True Lies (1994)

To those closest to him, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger), is a husband, father, and computer salesman. To those who really know him, he is a spy for the United States. While on the trail of some stolen nuclear weapons that have found their way into the hands of terrorists, Harry begins to suspect his wife, Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), is having an affair with a used car salesman. In the true art of balancing it all, Harry must find a way to simultaneously take down the terrorists and save his marriage.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Mike Meyers plays Austin Powers, a British spy from the 60’s, who volunteers to be cryogenically frozen after his nemesis, Dr. Evil (also played by Mike Meyers) escapes and is also cryogenically frozen. When Powers is woken up in the 90’s he is teamed up with Vanessa Kensington (played by Elizabeth Hurley), in order to find Dr. Evil and stop his plan of world domination.

Get Smart (2008)

Based on the 1965 television series of the same name, “Get Smart” stars Steve Carell as the intelligent, but inept, Maxwell Smart, and Anne Hathway as the straight-laced and beautiful, Agent 99. The movie revolves around the pair’s attempts to thwart the terrorist organization KAOS. Though Maxwell’s blunders makes it seem as their task will inevitably fail, they manage to pull it all off in the end.

Despicable Me 2 (2013)

With the voice talents of Steve Carell as Gru and Kristen Wiig as Lucy, “Despicable Me 2” brings Gru into the world of the Anti-Villain League when they recruit him to assist in an investigation. Gru is paired with AVL agent, Lucy, and together they track down Gru’s number one suspect El Macho (voiced by Benjamin Bratt) and find a little love along the way as well.

Spies Like Us (1985)

Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd star as Emmett Fitz-Hume and Austin Millbarge, two Pentagon workers whom meet while taking the Foreign Service exam, which they ultaimately do poorly on. The Defense Intelligence Agency takes them in and makes them agents to send out to the field as decoys to distract from what the team of real agents is doing, of course the part about being decoys is kept quiet from Emmett and Austin. All but one agent from the real team is destroyed, but the bumbling team of Millbarge and Fitz-Hume survive. They team up with the surviving member of the real team, Karen Boyer (Donna Dixon), and continue the mission.

Johnny English (2003)

Rowan Atkinson stars in the parody of the James Bond films in which MI5 is attacked and his character, Johnny English, is left as the only remaining British spy. English is incompetent as a spy, but he and his sidekick, Angus Bough (Ben Miller) take on the case that Agent One was working on prior to his death – a plot to steal the Crown Jewels. Mishap after mishap ensues, and English and Bough eventually work with Interpol agent, Lorna Campbell (Natalie Imbruglia), to save the Crown Jewels from resting on the head of a criminal.

The post Six Flix List: Spy Comedies appeared first on Utah.Film.

With the end of school quickly approaching I want to address those movies that cover something everyone goes through: high school graduation. My own graduation was not a big deal. I received my diploma, I didn’t trip walking up or across the stage, and I wore a horribly white graduation gown. White is not my color.

Here are six movies that make the whole graduation thing seem a bit more exciting and emotional than my own moment was.

Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)

After four years of pining, Preston (Ethan Embry), learns that the object of his affection, Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt), has recently been dumped by her jock boyfriend, Mike (Peter Facinelli). Preston drags his best friend, Denise (Lauren Ambrose) to the party for support, even though it’s the last place she wants to be. Everyone hits on Amanda during the entire party, which frustrates her, and once Preston works up the nerve to profess his love, she turns him down. Hard. Denise gets stuck in a bathroom with her former friend, Kenny (Seth Green), and you can guess what happens with them. Eventually Amanda realizes dissing Preston as she did was a mistake and she goes looking for him. And that’s how things went down at all those high school parties you were never invited to. Exactly like that.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

The Disney-Pixar movies are very good at making you feel all the feels. In “Toy Story 3” Andy is preparing to leave for college and is sorting through everything in his childhood room. He bags up all his old friends Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Slinky, Hamm, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, and Rex, but is interrupted before he can get them in the attic and they end up the garbage instead. The toys end up in a day care center, with an evil bear acting as they guy in charge. Attempts to escape are thwarted, but in the end the toys end up where they belong. Which isn’t where any of them expected to be. “Toy Story 3” includes the voice talents of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Michael Keaton, and many more.

American Graffiti (1973)

Cruising, mischief, decisions, and mysterious blondes – all things that make a young man wonder if heading off to college the next day is the best decision. Set in 1962, Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), is undecided as to whether or not he wants to leave his hometown of Modesto, California in order to attend college. The night before Curt is scheduled to leave he meets up with his friends, Steve (Ron Howard), John (Paul Le Mat), and Terry (Charles Martin Smith). The night takes the four young men on their own mini journeys, and they each man up and make some decisions about their immediate future.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), wants to take one day off from school to hang with his best friend, Cameron (Alan Ruck,) and girlfriend, Sloane (Mia Sara), before they head their own ways after graduation, so he pretends to be ill and his parents agree to let him stay home. Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane the day traipsing around Chicago, narrowly avoiding parents, and hijacking parades. Ferris’ younger sister, Jeanie (Jennifer Grey), is determined to catch Ferris in his lie, and ends up defending her home from an intruder who actually is the school principal, Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), who is also just trying prove Ferris is lying. There’s a brilliant chase scene of sorts at the end between Jeanie and Ferris as they both strive to be the first one home. If you’re of a certain age and have never seen this movie, then I don’t want to know you.

Grease (1978)

Ah, to be young and in love in the 1950’s – it gives me chills, and they’re multiplying. After spending a romantic summer together Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John), must go their separate ways. Danny, the coolest of the cool, returns to his senior year of high school at Rydell High, and as far as he knows, Sandy returns to her life Australia. Imagine Danny’s surprise when the Pink Ladies (Stockard Channing, Didi Conn, and Jamie Donnelly) push Sandy into his arms after a school bonfire. Sandy’s the ultimate goody goody and Danny the stereotypical bad boy, so how will their relationship ever work? Are they willing to change for each other? Well, y’all find out at the end of the year. Now excuse me while I go sing a little.

American Pie (1999)

Jim (Jason Biggs), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) decide make a pact to lose their virginity before their high school graduation, so they set their sites on prom night. Is there any better way to end some of the most awkward years of your life with awkward attempts and wooing a girl into your bed? I think not. The road to their goal is a bumpy one, but somehow they all manage to keep the pact in the end.

The post Lacey's Six Flix List : High School Graduation appeared first on Utah.Film.