was finally able to view the director’s seventh film in its entirety, seemed to tick by in slow motion. It’s no secret he’s an absolute favorite director of mine and by the look of it, this particular effort promised to convey every bit of Anderson’s signature blend of crisp, quirky characterization, shining artful cinematography, music you want to sing along to, and a story that bounces around in your brain for days. Gladly, it delivered.

Welcome to the dollhouse.

Moonrise Kingdom opens with a series of close-ups moving to and fro in a picturesque little red house by the sea. There we meet 12-year old Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward), perched in a window seat reading as her younger brothers play on the floor at her feet. 

Suzy’s managed to catch the eye of a Khaki Scout named Sam (Jared Gilman) and the two - exchange letters and plot their escape. With a Scout Master (Edward Norton) and his scouts, Suzy’s parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) and a police captain (Bruce Willis) after them, Suzy and Sam set off on an unforgettable adventure of their own. 

For this film, Anderson teams up with Roman Coppola on a script that manages to reimagine those magical moments of childhood, and in some cases, perfect them. What if your very first kiss occurred on a beach with only the sounds of crashing waves and Francoise Hardy singing on a cassette recorder in the background? 

Fans of Anderson’s past films, like Rushmore or The Royal Tenenbaums, are sure to be delighted by the aesthetic and references of Moonrise Kingdom. It takes place in 1965 and every detail from Suzy’s clothes and suitcase to scout nicknames like “Lazy Eye” seem fitting and capable of transporting the audience to a time and a place.

Bob Balaban’s “Narrator” is so believable, so authoritative his explanation of the location and setting pulls you right back to an elementary geography classroom.

And between the heart-meltingly sweet sentimental moments between the two awkward lead characters, there lies absurdity in the form of impossibly high tree houses and parents who use bull horns to talk to their family members. It all just draws you into this picture-perfect world that Anderson and Coppola created.

For about 94 minutes you can’t possible recall the real world around you. It’s enough to make you want to pack a suitcase of your favorite novels, your kitten and cassette player and steal a mini canoe to escape for just a little while. You’ll see what I mean. 

Moonrise Kingdom opens in Detroit area theaters today, June 15, 2012.

You wouldn’t guess it at first glance but I’ve got a dark side.

Not the dangerous kind, but a fascination with mystery, suspense and, in the thick of fall - as we are now - scary movies. 

It started far sooner than you’d imagine, too. Somewhere around sixth grade when my best friend and I would ride our bicycles up to the local video store and rent our way through the classic horror and 80s slasher flick aisles. Back in the days when the clerk asked if you needed the movie on VHS or Beta. (Way before the band by that same name ever existed.)

I don’t know why we could walk out of the shop with a copy of Creepshow or Halloween, The Shining or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – when we were still years away from high school and didn’t have an ID to show.

There must have been some sort of understanding. Our parents were well aware of our scary movie consumption, too. I remember my mom relaying her own stories about The Exorcist the first time we watched it in our living room. There’s something wonderful about the common experience of being scared during a movie - whether you’re in a theater or your living room.

It’s a mystery to be solved, that thrilling shock of someone appearing out of nowhere, a surprise ending, and the safest way to be spooked of them all.

So as strange as it sounds, I still love a great old scary movie. The Jasons and Freddies of my childhood are worthy of revisiting every year around this time. And I think Alfred Hitchcock may be one of the finest filmmakers of all time.

With horror remakes and prequels of horror movies (i.e.: The Thing) heading into theaters this time of year, I can’t help but go back to the old standbys. Spooky old pals like The Changeling, Psycho, Night of the LIving Dead, Last House on the Left and Susperia are as much a part of the season as falling leaves, brisk winds and apple cider.

What scary movies do you watch time and again?