Thursday Movie Picks:TV Edition-Fantasy

Wandering Through The Shelves came up with a good one this week as it is all about Fantasy.  I love Fantasy but I have not seen many of the newer shows because they are on Netflix or Prime or HBO..ughh. Well, Here are my 3...

1. BEWITCHED-1964-1972

This was the time when most shows started in September and had more than  just 10 episodes.  The first season of this great show has 36! It stars Elizabeth Montgomery, a beautiful witch, who marries an unassuming, Ad Executive played, initially by Dick York. Samantha loves Darren and marries him but fails to mention she is a witch. Enter her mother, played gloriously by Agnes Moorehead as Endora who hates this situation and tries, for many years to dissolve this "mixed-marriage". Darren, being a typical husband of the time, doesn't want any help from his wife's witchcraft and forbids(HA!) her to use it. You know this never works and her witchcraft often saves the day. There are many characters that show up like Larry Tate, Darren's boss,(a series regular) Abner & Gladys Kravitz, the nosy neighbours. The great Alice Pearce played this role withholding the fact that she was dying of cancer. You have Samantha's Aunt Clara, Uncle Arthur, her dad and various cousins and Aunts come and go. It lost some sparkle when Dick York had to retire due to a severe back injury and was replaced by Dick Sargeant who was not as good as the original Darren. Marion Lorne, who played Aunt Clara died and the character just never showed up again. They replaced the character with a maid who was also bumbling but just not the same. Regardless, how I wish I could just wiggle my nose and have the house cleaned or take a trip to Europe.

2. I DREAM OF JEANNIE-1965-1970

This, I think, started because Bewitched was so popular. It stars Barbara Eden as Jeannie who saves an astronaut, played by Larry Hagman and goes to live with him often causing much mayhem. His best friend, played by Bill Daily, also knows about Jeannie but that is it.  Of course, with her arms crossed across her boobies and a nod of her head, they can go or do anything. The astronaut, Tony, wishes she wouldn't do a thing but she doesn't listen. She becomes jealous whenever a girl comes around and, eventually, Tony realizes he loves her. It is a fun show that is not as good as Bewitched but is still fun even though Barbara Eden could not show her belly button as that would be too sexy.  Did I say I love both opening music pieces from both these shows.

3. FANTASY ISLAND-1977-1984

Oh this was such a big show in its day which premiered right after The Love Boat. You have Ricardo Montalban as the mysterious Mr. Roarke who is the main man of this island along with his side kick, Tattoo played by Herve Villechaise. Each week, 2 or 3 guests come to the island ("Da Plane...Da Plane!) to have their fantasies realized. Mr. Roarke seems to have supernatural powers to help his guests play out their dreams often ending in a way they were not expecting but still feeling success. I used to watch this back in the day and I have been watching it again and, Oh MY God! How hoaky!! Michelle Phillips plays a mermaid who wants to know love so Mr. Roarke stares intently at her only for her to lose her tail and have legs. Some of the acting is corny and Tattoo becomes a comical sidekick to the point Herve left the show. It still is fun to watch especially that many guests were big name actors back in olden days.

Bonus...

4. THE HILARIOUS HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN-1971

This is a Canadian program that most of us Canucks just adore. It was made on a shoestring budget with Billy Van playing many parts most notably, Dracula who prefers pizza over blood. Igor always screws things up but we still get to learn some fascinating things since this was geared for children but many young adults loved it even more. They would have pet vets talk about caring for your pet to zoologists who would bring on more untamed animals. They also had a mad scientist played by a real life scientist, Julius Sumner Miller, who created real scientific experiments and explained how it worked. This man was a student of Albert Einstein! You know what else is cool...Somehow Hamilton, Ontario was able to get Vincent Price to be the narrator of this show...so cool! Go to Youtube and look up the Wolfman dancing to Innocence and Peppermints...groovy.

5.  DEAD LIKE ME-2003-2004

This is quite an off beat comedy-drama but with more comedy, just the dark kind. It starts off with a miserable teen, who tussles with her mom and, generally, hates, her life. She hates her temp job but this all will not last...why? well, when she is on her break, after getting a coffee, she looks up into the sky and gets killed by a toilet seat that came from the MIR station in outer space.  She is now dead but must fulfill her obligation as a grim reaper.  She becomes a member of a team led by chief Grim Reaper, Mandy Patinkin who gives out post it notes of the next person to meet their end. The reapers must find the people and touch them so that their souls can leave the earth and go towards the light. I thought this show was clever, funny, offbeat and you feel for these people who must  give out the touch of death. They always meet in a German waffle house to discuss their life events as it were. How fun is that?

Which 3 would you choose?

Scrapbook Completed...finally!

Hello and greetings! So...my biopsy was a no go last Friday as it was more of a meet and greet. She did say my uterine wall was slightly thicker than norm but nothing to talk about which is good. She agrees with my family doctor to have the biopsy done. I have to take some meds the night before since I never had kids. I know... TMI, but I do runneth the mouth over often so, who cares:) Do you know I texted a friend about my dilemma with dizziness etc.. and she offered to take me to my appointment and persisted even when I told her it was in Burlington (40 min away and have to take the dreaded QEW freeway). When I told her the date and time, she texted that she couldn't make it because that is when she takes her dog to the old folks home! I just couldn't believe it but should have known. She has backed out at the last minute to babysit our dog plus there have been other times where she backed out at the last minute. In each case, she volunteers but then rescinds. The one time I did ask her to bring her dog to visit my mom, she agreed happily and sounded so excited to test her dog out amidst the older people but she excused herself saying she didn't feel well.but she would love to try another time...I asked 5 times and each time there was an excuse. Writing this, I feel like a complete dolt! I have been there for her on more than one occasion but this last time hurt. OK, I bitched enough and I will say a friend at work listened to my tears and took me to my appointment. I was so deeply touched and know how blessed I am to have so many good friends.

OK now I am done my bitching and am showcasing some of my scrapbook pages for you to look at and, I hope, enjoy seeing. If you could see my craft room, you would run in the other direction...a tornado has hit it which I am now trying to clean up.

Quotes by James Stewart. Jimmy Stewart loved Africa and was very fond of the elephant.

My friend dreams of having a wrap around porch. Too bad you can't see the window quotes but check out that one window...what is wrong with that it??

Jimmy's childhood home. We walked around July 4th which was fun to do hence the scrapbook paper page but I added Canada is the land of the free too.

The Church on the left was closed...bummer. This was the church Jimmy attended any time he went home.

My favourite/top 20 Jimmy Stewart films

I am proud of the left page as I drew the Santa free hand from an image off the intro cards of the film "It's A Wonderful Life" that I looked up on the internet. Now on to Lucy!

Yup, we tried that famous commercial and I had to go all sparkly for that. My friend is on the left and I am the drunk on the right:)

The home, top left, is Lucy's birth home while the other is one she grew up in. I added all the sparkle around the flowers..my hand cramped up! It was tough squeezing out that sparkle...er..never mind.

Yup, I can be all ham. The people who own Lucy's childhood home painted the garage like her blue dress and built the BBQ just like Lucy & Ethel did.

Sorry about the glare but wanted to showcase Lucy's films...top 10

I took these 2 pictures while sitting at a restaurant in Indian, PA. I enjoyed creating the border but my fingers were blue for days.

I didn't realize (brain fart) until halfway through making this scrapbook that Lucille Ball's initials stood for our first names..cool or what!

This was fun to make but took me away from making cards which I have to get doing! By the way, my dear friend Loretta loved it and that made me happy.

Thursday Movie Picks-Breakups

My hubby had his operation last Thursday on his right shoulder, laparoscopic surgery that went on for 3 hours, double the time but it was a success. Of course, my brother, who drove us up since I am too dizzy to drive that far, made a good point that what else are they supposed to say...”Oh that was horrible and the operation sucked!” Hahahaaa. my brother is right but, despite the bad pain, hubby is slowly getting better with some good pain meds and lots of rest. He will soon start physio which will be 4 months worth. We will find out why it took double the time Sept. 30th and I am having my biopsy this Friday so...fingers crossed.

Now, this week over at Wandering Through The Shelves it is all about break ups. We have all been there and, if not, you are one of the lucky few. Breakups simply suck but, when they make them into movies, they become something we often will watch with much crying and/or laughing. Here are my 3...

1. SUNRISE-1927

Yeah, this is an oldie, well, for many of you, maybe an ancient one, but it is gold. It’s directed by the great F. W. Murnau, famous for “Nosferatu” who created a moody, gothic masterpiece about good vs evil in the form of  2 women, the pious, angelic country wife of the man and his mistress, the evil city gal who does a mean shimmy. It’s also about the good and evil within each of us. It’s a study on this bastard, um, I mean, married man bored with his wife, his life and he feels he is in much strife. He’s having an affair with a wild, crazy gal from the city who wants him to murder his lovely wife and go with her to the city. The man does not realize that his wife has caught on and escapes which is when he realizes what a moron he has been. It sounds pretty basic but it’s anything but and strangely, gives an excellent portrayal of marriage in the darker forms. Janet Gaynor plays the wife and she won the first best actress Oscar for this role along with Seventh Heaven and Street Angel (yup all 3 for an Oscar. the last 2 were with her oft film partner Charles Farrell).

2. DODSWORTH-1936

I love this film because it is an honest portrayal of a long marriage going down the tubes. A long married couple, very wealthy, take a ship to travel to Europe and tour the continent. On the voyage, we see his wife engage in some flirtations while he meets a very nice divorcee. Once on mainland Europe, they realize they have grown into 2 very different people and no longer have anything in common. She asks for a divorce and he goes back home while she entertains a nice young man. Remember, this is 1936, the Hays Code is in full effect but this film shows middle aged people who are unhappy in their  marriage, the wife going with a much younger man and a divorcee who is not a bitch. An excellent film about an unhappy marriage that is not filmed with 20 somethings looking chic.

3. THE WAY WE WERE-1971

Yes, this is a romance film that is not my favourite genre and this is not one of my favourite films, to be honest, but it just suits this week’s theme so well. It stars Barbra Streisand as a leftist, strong thinking woman who meets a Waspish, conservative Robert Redford while in college. They meet again when WW2 is on and Robbie looks divine in his uniform. Babs thinks he is the bee’s knees and they soon are an item and marry. Unfortunately, they are very different in their outlook in life in every way possible which does not help their marriage. It is well acted but .....ughhh...I just find this genre boring. The song is great and RR looks great but what do I care when it’s all romance. It’s just like Love Story and The Notebook (minus James Garner and Gena Rowlands who saved that flick), boy meets girl, they banter, they screw, they break up, blah, blah, blah...😁

Which 3 films would you choose?

Thursday Movie Picks-Non-English Language Movies

Stress!  So I am dizzy, exhausted and can't concentrate well. My blood pressure is great, my heart is excellent-went for a stress test. Iron and sugar are all great but I did have an issue which gives my doctor pause for concern so I went for an ultrasound and that turned out normal. He now wants me to go for a biopsy of my uterus so I am waiting for that appointment. My hubby is going for day surgery on his right shoulder tomorrow to scrape out and repair the calcium deposit and his tendons. This is the time that I miss my mom which is why I am boring you with my life. Oh and stuff is happening at work which, hopefully, will work out aok...the next few months will let me know.

This is the reason I have been off in commenting on blogs I love following. My eyes go funny along with my head. Please be patient with me:) OK, to make my head go screwy just a bit more, it is all about non-English language movies. I have chosen 3 I think you will like to hear about. Check out Wandering Through The Shelves to find out what other movies have been chosen. Here are my 3....

1. LA BELLE ET LA BETTE-1946

I picked this film before but it is one of my all time favourite films since I love fairy tales and this is the best rendition of Beauty and the Beast. Jean Cocteau directed this masterpiece which starred his lover, Jean Marais, as the beast as well as the narcissistic wanna be lover of Beauty. You know the story...a father, now almost bankrupt, seeks shelter in a castle. Remembering his youngest daughter's request for a rose, he picks one and meets up with the beast who demands that Beauty must come live with him or daddy will lose his head, not to mention his guts, liver and heart. Daddy comes home, explains what happened and Beauty goes to the castle. I love the atmospheric moodiness and other-worldly look of this film. It is shot in black and white which just lends to the beauty of this exquisite film which is a must see in my humble opinion.

2. LA CASSEL/THE BURGLARS-1971

This film is typically seen in French but there is an English speaking version out there too. I was in Graz, in 1982, and watched this French film dubbed into German! I had a hard time following it but I loved it nevertheless. It stars Jean Paul Belmondo as one of the robbers of emeralds while in Athens. They must stash the emeralds in a safe spot because a corrupt policeman, played by Omar Sharif, is trying to get to those rocks himself. There is an amazing car chase through the streets of Athens that rivals any famous car chase scenes we all know and love. I got a kick out of the film and enjoyed it. Nothing says fun than watching something in German....HA!

3.  KOLYA-1996

I would love to see this film again because it is so sweet, funny and does a tug at the heart strings. This Czech film is about a down and out classical musician who drinks too much and loves women too much. With help from a friend, he decides to marry a Russian bride who immediately take off to Germany to be with her boyfriend but not before leaving her child with this man. This kid is great and can out act anyone on screen. The 2 actors share some great scenes together as the man finds out more about himself as he falls more deeply in love with the young boy. This film won best foreign film Oscar and I don't mind that one bit.

Thank you for listening to my bitchfest  and, hopefully, not throwing up your eyes to the whine o clock...that's me:) Now which films would you choose?

Thursday Movie Picks-Hostages

Sorry for not visiting too much. I am dealing with dizziness and exhaustion and need to go for an ultrasound so I hope the drs will figure it out. I have had a tough time to read right now..I am doing the wine o clock😁. At Wandering Through The Shelves it’s all about hostages..here are my 3...

1. THE 39 STEPS-1935

I love Robert Donat, who died early from severe asthma, as he was such a great actor and I have the hots for him. He was so good in this Hitchcock film as a Canadian in London who becomes embroiled in espionage but must run from the police to clear his name, a common Hitchcock theme. He travels to Scotland, by train ( another oft used Hitchcock theme(ughh can't think up the right word) and meets up with the beautiful Madeleine Carroll who becomes his hostage literally attached to him with handcuffs, as they traipse through the countryside, trying to find out what the McGuffin is(look that up:)) This is a very entertaining and quite a fun film that I can watch any time.

2. KEY LARGO-1948

Bogie and Bacall in a thriller noir as a man who comes to a Florida hotel run by Bacall and her invalid dad, Lionel Barrymore, who really was in a wheelchair due to severe rheumatoid arthritis. In comes nasty Edward G. Robinson with his alcoholic moll, Claire Trevor( who won an Oscar for her role), and his goons, who are all holed up here as a hurricane passes through. The last team up of Bogie and Bacall as well as Bogie and Robinson that delivers a great gangster/noirish film. It always made me wince to see Lionel Barrymore in this film since he demanded to do his own stunts, so when he falls, i feel his pain.

3. ESCAPE FROM IRAN:THE CANADIAN CAPER-1981

I could have chosen Argo but that film took the American route of what they did to help the 6 Americans hiding at the Canadian Embassy in Tehran but I went with the better film, even though it is Canadian and a TV movie because this was more accurate. In fact, when Argo came out, the former  Americans hiding out for months were not happy with how imbalanced Argo was(I do like Argo by the way). Argo did show what the CIA man did, with help from some Hollywood stiffs, to create a fake movie called Argo to help get these men and women out but it failed to show how big the Canadians helped and without us, these people would not have been saved. Ken Taylor, the Canadian Ambassador at this time, took in the hostages along with  John Sheardown which was at great risk to their own lives. Taylor got the 6 people to go out, on occasion, to pretend to be Canadian so everything would look the norm. He got Joe Clark, our PM at the time and Flora MacDonald (Secretary of State for External Affairs), to create Canadian passports and Visas for the 6 and made sure they would get safe passage. When the American came in with the fake movie crew, Ken Taylor helped the 6 become part of this fake film crew and was the main reason for them to get on that airplane. I was so in awe of this man and I was so pleased to have seen him at my high school when he came to talk about what had happened and I was privileged to have shaken his hand.

What are your 3...