Best Friends

 Today is American Thanksgiving and I wish all of you, south of the border, a wonderful day today and, tomorrow? Stay home! Hahahaaa. Yesterday, I found out that clients I was to speak to on Monday suffered a terrible calamity. The family of 5, husband and wife and 3 daughters…on Nov. 5th, in Saskatchewan, during a snowstorm, the man’s wife and 2 of his daughters were killed in a 2 car crash. I was in shock to learn this and feel for the husband and father, his remaining daughter and the grandparents who lost a daughter and 2 grandkids. For some reason, I looked at the blog Curious As A Cathy who had written down an email she had received over 20 years ago. I thought it hit home and what we should all be so thankful for, our family, our friends, your children and all that we do have. Check out her blog. Now, I decided to go with friends and friendship. There are a tons but I went old school, big surprise. Here are my 3…

1. TOP HAT-1935

Why would I choose an Astaire and Rogers musical? Well, if you took away the great dancing, you are still left with an entertaining romance with some great character actors that appeared in more than one  Astaire/Rogers film like Eric Blore and the wonderful Edward Everett Horton who plays the producer friend to his talent, Fred Astaire. The main plot is about the romance between Astaire and Rogers who believes Astaire is married ( to another great, Helen Broderick). Of course she is mistaking Astaire with his producer friend Horton leaving Astaire and Horton befuddled. I really enjoyed the camaraderie between Astaire and Horton and even Horton with Eric Blore. Edward Everett Horton plays the best friend  with such aplomb that he leaves a lasting impression and you really enjoy their friendship.

2. GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES-1953

This is a great friendship film between 2 gorgeous, sexy women who are best friends without any petty issues between them. One is more down to earth and plays a more motherly role to her bestie who just loves diamonds and can’t help it when men have their eyes pop out of their head and their tongues left drooling on the floor. The 2 board a cruise ship and are after men with Marilyn eyeing diamonds much more…much more than the men behind the bling. They meet the older, and married, Charles Coburn, who has no problem with Marilyn sitting on his lap so much so that he gifts her a diamond tiara. This does not bode well with Coburn’s wife. A detective is in the mix who falls for Jane Russell  while trying to put her best friend on jail. It s a fun film with some great singing ( “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friendl is from this film). It’s a rare film because the friendship is genuine where both would stand up for each other no matter what with no jealousy between them. It’s nice to know that Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe became friends with the same feelings despite both being very sexy gals.

3.  SOME LIKE IT HOT-1959

A hilarious Billy Wilder film with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as 2 musicians and best friends who witness the St. Valentine’s Day massacre and must scram outtta Chicago. The only way they can escape is to join an all girl band travelling to Florida. They become Geraldine and Daphne when they meet Sugar, played by Marilyn Monroe and both go Zing! It’s so funny and quite endearing. Curtis always gets the better of Lemmon in this film but, when the chips are down, they are there for each other. A brilliant film.

Which movies do you think of with best friends? Blessings to all of you!

Commercials

 

Harley and Lexi...they get along, why can't everyone follow this? Oh well, one can dream. No word,yet, from the city, keep fingers crossed. 

For the most part, commercials are irritating, annoying and a pain. Every once in a while, we have very funny ones, or beautiful ones. They also have used or composed music that becomes a hit which is where I am heading. Let's see if you like these ditties. I am joining in on Freebie week over at Monday Music Moves Me. 

1. I LIKE TO TEACH A SONG TO SING SUNG BY A VARIETY OF PEOPLE-1970

I have showcased the original commercial along with the newer version which is longer. I always loved this song and found it hopeful.

2. THEME FROM LAKME FLOWER DUET BRITISH AIRWAYS-1989

It comes from Delibes 1883 Opera, “Lakme”  the flower duet  which is so enchanting and has been recorded many, many times.

I love Katherine Jenkins and Kiri Te Kanawa who sing this with such exquisiteness that it leaves me speechless. I’m on a kick, right now, listening to Katherine Jenkins.

3. DE BEERS DIAMOND AD-1993

When I heard this music, I was enthralled and thought, it was, for sure, by Vivaldi. So did many people and, before you knew it, people were requesting this song to be played on the classical radio station. I totally understand why.

I had no idea it was written by a Welshman born in 1949. Obviously, he was influenced by by Vivaldi but, no matter, it’s just so pretty.

Any music from a commercial that you love? 

A little Christmas

The weekend was quiet, I'm still sick but, hopefully  getting better. We have no more news about our fence but I'll let you know if the city is OK now.

I did make a card and I actually incorporated all 4 ajj from Christmas Card Throwdown. 

Christmas Card Throwdown- Ribbon

Sparkles Monthly- Christmas Florals

Sparkles Christmas-Snowflakes

ABC Christmas- W for watercolouring 

Addicted to Stamps- Make your mark

We Love Stamping- Christmas

Simon Says- Sparkle and Shine

Tic, Tac, Toe- tttc261  I did Sparkle, free(flower), pink

I decided to try to place all 4 challenges from Christmas Card Throwdown.  I used the design from one week, colour theme, sparkle and shine and ribbon all on one card. I stamped and embossed the poinsettia in gold. I took my tombow markers and placed the colour on a plastic lid. I used my paintbrush with water to colour the image. I took a ribbon and wrapped it around the Card. I used my punch to create the snowflakes and added some bling. I placed the image on top of the ribbon with pop up dots, placed the saying on the Card, added some stickles around and voila!

Destruction!

 

Isn't she a cutie?! I thought I would start off with a nice picture because this isn't a nice post.  Where we live, it's an older neighbourhood with some nice people and some...not. our next door neighbours are not very nice. The neighbour, next to them, had 2 cats and the cats would lay on the driveway that they both share. Well, she came out to find her cat dead..she had been run over by our lovely neighbours. Who claimed they didn't see it but never apologized. ..that who they are.

In September, my hubby had an altercation with him and she taped the whole thing and sent it to the cops. The cops came and my hubby  he started it but apologized to them. The cops understood and could clearly see that they provoked him. The cops spoke to them and told them that they were wrong as well. They were not happy. 

In October, a bi-law officer came to our home and told my hubby that the beautiful ivy covered fence we have is to high and too close to the sidewalk. Hubby told him how he constructed it. The officer complained about the evergreen beside the house which had been there since I bought it back in 1999.  I contacted a lawyer who said that they can enforce it even when our fence has been up for over a decade.  Then...nothing...until last week. We got a letter telling us that the entire fence must go immediately! The pond hubby was making must be gated or covered back up with dirt. The tree must go. When I spoke to the bi-law officer he told me the whole fence must go because it was with chicken wire which is a Hazard even though you could not even feel anything since the ivy was so thick from it. He said the other trees could stay and he didn't care about the pond. That was a contradiction from what he wrote. Anyways, hubby was already out and filled up the pond that he dug so well and to such precision.  The bi-law officer told us we have 1 week or we would be fined $250 per day plus interest. We hired someone and I will now show pictures before and after.  Just so you know, my hubbybought 20 small ivy plants and from that this fence grew. He nurtured it, feeding the ivy through the fence and took great care on it. We had fireflies, praying mantises etc.. and the birds loved it.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

It looks horrible.  I am scared that the bit my hubby asked to keep up will have to come down because of the chicken wire. That bi-law officer told hubby that it can stay...I pray that will be the case. It looks horrible but I hope they don't expect it nice because we can't do this. One thing the bi-law officer let slip is that he said" she made the complaint."  My hubby is gutted, depressed, angry and giving up. I got sick and hope I get better soon. People are cruel, petty and jealous. Some love to be mean and get a satisfaction when they stick it to others. I have been dealing with this my whole life so this does not surprise me nor get me down. I just think, we will grow again and it will be better. The neighbours can go to hell. My big concern is my hubby. I hope he does not give up...I won't let him. 

Dinner, Maybe?

 

Soon it will be the American Thanksgiving and all of us are thinking about....Christmas and that Turkey dinner or whatever you have. I thought of movies that talk about dinner, are having dinner or are trying to get home for that dinner( oh, yeah, and family). So I am choosing 3 films that gather around this table and here are my 3...

1. DINNER AT EIGHT-1933

This is a jammed pack movie filled with many subplot and intrigues with an A1 cast which culminates at a dinner party hosted by the effervescent Billie Burke( Glenda from The Wizard of Oz). She is beyond dizzy and only cares about her dinner party. Their daughter is having an affair with the doctor and the silent screen star has his own demons, played well by John Barrymore who knew his demons. You have Marie Dressler, who gives THE best double take ever, as well as Wallace Beery and Jean Harlow who almost steals the picture. It's quite a good precode film.

2. PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES-1987

I love this movie and can recite so many pieces from this (" Those aren't pillows!). I love the scene above which is just hilarious and you couldn't have a better match than Steve Martin and the late, great John Candy. They are trying to get back home for Thanksgiving but just about every thing bad happens to them. It's a gem!

3. AUGUST, OSAGE COUNTY- 2013

This is not a feel good movie. You have the dad who dies bringing in all the daughters to come back home.  They really don’t want to be there because their mother is a caustic, alcoholic bitch, played by Meryl Streep in a role I don’t mind her in. Julia Roberts plays the oldest daughter with a major chip on her shoulder and you understand why when you meet Mommie dearest. The problem is she has inherited her mom’s acid tongue and, frankly, she reminds me of my brother’s 2nd ex wife. I don’t ever recall her or Julia smiling ( in this movie..my brother’s ex never smiled). I think Julia deserved more accolades for this role but it’s probably because this role is unlikeable. Julia's marriage is disintegrating due to nastiness. Her sisters have other issues. I would like to see this film again because of all the subplots and issues. It culminates during a dinner where everything seems to come out. It’s well acted and a great cast and worth a look.

What Dinner movies can you think of? 

Oh..so the answer to yesterday’s Oscar song is…yup, “Three Coins In The Fountain” won, “Count Your Blessings” was nominated and “Snow, Snow, Snow” got nothing.

Which Song Won The Oscar-1954

 

Honestly, I thought I did this year already but I couldn’t find it but I do believe I mentioned it in who should have won version for my Thursday Movie Picks. Over at Monday Music Moves Me, it’s all about winter themed songs and there are quite a few from my visits to other bloggers in this fun endeavour. So, let’s see if you can pick which won the Oscar, which was nominated, and which got nadda!

1. SNOW, SNOW, SNOW SUNG BY BING, ROSEMARY, DANNY AND TRUDY! POOR VERA-ELLEN

This is a really nice song by Irving Berlin from the film, “White Christmas”. You have Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen thinking about beautiful, snowy Vermont and they start singing about snow. I love how they create a snowy scene using a white napkin. Vera-Ellen was an amazing dancer but she could not sing worth beans, so Trudy Stevens was the singer. This is a Christmas Standard film although this song is about…snow.

2.  COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS SUNG BY BING CROSBY AND ROSEMARY CLOONEY

In White Christmas, when the foursome finally arrive in Vermont, they are having a heatwave! The place where the gals are to perform is owned by the boys’ former army commander who sank all his savings into the Inn. The boys, now famous entertainers, decide to put on a show( without Mickey Rooney) to help their former commander. While doing so, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen play matchmakers to Der Bingle and Rosemary Clooney( yup, George Clooney’s aunt). When Bing can’t sleep and neither can Rosemary, they end up in the main area of the Inn and Bing sings this sweet song which is all about trying to fall asleep. It’s really a nice song but I would never hear this song while drinking …buttermilk. Yuck

3. THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN SUNG BY FRANK SINATRA

This song comes from the hit movie of the same name that had an all star cast..well, semi all star cast because it has the wretched Maggie McNamara  who just rubs me the wrong way..I just watch to slap her. 3 women live in Rome and all 3 fall in love with  different men…one is wealthy and acerbic played so well by Clifton Webb, another falls for a poor man and the irritating Maggie falls for a Prince. My favourite story is the Clifton Webb and Dorothy McGuire romance with Dorothy playing a drunken scene with great finesse. This song, written by Jules Styne with Lyrics by Sammy Cahn, became a big hit back in the day but it is not my favourite. I actually dislike the way the music drops down when singing the first few bars. I just…don’t like it. 

Ok, there you have it…can you guess which one won, which was nominated and which was forgotten?

Who Should Have Won The Best Actor Oscar -2019

 

In 2019, you had some unusual films like Parasite ( ughh) and The Lighthouse along with many standard films that were talked about. Now, I can only go by the films I have seen so I can’t say how Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson were in the critical darling, “The Lighthouse” but I bet they were good. Willem Dafoe needs to win an Oscar and should have for “Shadow of the Vampire” but that’s for another day. This year was all about Joaquin Phoenix, who, I think, is just on the other side of nuts. Let’s see if you agree or choose another actor.

1. JOKER

This film stars Joaquin Phoenix as the troubled creep who dreams about being a famous comedian but he’s a clown for kids’ parties, from what I remember. You see his mental deterioration take hold while he becomes  famous for his misdeeds. Phoenix won the Oscar for this role and I was praying he wouldn’t because I found him insufferable and really wanted to slap him upside the head. At no point did I think I was watching this character, like I did when Heath Ledger played this character in the 2nd Batman film with Christian Bale. I was watching him act and I had a hard time watching this movie because  it was an over-hyped flick. I never would have given him the Oscar.

2. THE MARRIAGE STORY

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johannson play a married couple going through a major change in their marriage and you don’t really know if this marriage will work. It’s a realistic look at a marriage at the crossroads and you buy into it. Both leads act this out well and you are invested in their lives. I found Adam’s acting superb and much, much better than Juaquin’s over the top creep show. If you haven’t seen this film, you should check it out.

3. ROCKETMAN

Taron Egerton deserved the Oscar this year and he was not even nominated which many considered an oversight and I agree. Taron portrays Elton John and you just fall for the whole way Taron acts out Sir Elton. I always felt I was watching Elton John not Taron portraying Elton. This is a good biopic from the early times when Elton was trying to make a name for himself to when he is a huge musician. Loved the music, obviously, but this film could not have been done without Taron’s  acting prowess. He should have been nominated and he would have been my choice by far. He rules the entire film and it was a crime that he got snubbed by Oscar but he is  in good company since Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr and Alfred Hitchcock never won.

So…do you agree or would you choose someone else?