Thursday Movie Picks

 I'm Baaaaaack:) I have been away except for reading other blogs mainly due to extreme pain. It sucks when I can't hold a pen but I am back to normal now...whatever that is and frankly I don't want to be normal, maybe Abby Normal:)

So I have been following, on the sidelines, this great film blog where you follow a certain theme each Thursday and people post their 3 favourite (or not so favourite) films they have seen. This was invented by Wandering Through the Shelves which I found via Drew at a Fistful of Films another great blog all about films. So this week it is "All In The Family Edition: Twins.  There are some films I still need to see like "Dark Mirror" with Olivia De Havilland so that is not on my list. Here is mine...

FREAKS (1932)

I love this movie! It would never be made today with all the politically correct crap out there but back in the day, when Freak Shows were alive and well, people made a living being gawked at. It is horrible but many of these great people would not have survived if not for these shows. Todd Browning, of Dracula fame, was the director and took a genuine interest  into the people's lives and created one macabre film. In this film, the "beautiful" people are the true freaks-mean and ugly whereas the "ugly" people are family oriented, caring and loyal. The main plot concerns a midget played by Harry Earles who is engaged to another little person played by his actual sister, Daisy Earles but he has the hots for the tight-rope walker played by Olga Baclanova who is up to no good. There are sub-plots where you get to know the various people who work in this show and one are the conjoined twins played by Daisy and Violet Hilton. They are one of my favourite. One is in love with this one man whereas the sister can't stand him. It is played quite well by these 2 ladies whom you know, nowadays, would have been successfully separated. This film was banned for almost 50 years due to the content.

DEAD RINGER (1964)

It is such an evil looking poster eh? Bette Davis in all her swaggering Davishood plays identical twins-one rich and nasty, the other poor and nice. The poor lass has a cop for a boyfriend played by Karl Malden which does not bode well for her plot. Peter Lawford drips in icky goo as the sleazy boyfriend of the rich one. You know that Bette Davis probably chewed up Lawford off the set. This film is actually directed by Paul Henreid of "Casablanca" fame (he played Ingrid Bergman's husband) and he co-starred with Davis in "Now Voyager" where cigarettes take on a whole new meaning.

START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME (1970)

This is a great comedy!! If you have not seen it-go and see it! It is narrated by Orson Welles ("later that night...still 1789) and stars Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland as 2 sets of twins where they were switched up at birth (see the movie) resulting in one pair growing up poor and stupid and the other being the Corsican Brothers-rich and stupid but also deadly. Hugh Griffiths plays the buffoonish King Louis XVI ("I thought this was a costume party") and Billie Whitelaw plays the nymphomaniac Marie Antoinette.  Of course it takes place just before the French Revolution where the peasants get mistaken for the Corsican Brothers and vice versa. Everyone is trying to kill, well, everyone especially at the ball and these chaps have no idea what is going on. I am not sure I do either but it is so wickedly funny that it is a hidden treasure. Suzie Mac from "The View from the top of the Ladder"  knows this film and now I know of one other person aside from my ex who knows this film.

OK there ya have it! My 3 picks. Glad to be back and hopefully I will compile a list of films I have seen while I was regenerating.

Birthday card for my Bro

Yellow, dark purple, light lavender, turquoise and white cardstock. Hummingbird stamp, Letter stamps, Purple embossing die pad and Purple sparkle powder. Cuddlebug and sizzex machine, embossing folders and die cuts, stickers, yellow marker.
 
Color Q- Summer Starfruit(Yellow), Cool Caribbean, Concord Grape(Dark Purple), Pale Plum, White
Craft Your Passion - Always Anything Goes
Retro Rubber Challenge- Sketch

My brother turned the big 54 on the 9th and we decided to take him out for dinner to a nice Japanese/Thai restaurant. It is all you can eat and you order from a computer menu and as many dishes as you want for one price. It was fantastic and I oinked near the end of my food feast! I don't know why I thought purple and yellow plus glitter for a man, but it speaks to my bro in some ways. I mean he loves the Blues and some of those guys really dress up in glitter vests and still look cool. My brother has decided to walk and hour each day and cover every street in our city which I think is pretty neat. A hummingbird represents joy in life so I picked that. Obviously you know his name. My dad wanted us both to have names starting with the letter "B" so I love our unique names. Thankfully my parents did not name their first choices...Barney and Barbie! I would have killed them if they named me that.  I have had these stamps for a few years now so it works for the retro rubber (get your minds out of the gutter now)-:-). Have a great week everyone! I am off to nighty nights.

Film Society presents Six Degrees of Separation

 Mock and The Armchair Squid presents the next challenge! This is a monthly film challenge to watch a film that someone picks and we get to review. Last month we had fun with a trivia challenge. This month we are to connect one of our previous films we chose to a film that another player chose and connect the dots, sort of speak, from the one film to another.

I choose the previous film I picked "Strangers on a Train" to "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." I realize that I did it in less than 6 degrees but hope this suffices. Oh and I am trying to write this why one of the pussy cats has decided to walk across the computer and felt playing with the plugs is a good idea. So On with the game!

1.

Alfred Hitchcock directed Robert Walker in "Strangers On A Train."-That great movie

2.

Robert Walker co-starred with Katherine Hepburn in the film "Song Of Love". A biopic on Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann's love. Robert Walker played Johannes Brahms.

3.

Katherine Hepburn starred with Anthony Hopkins in "The Lion In Winter."  She plays Eleanor of Aquitaine and Anthony Hopkins plays one of her sons-actually Richard the Lionheart. To be honest, I still have to see this film. Place another on the list!

4.

Anthony Hopkins starred with Keanu Reeves in "Bram Stoker's, Dracula." One of my favourite films about this blood sucking bat/man/wolf/mist...well you know....

5. 

 Introducing Keanu! Oops ...wrong one

OK Got the right one-Keanu Reeves (his first name always reminded me of a killer whale from some sea world) in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure." I have not seen this film but this is the one I shall watch and review. Keanu looks like himself in this picture doesn't he? I never think of him as one who advanced beyond building blocks but he has made some decent films actually.

So concludes my 6, um, make that 5 degrees of separation. Have a great weekend everyone!

Top 10 Favourite Female Characters

Oh Yes! That is Cyd Charisse and I would dream of being like her but I would need her great body and those legs that go on forever. I dare any man to watch this and not want to be in Gene Kelly's shoes.

Here is my 2nd list of my favourite top 10 characters. There are so many I had to part them into 2 lists. The first were the men and now the women. C.D. Gallant King requested  a bunch of bloggers to join him on the fun a little while back and so I have!:) Here are my top 10.

10. 

Phyllis Dietrichson- Yup with that stare and that haircut you know she is one evil bitch. She is one film noir Femme Fatale who lures a hopeless sack, played by Fred MacMurray, into her web of schemes in "Double Indemnity." Barbara Stanwyck plays her  to the limit and was great as a seductress even in that wig. Billy Wilder (the director) once said he would love to come to Barbara's door where she greets him  in high heels, an apron...and nothing else.

9.

Irene Bullock- Oh that madcap heiress who is having fun playing Scavenger Hunt and one of her finds is a bum from skid row. To say that she is plain nutty doesn't do her or the rest of her crack pot family justice. In this classic screwball comedy, "My Man Godfrey", she is the life of the entire film whom you want to hang out with, run away from or spank, not necessarily in that order. She brings light to dark times and the film has depth and does not shy away from the Great Depression.

8.

"Hot Lips" Margaret Houlihan- This was one strong, bodacious woman who loved men and the army even though she was scarred by it. She played the head nurse for the 4077 M.A.S.H. unit and you knew better than to cross her. In the TV show M.A.S.H., Loretta Swit, started the character more one dimensional but quickly made it her own. Based on a great film, this amazing TV Show is one of the best shows ever made. Even though she started out with Frank "Ferret Face" Burns, she didn't stay with him or any man and fought hard to be a major including giving some men her right hook on occasion.

7.

Hildy Johnson- She could match wits with the best of them including and especially her ex, played by Cary Grant in the hilarious "His Girl Friday."  Rapid fire speaking, constant movement and a strong female character, who better to get the story than Hildy. She is a woman in a man's world and she is just fine with that.

6.

Roz Doyle- The producer to Frazier's character on his radio show, she is one fun loving, man loving, sex loving woman about town. She might be sex/man hungry but she is not stupid, cheap or giving in to what a she thinks a man may want. She knows what she wants and she will get it. A true woman of the times and a rare female character. Love her to bits!

5.

Endora- I don't understand anyone who would not love "Bewitched." I still wish I could just snap my fingers and go to Paris or wherever I want to go. I could make myself invisible or I could cast a spell which, at times, would be so much evil fun. Endora loves being a witch and simply does not understand her daughter who not only decides to marry a mortal but obeys (Ughh) and tries to give up witchcraft. I like Samantha as well but she always seemed to cower to her husband especially in the later episodes which would want me to have him change into a jackass, I mean, donkey also. I get where Endora comes from. She loves her daughter and grandchildren but simply does not get why Samantha should give up her powers. I don't either and I think, neither does Samantha or she wouldn't fail at that all the time.

4.

The Vamp - She does not have a name in the film, "Singing In The Rain" but who cares! This dame can dance! She is the perfect vixen for the unassuming Gene Kelly who probably would be saying "Kathy Selden" who? I saw her in this film when I was little and would dream of being a dancer. Unless my legs grew to that length and I had the sex allure only Cyd Charisse can show, it was not in the cards. I am more of the Hee Haw ho-down putting my foot in some cow poop. If you have not watched the clip, you have not started your day.

3.

Norma Desmond- "I AM Big! It's the pictures that got small." This is one scathing tribute to Hollywood's yesteryear-The silent pictures and stars from that time which Norma was the greatest. Now no one knows her and she is slowly, well, more rapid than slow, losing her sanity. She may be nuts but she knows how to captivate an audience and capture one sad sack played by William Holden. Does one feel bad for Holden's character? Not so much but you do feel bad for Norma. This film has so many hidden gems that you have to know a little about the silent film era to get the in-jokes. Cecil B DeMille has a cameo in the film playing himself, naturally. He calls her "Little Fella" which he actually did call Gloria Swanson in real life and made many films with her in the early days of Hollywood. My favourite quote is from the great Mae Murray who, after seeing this film, said "None of us floozies was ever that nuts!"

2.

Lucy Ricardo-It would be simply nuts of me not to have this gal near the top. Lucy, as everyone knows, always got into antics and never took "No" for an answer. She was beautiful, witty, intelligent and stubborn. Whether getting drunk trying to sell this cough syrup for a TV ad or trying, many times, to get into her husband's shows, you could not wait to see what was up her sleeve. We all love Lucy!

1.

Mary-Kate Danaher- This beautiful lass from Ireland who captured John Wayne's( Sean Thornton) heart in the beautiful film "The Quiet Man", is my top choice. I love her strength, passion and fire. She can match John Wayne any day and, even though she loves him, she just can't be with him until she gets her dowry. Her brother won't give it and therein lies the fight. When she leaves and Sean Thornton tracks her down to the train station, you know it is coming to a head. He takes her back to her brother in one of the best scenes ever and, believe it or not, makes me swoon even though my behind would be sore if I were in her place, demands the dowry. The music is now going through my head-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dadada-dum-dum dum, dum......Just see the picture!

What are your favourite gals?

Nuts For Sparkle!

white card stock, strips of paper laying around and doing nothing, Cuddlebug, snowflake embossing pad, wintry scene sticker and corner stickers, tombow markers, Glitter, stickles. Sentiment and stars stickers, pop up dots

52 Christmas Cards-Use a Sketch
Christmas Cards All Year Long-Dots and Stripes
Christmas Stampin- Snow and/or glitter
Crafty Hazelnut Challenge- Include a Sentiment
Crafty Hazelnut Challenge 2-Anything Goes as long as it is Christmas
Eclectic Ellapu-Purple Team-Favourite Holiday
Simon Says Challenge-Dots
Glitter and Sparkle-Anything Goes
Winter Wonderland- Glitter

Oh, did someone say glitter?? Now , when someone says this or suggests this, I, being the magpie that I am, must comply and in a big way. I briefly thought about making the little snowman in yellow and then I wisely went against that thought. One would think, Billy Bubba and his beer drinking team made that snowman. I have tons of scrap paper so this is one way of using them up by making stripes on my own. I had polka dot paper which I used in the upper right corner and had to embellish the dots with stickles. I dove right into the glitter and just glammed up the snowy town scene. I was overjoyed that I did not sneeze which I did do once and the glitter went everywhere. Happy July everyone!

Flying things are in my head...aside from Dust

Light blue, navy blue, white cardstock. Flying Angel stamp and Star stamp, Blue embossing dye pad, 3 different blue embossing powders, cuddlebug & sizzex machine, snowflake embossing mat, Snowflake dye cut, snowflake punch, jewels(fake-I'm not nuts to put real ones on a card:))

ABC Christmas- Magical
CASE Christmas- Missed the dam challenge-Bummer!
Alphabet Challenge- Jewels
Eclectic Ellapu- Purple Team-Favourite Holiday
Glitter & Sparkle- Must Have A Sentiment
CHNC-Anything Goes as long as it's Christmas

In Card Land there is always Christmas In July. PANIC! The year is half over and Christmas will be here before we know it. I still feel like I just put the decorations away. This does not stop me from making Christmas Cards since it is my favourite holiday. In typical manner, I missed the CASE Christmas post. One day I will be on time! I love angels so she is my magical look and she is surrounded by jewels...from Dollarama:) My sentiment is nothing special but it still is saying something even if I don't want it to snow quite yet.

Dark burgundy cardstock and extra pieces of cardstock lying around. Tim Holtz dye pads. Hummingbird stamp, versamark dye pad, perfect pearls powders, blue marker, jewels, "Happy Birthday" sticker, stickles.

Craft Your Passion-Always Anything Goes
Alphabet Challenge-Jewels
FairyTale Stampers-Anything Goes

My hubby's Uncle is having a birthday and he loves birds. I realized soon after I don't have that many bird stamps-The Horror...The Horror! Guess what I must buy? If any people stamp and make cards you soon accumulate all these extra pieces of cardstock in various pieces. I can't throw them out no matter what. Many are just too pretty and I have a fetish for paper. Hell, if my hubby wrapped himself up in great paper I would have fun unwrapping him but then I would have to nicely fold the paper and save it...the mood would be gone. Oh yes back to the card. I was trying out the new Tim Holtz stamping pads and created the colour combo for one part of the background and layered pieces of paper on top. I had little pieces left over from something that was cut out using the sizzex so I coloured the "leaves" blue and placed them in the 4 corners surrounding the hummingbird.  To create the hummingbird, I stamped the image with versamark and then , using a brush, added the perfect pearls so Mr. Flight of Fancy would gleam. Jewels were added to the bottom yellow piece and around the blue leaves. Black stickles was added as well as the sentiment up top. So there ya have it-Have a great weekend!

Insecure Writer's Support Group- Take your firecracker and place it up you $#!

It is the first day of the month which means it is time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group where  you can release your fears to the world and/or offer encouragement to people who are writers or are just joining in on the fun...like me.  This is hosted by Mr. Ninja Alex J Cavanaugh so please check everyone out.

Today is Canada Day-Yippee, Yahoo and all that jazz. I am proud of my country because we did kick your ass and burnt the White House down during the war of 1812 (throwing tomatoes at me yet??) but we became a nation showing our strength during the First World War. We were part of the D-Day landings (Juno) and we liberated Holland which my dad was a part of.  We have made strong headway in the medical profession, space and sports. In Film (now we're talking) we brought great actors like Mary Pickford (America's Sweetheart), Fay Wray (King Kong fame), Deanna Durbin (saved Universal Pictures), William Shatner (Star Trek), Christopher Plummer (great actor) and Jim Carrey (OK weird nutty guy).  If I want, I can go to Toronto and see great fireworks put on by professionals set to music or I can go to nearby Lake Ontario and watch fireworks also set by professionals. Will I do this? No-I want to do nothing tomorrow but read my blog buddies' posts and listen to the Battle of the Bands and make a card. This sounds wonderful except I know what will happen....morons will rule tomorrow eve.

These morons believe that buying these cheap, possibly fire-inducing, fireworks
 will make them happy. In fact, right now, as I write this, morons are at work letting these stupid, useless fireworks go "pop". They are loud enough to freak my dog out and make me feel like I am under attack. Do these fireworks give out breath-taking sparkles in a variety of colours? Nope! They go "Pop"-you know like a useless lay (sorry). There is a family across the street that buy them for each long weekend/holiday in the summer. The moron parents light them and hand it to their 5 and 4 year old kids so they will let them go. I am almost wondering if they have life insurance on their kids but this is what they do and one day I will see an ambulance come. I have heard where these fireworks have landed on people's roofs and then caught fire...something to look forward to.  Boys love to blow things up but, to see them light these stupid things and see them flick in the air for 2.3 seconds before they go "pop", makes me think they have premature ejaculation issues...just saying. 

Is this a rant? Your darn-Tootin it is! There is only one thing to stop these moronic galoots and that is to ban them! Alberta has banned them except for the professionals so why can't Ontario and the rest of North America? I mean I remember kids placing a firecracker in a frog once-simply not nice! So ends my rant and if you want to see fireworks, see the real kind at your town or city and enjoy it that way. If you are one of the said morons who do buy these useless "poporama" explosives, don't take it personally as I am entitled to my own opinion and will still like you...even if you are a moron concerning this:)