Movie Review - Inside Out

Yup, we were a bit behind on seeing Inside Out. It released just before we headed to Europe and we waited until we were visiting Disneyland to see it at the Downtown Disney AMC. As expected, it was 100% worth the wait. 

One quick comment before I plunge into my review; It's been years since I've been to a movie at the Downtown Disney AMC and it was a letdown. The theatre is nice and the annual pass holder discount is nice, but there was a large number of people sneaking into our theatre. I know movies are expensive, but sneaking into movies goes totally against my morals.

First, expensive or not, theaters are a business and if you can't respect their policies, don't go. Two, movies are intended to be viewed in their entirety and it's disrespectful to come in during the middle. Third, the one that pissed me off, is it's totally disrespectful to the people who paid to see the movie. If you're going to sneak in, be quiet and take the first seat on the side. Don't let me notice you. It's rude. Extra rude goes to the couple that came in with a crying baby in a large stroller. Babies in movie theaters is another issue...but sneaking in with a crying baby and taking your time finding a seat in the middle, really? We had no less than six different groups of people sneak in during our screening. I can't remember going to a movie where it was this bad.

PLOT - Inside Out introduces us to the emotions that live inside of a preteen named Riley. When Riley is uprooted from her happy life in Minnesota, due to her father's job transfer, the emotions (Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear) must work overtime to adapt to her new situation. Disaster strikes when the emotions lose control of their central command station, damaging Riley's memories.  Opposite emotions, Joy and Sadness must work together to fix the situation before Riley suffers permanent damage.

LIKE - Do I have a new favorite Pixar movie? Just maybe. Inside Out is funny and endlessly clever, but more than that, it's an important film. Emotions are a difficult thing to discuss and I think that this film could be a good starting point to open up the discussion. Riley feels like she has to put on a happy face for her parents, who are also struggling with the move. Joy struggles when Riley feels any other emotion and must come to terms with it being okay to let Riley feel other things, like sadness and anger. Her parents also come to this conclusion. It's okay to have a range of emotions, it's normal. It's healthy to express those emotions and share what you are feeling with your family. 

I loved Bing Bong, Riley's forgotten imaginary friend; part elephant, part dolphin, part cat and part cotton candy!  It was sad and affecting to have Bing Bong, once key part of Riley's life, become a faded memory. 

The funniest moment in the film is during the end credits. Make sure to stay in your seat to see the emotions that live inside of our pets! 

DISLIKE - Not one single thing to dislike.

RECOMMEND - YES, YES, YES!!! 

BONUS - Also included, is the latest Pixar short, Lava. As if to prime us for Inside Out, Lava manages to pack in a lot of emotion into seven minutes. Told through song, Lava is the story of a lonely volcano, who is seeking love as he disappears under the ocean. If you want a song stuck in your head forever, go see Lava. Dan picked the song as a ring-tone on his phone and I keep hearing, "Lava was just so, so sad". It clearly made an impression. Lava was depressing, catchy and it made me want to book us on the next flight to Hawaii. The bags are packed, let's go!

Your Noise Makes Me Scream

I have noisy neighbors. Technically, they are not our direct neighbors, as they live on the other side of a brick wall at the end of our driveway. All of the neighbors that live in my complex are quiet. Often, they are so quiet, that I forget that I even have neighbors. There are kids that live in the house next door and I've never heard them, not once and we have a shared wall. My neighbors rock. Quietly.

Back to the neighbors across the wall...they like to have parties. Big parties, noisy parties. Exceedingly loud parties. These parties usually take place every single weekend in the summer.

 As far as I can tell, there are one of two scenarios going on. First, these people have a very large extended family and hold every possible family gathering at this location. The second, they rent out their backyard to other families. I feel like the second might be a distinct possibility, as they always have the same DJ, tons of tables and equipment and a bouncy house. This is a semi-professional set up that these people have going on.

Much to my horror, last weekend, we watched as they rigged up an enormous blue tarp, essentially covering their entire backyard. Then, around six on Saturday evening, the loud, thumping music started up and the noise didn't die until around two am. This leads me to believe, that they are planning on doing these parties year round. Ugh.

I've called the police on them. Numerous times. All of my neighbors have called too. These parties have been going on for years. The police check it out, the music temporarily dies down and then it kicks back up again. They police have fined them and they are willing to pay. They just don't care. The police are exasperated, but apparently have their hands tied. I'm not sure what the next step is, besides maybe taking it to the city council.

I think what get my goat the most, is the utter lack of respect for the neighbors. This isn't just a little extra noise. I can clearly hear all of the music and talking with my windows and doors closed. I can hear it above the sounds of my television. In the past, it's been so loud, that my windows rattled. The amplification echoes down our driveway. They don't tone it down as the evening gets later, if anything, they get louder. The kids in the bouncy house are allowed to screech and scream, even past midnight. I've never had any of my direct neighbors make noise like this, not even when they have BBQ parties on their patios.

As a kid, my mom made me very aware of noise and being respectful of those around me. When I had a bunch of friends over for a party in junior high, she made me walk around and hand out letters to all of the neighbors, informing them of the party, with our phone number, in case we got too loud. Even with that, I was told to make sure we kept the volume down and the party ended around eight.

I remember playing with a friend in Maui, we were running up and down the halls of our condo complex, playing tag. A woman came out of her home and nicely asked us to play elsewhere, because we were making too much noise and she had a sleeping baby. She was right. There is a time and place for noise and there is an appropriate level of what's acceptable. It's not acceptable to bother neighbors, even as a kid, I understood this concept. We took our game away from the homes and to the big lawn out back.

We live in close proximity to our neighbors. It's unfair to expect everyone to put up with your extra loud party. If you want to throw them, you should move to where you have more land. It's the breaks of living in a densely populated community.

There are many other places that noise levels drive me nut.

This may be easier said than done, but people should refrain from public arguments. This last weekend, I witnessed an older couple in a screaming fit at the concession stand at AMC. They continued to walk into the theater, yelling the whole way. Okay, take a step back, leave the theater and talk out your issues. The world does not need to be involved in your personal matters.

People who talk in movies should be pelted with Junior Mints and tossed out. Cell phone are in clear violation, including texting, which is noise on the eyes. Unless it's a screening specific for parents with babies (as some theaters are doing, mommy matinees- which is a great idea, keeps everyone happy) it's never appropriate to bring a baby. Sorry, it's just not. A baby can't help it if they start to cry and in a movie, that's just rude. A parent can't get out of the room fast enough to avoid a disturbance, it's like a ringing cell phone. I wasn't taken to my first movie until my mom knew that I could sit through it silently. I don't mind if a young child (or even an adult) blurts something out in surprise or excitement, but this should be an exception in a movie theater, not constant yammering or in inability to sit still. 

People should never have loud or prolonged cell conversations in public, especially indoors, like at a restaurant or in line at Starbucks. It's so annoying and not in the least bit private as everyone is listening.

People who use their phones at the gym right in front of the "No Cell Phone" sign, should have their cell phone smashed and membership revoked, courtesy of me. 

I absolutely loathe loud talking in zoos. I was taught that zoos should be treated like libraries with inside voices and whispers. You're visiting the animal's house, have some respect. Plus, speaking from experience gained through working at a zoo, quiet moments are when the animals are most active. 

If the music in your car is loud enough to drowned out the music in my car, then you need to turn it down.

Your noise makes me want to scream. However, I am polite enough to refrain from adding to the noise pollution problem.

So, besides ranting about the issue. what is to be done? Right now, we are at the point where we are considering an investment in Super Soakers and rotten eggs. I've been working on my aim.

 Anyone else out there have a similar issue with noisy neighbors? Any solutions for a peaceful resolution?