Bookish Movies . . .

I saw an article recently - no clue where, I've slept since then - about great scenes in movies involving libraries or bookstores.  A few came to mind immediately, and some of my choices were even on the list - along with a lot of movies I've never heard of.  So, I decided to make my own list.   See if you agree with my choices and let me know what you would add.

Favorites Bookish Scenes 

Marion the LIbrarian from The Music Man - I prefer the remake with Kristin Chenoweth and Matthew Broderick - but couldn't find a good picture.

You've Got Mail - Independent book store vs. the mega-book store.  Meg Ryan's chidlren's book store looks like a child's fantasy.

Funny Face - starring Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn.  I've always wanted one of those ladders.  And even straight hair and frumpy clothes can't make Audrey look like a geeky bookworm.

A Beautiful Mind - John Nash uses the windows as a white board.

Beauty and the Beast - Everyone remembers the Beast's beautiful library,  but I prefer the quaint bookstore where Belle borrows the same book to re-read.  And there's that ladder again.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - I love this library scene just for the quote, "X never, ever marks the spot."  Surprise!

Bell Book and Candle - I admit, this is pushing the definition of bookstore, but it is named Bell, BOOK and Candle.  I include it just because I like the movie.

Searching my memory for bookish movies brought up a couple songs from movies that, even though they aren't about reading, make me think of curling up with a good book.  Enjoy!


"Wouldn't It Be Loverly" from My Fair Lady


"In My Own Little Corner" from Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.  I prefer the 1965 version starring Stuart Damon and "introducing" Lesley Ann Warren.

A Puzzling Post: What's My Line?

While we're on our railroad adventure, I leave you this puzzle to fill the time.  Below are quotes from films that have won the Best Picture Oscar between 1934 and 2013.  The films were all included in my Oscars Puzzle from a few weeks ago.  The answer to that puzzle can be found here - so select your answers to this quiz from that list. 

Googling, asking your spouse and copying someone else's answers is totally encouraged.
  
1.  You think beautiful girls are going to stay in style forever?  I should say not!  Any minute now they're going to go out!  Finished!  Then it'll be my turn!

2.  I must be crazy to be in a loony bin like this.

3.  God came to me last night and told me your purpose for being here.  I am going to help you write a new book.

4.  Now gentlemen, in this country our courts are the great levelers.  In our courts, all men are created equal.

5.  I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man.

6.  You can't wear black.  It looks like you're going to a funeral

7.  But I'll tell you something, kiddo.  You couldn't find Big Time if you had a road map.

8.  Forget it!  I'm stayin' right where I am.  It's gonna take you and the police department and the fire department and the National Guard to get me outta here!

9.  In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.  You find the fun and - SNAP - the job's a game.

10.  I can't think about that right now.  If I do, I'll go crazy.  I'll think about that tomorrow.

11.  You threaten my son, you threaten me.

12.  Stupid is as stupid does.

13.  A golf course is nothing but a poolroom moved outdoors.

14.  What is it about you that makes a man with a hundred forty-seven I.Q. feel like a dribbling idiot?

15.  I don't train girls.

16.  Ten minutes to Wapner.

And the Winner Is . . .

Here are the answers to Thursday's Oscar puzzle:

Row 1:  Katharine Hepburn – Morning Glory – 1934
            Bing Crosby – Going My Way – BA – 1945
            Denzel Washington – Training Day - 2002
            Richard Dreyfuss – The Goodbye Girl – 1978
            Hillary Swank – Million Dollar Baby – 2005
            Sally Field – Norma Rae – 1980
            Julie Andrews – Mary Poppins- 1965
            Vivian Leigh – Gone With the Wind – 1940
                       
Row 2:  Spencer Tracy – Captains Courageous – 1938
             Clark Cable – It Happened One Night – 1935
            Grace Kelly – The Country Girl – 1955
            Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side – 2010         
            Tom Hanks – Philadelpha – 1994
            Tom Hanks - Forrest Gump - 1995
            Dustin Hoffman – Rainman – 1989

            Audrey Hepburn  - Roman Holiday – 1954

            Gregory Peck – To Kill a Mockingbird – 1963

Row 3:  Elizabeth Taylor – Butterfield 8 – 1961

            John Wayne – True Grit – 1970

            Reese Witherspoon – Walk the Line - 2006

            Cher – Moonstruck - 1988

            Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook - 2013

            Julia Roberts – Erin Brokovich – 2001

            Paul Newman – The Color of Money – 1987

            Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady – 2012

            Barbra Streisand – Funny Girl – 1969

            Jack Nicholson – One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest – 1976

            Kathy Bates – Misery – 1991

A Puzzling Post Goes to the Oscars

In celebration of the glittering, glamorous Oscar celebration last Sunday, I have created a picture puzzle containing 28 actors and actresses that have been declared "The Best" over the history of the Academy Awards.  How many can you recognize?  If that's too easy, can you name the film for which they won and the year - or at least the decade?  

This is just for fun - there's no prize for being the biggest Cinema Geek.  So Google all you want, consult your neighbors, or read other people's answers in the comments.  Complete answers - actor, film, year - will be posted on Wednesday.  On with the show!

Click on picture for larger image.

Christmas quote quiz - The Answers.

1.  Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to. - Miracle on 34th Street

2.  Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about? - A Charlie Brown Christmas

3.  In putting on the suit and entering the sleigh, the wearer waives any and all right to any previous identity, real or implied, and fully accepts the duties and responsibilities of Santa Claus, in perpetuity, to which time the wearer becomes unable to do so, by either accident or design.  - The Santa Clause

4.  Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.  - How the Grinch Stole Christmas

5.  This is Christmas. The season of perpetual hope. And I don't care if I have to get out on your runway and hitchhike. If it costs me everything I own, if I have to sell my soul to the devil himself, I am going to get home to my son. - Home Alone

6.  What's Christmas to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in them through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? - A Christmas Carol

7.  Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.  - A Christmas Story

8.  Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see. - The Polar Express

9.  But I think what I've got is something slightly resembling - gumption.  - The Holiday

10.  You're skipping Christmas?  Isn't that illegal? - Christmas With the Kranks

11.  My father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well in my book, my father died a much richer man than you'll ever be!  - It's A Wonderful Life

12.  You're a disgrace to the outfit. You're soft! You're sloppy! You're unruly! You're undisciplined!  And I never saw anything look so wonderful in my whole life! - White Christmas

13. We get one day a year to prove we're not screw-ups and what do we do? We screw it up. - Jingle All the Way

14.This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f***ing Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat, white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse. - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Bonus - 

   All the stockings are filled... all that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up. The stocking for the child born in a manger. It's his birthday we are celebrating. Don't ever let us forget that. - The Bishop's Wife

Murder, Monsters & Mayhem - Week 1

Fridays in October will be devoted to update posts for Murder, Monsters and Mayhem (hereafter referrred to as Mx3).  Mx3, hosted by Jenn @ Jenns Bookshelves, is a month-long celebration of all things spooky or scary.  My plan is to review one book and one movie each week - along with whatever recipes, crafts, etc might pop up.

First up:  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn -- Genre: Thriller

     On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary.  Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River.  Passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge.  Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? 
   As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife?  And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
   
Another reviewer commented on how hard it is to review this book without including spoilers, and I agree.  It's a complicated, twisting plot - so I'm just going to leave you with the publisher's blurb above, and my endorsement that this book will keep you turning pages and leave you wondering -- even after you've finished reading.  I gave it 4 of 5 stars and recommend it for all fans of psychological thrillers - especially those, like myself, with no stomach for blood and guts. 

Movie #1: Alfred Hitchcock's Rope, starring James Stewart (1948)

Hitchcock's movies have long been some of my favorites - especially Rear Window - so I was excited to find one I hadn't seen yet.  Unfortunately, I was considering finding my own rope about half-way through this one.  Only Jimmy Stewart's presence kept me from giving up completely.  

Rope is the story of two college buddies who murder another college friend just to prove their mental superiority, then continue to flaunt their supposed intelligence by hosting a dinner party for the victim's parents and girlfriend while the body is stowed in an antique chest in the same room.  Jimmy Stewart plays a former college mentor who had unwittingly encouraged the two murderers with theoretical discussions of the perfect crime.  

The only interesting things about the film were a couple of behind-the-scenes tidbits.  The movie was adapted by Hume Cronyn from the play by Patrick Hamilton, and is shot with long takes and edited to appear as one continuous shot - much like watching a one-act play.  Beyond these two oddities, the movie has little to recommend it.  The action is slow and relies heavily on the dialog - a style I usually enjoy - but the dialog is stilted (even for upper class 1948 society).  The plot is interesting on the surface, but it couldn't hold up for 80 minutes.  Overall, a disappointment that I wouldn't recommend.

And, finally, on the "fun" side of horror - The Munsters and the Great Camera Caper - a mid-elementary level book from 1965, based on the television show.  This was one of five pop-culture books I nabbed at a second-hand store recently. 

This is a fun story with cute illustrations.  It stays true to the characters from the TV show and their slap-stick style black humor.  Sadly, it wouldn't translate well to a new generation.  The characters are barely described, assuming that the reader is already familiar with them. It would leave today's 4th grader confused.  But, as a fan of the show, and of the correct reading age not long after this was published, I got a kick out of the trip down memory lane.  

Stop by Jenn's Bookshelves for reviews of all types Halloween-related genres of books and movies, author interviews, guest posts, and prizes.  

Coming in October: Murder, Monsters and Mayhem

Murder, Monsters and Mayhem - or Mx3 - is a celebration of all things scary, spooky and horrifying, sponsored each October by Jenn of Jenn's Bookshelves.  There will be prizes, guest posts and links to other participating bloggers.  The rules are flexible. To quote Jenn: "There are no real rules for participating, just read/watch and blog something in the horror/supernatural/thriller genres in the month of October."  Visit Jenn's Bookshelves to sign up and prepare to be scared... uh.. "snot"less.

Those of you who know me are shaking your heads, "She's a big pansy. She's not reading vintage Stephen King or watching movies with Freddie Krueger."  You're right, I'm not.  First off, I read most of King's books in high school and don't need to revisit those sleepless nights when I couldn't turn the lights off.  And I'm too wimpy for books or movies with bloodshed.  So I'm doing Mx3 Lite - with more emphasis on suspense, ghosts and magic.

My plan is to post weekly with a wrap up of one book and one movie.  I'm getting a bit of a jump-start on the books, just to ensure that I get them all done on time. (Hey, Jenn said there are no rules!).  Here are my reading choices:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley 

Death by Diamonds by Annette Blair - also the T and T Bookclub pick

Ghosts of the Missouri River by Marcia Schwartz 

(no image available - a collection of stories by a local author)

When it comes to suspense movies, who does it better than Agatha Christie and The Master of Suspsense, Alfred Hitchcock?  My choices are:

Rope - (1948) Directed by Hitchcock, starring Jimmy Stewart

Murder on the Orient Express (the 1974 version) - based on the novel by Christie, starring Lauren Bacall

Wait Until Dark - (1964) starring Audrey Hepburn

North by Northwest - (1959) Another Hitchcock classic, this time starring Cary Grant

And the grand finale':  House of Dark Shadows - The story of Barnabas Collins, the bloodsucker who made vampires cool before Stephenie Meyer and Johnny Depp were born. 

Based on the Soap Opera, Dark Shadows, which ran from 1966-1971.  The film was made in 1970, while the soap was still in production and starred Jonathan Frid, the same actor who played Barnabas on tv.  Any other children of the 60's/70's remember Barnabas?

There will also be some overlap with the October "Pin It/Do It" challenge sponsored by Trish at Love, Laughter and a Touch of Insanity.  Trish encourages Pinterest addicts to accomplish a few of the fabulous things they've pinned, so I'll throw in a craft project or two or maybe even a recipe with a Halloween theme.  Visit Trish and Jenn and sign up to take part in a freaky-fun October.  Or else . . .

A Puzzling Post: Gene Kelly

UPDATE:  Rather than writing a separate post for the answers to this puzzle, I refer you to commenter Lisa's solution which was correct!  Way to go!


In keeping with my summer obsession with classic movies, I've created a picture puzzle featuring my all-time favorite movie star - Gene Kelly.  He was a singer, dancer, actor, producer, director and choreographer.  And he's the original cinema heartthrob.  If teenage girls had hung posters on their bedroom walls in the 1940's, Gene Kelly would have been the top pin-up. His movie career lasted through the 50's, then expanded into TV movies and guest appearances until the mid 80's.  

Just in case you're not totally familiar with his movies, I'm giving you a hint by listing the movie titles.  Can you match the titles with the scene from the movie?

Click to enlarge

a.  Summer Stock

b.  Jack and the Beanstalk

c.  Singin' in the Rain

d.  Anchors Aweigh

e.  Take Me Out to the Ballgame

f.  The Three Musketeers

g.  An American in Paris

h.  Brigadoon

i.  Inherit the Wind

That Funny Feeling and Easter Parade

While the TV is overloaded with reruns and sports I don't like, I'm making use of the movie channels and DVR to catch up on classic movies.  Search your TV Guide, NetFlix or neighborhood Blockbuster and . . . 

Easter Parade:  (1942) Fred Astaire loses one dance partner/girlfriend (Ann Miller) but gets a new one (Judy Garland) in this delightful 1948 MGM Irving Berlin musical comedy directed by Charles Walters. 

Fred Astaire had announced his retirement before the cameras begn to roll on Easter Parade, but he decided to ccept the film's leading role when its original star, Gene Kelly, broke his ankle.

The highlight of the movie are the seventeen musical numbers, all written by Irving Berlin.  Ten were standards, seven new to this film.  Among the highlights are Astaire's slow-motion version of "Steppin' Out", the Astaire/Garland duet "We're a Couple of Swells", and the closing performance of the title number.

Plot is not necessary in a Fred Astaire movie - just watching him dance is draw enough - but this one actually had a cute story.  Fred's in love with Ann Miller, who's got a crush on Peter Lawford, who's got a crush on Judy Garland, who (of course) falls for Fred.  And through it all they sing and dance to songs by Irving Berlin and wear fabulous clothes. Hit!

That Funny Feeling: (1965) Aspiring actress Joan Howell, makes a living as a maid.  When Tom Milford, a New York City publishing company executive. asks her out she invites him to her apartment but, ashamed of her one-room residence, she borrows the apartment of one of her employers whom she has never seen. Tom (who is the employer) goes along with the ruse.

No music in this one except Bobby Darin singing the title song, which he also wrote, but it was also a romantic "comedy of errors".  

The best part - at least in my opinion - was the supporting cast. Donald O'Connor, if course, is wonderful no matter what part he plays.  The rest of the cast was a lineup of familiar faces with resumes that read like the history of television.  Included are Larry Storch (most famous for F Troop), Arte Johnson (Laugh-In), Don Haggerty (Bonanza, Rawhide), Larry J. Blake (The Virginian, Adam-12)...the list just goes on.  If you have time, look them up on IMDB.com  - it's fascinating how prolific their careers are/were.  

One of my favorite scenes involved four ladies gossiping around a phone booth:  Reta Shaw (Housekeeper in Mary Poppins, Aunt Hagatha on Bewitched), Nora Marlowe (Flossie on The Waltons), Kathleen Freeman (Sister Mary Stigmata from The Blues Brothers) and Minerva Urecal.

I didn't know much about either Sandra Dee or Bobby Darrin, including the fact that they were married.  Actually, I knew nothing beyond "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" from Grease, and Bobby's songs Splish, Splash and Mack, the Knife.  They are both adorable.  Wish they had done more together.

Odds and Ends

Changes to blog:  For quite a while I've been feeling that I need to make a few changes on the blog for three reasons:

1.  I signed up with a couple of promoters to be part of virtual book tours.  I have tried to be selective about the books I chose to review, but sometimes I can't tell from a short blurb if it's something I'll be interested in.  I have ended up reading some books I did not enjoy - that I had to force myself to finish because I accepted a free copy.   I have received two self-published books that were so poorly written that I had to back out of reviewing them.   I could not give an honest review that said anything positive, yet couldn't publish something hurtful to the authors.  

2.  Since I began working at the library in 2005, I began feeling increasing pressure (self-imposed) to be up on the new trends, authors, etc.  so that I could make recommendations to patrons.  With the addition of the blog in 2009, the pressure increased (again self-imposed) to keep up with the other bloggers - read faster, read pre-release, read more "literary".  

3.  Over the 2 1/2 years of blogging I have occasionally, and with increased frequency, written about our family, our life, the comical - and sometimes the serious - happenings.  Those are the posts that get the most comments and hits.  I also find that when I'm reading other blogs I am a lot more likely to skim book reviews, but read posts that have to do with life.  

In light of these three factors, I am shifting focus.  Reading has been my favorite activity since I learned how, so of course books will continue to be part of the blog since they are a part of my life.  But no more book tours or reviews on request.  I love read-a-thons and other book-related events, so I'll still be joining them - but no challenges or other things that dictate what/how I read.

I wrote a post once before about how I felt I was losing the joy of reading - replacing it with the responsibility of reading.  I tried at that time to make some changes, but evidently not enough.  I want reading to be fun again.  I want it to be something I do because I can't think of anything I would rather do - like I used to feel.  I also don't want the guilt that comes when other responsibilities keep me from reading at the necessary pace.  So there will be fewer book reviews here - only when I'm excited about a book and really want to share.  And there will be more content about life.  Hope you'll hang around to get to know us better.

Book Buying Ban:  After just saying that I would not be joining any more challenges, I am accepting one - but not the usual type.  Instead, I'm joining Rikki at Rikki's Teleidoscope in instituting a temporary book buying ban.  The stack of unread books on my dresser and bookshelf is just plain silly - and most of them are books I purchased because I really want to read them.  Rikki threw out the challenge to refrain from any new book purchases until I have read twenty from my own shelves.  I gave myself an exclusion for a couple books that were already pre-ordered, and of course library books don't count as purchases, but they also don't count towards to goal of twenty books.  So far I've read four.

Movies:  I'm having so much fun watching old movies this summer, that I've added a few more to the original ten.
I've added:

• Mary, Mary - starring Debbie Reynolds
• The Three Musketeers - starring Gene Kelly and Lana Turner
• Dream Wife - starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr
• Going My Way - with Bing Crosby
• On the Town - starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra
• Christmas in July - Dick Powell and Ellen Drew
• Send Me No Flowers - Rock Hudson, Doris Day 

Meet Me at the Movies

Image from www.blogshouts.com

Break out the popcorn and Milk Duds, we're going to the movies!

If you read yesterday's post, you know that I'm frustrated at the amount of money we're paying each month to receive hundreds of TV channels that we don't watch.  Since shutting off the unused channels doesn't seem to be an option, I decided to go the other direction and find a way to use the nearly 400 channels we receive that do not involve extra fees (pay-per-view or shopping).  So what to watch?  All "reality" shows were immediately ruled out, as were crime shows involving initials (CSI, NCIS, etc.), and action/adventure movies.  But I love classic movies - romances, comedies, musicals and the occasional drama involving Hollywood's timeless stars.  Unfortunately, they aren't usually aired during prime time.  Thank heaven for DVR, the greatest invention since the library.

Using the search feature, I found ten movies featuring my favorite stars and set them to record.  Throughout the summer, I will be watching/reviewing at least one per week (I'm not good at schedules).  Here are the movies/stars I selected:

• Easter Parade - Fred Astaire
• Summer Stock - Gene Kelly
• Bye Bye Birdie - Ann-Margret and Dick Van Dyke
• Kiss Them For Me - Cary Grant
• Rio Bravo - Dean Martin and John Wayne
• Rear Window - Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly
• That Funny Feeling - Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin
• Love in the Afternoon - Audrey Hepburn
• Change of Habit - Elvis Presley
• Rope - Jimmy Stewart, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

So what are you doing to stay out of the heat this summer?  How about joining me?  
If classic movies aren't your thing, how about movies of the 80's?  Movies featuring a specific location?  Movies based on books?  Pick your category (or a variety of categories), grab the button if you like, then come back and leave a link to whatever you post when you Meet Me at the Movies!

Classic Movie Summer

It is common at our house to hear one of us lamenting the fact that we pay for over 700 satellite channels and we watch very few of them.  First there is the basic package- not the cheapest, but the one that came with the most sports networks.  Then there is the HD package because, seriously what's the point of having an HD TV if you don't get HD channels?  Then there is the additional sports package we added on so we get the majority of K-State games.  In total - a little over $100/month for 720 channels.  

Now - remove the On Demand movie channels that we rarely use, the shopping channels (who knew there were so many!), and a few other random things we knew we would never watch, and we're down to 372 channels in our "Favs" list.  When we sit down to scroll through the TV guide, 372 channels are displayed.  And usually there is nothing on.

The other day, I ran across an article about Apple's newest plan for television - a platform that offers "a la carte" channels.  If I understood correctly, you would be able to select channels individually - and thus be charged only for the ones you actually watch.  Naturally, they are running into some backlash from networks that survive by getting their network bundled in with the big networks that everyone wants.  But, I'm hopeful that this is the wave of the future and will be available in a reasonable amount of time.  

In preparation, and mostly out of curiosity, I browsed through the guide to see what channels we would select if the menu were a la carte.  The results were sad.  I would want ABC to keep up with General Hospital and Dancing With The Stars.  We would need the sports channels, of course, and Dave would want TruTV (also known as The Stupid People Channel) to keep up on schadenfreude.*  Other than that, we were hard put to name channels we watch on a regular basis.

In the "occasional" category we decided we might pay for:

• News channels for the occasional crisis.
• CLOO because they show House and Monk reruns - but we've seen them all so many times that I'm not sure it's worth money.
• BBC America - in case the Royal Family gets married, jubileed or some other thing I would find interesting.
• TV Land - for M*A*S*H reruns 
• CBS, NBC and FOX in case thy are hosting special events like the Olympics and in case I get over my boycott of American Idol.
• PBS for the occasional Masterpiece Theater or music special
• History Channel for Pawn Stars
• Lifetime for Project Runway

But paying for a channel 24/7 because we might watch one program a week?  Not the best use of money.

Then there's the "used to watch" group - channels we always wanted before, but don't use any more:

• Bravo cause they used to show West Wing, but I have it on DVD now.
• HGTV - watched a lot back in the day that it was actually about decorating and not about real estate and greed.
• Food Network and Cooking Channel - gave those up with the weight loss program, not sure I'll ever return.
• AandE because they showed Nero Wolf, but that's a thing of the past
• Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney - but the kids are grown now.
• USA because they had Monk - but it's been cancelled.
• When we were first married - and cable was still a new thing - we were so excited to get TNT, TBS and WGN because they were the "super stations" - but no more.

So, in order to feel like I'm getting something for all my money, (at least until Apple gets their TV to market) I've decided to have a Classic Movie Summer.  Using the search feature, I found  movies containing many of my favorite classic movie stars - Cary Grant, Dean Martin, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Dick van Dyke, Grace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart and more. I am recording 10 movies over the next couple months and will watch at least one per week and review it here.  So watch for Classic Movie Summer posts and join me if you want.  Details tomorrow.

Movie Reviews

Our movie viewing has dropped drastically in the last year since we moved to a town without a theater.  The nearest theater is 28 miles from our house; to get more than two options we have to travel to St. Joe, MO, which is about 50 miles.  Not a big deal - we can make it a date night and eat out, or make a Wal-Mart or Home Depot run while we're at it - but still not as convenient as having a theater three blocks away like we did before.  However, we've gone twice recently - and here's what we thought:

The Hunger Games - We have both read all three books and loved them, which actually made us a little concerned about the movie living up to the books.  Although we would have to agree that the books are still better, this movie came as close as possible.  Naturally there were some things that had to be left out or glossed over so that the movie didn't last 6 hours.  The biggest of these being Katniss's relationship with Gale.  Honestly, as it was done, there was no reason to even have Gale in the movie.  They didn't capture the Gale/Katniss connection or the conflict she felt over having to pretend to love Peeta, knowing that Gale was watching on TV.  

The flashback scenes were fine for those who already knew the story, but otherwise confusing (I confirmed this by asking several viewers who had not read the books).  I also didn't care for the jumpy camera style.  I know it's the new fad on TV and movies, but I find it annoying - but that's a personal thing.

Other than those small things, the movie was a success.  The violence was as gore-less as possible while still conveying how savage the "game" was.  The set design was gorgeous and the casting was excellent.  Wish there had been more of Woody Harrelson, just because he was fun to watch, and because that part of the plot was largely untold.  

We give it the old Siskel and Ebert Thumbs Up for both readers and non-readers.

Titanic: 3D - We didn't see this movie the first time around and selected it this time mostly for the novelty of 3D than for any attraction to the story.  However, it being the 100th anniversary of the voyage of the Titanic, I'm glad we saw it.  Amanda saw it with us and I'm sure it made a historic event much more real for her.  

For me, at least, the love story took a back seat to the greater story of the ship itself, and the ways people react in a crisis - from the vanity and self-preservation of the "upper class" to the total generosity and selflessness of the band who continued to play and try to calm passengers as the ship sank.  

As for the "new" technology of 3D movies - It looked a lot like something I saw in a ViewMaster in 1967.  It was more of a distraction than an enhancement.  Over all it was a thumbs up for the historical value, but so-so otherwise.

The Good, The Bad and The What Were They Thinking?

I love watching the Oscars, not for the awards because I've rarely seen any of the movies that are nominated, but for the fashions . . . and the chance to critique them, because we all know what a fashion plate I am!

The Best:

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Sandra Bullock: Although "the experts" didn't necessarily care for her gown, I loved it.  It's classic, the beading is gorgeous, and the cowl neckline is demure - until she turns around and the back dips to her waist.  Also loved the simple pony-tail do.

Glen Close:  Also timeless and classic.  Applause for her realization that, while she still has an amazing figure, women of a certain age don't necessarily need to show everything they've got, so she topped the stunning gown with a tuxedo-style jacket. On the red carpet I thought the dress was black, but the pics this morning show me it was a deep green.  Either way - beautiful!

Penlope Cruz:  The picture of Grace Kelly - from the flowing ball gown to the minimalist accessories to the hair style. She could be a princess.

Tina Fey:  Tina is a bit of a wildcard pick.  I'm not a fan of peplums, even on the skinniest model, but the simplicity of the rest of the dress and the rich eggplant color made it a winner!

The Worst:

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Meryl Streep:  Oscar fashion a la Scarlett O'Hara, or perhaps the Von Trapp children.  Looks as though she pulled down the drapes and wrapped herself in them, sloppily.

Michelle Williams wore a chenille bedspread, and evidently a twin size, because there wasn't enough fabric to complete the look so the back of the bodice was in a contrasting fabric.

Emma Stone:  Whoever told her that red-orange hair, a fuscia gown and red carpet would be a good look should be fired.  And then there's the ginormous bow drooping on her shoulder.

Viola Davis:  This dress is borderline.  The style was fine, the fit was good, but the fabric/color threw me.  The green was somewhere between lime and pistachio - fine for dessert, but not for fashion.  The sheen on the fabric made it look like vinyl or pleather under the lights.

Hit or Miss?

Kudos to Octavia Spencer for showing off her curves!  I was on the fence at first because I thought the draping may have accented too many curves on the hips and in back.  Then, Jennifer Lopez arrived in a similar white/cream dress with draping emanating from a front starburst pattern.  The curving lines were much kinder to Ms. Lopez's back side, but the impending "wardrobe malfunction" of that plunging neckline was too distracting.  Over all, Octavia won.

WTF???:
Angelina Jolie gets this category all to herself.  What was she doing?  Her black velvet gown was beautiful, but the slit went several inches past sexy into slutty territory and her awkward poses to accentuate that fact were just bizarre!

There was obviously an inside joke between her and Brad, as she grinned at him in the front row as she shuffled around like a gawky teenager at her first prom, trying to strike "the pose".  Perhaps she was practicing the teenage shuffle while her makeup artist was working, which would explain the shiny, pale face and overdone lipstick.

There was one other odd moment - Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez standing with their backs to the camera, then doing a quick flip around to announce the winner (which sparked rumors of JLo's nipple taking a peek, but that has proven to be untrue), then giggling like jr. high girls and babbling incoherenty (like jr. high girls).  But it was nothing compared to Jolie's oddity.

That's my take on The Oscars 2012.  Who was our fav?