Against The Crowd Blogathon

It is once a year where you can choose a movie you hate that everyone loves and a choose a movie you love that everyone hates. You must show the rating from Rotten Tomatoes and explain why you dislike the film and why you like the film. Does that make sense?? I have chosen a classic film that everyone says is a triumph but i just don't see why and I chose a dumb ass comedy that I love but it gets a sour rating. The host for this yearly series is Dell at Dell on Movies which you should check out. I believe the list will be up on Monday August 26th so you have until that time to join in and have some fun.

The film that is heralded as great and I just can't stand is...

AGHHHH! I can't seem to show the Rotten Tomatoes score as it says "server failed" . The film received a 96% approval rating and you can see it here.

The film is...

TOUCH OF EVIL-1958

OK, I know I am supposed to love this film because, it is  considered a classic, it has Orson Welles who directed, wrote and co-starred in the film, Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich, Mercedes McCambridge, Dennis Weaver...the list goes on but I just had a hard time with it because I was laughing at some major points which were supposed to be full of angst. I will say the opening shot is excellent and I do love the camera angles but it is just so over the top that I am surprised Mamie van Doren and Vampira don't co-star. I can't get over the lousy look of Charlton Heston as a, ready..., Mexican. I mean...Moses is a Mexican. He is a narcotics officer on his honeymoon  with the beautiful Janet Leigh in a declining, no nothing, desert town near the Mexican border (can you say he went all out on their Honeymoon) when a car explodes. From there the couple are drawn into the seedy life of this town led by the corrupt, very obese Orson Welles. Janet is kidnapped by a gang that looks like they just came off the set of Grease, led by cougar Mercedes McCambridge who is chewing the scenery as some lesbo who has the hots for poor Janet. Dennis Weaver is over-acting, I could hardly understand what Orson was saying. The only bright spot was Marlene as some gypsy who looks at Orson and says, in her thick German accent,  "You're fat." I will try and watch this again but I feel like this is the Emperor's New Clothes where everyone says it's wonderful and a classic but it is just wrong.

Now, the movie I like which everyone hates and,  .... OK Problem again with Rotten Tomatoes, only received 28% approval rating which you can see here, is...

GET HARD-2015

If you can't stand Will Farrell then just move right along because this is a movie starring this moron. To be honest, I have a feeling he is a real jerk just from what little I have seen of him on the red carpet but I find him hilarious except in those Anchorman movies. This film is not going to win any awards but I was laughing real hard (Haaa!)  at this dumb ass flick(FYI Asses are shown in this film and I don't mean the donkey/mule kind) where this man plays a wealthy, jerk stock trader ready to marry some twit who happens to be his boss's daughter. He is framed for insider trading so he hires Kevin Hart to help him survive prison. The problem is Kevin Hart knows nothing about prison. Poor Kevin is a family man who hopes to buy a house one day. It's dumb, it has no grandiose plans to make my mind work and think deeply about life. It is politically incorrect so...what's not to love, unless you can't stand Will Farrell.

Thursday Movie Picks-Actor’s in Multiple Roles

This is when I wish I would have seen Kind Hearts and Coronets with Alec Guinness but I haven’t.....yet, so I have gone with 3 films I have seen that I really love and showcases some great acting in comedy roles. Wandering Through The Shelves picked a good theme this week. Here are my 3...

1. THE MOUSE THAT ROARED-1959

This stars Peter Sellers in 3 roles as Tully, a military leader, a Count and a Duchess, The leader of the tiniest country in the Alps whose whole country rely on the export of their wine. When they find out there is a knock off  version being sold, crippling their tiny nation, it is decided they will go to war with the U.S. They come up with a foolproof (HA!) plan invade the States, lose and the States will give them money in war reparations. They head off, in chain mail, bows and arrows on a ship to invade the States. This is farce at its finest and ahead of its time considering it is about war and what is it good for. ( you know that song:)). It’s a great under-rated film worth watching and having a laugh way before Monty Python came into our lives.

2. ON THE DOUBLE-1961

Danny Kaye is the star of this film and, frankly, he often played more than one role in his films but I always had a soft spot for this movie and Danny Kaye who was a master of tongue twisters done to music. He is best known for his role in White Christmas but he created many fun roles often playing anxiety ridden, nervous nellies who adore being cowards even though, in the end, they are anything but. In this film he plays General Sir Lawrence MacKenzie Smith who is on the hit list of the dreaded Nazis. In England is cowardly, American  Ernie Williams who bears an uncanny resemblance to the General. Ernie is a great mimic and before you can say, Holy Nervous Tick Batman, Ernie is asked to impersonate the General. He does not realize he is more than just a decoy until he gets in over his head, ends up in Berlin and must escape  but not before becoming more than one character including a Marlene Dietrich Blue Angel Gal. I think this is quite funny and it truly does showcase Danny Kaye’s brilliance in comedy and mimicry.

3. CAT BALLOU-1965

You think "Everybody Loves Mary" was the first film to have 2 men sing in between scenes to link the story? Think again! This film has the Greek Chorus of Stubby Kaye and Nat King Cole who appear throughout the film singing the ballad of Cat Ballou. Cat is played by Jane Fonda who hires Kid Shelleen to protect her dad’s homestead from the evil men who want his homestead. Her dad is killed by the evil Tim Strawn who wears a fake nose that was shot off. The town refuses to help so she creates her outlaw gang and they create hell. The best is Lee Marvin who won an Oscar playing the drunken Kid and the evil Tim who had a great time playing along side his equally drunken horse. This is another great comedy where Fonda is almost outdone by her gang members and no one does a drunken cowboy better than Marvin. When he won the Oscar, he also thanked the horse:)

Which 3 films would you pick?

Thursday Movie Picks-Witness

Mid August...holy smoke a doodle! To be honest it has been too humid and hot for me so I can’t wait until it cools down a bit. This has nothing to do with the theme which is all about witnesses and my mind drew a blank even though I know there are a ton of films involving witnesses. The guru of this weekly blogfest is Wandering Through The Shelves so go over to her site and check out what everyone else has chosen. Here are my 3....

1.  SOME LIKE IT HOT-1959

I know I chose this before but it is so brilliant and full of fun led by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as 2 sad sack musicians who witness the St. Valentine’s Day massacre in 1927 and must get out of town quick. They find out they can go to Florida with a band..an all girl band so they become Josephine and Daphne and board the train along with the very jiggly Marilyn Monroe. Tony decides to woo Marilyn as a Cary Grant millionaire with a can’t get it up problems. Poor Jack, who also wants Marilyn ends up getting engaged ....to his own millionaire. Very funny comedy with George Raft as the bad Mafia man and Joe E. Brown priceless as the millionaire....Nobody's Perfect!

2. WITNESS-1985

Well, this was a no brainer for me which was a big hit for Harrison Ford as a detective who must hide his star witness, a young Amish boy since the boy knows it’s a fellow cop who is as dirty as they come. Don’t worry this is all in the first 10 minutes of the film. Ford hides the boy in the boy's own home area...with the Amish which includes his hot momma whom Ford has the hots for. This is quite a taught thriller which the Amish hated since it showed them on tv...well, not the real Amish...that comes out decades later in some stupid reality tv show. Once you watch this movie, check out Weird Al Yankovic’s music video that actually has Kelly McGillis and Alexander Godunov from the movie in his video...and Florence Henderson The Brady Bunch).

3. LETHAL WEAPON 2-1989

Ok, yes Mel Gibson is an asshole, sorry my French, and I never liked him ever since seeing him interviewed by Baba Wawa(sorry again, Barbara Walters) but I like him in his movies and I like this series which was fun. He had great chemistry with Donald Glover where they play detective partners with Gibson as the nut, a no brainer, and Donald Glover getting too old for this shit. They are on the case of big time smugglers but when the bad guys get too close to home, the detectives are reassigned to protect a star witness played so well by Joe Pesci. Soon they realize the witness and the smuggling case are connected. It’s fun and a thrill despite dead people but it doesn’t matter in these films.

Which films would you choose?

Oh and for fun...

Thursday Movie Picks-Mrs. Robinsons

This is an interesting suggestion over at Wandering Through The Shelves since there are many women out there who have a good time with a youngin" . I was thinking up movies and chose a very obvious one (Coo..Cooka Choo or however one spells that) and 2 others that seem to fit the bill. It will be interesting to see what everyone else chooses. Here are my 3...

1.THE GRADUATE-1967

This is the obvious choice since Mrs. Robinson is a real character in this film and even brings a familiar quote ("Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs. Robinson") along with a famous image of Dustin Hoffman framed by her leg. Simon and Garfunkel  music  really makes a great mark in this film and sets the tone. Confused graduate, Hoffman has no idea what to do with his life ending up in an affair with his dad's business partner's wife, played by the wonderful Anne Bancroft. It gets even more complicated when he falls for Mrs. Robinson's daughter. This film is, in some ways, of its time when young people did not know what to do with their life, wanting to make love, not war and  placing daisies in the guns pointed at them by the armed guards. The trapped feelings are expressed by the imagery in this film. It has humorous moments filled with angst and the sense of loss.

2. WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE-1993

This is a hidden gem that more people should see especially since Leonardo Di Caprio gave an Oscar nominated performance and, I feel, should have won, playing the mentally challenged young brother to Johnny Depp, the star of the film. The family just lost their dad to suicide  and must look after their morbidly obese mother who never leaves the couch. Depp works for a small grocery store in this small town where he delivers groceries, one being the horny Mary Steenburgen. She initiates an affair with the young Depp who is happy to oblige. He feels frustrated with his life and embarrassed by the size of his mom plus having to care for the family. In enters a young gal, Juliette Lewis and her mom, who are travelling in some RV and are stuck in town for a week. She awakens the free spirit in Depp and helps him and his autistic brother find meaning. See it if you can.

3. THE READER-2008

This is a heavy film but a good one even though it could have been great. It stars Kate Winslet, David Kross and Ralph Fiennes who exceed in this film set before, during and after World war 2. A young Michael meets up with an older woman who helps him when he becomes ill. After he is better, he finds her to thank her and they have an affair where she asks him to read to her. He loves to read to her as they share a romantic summer together only for her to disappear and he does not see or hear from her again. Now grown, the older Michael, in law school, is a spectator to a trial of women prison guards accused of atrocities and see Hanna is among them. He soon finds out Hanna's secret which she would rather hide and be found guilty than have it become public knowledge. We see how his bond to her never leaves even though he never is with her in the biblical sense again. This is well acted and promotes  discussions about the topic at hand plus you see Kate Winslet naked...again.

Which 3 would you choose?

Wandering through the Shelves-The Great Outdoors

It’s too damn hot to be outside..I hate it and can’t wait for 20C since we have been having 36 but feeling like 43C with the humidex. I can’t breathe and I hate it. Ok, I’m done with my rant, this week over at Wandering Through The Shelves, it is all about the great outdoors and I love the outdoors when I can breathe. Oh, sorry, I said I wouldn’t bitch any more. Anyway here are my 3...

1.  THE BEAR-1988

This is a film that had me on the edge of my seat and it was all about a cub who tries to survive the elements, other predators especially Man. I am a huge animal lover and hate Ted Nugent who thinks that killing bears is his god given right....jerk. I don’t like it when I see an animal die even though I do watch rescue shows but this seems to end on a mostly positive note. Where was I? Talk about stream of consciousness! Anyway, to see amazing cinematography along with a bear coming of age, love and friendship, see this film starring Bart the Bear who befriends the cub.

2. THE GREAT OUTDOORS-1988

This is not a fantastic comedy but it’s fun to watch especially with 2 funny comedians, Dan Aykroyd and the wonderful John Candy. John Candy, with his family, rent a cottage to enjoy the great outdoors only to be slightly perturbed when Candy’s brother in law and his family, which includes 2 freaky red haired twins, surprise them. They deal with water-skiing, bats, those freaky twins, raccoons, each other and Bart the bear who gets a bit bald on both ends. I watched it again recently and had a good laugh.

3. THE EDGE-1997

Anthony Hopkins is married to a younger, beautiful model who travel up north, with a photographer, played by Alec Baldwin, and crew in tow, to take in some great outdoors. They are trying to find some mountain man when their small plane crashes in the middle of nowhere. The pilot is killed  which leaves 3 to try to get home dealing with wolves and one very smart but very nasty bear...played by...Bart the bear who was quite scary to say the least! This is thriller that held my attention and made me grit my teeth.  I know that both actors were very impressed with Bart because he was so genial and intelligent. You wouldn't know it from watching  Bart that he was so docile.

Which 3 would you choose?

Bart with his trainer...Bart was a Kodiak Bear

I’m a busy little beaver

Get your heads out of the gutter and stop thinking of Leslie Nielsen from Naked Gun and realize I am talking about my scrapbook. Oh, I’m not showing that yet as it’s not done yet and has been taking up a lot of my time, but I have been making some cards which I am showcasing 2 here today.

Alcohol inks, sun stamp, Red dye ink and Red sparkle embossing powder, cuddlebug, embossing folder, Sizzex machine, corner cut outs, crystals

Penny Black-Summer Colours
Cute Card Thursday-No Patterned paper

My poor friend was told by his partner that he is done with him and  no longer wants to be with him. In less than 2 years, the marriage has ended and in a bad way because when my friend came home from his 3 day tour, a nasty note was left with the wedding ring and a sticky note saying to not try to find him. 2 weeks later, my dear friend was served with lawyer papers demanding half the condo... Oh boy, let the games begin! I decided to create this card for my friend who deserves a little sunshine so what better way than to create summer colours with the fun sun. I dabbed alcohol inks on glossy white paper in nice warm colours and set it aside. I took dye ink pads and placed the colour on craft wipeable sheet, spritzed water on it and placed a basic white papercard onto it to get some nice yellow, golden and orange colour onto the paper. I dried it a bit and dipped it again and then let it completely dry before I stamped and embossed the sun unto it. I fussy cut it out and pieced everything together. I took the border dye cut with the burgandy paper on top and ran it through the sizzex machine to get the border cuts, added some bling and we are done.

Pink shimmer sheer fabric, flower stamp, gold dye ink stamp and gold embossing powder, pastel powders, scissors, ribbon, scizzex machine, dye cut, cuddlebug machine, embossing folder, friend stamp. Glue, glue dots, pop up dots, crystals, pearls

Stamping Sensations-The Earth Laughs in Flowers
Alphabet Challenge-I is for Insect-no Locusts here!
Retro Rubber Challenge-Tic, Tac Toe-I chose Romance, Texture and Ribbon-rrcb116

This card is for my friend’s birthday who loves pink so I used the colour and made it girlie. Those glue dots can be a pain to work with but they work well when you add fabric to a card like I did here. I stamped, embossed and coloured the flowers, that I have had for 6 years, in pastel colours, fuzzy cut them out and stamped it again but just coloured the middle flower and cut that out. I used the pop up dots to raise the flower and, raise the middle flower, again. I put the ribbon around the image, added the dye cut image with the word, friend, on it and that’s it. Since Las Vegas is called a sinful town, it's kind of funny that swarms of locusts have descended on this city.

Hope you like my little creativity

Now a couple of picture from our trip to Quebec.

Hubby's Aunt and Uncle's backyard, although they call it their front yard.

Hubby in his kayak on the Richelieu River

Thursday Movie Picks:TV Edition-Crime Shows

It’s almost the end of July! I can’t believe that the year is half over and I need to make more Christmas Cards:)...did I just say that word?  I had my jolt juice(lidocaine infusion) On Tuesday and was a bit stoned for the day but it helps with my pain. This week, over at Wandering Through The Shelves,  it s tv time and it’s all about crime shows. Let’s see what I have chosen...

1. CSI-2000-2015

This has spawned so many other CSI shows that I thought there would be a CSI Wainfleet...where I grew up, but the only crimes they may find is which hog slept with which cow, anyways, this was quite a good show before it became too full of itself. I liked the original show(in Las Vegas) that started off with the crime and then we see the forensic experts come in, take the evidence, the “Vic”, (my mom hated that term and thought it was disrespectful to the victim...she was right) and within 24-48 hours, they solve the crime. Never mind that nothing happens that fast, that the forensic people, would Never interview the suspects, never mind that it would take months to get all that DNA evidence. Regardless, I enjoyed this one and CSI: New York because I really like Gary Sinese. I watched the Miami one but I always laughed at Carrot top, aka, David Caruso, trying to be cool by saying some quip and then taking his sunglasses off.

2. CASTLE-2009-2016

This is one show I really enjoyed about a famous writer of crime mysteries who works with a police dept after one of the crimes seems to follow one of his novels. The problem is that the author won’t leave and is able to stick around and follow, help and often solve many of the crimes. One of the main reasons is not only his love of crime but his hots for the lead detective. It is often done in a comedic way but there were plenty of times where drama came in especially concerning the murder of the lead detective’s mother. Apparently, the 2 leads disliked each other but it only showed as snappy foreplay and the show didn’t suffer even after the 2 marry.

3.  UNFORGOTTEN-2016-PRESENT

This is a British series that my hubby and I found on PBS mysteries and it is well worth a look. It runs about 8 or so episodes starting off where a skeleton is found. The team, lead by boss, Nicola Walker, is brought in to deal, specifically, with cold cases. We see how they find out who the victim is and soon there are 4 suspects that could have committed the crime. We not only see how the detectives try to solve the case but we follow the boss's life, her right hand man and the lives of the 4 suspects. We become involved in their lives and feel for the victim and their family that must endure the pain of finally knowing what has happened. The last one we watched was chilling to say the least. I can’t wait to see more.

Sorry Colombo..anyhoo, which 3 would you choose?