Getting Caught Up Watching Movies ... and Skinny Jeans

Goodness, so the Ghostbusters movie review didn't go up yesterday because I got caught up watching movies.  After seeing the film last Friday I realized it had been so long since I've seen Ghostbusters (1984) that I had to see it before writing the review, but instead of streaming the movie I bought the 2 movie DVD set for $6, normally $15, and now back up to $10.  Ghostbusters 1 & 2 for only $6, and now I've got a physical copy.

Meanwhile, as I waited for the order to arrive, I started writing the review yesterday, but struggled.  Why? Because I had just gotten back from finally seeing the new James Bond movie.  Don't want to give anything away, but it's kind of a bummer.  So that depressed me a little.

Oh, and last Sunday I finally watched Dune before it left HBO Max.  Visually amazing.  The film is imaginative.  But dang the whole thing felt like one giant exposition leading to a cliffhanger.  Good movie, but I don't like movies that lead to a cliffhanger with no idea if there will be more.  Granted it has been announced that there will be a sequel, but I'll believe it when I see it.  Remember Alita Battle Angel?  Still waiting for word that part 2 will happen.  I just don't like major cliffhangers.

Anywho, got the Ghostbusters DVD's today, and I was going to only watch the first movie, but this evening suddenly turned into an at home double feature.  Dang those movies are fun.  And so 80's.  

Changing topics, I remember a thing going around saying how Gen Z mock Millennials for wearing skinny jeans.  I just searched the internet today about skinny jeans and this popped up: "The year 2021 said goodbye to a lot of unlikable things, including skinny jeans. ... Either way, teens on TikTok and recent designer denim offerings agree: skinny jeans are out.  In their place, a variety of overwhelmingly looser fitting and retro-inspired styles are taking over."

Well, I went to Target to buy a pair of jeans because I was in need, just a simple bootcut, and what did I find?  Skinny jeans everywhere!  Seriously, every row.  Every color.  Stacks of them.  I had to dig and miraculously found some bootcut jeans in only a few sizes, a handfuls worth, one of which was my size.  But seriously, what's up with all those skinny jeans?  :\ I just feel so lucky to find a bootcut in my size, and on sale for $25.  That was nice.

It's almost midnight.  I do want to see Ghostbusters Afterlife again, now that my memory has been refreshed by the first two movies.

And tomorrow I'm recording a Creator's Playbook podcast episode with my brother Steven. So prepping for that. It will go up next week.

Hope you're doing great,

Sarah

Wow I wrote a whole lot more than I was planning.  That James Bond movie... *sigh*

Movie Review, CS Lewis: The Most Reluctant Convert

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” C.S. Lewis

Clive Staples Lewis. A profound Christian writer from Nania with its pure symbolism to The Screwtape Letters to Mere Christianity.  To this day his wisdom and faith is still quoted. It's crazy to believe that Lewis was once an atheist.  But he was.

C.S. Lewis lost his belief in God due to experiences in his youth.  Keeping his lack of faith to himself, Lewis simply went through the motions.  Religious rights and passages performed, silence within, all the while his hypocritical actions eating at him little by little.  As he grew his lack of faith was challenged.  Lewis also dabbled in the occult and what he witnessed as warning scared him away after the exploration.

In CS Lewis: The Most Reluctant Convert we learn about Lewis's faith struggle.  See him grow and challenged.  See him eventually accept wholeheartedly.  

This movie is based both on the one-man-show by the same name and "Surprised by Joy".  The man who acted as Lewis in the play, Max McLean, reprises his role for this film.  He's brilliant.  The movie is part narration and part action, seamlessly going between the two.  There's a trailer for the stage play if you want to see tiny clips, as it gives a window into his performance.  McLean breaks the fourth wall, taking us on Lewis's journey, speaking to us his thoughts and struggles.  When he stares at the camera we're pulled in.  For moments I forgot he wasn't Lewis.

The movie is 1h 25m, though I don't know if that includes the documentary that's shown before the start of the film.  I think it might, as the documentary felt to be at least 20 minutes (wasn't looking at the time), and the actual film felt short.  Being just over an hour seems about right.  I love behind the scene stuff, but as this documentary played I just wanted to see the movie.  Maybe the documentary should have been shown afterwards.  I just wanted more.  Frankly I didn't want to movie to end.

One thing, though, I wish there were more scenes showing the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.  Is there a movie that shows just that?  Tolkien is one of the motivators for Lewis to question his lack of faith.

C.S. Lewis is just so inspiring.

“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” C.S. Lewis

The movie is still shown in limited release in a few theaters.

 

Classic Movie Monday: The Court Jester (1955)

Hawkins: I've got it! I've got it! The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true! Right? 

Griselda: Right. But there's been a change: they broke the chalice from the palace!

Hawkins: They *broke* the chalice from the palace?

Griselda: And replaced it with a flagon.

Hawkins: A flagon...?

Griselda: With the figure of a dragon.

Hawkins: Flagon with a dragon.

Griselda: Right.

Hawkins: But did you put the pellet with the poison in the vessel with the pestle?

Griselda: No! The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon! The vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true!

Hawkins: The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the dragon; the vessel with the pestle has the brew that is true.

Griselda: Just remember that.

What a silly movie!

So many great moments and scenes and songs!

I remember watching The Court Jester as a kid, but the memory of the movie is fragmented at best, and I don't even know if I watched all of it without wondering off here and there, missing stuff.  I didn't even remember that fact that the movie is a musical.  

Melvin Frank and Norman Panama wrote, directed, and produced The Court Jester in 1955, starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury and Cecil Parker. It's so amazing seeing Glynis Johns (Mary Poppins and While you were Sleeping) and Angela Lansbury (She's done so much) so young, and playing such fun roles.

The movie itself centers around Hawkins (Danny Kaye), who is an entertainer turned court spy, helping to restore the rightful king to the throne.  Who is this king? A baby!  Who has the purple pimpernel tattoo to his bottom.  One of the movie's running gags is the fact that in order to prove the baby is the rightful heir, the baby's butt must be shown, quickly prompting those who see to kneel and bow their heads in respect, to a... baby's bottom.  Glynis Johns is Maid Jean, a rebel captain.  Angela Lansbury is Gwendolyn, the princess of England, so desperate for love that's she's cool with Hawkins being tricked into loving her. 

While watching The Court Jester I wondered if this was The Princess Bride of its time.  A medieval story full of clever one liners and silly tongue twisters.  There's plenty to quote.  The music is nice, too.  Comedy overflowing.  And a little Scarlet Pimpernel action from Hawkins as well.

I remember loving this movie as a kid, and now that I've seen it again I understand why.  It's just a really great movie.

Sarah

Monday Movie Roundup: Free Guy, Reminiscence, Cinderella (2021), and Shang-Chi

Not a classic Monday, but I've seen some movies recently, and thought I'd share some opinions.  There may or may not be spoilers.  These are quick fires.  Probably because it's after midnight, and I decided this could be a fun way to change up my reviews.  I'm watching a few classic movies this week to get ahead.  This whole "roundup" post probably won't happen all that often.  We'll see.

Free Guy

What a fun movie!  Perfect escapism.  Basic story about a video game where an NPC (none playable character) becomes self-aware, and all the problems and or opportunities this may cause.  There's a little Wreck it Ralph flare in it, but the story is original.  I laughed the whole way through, and haven't enjoyed going to the movies this much in a long time.  What a fun diversion, one I'll happily see many times in the future.

Reminiscence

It's got Hugh Jackman, but overall I struggled watching this film.  Just got bored!  It's the first time I wanted to turn off the movie and return to it later, if I remembered to do so.  The premise is interesting:  A future where people can re-enter dreams, living in them as if they're real.  Overall, though, the plot felt convoluted.  I didn't connect to any of the characters.  Ultimately I didn't care what happened to any of them, which is good because the ending was frustrating.  The dialogue felt stilted, feeling like it was trying to be both detective story and western.  Overall it just felt like I was watching a really bad science-fiction novella that shouldn't be published. 

Cinderella (2021)

Don't fix what ain't broke.  Honestly I did enjoy watching this new version of Cinderella.  It meant well in parts.  Like the twist on the Step-mother and sisters.  As soon as I saw the new sister of the prince I literally paused the movie, recited out loud what the changed plot would be, and then watched all my predictions come true.  Magic.  The movie is woke.  Honestly, Ever After, the always amazing remake I re-watch often, and saw in the theater 5 times, was a little woke for it's time, but that movie was clever.  I mean, Leonardo da Vinci as the fairy god mother?  True genius.  Nothing will ever compare.

Shang-Chi

The latest Marvel studios, MCU, film.  Wasn't sure what to think of this movie going into the theater.  Avoided all spoilers, which was a trick.  Worried it might not be good after it got overshadowed by all the Spider Man excitement.  I really enjoyed Shang-Chi!  I mean, it's a martial arts super hero movie, so it's a win right there.  I like the plot, loved the characters, and just got lost in it all.  The underlying story about family was nice as well.  

And that's all for now.  I should look at the movie release schedule, as I'm not entirely sure what's all coming out.  There's probably some heavy hitters finally coming to screen after all the schedule push backs.  

Sarah

Classic Movie Monday: Yours, Mine and Ours (1968)

This is the review I kept meaning to write, only couldn't after doing some research, and subsequently I've struggled doing any other review as I got it in my head that this should be written and finished first.  Only then could I move on.

"Yours, Mine and Ours," from 1968, is innocent enough.  The movie stars Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda.  A family film with all the right motifs.  Two families joining into one, and all the problems this entails.  But this wasn't just any family, these were two large families. Helen North with her eight children and Frank Beardsley with his ten.  Two more came later to make up 20 children.  There are antics between the children.  Situations between Helen and Frank as they managed dating, work (Helen as a nurse and Frank in the Navy), and family raising.  

I enjoyed watching Lucille Ball play a character quite different than her "I Love Lucy" persona.  There's still punch lines, but overall more realistic and serious at times.

While the movie progressed I thought that if this story was based on a real family, it would be courted by the likes of TLC, quickly made into reality television.

After some research it's a good thing reality television didn't exist in the 1960's.

Helen North Beardsley released a book called "Who Gets the Drumstick?" though the book stays quaint and loving.  I haven't read it, but it appears to resemble what's in the movie.  The film's Wikipedia page lists differences between book and movie.

The controversy in my head began after I read the article "A Hollywood tale of happiness rocketed a Carmel family to fame. But one son says reality was more of a horror story."  The interview is with Tom North, the 11th child, and he spells out a different scene.  He describes abuse and heartache.  Violence by Frank Beardsley, Helen marrying him to save his children.  It's a very different story, one that is hard to read.  The Beardsley children deny it, siding with their father. 

It's hard to know what to believe.  Movie's tend to not stick with facts, glorifying and exaggerating for storytelling sake.  Was Helen's sweet biography the true story?  Tom North's interview?  Or the Beardsley children protecting the memory of their father?

All that aside, "Yours, Mine and Ours" is a sweet, inspiration movie.  I'm glad to have not known the background story before seeing it, so now I fear I may have ruined it for others.  Only you can decide what you believe.

Sarah

Classic Movie Monday: Guys and Dolls (1955)

Goodness... so this is a long time coming.  Classic Movie Mondays are back!!  Yippie. :P

So, I saw the stage musical on July 5th, and by the end of that week saw the movie.  Want to know what keeps circling my brain?  The stage musical.  It was so good!

That aside, for now, Guys and Dolls is a movie musical starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, and Vivian Blaine, based on the 1950's Broadway musical.  Essentially the musical is about gambling, New York, betting on horses, just making bets, period, and more gambling while battling love and romance, naturally.  

With the movie I loved Frank Sinatra's song, because he's got a sexy voice, but just about everything else I loved in the stage musical so much more.

The movie song, "Pet Me Poppa," was written for the movie, and dang it has issues.  So problematic. Women dressed like cats singing about being "petted."  Doesn't take much imagination.

Now I'm basing my comparisons with the Hale Center Theater Sandy version, so I don't know how much is scripted vs director interpretation, and how that matches with other theater performances.  But, for instance, two of the characters go to Havana, and the movie version took it so seriously, whereas the stage version I saw played up the comic timing with really great choreography.  It was just so much more enjoyable.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the movie, it was a nice watch, but if I had a choice I'd head over hills choose seeing the stage musical again over the movie.

Hope you're having a great day.  Listening to the 1992 Guys and Dolls Broadway Cast Recording.  The music is so good.

 

Sarah

Classic Movie Monday: The Muppet Movie (1979)

"I know that it's easier to portray a world that's filled with cynicism and anger, where problems are solved with violence.  That's titillating. It's an easy out. What's a whole lot tougher is to offer alternatives, to present other ways conflicts can be resolved, and to show that you can have a positive impact on your world.  To do that, you have to put yourself out on a limb, take chances, and run the risk of being called a do-gooder." ~ Jim Henson

The Muppet Movie

1979

We all have random childhood memories.  I wasn't alive when The Muppet Movie came to theaters, but my parents had a record player, and my Dad had the original soundtrack on that giant vinyl.  For hours (well, it felt like hours, time is a strange thing for a kid), I would look at the movie pictures.  Those images are blurred now, but the feelings I felt while listening to those songs have never faded.

Kermit the Frog sitting on his log playing the banjo, when all of a sudden a Hollywood agent boats across the swamp (so many questions).  The Muppet Movie is the muppets origin story, and this is Kermit's home.  He wants to make millions of people happy, but is quite content hanging in his swamp and watching movies in the theater.  It's the talent agent that encourages him to leave his comfort zone.  What would have happened if that agent hadn't appeared?  Would Kermit have ever left his swamp?  How many lives would have remained unchanged?

The Muppet Movie is a journey and coming together of the muppets as a group of performers and friends.  The movie is also a reflection of how vitally important Kermit is as a character and person.  Everyone he meets has a dream, and as Kermit leaves to follow his dream, he encourages others to follow their dreams.  A pebble in a pond rippling and bouncing everything into motion.

As an adult there's a lot that now makes a lot more sense.  Nuanced jokes are more funny, though some jokes are dated with forgotten in time cultural references.  In the scene where Kermit first meets Fozzie, one of them says, in order to clear the busy bar, "drinks are on the house!" and then everyone in the room runs to the top of the building.  I remember asking my Dad why that was funny.  He explained, though I didn't get it then, even after the explanation, but now it's silly funny.  Then there's the visual gags.  During "Moving Right Along" Kermit and Fozzie, while at a fork in the road, they see an actual giant fork in the road.  Little things like that.

Heh, and then there's the things in The Muppet Movie that would probably never make it in a current film, like Kermit being chased down to star in frog leg ads.  Creepy.  But as a child that was Terrifying!  So it worked.

It has been years since I've seen The Muppet Movie, and it was just a joy watching the movie again.  A pleasurable trip down memory lane.  All the funny cameos that fit well with the plot.  Toe tapping songs.  Dang can Frank Oz sing high!  Creative puppetry that I still marvel at, such as Kermit riding a bike.

The Original Muppet Movie really is the best.  Some of the films that follow are good, but the original is simply brilliant.

Sarah

P.S. Saw this on a meme: "Whatever you do today, do it with the confidence of a 4 year old in a Batman t-shirt". 

 

Classic Movie Monday: My Fair Lady (1964) & Pygmalion (1938)

What is Pygmalion? It's a play by George Bernard Shaw, written in 1913, and inspired by Greek Mythology where "Pygmalion fell in love with one of his sculptures, which then came to life," according to Wikipedia.  Shaw capitalized on this idea by writing a play about a linguist being challenged to teach a flower seller from Piccadilly to speak properly, and then pass her off as upper class.

 

This play was very successful and inspired a movie by its original name in 1938 starring Leslie Howard (the Scarlet Pimpernel from a previous review) and Wendy Hiller, a stage musical called My Fair Lady in 1956 starring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison, and then a film version of the musical in 1964 starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison returning to the role.

 

(Julie Andrews truly wanted to be in the My Fair Lady film, but wasn't cast due to not being famous enough, and then was cast in Mary Poppins in which she earned an Oscar, the same year My Fair Lady won a bunch of Oscars).

 

The first time I watched My Fair Lady was entrancing.  Instant love.  The story was fun, loved the music, and it was the first time I saw Hepburn on film.  Oh, I loved Hepburn so much in this role, and was disappointed to learn many years later that she didn't do any of her own singing, which was done by the incredibly talented, though sadly forgotten, Marni Nixon.  That's another story.  I still love Hepburn as Eliza.

 

My Fair Lady follows closely with Shaw's vision, though with grander settings and music.  Eliza is still the flower girl turned lady, but there's a horse race and other delightful sets, both grand and simple musical numbers ("Wouldn't It Be Loverly?", "Just You Wait", "The Rain in Spain", and "I Could Have Danced All Night", etc, are all favorites), and wonderful costuming. 

 

A couple weeks ago My Fair Lady was on TCM, and I sat for the whole of it, and it was wonderful until the end.  Eliza coming back to Higgins, and Higgins smugly asking for his slippers.  The built up left me cold, and how is it, after all these viewings, did I not realize how unhealthy this relationship was going to be?  If you've seen the movie you know how egotistical, lack of empathy, and needing to control Higgins is.  By the end you learn how dependent Higgins has become with Eliza.  He seems to want her not because he loves her, but because he needs her in a superficial way.  She seems happy to oblige, though Eliza could have ran off with Freddie.  

 

Talking about Freddie, the other guy.  When he sings "On the Street Where She Lives" is quite romantic.  Though the way he fawns and waits for her is problematic, and a little annoying.

 

I was wondering how the 1938 movie depicts the story, being closer to the original stage version, and it sadly has the same ending... with the call for slippers.  And Freddy is an absolute dolt!!!!!  Oh, he's stupid.  At least in My Fair Lady he seems to be respectable and honestly in that telling Eliza should have ended up with him instead of the demanding, take credit for everything Higgins. 

 

(If you want to watch Pygmalion it's on HBO Max.  It is enjoyable, apart from the ending.)

 

Eliza should not have ended up with Higgins, and apparently Shaw agreed!!  It is a hugely troublesome relationship, that is if Higgins never learned to truly love Eliza, which we never get to see.  It seems "Pygmalion fell in love with one of his sculptures, which then came to life," only I greatly doubt that Higgins truly loves Eliza.

 

This is from Wikipedia, though no source was given. "Shaw fought against a Higgins-Eliza happy-end pairing as late as 1938. He sent the 1938 film version's producer, Gabriel Pascal, a concluding sequence which he felt offered a fair compromise: a tender farewell scene between Higgins and Eliza, followed by one showing Freddy and Eliza happy in their greengrocery-flower shop. Only at the sneak preview did he learn that Pascal had finessed the question of Eliza's future with a slightly ambiguous final scene in which Eliza returns to the house of a sadly musing Higgins and self-mockingly quotes her previous self announcing, "I washed my face and hands before I come, I did"."

 

Oh I would love to see the My Fair Lady version of Freddy, not the super dolt version, with Eliza in a flower shop.  Wouldn't that be Marvelous??!!!  That's the ending the show should have had.  It would have been better for all the characters.

 

A girl can dream...

 

Sarah

Classic Movie Monday: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

AKA...

How To BS Your Way to the Top!

How did I not know this was a movie?

The first time I saw How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying was at a humble community theater production as a kid.  It was fun, the music was great, and that elevator song was an instant favorite.  I've seen a couple stage productions of it since, but had no idea it was a movie until it popped up while browsing Amazon.

For those unaware, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, quite a mouthful, is a 1967 movie directed by David Swift (who also did The Parent Trap and Pollyanna), starring Robert Morse, based on the 1961 stage musical (which won both a Pulitzer and a few Tony's) and originally staged by Bob Fosse (also starring Robert Morse), which is based on the 1952 book. 

The story is about "Ponty" Finch, a sky-rise window washer who stumbles upon the book How to Succeed in Business (etc) at a newspaper stand, and immediately begins to read and follow its advice.  He joins a large corporation as a mail room worker, and soon enough the book's advice gives Finch (That's F-I-N-C-H) an incredible edge, and he literally begins climbing the corporate ladder within days. 

It's strange watching this movie as an adult with no clear memory of the changes from stage to screen, or even if the theater may have "softened" some things.  How to Succeed (etc) is PG-13.  It's definitely more adult.  It's not the family friendly My Fair Lady or Sound of Music of my youth.  This movie is a little edgy, playing up on corporate 1960 stereotypes, full of satire.  I kept thinking that there's no way this movie would be made today, as it's a product of it's time.  

This is the sort of movie that shouldn't be remade, simply because it's perfect as it is.  A 1960's satire made in the 60's.  Perfectly cast with fun songs that are well performed.  The colors bright and costuming fun.  It just works.  

So, the movie was fun, I laughed, and now I've got "Been a Long Day" stuck in my head.

Sarah

Classic Movie Monday: The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)

“They seek him here, they seek him there
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere
Is he in heaven or is he in... hell?
That demned elusive Pimpernel” 

~ Baroness Orczy, The Scarlet Pimpernel

In a time of Revolution the French were sending the innocent to Madame Guillotine, all while cheering and knitting.  Each death resulted in a new cheer while blood stained the streets.  Chilling.  But according to the cheerers those being killed well deserved it.  They had it coming...

The Scarlet Pimpernel, written by Baroness Orczy, was originally a play and was performed in 1903.  The play was an incredible success, and the novel was published in 1905.  The 1934 film, starring Leslie Howard, is based on the play and novel.  

Who doesn't know about The Scarlet Pimpernel!!??  There's been a series of plays, movie adaptations, a radio drama, and a musical, plus a large series of books.  The Pimpernel is a superhero, masquerading under numerous facades to carry out daring rescues.  His mission?  Save as many as he can from death, mounting crazy plans through a large network of connections and a personal league. In real life no one suspects him, including his wife, as he's foppish, disconnected, while throwing himself into fashion and portraying himself as a nincompoop.

I first fell in love with the 1982 movie starring Anthony Andrew, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellen.  It's fabulous, and that led me to read the novel and see the Broadway travel production of the musical in LA in the late 90's, seeing Douglas Sills, who originated the role on Broadway, perform as Sir Percy Blakeney during his last week in the role.  It was a Thursday matinee, and there was actually a technical malfunction during the song Into the Fire.  The show was paused for about 10 minutes, and Douglas came out to talk to the audience.  It was just so cool and unforgettable.  Needless to say I'm a fan of the story at large.

Even though I'm a fan of the Pimpernel story, I didn't know there was a 1934 movie, but after finding it on Amazon Prime it was worth the gander.  This is a fun version, superbly acted.  Leslie Howard as the Pimpernel is perfect.  If you're a fan of the Pimpernel story or simply like swashbuckling fun, The Scarlet Pimpernel is worth the watch.  All versions are recommended.

Sarah

Classic Movie Monday: The Last Starfighter (1984)

The Last Starfighter, which came out in 1984, probably wouldn't be considered by many to be a classic movie.  It's classic to me because, according to my Dad, it was the first movie I ever saw at the theater.  Granted I was only two, it was a drive in, and I kept climbing over the seats, front and back again, so I don't remember a thing.  But I do remember seeing The Last Starfighter as a kid when a little older, and it does hold a special place in childhood memory.

For those who may not be familiar with The Last Starfighter, it begins in a trailer park in California, and at a small convenient store sits an arcade game, Starfighter, which was meant for Las Vegas, but was delivered to this humble place by mistake.  Alex often plays this game, when he's not helping his Mom, helping those in the trailer park, or hanging out with friends.  He just wants to leave his home and go to a major college, instead of the city college his friends will attend.  Alex then gets a letter telling him his loan request was rejected, losing hope for the future, and simply confused.

One evening as Alex plays Starfighter he's about to beat the high score, and it becomes a community event.  Everyone from the trailer park gathers around, shouting and cheering, and when he does beat the game there's a huge celebration.  It's just amazing he was able to focus with all those people around him.  Well, turns out the game was merely a training tool to find those on Earth who can become Starfighters.  There's a galactic war about, Earth unaware, and suddenly Alex is flown to space to face his destiny.  

The Last Starfighter is campy fun.  It's silly!  Highly predictable.  There's a point where the movie seems to drag on a little.  And goodness, those special effects did not age well!!  The computer graphics, which was cutting edge in 84, looks really cheap now, but I can suspend belief.  (It's a testament to Star Wars and the use of practical effects).  There are things that are in that movie that wouldn't make it into a children's film today, such as the little bits by Alex's little brother who reads Playboy.  

In the end The Last Starfighter is endearing, good ol' nostalgic fun, and so 80's.

 Sarah

Classic Movie Monday: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

After all these years it's amazing how "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "Heigh Ho" are songs that are still sung, loved, and easily recognized, and they're 83 years old.  

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first movie I remember going to the theater to see.  It's not the first movie I actually saw, which I'll write about next week (it's a sci-fi 80's flick that mainly nerds know about and didn't really go mainstream ;0), but Snow White was the movie that cemented the enchantment of going to a theater.

Before the Disney vault rotated movies for home video release, they showed movies in theaters every 7-10 years.  In 1987 Snow White was fully restored for it's 50th anniversary and was shown in theaters.  My parents took me to this theater in Santa Barbara that was on State Street, fully decked out in grand theatrical fashion.  Somewhere in the back of my mind, through random fractured images, I still remember the theater and being in awe.  It was beautiful.  And I remember loving the movie.  

Walt Disney's first theatrical animated feature film is the stuff of legends, groundbreaking in every way.  If you want to read a detailed history of the film, the Fandom Disney Wiki page and Wikipedia has great articles.

It's wonderful that, even for a movie made in 1937, kids still love Snow White today, even with the modern advancements in animation technology and techniques.  The Disney parks help keep Snow White and her Seven Dwarfs alive with rides, princess meet and greets, and songs during shows.  Though, fun fact, the Disneyland ride has had a makeover.  The original "Snow White's Scary Adventure" has been remade into "Snow White's Enchanted Wish".  Some people may be sad over this, but I'm actually excited to see the changes.  The original ride really is kinda sad with an abrupt ending!  

Happy, happy memories from a beloved classic that will always be amazing.

Sarah

Classic Movie Monday: Roman Holiday (1953)

Roman Holiday (1953)

Starring: Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck

The Film

The plot of Roman Holiday comes across a little cliche in this modern era, mainly because the tropes displayed have been overplayed.  Hard working Princess dreams of common life, escapes, meets a dashing young man, and they have a grand ol' time.  The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain, published in 1881, is about identical strangers trading spaces--another now overworked plot--so the idea of royalty escaping to normality is an idea romanticized throughout time.

Roman Holiday was filmed entirely in Rome, and all the city's highlights are captured in this gem of a time capsule: A glance over Trevi Fountain, walking around the Roman Forum, stop at the Colosseum, and gelato on the Spanish Steps.  It's strange to think that this movie was filmed less than a decade after the end of the second World War, and the scene about the Wall of Wishes brings a somber reality to this time period.  Life after grand tragedy moves on, things change, but remembrances remain.

Some fun facts.  Gregory Peck was the main star when Roman Holiday started production and he was going to get top billing, but as filming took place Gregory wanted Audrey Hepburn to share top billing.  Such a rarity in those days.  In the scene with the Mouth of Truth, that wall with an open mouthed face, Gregory told the director he was going to pretend his hand was cut off after sticking it in, but he didn't tell Audrey.  Her reaction and scream was so natural because she wasn't acting in that moment, though Audrey is a wonderful actress and won an Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA for this role as Princess Ann.

Personal Thoughts

Roman Holiday first came to my attention when I was 14.  After having surgery I was kept overnight for observation and looking after at the hospital, and my Mom bought the VHS.  She and the nurse watched the movie as I drifted in and out of consciousness, hardly remembering a thing.  It wasn't for another couple years until I pulled the tape out and had another go, and found it quite charming.

Having just re-watched the movie, being older and having visited Rome, Roman Holiday means so much more now.  When younger the ending bothered me, as it's more bitter sweet.  Now I see it as it is, realistic.  No nonsensical Hallmark ending.  The last several minutes of the movie intense, and I felt all the emotions, quiet love, the pain.

If you want to see a fun romantic comedy, timeless, great, Roman Holiday is worth the watch.  (Heh, after I just spoiled the ending... oops).

Sarah

Bringing Back the PPPPA, Classic Movie Monday Style

Okay, not quite.  It's a PPPPA of one.  But what is this PPPPA you may be asking?  It's a little club my friends and I created back in High School, and it stood for the Poor Pathetic People of Porterville Association.  It's as awesome as it sounds...

So what did we do?  Well, while other teens were driving the 30+ minutes to the nearest mall, going on fantastic dates, and other really cool stuff, my friends and I would go to Hollywood Video and rent a movie.  (Did we ever go to Blockbuster?!?!  Guess Hollywood Vid was more convenient?  Was Blockbuster already gone?  Why can't I remember?  Dang empty crevices of my mind.)  But we didn't rent just any video, we rented classics and old movies, and in some cases the stranger the better.

Old campy sci-fi.  Once we watched a fantastic random musical that I wish I remembered the name of.  It was great.  Hitchcock's Vertigo.  We rented a silent movie this one time, determined to read every slide with words.  It was fun for the first 30 minutes, until it got old, and I swear that movie was like 3 hours.

So for my PPPPA nostalgia, instead of having a group of people over to watch movies, which sounds fantastic right now, I'm going to seek out to watch old movies and then talk about them.  For "reasons" I've decided not to review new movie releases anymore, and instead write about the old stuff.  It will be fun watching and exploring the classics, and silly campy stuff as well.  Old movies that are new to me, as there's so much I haven't seen, and old favorites I would like to revisit. 

Sarah

 

Are Movie Theaters Going to Survive?

This afternoon I heard that the next Wonder Woman movie was skipping the theaters and heading towards streaming.  A quick search later and it looks like that may actually happen, though Patty Jenkins', Wonder Woman's director, is sending this warning: "If we shut this down, this will not be a reversible process.  We could lose movie theater-going forever."

3 days ago it was announced that Regal theater will be shutting down 536 theaters, affecting 40,000 employees.  AMC has been suffering as well.  Cineworld is closing theaters across the US and UK.

And all this while major blockbusters are getting pushed back: James Bond, Black Widow, etc.  I appreciate the fact that TENET came to the theaters that are open, but I guess its box office gross (either $150 million-$200 million global, depending on the source) is scaring other movies from being released.

Problem is, if you hold back a movie hoping for more money, but the holding back causes movie theaters to close because they can't survive, then will blockbusters ever make the money they once did?  You have to have theaters for that, unless streaming really is a goldmine.  I find that questionable.  Besides, the whole multiple streaming services has become fatiguing, and I canceled Netfix last month over moral reasons concerning a certain French film.  You can't release a movie to a theater if there are no theaters left to release movies into.

I've been to the movies a few times now, and there isn't anything to fear, if there are people holding back for that reason.  The theaters are clean, and much care is being taken to ensure safety for those that are worried.  I don't like to see anyone lose their jobs, especially in this market, and when it comes to the movies there are a lot of people, from all walks of life and situation, that keep the film industry going.

Time will tell.  I love entertainment and stories, and I would be sad if theaters go away.  I also have a huge imagination and love different forms of storytelling.  Times are tough, true, but we're all suffering.  And we have priorities.  But also, I do hope large screen storytelling survives, but the industry needs to wake up before it's too late.

Visiting a Movie Theater Again After Several Months: Empire Strikes Back

Last weekend was my parents 39th wedding anniversary.  My Dad was trying to figure out what to do with my Mom to make it special, but there's still a lot of limitations in regards to what's open and whatnot.  He discovered that Cinemark was opening again, and that you can rent out a theater for $99 with a small selection of movie options for 20 people or less.  Our family gathered to watch Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back, which is possibly one of the best movies ever created.

It's been several years since I've seen Empire, forgetting nuances, and it truly is a masterpiece.  (It's really embarrassing how long it's been!)  The pacing, editing, humor, subtle romance (minus the sibling bit -_-;; Do you're genealogy peeps), character development, one-liners by more than one character, music, etc, etc, etc.  Even the kids were completely engaged and glued.  This was their first time seeing it.  And I forgot how much I missed the Twenty-First Century Fox fanfare at the beginning!  Ahh!!!!!  Classic!!!!

These last few months have proven interesting for the entertainment industry.  Won't get into it.  In the beginning of the pandemic I missed going to the movies, but the feeling of "missing it" has turned to apathy.  There's more than one way to find entertainment and to escape this World.  Reading.  I've been reading more.  Watching classic films and shows has been fun.  YouTube and podcasts.  

Here's a list of movies Cinemark is offering for the $99 theater rental: Jurassic Park, Inception, Sonic the Hedgehog, Bloodshot, Empire Strikes Back, Jumanji Next Level, Harry Potter 1, Harry Potter-Deathly Hollows II, Greatest Showman, Goonies, The Avengers, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Despicable Me.  Some of these movies are also available as $5 tickets for adults and $3 for kids.  There's also good deals on concessions.

It was really fun going to the movies again and having the theater to ourselves.  Seeing Empire on the big screen for a second time was awesome, the first being back in the 90's at a theater in Bakersfield CA.  Everyone needs to see Empire Strikes Back on the big screen.  So good.  I'd love to see Ever After in the theater again.  Heh, don't know what the demand would be, but I saw it five times in the theater.  I saw the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie seven times in the theater.  Good times.

Hope you're having a great day.  TTFN.

 

Finally Finding One of My Favorite Soundtracks: The Secret World of Arrietty

 Every now and then a movie produces a soundtrack that touches the heart and soul in various ways.  Some soundtracks inspire a generation.  Star Wars was one of those iconic soundtracks.  Growing up I was enchanted by Chariots of Fire, Field of Dreams, and the original Muppet Movie.  Then it was Ever After, Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow), A Little Princess, and Sense and Sensibility.  In college I was addicted to the first Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack; Barbossa Is Hungry was played on loop (I have vivid memories carrying my discman around campus, perfectly balanced, steady steps, so the CD wouldn't skip).

For some reason soundtracks haven't really caught my attention all that much in this last decade, but when I heard The Secret World of Arrietty, a movie by Hayao Miyazaki, about eight years ago, the songs jumped off the screen full of enchantment.  The music doesn't sound typical Miyazaki, instead it's whimsical Celtic by Cecile Corbel.  The very first time I heard the music I wanted the soundtrack, but couldn't find it, and that was even after visiting Japan.  Guess I was looking in all the wrong places.  But a few weeks ago I finally found it, by accident, on the Amazon Market Place under the title: Karigurashi No Arrietty.  It arrived in the mail yesterday, and it really is simply whimsical and enchanting.  Celtic is such happy music.

 (As a side note, I'm listening to the Field of Dreams soundtrack off of YouTube, that's another hard one to get, and it's bringing back so many memories.  So haunting.)

Just Leaving This Here...

It's been awhile!  And this post doesn't have a picture.  There are times when I wanted to write about something, but didn't have an image that matched, so those posts went unwritten.  I'm still doing picture posts!  Because I like pictures.  But I'm going to try more posts without pictures as well.  Thoughts.  Ideas.  Whatevers.  Wanderous Whatnots.

Not going to talk much about the situation at large.  We all have a myriad of experiences.  Some similar.  Some very different.  Luckily where I live we didn't go into complete lock down, so random walks and drives were allowed.  Even so I still feel claustrophobic and struggling with motivation.  We're all fighting our way through, and it's good to keep fighting so we don't lose ourselves.

I am getting stir crazy!  Several days ago I dreamed I was in Japan and dropped off two suitcases to be held in two different locations.  When I went to get them, I couldn't.  Translation barrier.  When I woke up I thought it meant I wanted to start traveling again.  Then I decided to look up dream meanings out of curiosity.

One website said: "To dream of lost luggage represents feelings about having lost your ability to “keep it together” during or after a transitional moment. Feeling unprepared or not ready for something you expected to be ready for."  That feels pretty spot on.  Another website said: "Losing your luggage or items from your luggage is actually a good symbol in a dream. It is a request to let go of baggage or past issues that you are carrying around. It doesn’t matter in the dream what is in the bags. The bags represent issues that are holding you back."  Heh, so it's hard to know which meaning is more fitting.  Maybe both are applicable!  Honestly, yeah, I think both meanings work, and I did have two suitcases that were lost.

I'm trying to figure out if I should keep doing movie reviews, as the theaters are closed.  I've seen Emma and Onward, so those will get reviewed.  Maybe I can talk about classics, or movies that have meant something to me.  I'm still not quite sure how I feel about the digital releases taking place.  I understand the need for studios to make immediate money, but are theaters going to have movies to show when they do open?  And after all this time will they be able to open?  Hopefully.

There is a locally own theater that created an impromptu drive-in several weeks ago, and that seems to be doing well.  But there's just something so nice about going to the movies and getting a bucket of popcorn.  Hopefully the industry can pull through.  But also, these movies getting early digital releases are going for around $20 for 48 hr. access.  There are movies I want to see that my family doesn't, and in the past when that happened I would go to $5 Tuesdays.  Tuesdays are what made it possible for me to see so many movies.  We'll see.  There are so many unknowns.

And that has me now thinking about Disneyland.  So many thoughts on this matter.  I think Disney World will open, most likely partially, before Disneyland.  The situation between Florida and California, plus the different ways the Governors are approaching the situation, means one might open before the other.  Honestly, I think Universal will probably open first in Florida, and Disney World will watch.  It will be interesting to see how this all happens.  I wonder how different things would be if Disney didn't buy Fox.

One thing I don't want is virtual queues, which is something I've been reading is a probability for managing crowds and social distancing.  Not saying this will happen, as I haven't a clue, but this speculation is popping up.  I didn't want to deal with Rise of the Resistance when I went last February.  The thought of crowding into the park before opening, trying to get a spot for a ride that has limited availability, and then having all the spots filled within minutes, possibly missing out, was something I didn't want to deal with, especially since my two nieces and Mom were with me, and all of us would have needed to be in the park at the same time to get the boarding passes.

Can you imagine doing virtual queues for all the rides?  All of the spots filled up within the first few minutes of park opening, people desperate just to ride a ride.  Can you imagine going to the parks early, paying all that money, and not being able to get on any ride?  And people are going to crowd around waiting for their boarding group to open.  It would be a mess.  It's a tricky situation.

I have other thoughts, but I think I'll bring this post to an end.  Oh, I really wish I had a Nintendo Switch or lite.  Both are impossible to buy as they're all sold out, and I really don't have the money, but that Animal Crossing New Beginnings game does look like fun.  Heh, so maybe it's a good thing I don't have one, as it would suck me in and I'd really lose all sense of time.  I have a Nintendo 3DS that hasn't been turned on in the last few years, and I have games I got on sale that haven't been played, so priorities.  I should see if I can even charge the 3DS up.  Hopefully it still works.  Heh. :/

Until next time.

It really is weird not attaching a photo to this blog post.

The Call of the Wild, movie review

Rating: C

The Call of the Wild, a novel by Jack London, is the tale of Buck, a large spoiled dog in California, stolen and sold to the North wilderness during the Yukon gold rush.  Alaska and Canada are shown in great beauty, and ultimately this movie, inspired by the book, is a love letter to the wildness of nature, both in ourselves and the natural environment.

Granted, I haven't read the book, just read a synopsis on Wikipedia.  For lovers of the book there are changes.  It seems the book itself is much harsher.  More bleak.  Cruelty more cruel.  The movie is more child friendly.  The villain at the end of the movie actually dies midway through the book, taking the place of the Native Americans.  In the book Thornton, played by Harrison Ford, is a true gold seeker, another change for the movie.

This is a dogs tale, and we see Buck's character arc from carefree dog in Santa Clara Valley, played up for laughs, to leader of the pack.  Scenes change.  Characters come and go.  Buck is the constant through this movie.

Now to address the elephant in the room.  The CGI dogs.  The animals are all animated.  Buck is essentially a lifelike cartoon character, complete with exaggerated emotional character animation.  This is a plus and a minus.  Taking out real animals takes out the realism, the risk, the wildness.  CGI animals are naturally easier to work with, as unpredictable animal behaviors are eliminated for ultimate control.  And you don't have to worry about PETA or other groups.  Buck becoming an animated character humanizes him, which is the opposite of The Call of the Wild movie's theme.  Though, have to admit, I did find myself crying a little at times, touched by Buck the character.

If you like animal/nature movies, you might like The Call of the Wild, but I'm okay seeing it only once.

MPAA: Rated PG for some violence, peril, thematic elements and mild language.

Sonic the Hedgehog, movie review

Rating: B+

"With great power comes great responsibility!" To quote the wrong fandom.  Sonic is a being with great power, and in the wrong hands his power can cause much harm.  Running speedily around an alien world, Sonic assumes he runs so fast no one can suspect him or pin him down.  But he is discovered, and when a friend sacrifices them self for Sonic's escape, he uses golden rings to travel between Worlds, going from one to the next to hide, and then leaving once discovered.  Sonic finds himself on Earth in a small town, hiding in a cave full of Earthly treasures, reading The Flash comics, and spying on the towns citizens.  Apart yet separate.  He enjoys watching Doughnut Lord, aka Tom Wachowski, played by James Marsden, who Sonic regards as family, though they've never met.  Then Sonic, in a state of frustration, recklessly exposes his power sending the U.S. government and Dr. Ivo Robotnik, played by Jim Carrey, after him.

When the first trailer for Sonic The Hedgehog was released there was a huge outcry from longtime Sonic fans, fans of the game and show in which Sonic is based, over Sonic's CGI character animation.  In all honestly, his design was horrendous.  I won't post a photo here, but the images and trailer are easy to track down.  So what did the studio and director do?  They actually listened to the fans, pushed back the movie's release date, and reanimated Sonic.  For this very reason I went to see Sonic on Saturday, to support a movie that cared what the fans think, who spent money to make it right.

Was their effort in redesigning and then spending money to fix Sonic worth it?  Yes!!!  A thousand times yes.

Was going to see the movie a waste of time?  No, not at all, though I'm a sucker for good family entertainment.  Sonic the Hedgehog is a fun family film with a 90's nostalgic feel.  The movie is modern, but this is the sort of movie that would have delighted audiences twenty years ago when fun family movies were all the rage.  Jim Carrey, who plays the villain, helps with his over the top antics and personality, hearkening to his best loved films in years past, delighting a new crop of youth with his zaniness.

Sonic is a delightful ball of blue, blurry fluff.  Funny, too, with a cute sense of humor.

The whole movie is enjoyable.  Yeah, it's not perfect.  Not groundbreaking.  The middle bit lags a little.  But overall it's a good, escape the World flick, perfect for family audiences wanting something to bring the kiddies to for lighthearted entertainment.

To end this review I'll quote my Mom as she left the theater, "I enjoyed that movie a whole lot more than I thought I would."

MPAA: Rated PG for action, some violence, rude humor and brief mild language.