Thursday Movie Picks-Movies You Have A Different Opinion After Rewatch

There are some tough weeks and this is one of them since I usually don’t change my mind once I see a movie. I might like it even more than the first time or it confirms that I really did dislike the movie but rarely do I change my mind. To choose 3 movies that fit the theme is frustrating me so it will be interesting to see what the others have chosen over at Wandering Through The Shelves.

Let’s see....

1. THE FRENCH CONNECTION-1971

I saw this film when I was a kid and I didn’t really care for it that much. I found it boring and confusing and didn’t revisit the film until 2 months ago. I have changed my mind because I saw the film when I was 12 which is not the best age to see this film. The film stars Gene Hackman as an unlikeable cop who, along with his partner, played by Roy Scheider, investigate a crime organization bringing heroin into the U.S.  from Europe. When I saw it this time, I found it gritty, well acted and quite the thrill especially that high speed chase through New York City. It's based on a true story.

2. HOME ALONE-1990

 I had no desire to see this flick when it came out since I couldn’t stand Macaulay Culkin so when I saw  parts of this film, I rolled my eyes and gave it 0 chance. Years rolled by and from reading other people’s blogs about this movie, I decided to give it a try...this past December, and was pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed it especially the bumbling thieves played by the wonderful Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. We know the story...a family decides to go South for Christmas and, in all the confusion, the little brat, I mean Culkin, is left behind. The thieves think they have it made but don’t realize they are up against this kid. It is funny and  sweet and obviously, the people who made the film loved the Warner Bros. cartoons. I'm still not a huge fan of this kid who is a grown up weirdo now.

3. FORREST GUMP-1994

I saw this film when it came out and raised my eyes up to the ceiling thinking it was overdone in praise by the critics and people..I still do. How it won the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Actor over The great, "Shawshank Redemption", I’ll never know but it did. Tom Hanks plays a simple minded dolt who follows his mom’s stupid, “life is like a box of chocolates”, quote for his own life and we follow as he go to Vietnam, starts up a shrimp boat business and becomes a millionaire only to run around the country and other such feats. Since that initial mind numbing watch, I didn’t watch it for a long time until I was sick and decided to watch it when it was on TV. I actually found it sweet and well acted with quite a good screenplay that brought depth to this numbnut. I still don’t think it should have won as much as it did but it is a feel good movie.

Any movie you saw again that changed your mind about it?

Thursday Movie Picks-True Crime

We are inundated with true crime on a constant basis with tv shows centering on actual crimes and we lap it up. I have to admit, I do like watching "Forensic Files" and other shows because it involves the human psyche and what makes evil jerks tick. Sometimes, I must turn it off and enjoy something fun or beautiful because it becomes too much. Now, that being said, I do watch movies about true crime and I have chosen 3 that fit the bill. Check out Wandering Through The Shelves to find out  what everyone else have chosen. Here are my 3...

1. THE BOSTON STRANGLER-1968

This is a true story based on the actual serial killer that terrorized Boston in the late 60’s. He preyed on elderly women and this film was about trying to capture the killer. The lawman wa played by Henry Fonda and the killer was portrayed by Tony Curtis who gave a stellar performance as a married plumber who killed. It’s done almost like a docudrama and to great effectiveness without showing gore.

2. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN- 2002

This is a more lighthearted film which is based on fact...for the most part. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a young Frank Abignale who has a penchant for fraud at quite the young age. Tom Hanks plays the FBI agent, sans humour, who is hot on his trail for years. You get to see the young Frank deal with the break up of his parents’ marriage and slowly edge into fraud by becoming an airline pilot, a doctor and lawyer. The real Frank even showed up on To Tell The Truth, an old Game Show I loved to watch. This is one film that is a fun watch even though it is about a criminal.

3. SPOTLIGHT-2015

I know, I went with all new movies except the first one which is still a modern one in film land. Anyway, this film is about how the Boston Globe investigated and blew the lid off the child sex abuse and cover-up the priests were doing behind closed church doors. I was taken with the subject since I went to a Catholic school which was hell and, in fact, one priest was having an affair with the mayor of the city, both were tied up, naked, by street hustlers they picked up and both charged with taking money from the bingo my high school had on a regular basis. Oh and my principal, a priest, is now in jail for keeping child porn. Just last night 2 teens were stabbed at my old High School! Oops...I digress, where was I?  Oh yes, This film, although a tough subject, truly sheds light on what was kept hidden for decades and it is powerfully acted. The ending credits left me speechless. It won the Oscar for Best Picture.

I almost went with a couple of classic films but I thought I would go new this time.

Which 3 would you choose.

Some cards I made..What a boring title

Yeah...when it comes to titles, I suck. I have been creating some cards and am happy to show a few here including a Christmas card since it is chilly in my neck of the woods. I am so behind in Christmas cards so I have to get my ass in gear and make some more. We have our Annual General Meeting and my E.D. asked if I could make a couple of Thank-You cards for a board member that is stepping down and a staff member who has been here for 10 years(none of us leave..I have been here for 28 years come May 27th!). Today is the anniversary of my Daddy's passing, from brain cancer, back  in 1988-31 years ago...freaky!I will light a candle for him.

OK on with the show...

Embossed folder, new crayon style paints(sorry forgot the name), water, tombow markers, wink of stella(glitter pen brush)-clear and gold, silver stickles, glitter, glue pen

Happy Little Stampers-Christmas Challenge-Bright
Crafty Creations-Always Anything Goes
CHNC Christmas Challenge-Anything Goes with option-for a child

This is an embossing folder I recently bought when I gorged my eyes and emptied my pockets in a stamp store I visited. I painted with colours from a new set I bought from there as well (40% off!). I stamped the town scene and coloured it with tombow markers, fussycut around the embossed leaves and swirly look, and adhered it together onto a silver glitter cardstock. I added more glitter, basically everywhere, and used silver stickles to edge the inside border around the town. As you can tell, I just went with the Anything Goes part as I don't know any children.

colour bursts, water, crystals, left over pieces, border stickers and flower stickers, Letter cuts, sizzex machine.

Cute Card Thursday-Add Sequins, Brads or Gems
Penny Black & More-Spring in Full Swing
Stamplorations-Theme & Sketch (theme-Watercolour)

This is fun and bright! I have these slips of paper floating around from trying out colours from the colour bursts. They come in little plastic bottles that look like Dristan nose sprays..but you don't want to sniff this up your nose:). You have a variety of colours and you just tap out a few specks onto white paper, add water and watch it come alive! You can dry it and add more for further depth..lots of fun! I had this extra paper with colour dabbed on and decided to take the sticker flowers and place it on this paper and fussy cut it out and adhered it with glue.

scrap paper, pearl powders, gold stickers.

Of course, this is for the man on our board who is stepping down and it is a quickie card but I think it came out aok. I had this scrap card with these powders on it set aside for a few years and decided to finally use it. I added the red cardstock to it and placed it on the black cardstock. I took gold letters to make the Thank you and added more stickers for the design.

Cuddelbug, sizzex machine, embossing folder and border cuts. beehive stamp and letter stickers, scissors., Gamsol pencils, black dye ink,

Simon Says-Anything Goes
Sparkles Monthly Challenge-Flowers or Religious

I put the embossing folder with the dark yellow card piece through the cuddlebug and glued it into place. I took other yellow cardstock and ran that through the sizzex machine 4 times to cut out the 4 borders. I stamped the beehive stamp and coloured it with my gamsol pencils and fussy-cut it out. This is for our Educational Co-ordinator who keeps bees so I thought this would work.

I have been a bzzzzzy bee..nyuck, nyuck.

Thursday Movie Picks:TV Edition-Music/Musicals

I don’t watch American Idol or The Voice so I am sticking with musicals and I will not pick Cop Rock even though, yes, I watched this show. I am choosing 3 shows that, I think, I have not chosen before but, I could be wrong...oh well. One has to choose 3 shows that correspond with the theme so it will be fun to see what the others have chosen this week. Head on over to Wandering Through The Shelves and find out. Here are my 3...

1. THE JUDY GARLAND SHOW-1963-1964

I love Judy Garland even though she could be a handful as many who worked on her show could attest but these shows are gems. I was so thankful to see all the episodes on PBS who aired them one year and, even though she did some skits and it could be classified as a variety show, her music was much more prominent with a special dedicated to JFK when he passed away. She got her way and sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic dedicated to his memory on her show.

2. THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY-1970-1974

This show catapulted David Cassidy to mega stardom which he couldn’t truly cope with, dying of alcoholism ( his dad suffered from this as well) a couple of years ago. Shirley Jones( David’s step-mom) was the matriarch of a very musical family as all her kids could sing and play an instrument, even the little girl who boogied with a tambourine. The red-haired ugly kid, played by Danny Bonaduce, got the better of their manager. Whatever happened in the half hour, we were always treated to some song by the group and, once, a beautiful song sung by the wonderful Shirley Jones.

3. SMASH-2012-2013

I think I chose this before but I don’t care because I really liked this series and thought it deserved better. It’s all about putting on a musical about Marilyn Monroe and we see it come about from the very beginning to its final ending on Broadway. In between we see how 2 of the main girls are vying for the top spot, the director being a narcissist, the producer, played by the great Angelica Huston always searching for money and the song writers, who love each other as friends, but still have their "ups and downs". Well acted and the story lines often seemed to mesh with what was going on ..onstage. It’s worth a look if you like this style, which I do.

What would you choose?

Thursday Movie Picks-Interview

I found this a bit tough because I wasn't sure in which way one could interpret this theme and then, thought, who cares! I already used Little Big Man a couple of weeks ago so I couldn't use that film again. I pondered this theme and came up with 3 I hope you like. Let's see what everyone else has chosen over at Wandering Through The Shelves.

1. CITIZEN KANE-1941

What hasn't been said about this great film? There are tons of books and documentaries about this film, the making of and the correlation between the film and William Randolph Hearst who was a powerful newspaper mogul at this time. In fact, Hearst tried to get the film destroyed but, thankfully was unsuccessful. There is a reporter who interviews everyone who knew the famous Kane who whispered "Rosebud" when he kicked the bucket(even though he was alone at the time, somehow everyone knew his last words). You get to hear about this famous recluse in his huge house with his own personal zoo(just like Hearst-Gosh I want to visit Hearst castle which is on my bucket list), how he started with a small paper and rose to be the wealthiest but most corrupt person in the world. I love the montage scene depicting his new marriage and how it wastes away in a few short scenes...brilliant. The writing is excellent, the camera work, done by Gregg Toland, is masterful and, even though it is not a favourite film of mine, it deserves all the accolades.

2. THE KILLERS-1946

This Film Noir starts off at the end (I could have used this last week) with The Swede's (Burt Lancaster) murder to an insurance agent trying to find out who deserves the $2,500 life insurance policy of the dead Swede. He interviews people who knew him and becomes tangled up in the sordid business that the Swede was in, including the fantastically beautiful Ava Gardner..the femme fatale (that's a no brainer). This is an excellent film noir that many people do not know about yet it has some great acting and a wicked plot.

3. TRUE CRIME-1999

Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this movie as an alcoholic reporter sent to interview a killer who has less than a day before he meets the zapper...um, the needle actually. he starts digging and finds out that there is a lot more to this story than just interviewing the soon to be dead man. This tanked at the box office but I really enjoyed the film and think it has a  lot to offer. Isiah Washington as the convicted man gives an understated performance that work well. Clint might be a bit too old to play his character but I can get over that.

Funny, I read in the morning and when I am in bed but, after work, my hubby and I sit down and watch 1 or 2 movies so i do see quite a few each month.

Now which interview movies comes to your mind?

Thursday Movie Picks-Let's Start at the End

Oh what a fun theme this week and there are many films that showcase this style of movie making. I can’t help but think of that Seinfeld Episode which went backwards...brilliant! Let’s get to it and check out Wandering Through The Shelves to find out what the rest of the group have chosen. Here are my 3...

1. LYDIA-1941

This is an under-rated film, in my humble opinion, that truly speaks about how women can be so stupid but, we can all relate to. This film stars Merle Oberon who is now old and reflecting on her life. There is a small gathering of her and the men in her life who loved her and she cared for all except one...whom she loved deeply. She recounts the history with each man in her life and how she comes from a sheltered but privileged life to dedicating her life to blind kids. We see how each man falls for her but, although she loves them in her own way, she can’t reciprocate their amorous feelings...except for one. You know the one she loves will do her wrong which is so typical even today. What I love is how adult this film is especially during this time of censorship. It is worth a look and I love the ending.

2. MILDRED PIERCE-1945

This Stars Joan Crawford as the title character who is in the police station explaining why she murdered her husband. Well, we first see her husband get shot and whisper, "Mildred", before he dies. Anyway, we go back in time to when she was a lovely hausfrau with 2 kids and a loving and doting husband. The young girl is sweet but the older one is a true brat, entitled and mean..much like most kids today. Mildred caters to the eldest to the point where her marriage dissolves and, even when her youngest dies, she still caters to her brat of a daughter. Mildred finds out she has a wonderful gift for cooking and sharp business sense and opens up a restaurant which becomes a hit. All this time her brat of a kid keeps taking and she keeps giving. Eve Arden plays her friend who has some great lines with one of my favourites being, “Crocodiles have the right idea, they eat their young.” Hahahaaa. Joan won an Oscar for her role and should have won an Oscar for winning this Oscar claiming she had pneumonia but still looked great getting her Oscar with the cameras snapping away while she is in bed. Joan was anything but the wonderful Mildred..cue the wire hangers.

3. MEMENTO-2000

Gosh I have to re-watch this great film that many of you have mentioned in previous themes. This film stars Guy Pierce as a man who has a rare form of memory loss-he can’t recall any new memories at all due to a huge bump on his head received when he was attacked and his wife murdered. He is trying to solve the murder and does this by putting tattoos on his body plus has pictures posted everywhere. We keep going backwards until we get to the beginning. What is brilliant is not only the backward style of showcasing the plot but a linear version happening at the same time shot in black and white and the both meet at the end. If you haven’t seen this film...see it and watch it again.

Which films would you choose?

Thursday Movie Picks-Unrecognizable Actor Transformation

Well, the A to Z Challenge is underway and I feel bad that I didn’t participate this year so I might very well rejoin next year. It is always fun to see what themes everyone has from writing stories to animals to music and entertainment and anything else. Over at Wandering Through The Shelves the theme is all about actors who are unrecognizable. I could have gone in so many ways but I decided on 3 films that just popped into my head right away so here we go.

1. THE LOST MOMENT-1947

Take a guess who this is?

did you guess?

Yup, Endora or as her actual name is..Agnes Moorehead

This film I had wanted to see since I was a kid when I saw her photo, as an old woman, in a Life book. I finally got to see this wonderful film about 15 years ago and I want to see it again. Robert Cummings plays a writer who comes to a decaying mansion because he wants to learn more about a poet who had written love letters to the love of his life. He will go to any means to find these letters. Agnes Moorehead was changed into a 105 year old woman who was the object of the poet’s desires. She played this role so well that one forgot that she was only in her late 40s.

2. PLANET OF THE APES-1968

Guess who this is??

Someone might know this one...

Yup it’s Roddy McDowell

Funny that one can still see a bit of Roddy Through this makeup. You know, it was due to this film that the Academy decided to create a Best Make-up category for the Oscars.  I don’t think anyone doesn’t  know the story of this film even if you haven’t seen the film. Astronauts land on a planet and soon the only one left is Charlton Heston in a lion cloth. He is shocked that this planet is ruled by apes and the humans are the mute beings captured by the apes to be in Zoos and experimented on. They did not count on Charlie fighting back and speaking. You realize there is more to this story that results in a shocking ending. That is still gripping even today.

3. LITTLE BIG MAN-1970

Guess who?.
.....

Any Guesses?

Yup, Dustin Hoffman

I almost went with another film since this will work for another theme but it was calling me. An old man is visited by a reporter because this old man is to have survived Custer’s Last Stand. Told in flashback, we learn about the life of this man from being taught anatomy by Faye Dunaway to deciding to live with the Native Americans because he finds them more cultured and true than his own white honkies” (sorry, I went George Jefferson there). Dustin is great as the main character but Chief Dan George steals the shows as the old Chief who becomes his father figure and mentor.

Which  films would you choose?

And some humour...