Harley and me...he is our big Gazoo. It’s been a busy month seeing the Pink Floyd Tribute Band and Robert Cray, my dear friend visiting from Vancouver, going to the Christmas party and staying over night plus it's been crazy busy at work but I still watched a few movies and tv shows. Here they are...
FILMS
1. SUFFRAGETTE-2015
Carey Mulligan works in a sweat shop in the early part of the 20th century and witnesses, first hand, how atrocious women are being treated. We follow her on her quest to be treated equally but at great personal sacrifice. It's well acted and I liked it better than I thought I would because of the negative criticism it received.
2. THE FIGHTER-2010
Stellar film about the true story of a boxer and his brother, once an up and coming boxer, now full tilt in addiction to drugs and alcohol. This is more than just a boxing film but about a family dealing with addiction and a wackadoodle mother. Christian Bale nailed it as the drug addled brother going so far as to losing tons of weight for this role. I watched the extras ( I always do) and it shows the real brothers...boy, Bale nailed the character.
3. TRILOGY OF TERROR- 1975
I found this gem at Sunrise Records and snapped it up! This is a TV film I watched when I was 11 and totally freaked out with the 3rd story about a young woman who buys the ugliest African doll you could ever get a hold of which carries the curse that if the belt falls off, the doll comes to life and will try to kill you. Well, guess what happens? I totally freaked out when I watched this as an 11 yr old. The other 2 episodes concerns a teacher who becomes prey by one of her students...or is she? The 3rd concerns 2 sisters, one naughty and one nice and the one really wants the other to die. All 3 stories star Karen Black. These 3 stories are great!
4. TED 2- 2015
What can I say? It's dumb and rude but I laughed. It stars Mark Wahlberg as the best friend to Ted, his cute teddy bear he wished to life in the first movie and this follows how Ted marries his tramp girlfriend and they want to have children....God help the kids! It's mindless, full of crudeness but I found it funny. It's not as good as the first movie, but it's still funny. It comes from the brilliant mind of Seth McFarlane who really is so talented. I want him to make a musical.
5. THE EXPENDABLES-2010
OK, guilty as charged...I like watching this dumb ass flick and its sequels. You have a gang of mercenaries headed by Sly Stallone who seems to put more marbles in his mouth every times he talks. His right hand man is Jason Statham with his band of misfits, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Jet Li etc.. as they go to help a woman in some Central American corrupt country, try to usurp her dad who is now a puppet to bad, bad man played by Eric Roberts (Julia's bro). You throw in Arnie, Bruce Willis and this kick ass gun that blows people, just the bad people, apart and you sit back and enjoy the ride. Oh, and crazy f#&€ Mickey Roarke shows up for the ride.
6. SPY- 2015
This is a very funny spoof of sexy spies starring Melissa McCarthy as the his girl Friday to debonair spy, Jude Law. When Law is killed by big haired meanie, Rose Byrne, McCarthy is sent in to get some Intel but gets right into the hair of the meanie. I thought it was so funny and loved that Jason Statham plays on his roles but, in this movie, he is one intense,but complete, idiot. Too funny.
TV SHOWS
1. CHEERS-1982-1993
This is such a classic sitcom about a former big league ball player, an alcoholic, who owns a bar and we get to meet the patrons who basically, live there from Norm who can drink beer like a mosquito sucks blood, to Cliff the post man who thinks he knows everything and drives everyone nuts. When Diane comes to the bar and is hired by Sam because he felt sorry for her, you see sparks fly. This show was the lowest rated show in 1982 but the great head of NBC, Brandon Tartikoff, believed in the show. When Sam & Diane express their feelings for each other at the end of season 1, it became the highest rated show. This show brought in Frazier Crane!
2. EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND- 1996-2005
This is about a nice family with 3 young kids, who have his crazy ass parents and brother live across the street. It's a brilliant, funny show with parents you would never ever want to have.
3. HOPE FOR WILDLIFE-2009-2020
This is a Canadian reality rescue animal show showing how this great lady, name Hope Swinimer, started this rescue in 1997. This rehabilitation place, for all forms of wildlife, helps get these animals back into the wild. Sometimes, the animals are too injured but, overall, you see how dedicated she is, and her team, to help as many critters as she can. Her place is on the coast in Nova Scotia and you go through all triumphs and losses that she endures with grace, including her cancer scare and the loss of her husband who died at sea.
4. INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE-2022
This is a new series based on the brilliant books by Anne Rice. The show has changed quite a bit from the original novel but still seemed to create something of interest. Somehow, the people who created this series found an actor who looks and talks like Anthony Bourdain which is freaky. He interviews Louis and you are taken back to 1910 New Orleans when Louis is still human and the apple of his mom snd sister's eye. Louis meets Lestat, an annoying yet charming asshole who is a vampire and makes Louis one. It's quite intriguing and well done but you have to keep an open mind since there are quite a few differences from the books.
So...what did you watch?
Hi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see a picture of my favorite smooch monster, Harley, getting lubbins from his mommy. Thanks for posting it!
In recent years, Carey Mulligan has emerged as one of my favorite actresses. Mrs. Shady and I watched Suffragette and enjoyed. On my own, I watched Carey recently in two other films, An Education and Drive. Carey is the kind of actress I would be eager to watch in anything.
I have also come to admire Christian Bale and would like to see this boxer saga. A couple of weeks ago, Mrs S and I watched him (unrecognizable) in the lead role of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (with the wonderful Amy Adams as wife Lynne) in the 2018 film Vice. It's must see, and beware of the "fake ending"!
I don't know why, but I tend to shy away from horror or terror anthology films. T of T does look and sound good, though. I have confidence watching anything written by Seth MacFarlane, and I love the cute and talented Amanda Seyfried. Therefore, Ted 2 is a sure bet for someone like me.
I'm amazed how many times Dolph Lundgren has appeared in shows and films I've watched. However, he is most associated with the action genre, and that category doesn't interest me very much. That said, pencil me in for Spy, because Melissa McCarthy is another actress I have come to trust to give a grade A performance each and every time.
I was a regular viewer of the two TV sitcoms you listed. The wildlife series looks like something that would interest me. A few years ago, Mrs. Shady and I visited a bird sanctuary/rehab facility on the Southwest Coast of Florida.
I saw the 1994 film Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles starring Pitt, Cruise and young Kirsten Dunst, but haven't see this 2022 project. It looks good.
Last month I watched Vice (must see), The Orville (must see) The Split (Nicola Walker - must see) and Nocturnal Animals (Amy Adams - must see).
Have a safe and happy weekend, dear friend BB!
I didn’t realise Harley was quite so big! I saw Suffragette when it came out and thought it was well done. I’m also a Carey Mulligan fan. The first time I saw her was in a TV version of Bleak House which starred Gillian Anderson.
ReplyDeleteYou saw quite a bit. Lately I've found some streaming channels that stream old shows and old TV movies. Some are better left buried, but there are some gems there. Currently I'm watching a show I recorded back in March, so I'm a bit behind on things.
ReplyDeleteHi Birgit - what a choice of film and tv shows ... I enjoyed the Carey Mulligan 'Suffragette' film ... I've seen a few - but I need to write them up! Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteGotta love Cheers. Love the pic of you and Harley. Glad you're out there having fun. Hugs,
ReplyDeleteYou and Harley are the stars of this post, I say that because I haven't seen a single film or TV show you watched. I am NOT a fan of comedies on TV because I get irritated by the laugh tracks. Enjoyed reading your thoughts and synopses, though.
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ReplyDeleteA few years ago my wife and I watched The Fighter and both of us hated it. It was well acted, but I found the characters to be despicable and very unlikeable. What a bunch of foul mouthed people who I would not want to be around.
ReplyDeleteHave seen a couple of the other films and shows, but not most of them.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out