For your viewing pleasure

Well, happy new year to everyone, and I hope you had a wonderful holiday season!

We are back from vacation and things are slowly getting back to normal around here. We had a great time in Utah and I have the requisite photos and stories galore to share, as soon as I get caught up on getting caught up.

But first I offer you my ratings on the movies I saw over the holiday break.

They are ranked from worst to best, and include movies seen in the theater as well as ones rented from Red Box.

They are:

5. Wanted (thumbs downnnnnn)

4. Valkyrie ( pluses: a noble story, and a lot of hot German guys! minuses: sad ending, Tom Cruise in an eye patch - okay Pete would have stopped at just Tom Cruise, but I don't mind him)

3. High School Musical 3 - first HSM I've seen all the way through, held captive at the St. George dollar movie. Actually it was a lot of fun and the kids enjoyed it. And Pete enjoyed missing it to stay home (alone!) and watch the Sugar Bowl.

2. Baby Mama - funny, funny Tina and Amy

and, (drumroll please)

for the number one spot, we have a tie!

1. - Slumdog Millionaire: everything I had heard about this movie was true - it was a feel-good sleeper hit, it was contrived and manipulative and had you just waiting for the final scene - the story was equal parts happy and horrific, you would stand up and cheer at the finish. I loved it!

and

1. - Australia: nothing about this movie that I didn't like. Granted, I am a huge fan of Baz Luhrmann, even though this one was a bit different than his previous three, Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, and Moulin Rouge! ( which ended with a big Bollywood dance number - this time that honor was left to Slumdog Millionaire) It was a sweeping epic made with absolutely no apologies, I was caught up in every scene, and didn't even notice the 2 1/2 hour plus running time. It was perfectly cast and acted, and Baz's wife Catherine Martin did him proud again with costume and set designs. Also, some extraneous circumstances were in its favor as well - it reminded me of a favorite book A Town like Alice, and we have family now living in Australia whom Pete and the twins are headed to visit this coming April! So the timing couldn't have been better, and I can't wait to see this movie again.

Honorable Mention: during our The Office marathon on New Year's Eve (three episodes is considered a marathon, right?) I finally saw the one where Jim told Pam he loved her! Can't wait to see what happens next....

What movies did you enjoy this holiday season?