Saturday Night at the Movies

Finally saw this film - and recommend it highly!  I can see why Gary Oldman won the Oscar for Best Actor - he really absorbed the persona of Winston Churchill - and delivered.

I think that since we saw the film about Dunkirk, this film seemed even more relevant.

There are so many "war stories" to be told - and they usually deliver!

A good watch!

Harry keeps a "watch list" of shows he thinks we might enjoy - and we mostly forget to watch them!! But Friday night we did - and were well-rewarded for our efforts!

Doctor Thorne is a novel by Anthony Trollope - of Pallisers fame - you will need to be pretty old to recognize that 1970's era Masterpiece Theater production!! 

And it was produced by Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame - he introduces each of the 4 episodes.

It's a period romance - well-done, well-acted, and it even has a happy ending!

A must-see!!

What a great film!!  I ordered the book - no waiting around for the library to get it or have it - our library never seems to have anything!!

And I ordered a physical copy - I want to share it once I'm done.

I was proud to be a woman after seeing this!

One feature that truly impressed me was the scene where Katherine explains to her irate boss why she is gone for over 40 minutes every day - to walk - usually run actually - to the closest colored bathroom - which is 1/2 mile away! When I read about this scene in a review, it got me thinking about how dehumanizing it must be to be unable to take care of such a basic human need because society says you aren't good enough to use the available bathroom.  There was a similar passage in Road to Memphis, one in the series of novels following Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry.  

I'm not sure how people can be so unfeeling. And I loved how Kevin Costner said, after taking down the "Colored Restroom" sign, "At NASA, we all pee the same color!"

Friday night at the movies!

So we have discovered VidAngel - and are now cleaning up movies we've wanted to watch! It's pretty easy to take out the sexual innuendo, nudity, violence, profanity, and anything else objectionable.  At first I thought maybe the movies would come out all hackneyed - but they don't.  Which leads me to wonder why they need all the bad stuff anyway - doesn't really seem to be all that essential!

I had read a review of this film in the AARP magazine of all places! And was sort of intrigued. It's sad in some ways, almost pathetic - as in you want to just cringe when you see the sorrow and heartache Doris endures! But Doris triumphs - so all's well that ends well I guess.

Their treatment of hoarders and greedy siblings after a death is a little "glossy" in that it doesn't really address the issue.  But it's actually not the main issue.

And it has a lot to say about social media and popular culture that is really "spot on" as they say!

Give it a look/see and tell me what you think!

Beautiful, fun, goofy!!

I certainly know who Roald Dahl is - but I actually have not read many of his books - in fact, I think I have only read James and the Giant Peach.  Not sure why I haven't read them - all my kids seem to have.  But I may have to change that!

Harry and I went and saw The BFG on Monday to celebrate the holiday.  And we thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm thinking it might be scary for some kids - but actually Roald Dahl always has a scary element. Doesn't seem to cost him his kid audience.

It was also great that the Queen was played by a fave from Downton Abbey!

Might be a movie worth having in your video library!!

And the breakfast scene at the palace was superb!!

A must-see movie!

Phoebe and Eliza were both leaving today - Eliza needed to be gone by noon or so, so we had a lovely lunch together.  Then Phoebe said, well, I don't have to go until 5:30, what shall we do?  (What I love about Phoebe is the way she is nice and direct!!)

So I said, well, what about a movie.  And Phoebe said, I was just thinking that we could go to a movie.

 The Krikorian - our default choice when going to the movies  - had nothing we wanted to see.  Then I remembered a movie Harry had wanted to see after he read the review in the LA Times a few weeks ago.  At that time, the movie wasn't playing anywhere close.

But lucky for us, I checked the listings for the Laemmle, our other movie theater of choice, and there it was in black and white - the title, not the movie!  The Music of Strangers, Yo-Yo Ma the Silk Road Ensemble. 

This is a documentary about the efforts of Yo-Yo Ma, world-renowned cellist, and other international musicians, to create a music ensemble that will bring cultures together, create cultural awareness, serve mankind, provide understanding and peace, and play beautiful music.

Sounds like a tall order doesn't it?  Well, it does, but it is achievable - and this film shows you how it's done. In addition, the film also highlights the current issues in the Middle East and the refugee problem.

My description sounds lame - because talking about beauty isn't always beautiful is it?? You need to watch and listen - and this film is the best place to start.

Take my word for it!

When Phoebe was a baby, we got a baby sitter for her and took Bonny and Harry to the first Star Wars movie - it was amazing in our eyes - the world had just never seen this kind of film-making.

Harry wanted to be Luke for Halloween for a couple of years - and it was pretty easy to oblige him.

We are a Star Wars family.

And Harry and I saw the latest tonight - and we are still a Star Wars family!!

It's good - well-done and entertaining - what a movie is supposed to be!

A great film about a little known philanthropist!

Harry was sharing with me about a review of a recent documentary he'd heard on NPR.  While he was googling about the man - Julius Rosenwald - and sharing what he was reading, I was googling the Laemle to see if it was playing there!

It was!  At 1:50 and 7:30.  Since we are retired - at least I am  and Harry's schedule is flexible - we hustled into Pasadena and saw it.

We were not disappointed at all.  In fact, I am really wondering why I never heard of this man before.  As the son of Jewish immigrants, he grew up learning to hustle for himself - and ended up acquiring half the ownership of Sears, Roebuck and Company!!  He promoted the extended use of the catalog - and came up with the idea of making their book shorter and fatter so that it would end up sitting on the top of the catalogs in people's homes!!  Genius!

As his wealth expanded, he became more and more generous and forward-thinking.  He was devoutly Jewish, believing in the tenent of the Jewish doctrine to be righteously engaged in good works!

He started by donating money to build YMCA facilities that would be available to blacks.  As as despised minority, he identified with the plight of African Americans.  He continued to share his wealth and was instrumental in building over 5,000 schools in the rural south that served the former slave population there.  They were called Rosenwald Schools and benefited countless young people of that era. He also aligned himself with Booker T. Washington and contributed to the growth of the Tuskegee Institute.

I'm truly amazed that I've never heard of him, because I have read extensively about the Civil Rights movement - and he was certainly a forerunner.

Well, there are lots of books about him, so I can get busy now!

And if you have a chance to see this film, do!

A little Friday night movie watching!!

I have been reading up a storm, but thought it would be a good idea to see this film - had heard a good review from Rene - my movie buff extraordinaire - and even the New Yorker had lots of good to say about it!

It was at the Laemmle - so off we went with all the other senior citizens who frequent the 4:20 p.m. showing on a Friday afternoon!!

A good movie!!  The music was central to the story, but not in the way you would think.  Rather the emphasis was on the way Brian Wilson composed music - the powers that drove him - the voices he heard in his head.

It's also a very enlightening film about mental illness.  And the unscrupulousness of some caretakers!!

It's told as parallel stories - the young Brian in the 60's and the middle-aged Brian in the 80's.  It's a device that works too.

Even if you weren't a Beach Boys fan ever, you would enjoy this movie.

And maybe you will become a Beach Boys fan (I've always been one!!)

Movie nights!!

Harry and I were looking for something to watch - and this came up - and since I love all things Cary Grant, I proposed we watch it.  Harry is a good sport about indulging my love of Cary Grant!!  I have seen this film many times - and always love it!!  I can never get enough of the look on Cary Grant's face when he goes into the bedroom and sees the painting and realizes Deborah Kerr is crippled - and he has judged her unfairly - and he closes his eyes and you can feel the anguish!!  He should have been given an Academy award for that scene alone!!  (We are talking 1957 here.)

Later Harry was browsing around and found the original film that this film was a remake of - Love Affair with Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne.   The only thing missing from this 1939 version was the Vic Damone theme song.  The 1957 version was word for word the same as the 1939 version.  I'm wondering how often that gets done!!

If it hadn't been so late, I would have watched Sleepless in Seattle too!

Taylor won tickets to the Pasadena Laemle Theater, but said they really could never use them since it's a ways from their house - so she gave them to us!!  What a treat - FHE tonight was movie night - I'd been wanting to see this.  Thinking now maybe I should re-read the book too - and maybe re-watch the 60's version with Julie Christie!!

The film is well-done, beautiful cinematography, acting is great, the Boltwood chap does a superb job at being "madly" infatuated with Bathsheba!!

And Gabriel Oak really reminded me of Ry Nebeker with hair - but those are little details - the overall film is a visual and auditory feast!!

Check it out!!

Great film!!

I call this a "must see!"  Not your average feel-good sports movie - there is some true growth and understanding going on - and it's based on a true story!!

One of the runners in the story is a reporter for the LA Times and he wrote a follow-up article last week.

I love "connections!"

Gotta Love Bogey and Bacall!!

And love them we do!!  Not sure why he pulled it up on the screen, but last night Harry put this one on - said his movie queue recommended it for him!!

It was classic film noir - maybe not in the same caliber as To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep - but an hour and a half of some pretty good entertainment!

Bogey is an escaped con - who is out to prove his innocence - and Bacall is a young artist who has followed his trial and imprisonment.  There are lots of coincidences that are just that - coincidences - but they work for me.  And they move the story along.

And the ending is pure joy!!

Give it a look-see!

Seeing Selma

Even though I lived through the Civil Rights movement and all its attendant drama and history, I was mostly in the somewhat sheltered atmosphere of BYU.  Most of the information we got was filtered through the student newspaper.  Sometimes others talked about it, but I have mostly been learning about this time period in the years since the events occurred.

One of the triggers for acquiring more knowledge about this time period came from my teaching experiences.  One of the novels that students at Clifton had to read was Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.  The novel is about conditions in the South in the Depression, and the story is told from a black viewpoint.  There was always lots of ancillary material, and it was from this material that I came to understand more about the history of the South, especially the segregation of schools, the voting issues, and the terrible prejudice and persecution that prevailed.

I was also a little disturbed that most of my African-American students didn't seem to know anything about the Civil Rights movement or even Martin Luther King.  As I strove to fill them in on the history and events surrounding those tumultuous years, I was gratified that they all seemed very interested in learning about it all.

I hope all of those same former students of mine have gone to see this movie - it is not like a documentary at all, but humanizes the story and all the history that surrounds it.  I love getting my "history" from books and movies and trying to fit it in with the "big picture" in my head about the world and how it all works.

This is a well-done film.  The language got a little rough - apparently Lyndon Johnson and George Wallace were a little coarse - so they might have a time showing it in American history classes - but they ought to anyway!!

(Where's Clean Flicks when you need it?)

The film is moving, informative, historical, emotional, and tells a story that needs telling and re-telling.

Lest we forget!

Chilly - but "warms" your heart!!

Hannah and I had a "girls' night out" and went and saw Frozen.  It has a very snappy soundtrack and a marked resemblance to Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen.

And we enjoyed it - in spite of the annoying high school girls sitting behind us and the quasi-annoying young children who kept walking in front of us to go to the restroom I assume.

Don't moms know about sitting on the aisle for that very reason??

At least I will be able to get the cultural references when they start popping up.  (I have never seen Finding Nemo or any of the Shrek movies, so I'm always missing references that get thrown out.)

Hannah and Robbie leave on Monday morning - trying to get in all the fun we can!!

A good show!

Hannah and Robbie are still in town, and Robbie had never seen the street fair, so we walked downtown, strolled around the farmer's market and the other attractions and decided it was a lot like the Eastern Market in DC near where they live!!

Then we had sandwiches at Cafe Merengue and went to the Krikorian to see Saving Mr. Banks.

It was a pretty good film, and Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Ferrel, and Paul Giamati did a great job.  I would recommend it.

Miss Rhoda acquitted herself well also and slept soundly through the whole film!

And now both Hannah and I want to watch Mary Poppins again!

Great film!!

For FHE, Harry and I went to the movies - there are about 5 films I'd like to see, and they are all playing close by - it's a hectic week, though, so I'm pretty sure I won't get to the show again til next Monday night!!

This was a great film.  Well done - how can it not be with Judi Dench?  Steve Coogan - about whom I know very little - was no slouch either.

Since it's based on true events, the use of what look like old home movies from the 60's is very effective.  And it takes place in Ireland, England, and Washington DC!!

The story is compelling - the message of forgiveness and moving forward is certainly timely and emphatic.

I recommend it highly!!

Friday Night At the Movies

Life calmed down enough around here for Harry and me to watch a movie tonight!  We watched Possession - based on the novel of the same name.  I had read the book several years ago - and actually found it somewhat tedious and confusing.  

The novel included long passages of letters and poetry that the author had written as if she was a Victorian writer and poet.  Once I figured that out, I quit reading the poetry portions - the poetry wasn't that good!  Then the story moved along better!

The film is better than the book in some ways.  At least the way I remembered it!  It's entertaining and moves right along.

Great ending too!

Friday night at the movies!

We have not been to the movies in quite awhile.  So when The Butler finally made it to the Krikorian,  Harry and I hustled down there.  I'd like to be able to report that we walked there - but since it was 97 degrees at 7:30 p.m., we drove!!

It was a good film - and we both enjoyed it.  I wonder,  though, if the enjoyment came in part because the events the film portrayed were events we had read about in the papers ourselves!

The more years I teach, the more I have to re-create history so that my students can see the stories we read in context.  And I am amazed at how much history I myself have lived through.

Food for thought.

If you haven't seen the film, it's worth the trip!

More Sunday night at the movies!!

I remember as a kid loving the old copies of the Saturday Evening Post that we'd get from my Grandma Stevens.  Apparently this movie was taken from a story in the magazine.  I used to read the stories, but I must have skipped the westerns.

Well, I probably could have skipped this movie too.  Some old westerns are true gems - and others - except for the chance to gaze once more into the handsome face of the tortured Montgomery Clift - like this one - are best left in the archives.

We need to find a new category to pursue.  Maybe Fred Astaire dancing movies!!  At least you could hum along!!

Saturday Night at the Movies

I was at the Monrovia Public Library - a place I love, but a place I don't seem to get to very often - and I was returning a book.  I decided to peruse the DVD rentals - and found this - I recalled that I'd wanted to see it at some point in time.  Harry was pretty tired - and nodded off about 10 minutes into the show.  He woke up for the last half - and then watched the part he'd missed.  I suppose everyone but us has already seen it - but if you haven't, it's clean, has no bad language, and was quite entertaining.

Sometimes that's all you want out of movie - especially at home on a Saturday night!