I miss making cards! I'm back to work but I am still weak and am surprised by that since I thought I would be all better. I guess it takes time and I will get better. My mom is the same but talk about a survivor! Let's move on to happier things, namely movies:), this week it's all about the financial world and this genre is not my favourite even though I deal with finances but I'm a credit counsellor not a wheeler -dealer. I'm certain the ones I pick will be popular this week especially the last one. The brainchild of this weekly series is Wandering Through the Shelves, if you want to see what everyone else has chosen, head on over to this blog. Here are my 3....
1. TRADING PLACES-1983
I get a real kick out of this film which placed Eddie Murphy into big time movie land. He plays a con-artist, bum on the street who tries to make money by scamming people. Dan Ackroyd is a sucky who is filthy rich and works in the big financial world, a brokerage firm called Duke & Duke. The Dukes( played beautifully by the great old actors, Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) are 2 brothers always laying bets often at people's expense. They decide to take the suck and the scammer and have them switch places. What they didn't count on are the 2 men, who are the pawns, to start working together and with a fun hooker in tow start to play their own game. It is fun, witty and well acted.
2. WORKING GIRL-1988
Even though this stars Melanie Griffith whom I can't stand, it is another fun film about a secretary to this snotty woman who doesn't treat her staff well at all. On a skiing trip, the snot breaks her leg. The secretary decides to take over the snot's position and wants to show her ideas to the financial world. She ends up not only stealing the snot's job but also the boyfriend. We like this movie because even though the girl is so, so wrong in what she has done, we condone it because her boss is a real bitch. A smart film and well acted by the leads, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver and yes, even Melanie
3. WOLF OF WALL STREET-2013
This film garnered all types of awards. One can see that it is a Martin Scorsese film and it is well acted but I can't stand this movie. Yes, it is funny in parts, well written and I can see all the good points but I find it ugly just like Goodfellas. These are people I care nothing about and relish when they are finally caught and the film ends. It's about a man who plays the penny stocks only to create a huge scheme with securities involving Wall Street and the banking world. We see him screw the women, the people and the government and loving every minute. The whole place have people who love to bring in whores and screw them on the table while others wait in line, other women who work there enjoying their jobs..ughhhh. I won't watch this again. It is based on a true story by the way. It also stars Jonah Hill whom I dislike as I feel this person is an arrogant A Hole. Nope, I don't know why I think that, but I do. Oh, Lastly, I'm all for a good swear word, my favourite is the F word but this movie vomits swear words like no tomorrow...big turn off.
What are your 3?
Trading Places is a great film.
ReplyDeleteWall Street is another one.
Enjoyed Trading Places. Did not watch Wolf/Wall Street after reading reviews. Did not know it is based on a real person. My first thoughts were Inside Job and The Big Short.
ReplyDeletePleased to hear you are continuing to improve....you will feel more like making cards as you get better.....
ReplyDeleteOnly seen trading places so adding the others to my list! Take care xxxxx
I really wish you felt stronger, but I'm glad you are feeling well enough to post your movie pics this week. It was also good to read your mother is doing better.
ReplyDeleteOn the movie front, I have seen ONE of these films: Trading Places. Saw it on TV. Although I'm not one for comedies, I really liked both Eddie Murphy and Dan Ackroyd in this movie. Haven't even heard of the other two. Guess I live in a bubble.
Hi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteYay - these are my kind of movies - and I have seen the first two. Trading Places is outrageously funny, one of the greatest comedy films ever made, and the casting was inspired. Eddie M. was a shooting star and never better. (Richard Pryor was also a hot ticket at the time.) Eddie's interaction with SNL star Dan A. and veteran actors Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche is priceless. Jamie Lee Curtis was also hot at the time and still manages to be so today even though she refuses to wear make-up. (See Scream Queens.)
Whenever I think of Working Girl I immediately recall Melanie's oft quoted line "I have a head for business and a bod for sin."
Having watched the trainer, I noticed the similarities between Wolf Of Wall Street and Goodfellas. However, since I liked Goodfellas, I am interested and not deterred, and will be adding Wolf to my watch list.
Thank you very much, dear friend BB!
We matched on The Wolf of Wall Street! That's the film I wish DiCaprio would've won an Oscar for.
ReplyDeleteTrading Places is a fun one and Wall Street is a popular choice this week. I started to make a card this week since I am feeling quite. Bit better. Shady, I can see you liking Wolf...many did. I'm glad DiCaprio won for the other film
DeleteYou're last remake about Wolf of Wall Street is exactly what has kept me from watching it. I'd read that it has a profusion of the F word and I can't stand that. Like you I take no offense when there's swearing in film but when it's too extreme it takes me out of the film and bores me.
ReplyDeleteTrading Places is a fun sly comedy expertly played by all.
WE MATCH! I'm not much of a Melanie Griffith fan, she was good in Stormy Monday and here but otherwise she's very limited. But she fits this role and it fits her and the movie is an all around joy. Especially Joan Cusack.
Finance films are a variable lot. Some dry as dust and too technical but I did manage three that engaged me.
Margin Call (2011)-When the head of risk management (Stanley Tucci) of a large Wall Street firm is unexpectedly laid off he tries to alert someone in the company of the project he was in the midst of that showed troubling evidence of an incipient mass failing of many money markets. He is met with total indifference so on his way out the door he hands the info to one of his assistants who is staying (Zachary Quinto). Intrigued at first and then dumbfounded by what he discovers he finally manages to attract the attention of the higher ups. As a series of late night conferences take place the dawning revelation becomes apparent that a global financial meltdown is set to occur and there is not a damn thing that can stop it. A well-directed look at the immediate lead up to the 2008 financial crisis.
Working Girl (1988)-Mike Nichols directed comedy about ambitious Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith-never more appealing) who despite her college degree and keen intelligence has trouble getting ahead. She goes to work as secretary to Ivy League Katharine Parker (a priceless Sigourney Weaver) in mergers and acquisitions at a large Wall Street investment bank. Lulled into a false sense of security when Katharine seems to extend a helping hand she tells her a provocative idea for a merger that she’s come up with. Katharine without a shred of shame steals the idea behind her back. When circumstances allow Tess to become aware of the duplicity she uses subterfuge teaming with the unaware Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford-sprightly and relaxed) to bring the plan to fruition for herself. All does not go as planned. One of the rare comedies about the financial world that works.
The Crash (1932)-Racy pre-code about Geoffrey and Linda Gault (George Brent & Ruth Chatterton-married in real life at the time), a rapacious couple who go to great lengths to accumulate wealth on the stock market up to and including Geoffrey encouraging Linda to pimp herself out for tips that can add to their fortune. She goes along because she can’t bear the thought of returning to the poverty of her youth. However when Geoffrey angers her with a request, she picks the precisely wrong time to hand him bad information and they are wiped out in the stock market crash of ’29. Staying together in name only while he tries to pick up the pieces she, haunted by her fears, continues to have gentleman friends who give her expensive things until a turning point is reached. Brief (only 58 minutes) and candid with a frankness that would vanish for decades with the implementation of the Production Code the next year.
Trading Places and Working Girl sure are wins. I never watched the last yet, kinda figured it was meh after all the bad reviews.
ReplyDeleteImproving is grand too at your sea as the germs leave thee.
Heard of them all but I haven't seen them.
ReplyDeleteSaw Trading Places as a kid but don't remember it at all. Working Girl has been on my radar for years but I haven't seen it.
ReplyDeleteI too was not a big fan of Wolf of Wall Street. I just can't stand Leonardo DiCaprio. Whenever he's on screen I can just tell he's ACTING SO HARD it drives me nuts. Even ridiculous method actors like Daniel Day Lewis and Jared Leto don't bother me as much as DiCaprio.
I enjoyed Trading Places and thought The Wolf of Wall Street was worth sitting through, but I have no desire to see it again. I saw Working Girl when it first came out on video and can't recall a thing about it!
ReplyDeleteTrading Places is on TV every single Christmas here in Italy but I've never seen it. It really sounds fun, so I'll try to watch it this year.
ReplyDeleteI've seen all three of these. I especially like Working Girl. I hate The Wolf of Wall Street. It's pornographic. The men treat most of the women like garbage. My first thought was Michael Douglas's Best Actor Academy Award winner, Wall Street. My son and I like Wall Street a lot. It has a sequel, but it wasn't as good as the first movie.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I liked Wall Street too.
DeleteI love all things Harrison Ford.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen that third movie you have listed, so I might give that a try, even without Harrison's presence. :-)
I liked Working Girl. Hope your recovery speeds up.
ReplyDeleteJoel...glad we match and I want to see The Big Crash. I like Leo but I love Daniel Day Lewis and find him a great actor. I never thought of Trading Places as a Christmas movie but it does end around this time. I love Harrison Ford as well and I am feeling better every day
DeleteI've seen half of Working Girl. Sometime, I need to watch the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteI'll stop and watch Trading Places every time I come across it while flipping through channels. I love that ending.
ReplyDeleteI've seen Trading Places and Working Girl.
ReplyDeleteWall Street has already been mentioned.
The Game and Pretty Woman both feature investors. But I think that's stretching the topic too far.
I didn't see Wolf of Wall Street. Not interested. Not my kind of movie. But I do like the other two. They're of the right era where I saw them many, many times on TV.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're feeling a bit better. It does take time to get back to full strength.
I've seen and enjoyed the first two, but I haven't seen the third.
ReplyDeleteI want to immediately have a marathon of these movies!
ReplyDeleteHi Birgit - I haven't seen any of those ... one day I'll get to see them ... and great other commenters have added to your list ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHello Birgit,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear you're struggling with health and wellness. It is just so dang hard to do anything when you feel cruddy.
I don't think I saw Trading Places OR if I did it was way back in the day. I don't remember it. I do remember Working Girl. That was a really good movie. I didn't see the last one either. Sometimes true stories are not GOOD stories. It's hard to watch when there are no good guys.
Take care of yourself.
Robin
Trading Places is definitely one of my own sentimental favorites. I know Working Girl, too, though only saw it once. I have not seen the W of WS.
ReplyDeleteI liked The Big Short a lot.
Glad so many have seen Trading Places and Working Girl. I think Pretty Woman works and The Big Short is another popular one this week. I am feeling better and have seen my mom a lot this past weekend
DeleteSo sorry about your mom and your own bout with pneumonia. I almost died with it as a child and in early adulthood, I had a bout with it because I breathed in dry plaster in sculpture class. Be careful.
ReplyDeleteI have actually seen, and enjoyed the first two, but don't know the last one. Made me think of a film I really enjoyed but am unable to put a name to. A young man is given money ($5 million I think) and has to spend it all in a limited time in order to inherit millions.
ReplyDeletegreat other commenters have added to your list ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteเย็ดสาว
So glad you got to see your mom!:) It may not feel like it, but you and your mom are both strong women. Pneumonia takes awhile to come back from. A few years back the HH had double pneumonia and a sinus infection. It's just not fun.
ReplyDeletel could not watch Wolf of Wall Street. I think I turned it off, like it did me, after ten minutes.
Hope your weekend sparkles.
Hugs,
Birgit,
ReplyDelete"Trading Places" is a fabulous flick! Eddie Murphy (the down and out con) and Dan Ackroyd (the snotty upper class) are purrfectly paired in this film doing their roles complete justice. "Working Girl" is okay. The best film with Melanie Griffin is the WWII fiction movie,"Shining Through". I believe you shared this in the past with your readers. "The Wolf of Wall Street" wasn't nearly as good as the first movie but Michael Douglas and cast did a fabulous job. I don't think I'd watch it again just because it's not worth seeing again. I don't like watching movies where crooks steal away someone's life savings and manipulating the stock market does just that. I believe Wall Street is out to control who succeeds and who fails. Someone needs to stick it to the crooks for a change and I don't mean just sticking them in prison. Although, that can happen after they are penniless! Getting over pneumonia takes time, I'm told. I'm fortunate that I've never had it and I hope I never do. Sending hugs and prayers your way, my friend!
I did not have pneumonia where I needed to be hospitalized which is good. Sorry, Mary to hear you suffered this twice. Jo, the movie you are thinking about is Brewster's Millions. Hope your HH never experiences this again and I can understand why you turned that movie off. I'm with you, Cathy, that I just want to see them receive their just desserts and quickly.
DeleteGreat list! I've seen all of these, and like you, I didn't really care for Wolf of Wall Street. Way overhyped. Like some of the others, I would have picked The Big Short. Definitely recommend it if you haven't seen it.
ReplyDeleteTrading Places was a classic wasn't it? Murphy, Aykroyd and Curtis did an amazing job.
ReplyDeleteHow are you feeling today? How's your mom?
All excellent films! I don't have a bad word to say about any of them.
ReplyDeleteWolf of Wallstreet! Leo is so brilliant.
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't feel a great need to see Wolf of Wallstreet based on your review. I think I saw Working Girl a million years ago. It didn't stick with me.
ReplyDeleteThe Perfect Murder had a strong financial component, so that is my cheating pick.
Working Girl was good too. Does Harrison Ford look young or what?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good wishes, Birgit:)
Hugs,
The Big Short is an excellent film. I have no desire to see Wolf ever again. I can't recall if I saw The Perfect Murder but need to look this up. I'm feeling better and getting stronger every day. My mom is weak but she seems to be ok. My cousin saw a difference from the last time he saw her. She has lost weight and she no longer has the sparkle in her eyes but she was happy to see him. Next week I plan to showcase them and hope you can see this
DeleteAwesome list of movies. Though I haven't yet seen the Wolf.
ReplyDeleteWorking Girl is the only one I've seen and I just never thought of it because I didn't remember where she worked.
ReplyDeleteHow are you feeling today? How's your mom?
ReplyDeleteเกย์