When I go to the movies, I’m usually looking for a couple hours of pure escapism. Whether I get lost in the plot or the action or the characterizations, I’m out of my mundane corner of the world for a bit.

Last weekend, it was a musical that took me away from it all. Mamma Mia! is a delight, filled with ABBA tunes, great choreography, gorgeous cinematography and a light-hearted storyline. About half way through, I realized my cheeks hurt; I hadn’t stopped smiling. And I didn’t stop smiling and laughing, even through the credits. (Yes, stay for the credits!) Though, to be honest, there were a few moments of cover-my-eyes embarrassment.

As you watch Mamma Mia! it’s extremely obvious that everyone is having a great time. If you can, pay attention to the extras. There’s one woman – she must be a grandmother several times over – who is having the time of her life (pun intended). There are two musical numbers with a large number of the cast, and one can’t help but notice the exuberance and sheer fun. Meryl Streep is wonderful as Donna, and her Dynamo cohorts, Christine Baranski and Julie Walters, are a hoot. Amanda Seyfried is excellent as the bride-to-be Sophie, and Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellen Skarsgård look the parts as Donna’s former beaus. However, those moments of embarrassment I mentioned come at the lack of singing ability by at least one of the suitors.

Musicals are unique combinations of acting, singing and scenery. I adore musicals; not everyone does. But they do require more than the usual suspend-your-disbelief attitude from moviegoers. Mamma Mia! is worth the effort.

On a side note, the trailers before the movie were definitely intriguing. Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys might be worth seeing – it stars Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Cole Hauser and Sanaa Lathan. Henry Poole Is Here is Luke Wilson’s latest, and it looks like a heartwarmer and a tearjerker. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 continues the adventures of friends-for-life Alexix Bledel, America Ferrera, Blake Lively and Amber Tamblyn. Flash of Genius, based on a true story, stars Greg Kinnear and Lauren Graham – another tearjerker, and I hope the little guy wins (won) against U.S. automakers. Ghost Town gives us another take on the “I see dead people” routine, though with Ricky Gervais heading the cast, I have a feeling this one contains a few more laughs than previous incarnations of the theme. The Express, another based-on-a-true-story potential blockbuster, tells the story of Ernie Davis (portrayed by Rob Brown, Finding Forrester), the first African-American football player to win the Heisman Trophy.

I, quite frankly, would be hard pressed to say “I will definitely not be going to that movie” for any of these releases. It looks like I will continue to spend my money at the movies!

And on books. I’m about three-quarters of the way through White Night, the latest paperback in The Dresden Files. Whew, what a ride! I’m already anticipating the need to read the next installments – Small Favor, now in hardcover, and Turn Coat, expected in early 2009 – right now!

Hellboy II: The Golden Army  is now on my list of to-buy DVDs. I only add movies I enjoyed to my collection, by the way.

While I do prefer the first Hellboy, the sequel has a few pluses – the fight scenes are excellent with choreography that boggles the mind; the special effects are fantastic, not surprising considering director/writer Guillermo del Toro’s last hit, Pan’s Labyrinth, which one three Oscars including one for Best Makeup; a great baddie (or is he?) in Prince Nuada (Luke Goss, a British actor you might remember from Blade II, also directed by del Toro); Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) coming out of his shell; and, of course, Ron Perlman in all his red glory as Hellboy himself. (For a glimpse at the comic book goodness that is Hellboy, visit www.Hellboy.com.)

I did miss the extensive Red quirkiness I remember from the first Hellboy. It appears that many of the great one-liners we might expect were sacrificed for action in the sequel. Though I may be remembering the first movie with more quirky fondness than is fair; might be time to pull out the Hellboy DVD.

However, I do have to say there are at least two major scenes focused on Red’s unique view of life – you will adore the Red-and-Abe singalong with Barry Manilow, and I enjoyed Red’s scamper over rooftops, as he holds a tiny tot in his tail during a major fight with a forest god. OK, the second one you just have to see – and hear – to appreciate.

This outing for Red and company is also a bit of a heartbreaker, as Red, Liz (the fiery Selma Blair) and Abe, and their new cohort, Johann Krauss, struggle with finding a way to fit into a world filled with people who dislike anyone different. “They’re afraid of me,” Red says. A visit to a troll market, overflowing with otherworldly beauty, prompts Red to tell Liz she’d love the place: No one is staring at him.

The ending leaves us with the hope of a third installment of Red and Friends. I just hope del Toro adds more Red one-liners the next go around.

This weekend: Mamma Mia! and possibly The Dark Knight, though I’m not sure I’m willing to brave opening-day crowds, even for Batman and Alfred.

So what’s on your movie calendar? Let me know what’s got you salivating for theater popcorn, and let’s talk movies – one of my favorite topics.

And, book lovers, I’m on Blood Rites: Book Six of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. More on that later!

Must. See. Hellboy II: The Golden Army. This. Weekend!

Not only am I a geek about books and television, I’m a movie fanatic. I found my way to two movies last week: WALL-E while I was visiting family for the Fourth, and Hancock when I returned home. I enjoyed both (I’d probably give the edge to WALL-E for the simple fact that the animation is fantastic!) and may even add both to my DVD collection.

This weekend, I have three to choose from: Hellboy II, Meet Dave and Journey to the Center of the Earth. Meet Dave may wait for a DVD rental; I’m not a big comedy (i.e., slapstick) fan. But Hellboy and Journey are, for me, must-sees on the big screen.

I’ve never been too picky when it comes to movies. If a movie allows me to escape for a couple of hours, making me laugh or cry or gasp, or all of the above, then I’m a happy camper. There was a time when a weekend was incomplete if I didn’t make it to two double features, and one day there were four movies on the agenda (I can’t do that anymore!).

While I’m a bit more selective these days, I keep going. I love going to the theater; the entire experience makes me smile. And the trailers at the beginning of the movie are my favorite part. (A note of warning: Most of these movies sites are complex, and most have sound as soon as the page is opened.) I’m eagerly anticipating The Dark Knight (I loved Batman Begins, and the interplay between Christian Bale and Heath Ledger looks interesting), Mamma Mia! (a musical!), The X-Files: I Want to Believe (I really do want to believe and I loved the series), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Brendan Fraser returns), Swing Vote (Kevin Costner and political satire), Blindness (Julianne Moore in a scary one), Eagle Eye (Shia LeBeouf, and Julianne Moore’s voice is in the trailer), Crossing Over (Harrison Ford, need I say more?), The Day the Earth Stood Still (with Keanu Reeves as an alien?) and Babylon A.D. (sci-fi and Vin Diesel, good combination). There are others, too. That takes us through August, according to Fandango’s Summer Movie Calendar; looks like I’m going to a LOT of movies!

So what’s on your movie agenda? Or your to-rent list? For more movie news, I often visit The Internet Movie Database or Fandango or Yahoo! Movies. Do you have favorite sites or movie blogs to visit? Let me know!

One of these days, we’ll talk DVD collections. See ya at the movies!

Oh, and I’m on Summer Knight: Book Four of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.

There are guffaws and mouths agape when I explain my television/video setup, and more than one person walks away, shaking a head, as if to say, “Crazy person!”

At one time, I had three VCRs hooked up to one TV. Nowadays, since my cable company has gone all digital, I have a DVR and two VCRs. With the federal mandate for all over-the-air television channels to be digital by February 2009, many cable companies have followed suit. My provider offers three tiers of service, all digital and many high definition, and one tier of analog channels (converted from the digital). All of which means I can record two digital channels at the same time, record two analog channels at the same time, and view a fifth live.

So I actually now have more recording capacity than I did before the digital revolution. But if anyone had told me that a couple months ago, it would have fallen on deaf ears. I was more than a little resistant to the DVR craze, despite assurances from two of my sisters that I would love having a DVR.

Digital television is changing my viewing habits. I find myself watching TV through the DVR more often than not, though I’m not recording as much at the moment as what I have in the past. That will change in the coming weeks, though.

The writer’s strike earlier this year definitely affected what I watch, and no longer watch. After shows began appearing again, I made a conscious choice to drop several network shows from my regular viewing/recording. That decision, however, doesn’t affect some of the cable shows I enjoy.

A digital converter box (my first test of the digital waters) found its way into my house the week before the return of Battlestar Galactica on the Sci-Fi Channel. And now the DVR is here in time for the return of Burn Notice on USA, Eureka and Stargate Atlantis on Sci-Fi, and Saving Grace and The Closer on TNT.

The problem will come in the fall (which, of course, at this point in time depends on a possible actors’ strike; the latest news I could find is on The Village Vidiot blog) when I have to decide which network and cable show to watch when. So it will probably be a good deal that the DVR and VCRs are hooked up.

Have a fun and safe Fourth of July!