We Canadians love to talk..er....bitch about the weather. We would not be proud Canucks if we didn't. It has been hot, sticky and humid which I hate, but then the temps go down by 20 in a day before climbing back up and so the roller coaster of weather crappola continues. I bet, come mid July, it will just be hot and sticky...ughhh. I told you I am a proud Canadian!
Tic, Tac, Toe-Used Friendship, Any Colour, Sentiment tttc#118
I love Blue! What can I say, when I was 3, I asked my mom for some paint. She asked why and I told her I wanted to paint the dog blue. No, I didn't get the paint. I also love purple so I hade to create this scene with these colours in mind. I stamped the image in black and used my gamsol pencils to colour in the image. I used my sizzex to cut out the circled leafy design to and glued it in place. I stamped the saying on a piece of scrap I had laying around, added the glitter stickers and crystals...another favourite. Who would not love to be sitting somewhere in Italy, a tiny village, having a glass of wine with some fruit admiring the view? I know I want to be there and would have my best friend with me..
CCAYR- K & L-K is for Kraft & L for Love (what I love)
I normally don't like Kraft-the bownish colour. But I had this piece laying around and thought it would be good for the colour challenge. I glued a shimmer pearl white card behind the kraft. I used tombow markers and water-coloured the flower image before fussy cutting it out. I placed it on pop up dots, added some red crystals and stickles to the berries and around the card. I finished it off with some Washi tape at the bottom which I coloured up the gold with some red plus the stickers which I also coloured in red.
Today is a balmy 27C but by this eve drop down and tomorrow we will have a high of 18C. By Friday...back up to 27 and humid.
Yesterday, for my music themes, one of the themes was to choose a song about a natural disaster and today, Wandering Through The Shelves chose natural disaster as the theme for this week. To be honest, I hope I am never in any of the 3 I chose today because it is horrifying yet we love watching disaster movies (Tidal Wave, Earthquake..love those 70s cheesy disaster flicks). Here are my 3...
1. SAN FRANCISCO-1936
When I first saw this as a kid I was taken with the characters and then the amazing special effects which are still used as footage when talking about the famous 1906 earthquake that devastated the city. It stars Clark Gable who owns a dance/entertainment/gambling hall who hires a young lady to be on the stage played by soprano Jeannette MacDonald. Spencer Tracy rounds out the cast as his boyhood friend turned priest who is trying to bring Gable to see the error of his ways. When a very rich man see Jeannette sing, he realizes she should be at the opera house not a pool hall place. Of course she has fallen for Gable and vice versa but Gable's view of sin does not bode well with the pure as driven slush Jeannette. It all comes to a head when the earthquake strikes. This climax of the movie is well worth the watch. The acting is quite good even if I find the religion (it is MGM and Louis B Mayor afterall) a bit heavy handed but it does not take away from quite a good story that involves love, power and redemption.
2. KRAKATOA: THE LAST DAYS-2006
Ok this is from the BBC television but it is still a movie and an excellent one at that played more like a docudrama taking the notes from a Dutch lady who was on the nearby island of Sumatra with her husband who was stationed there. They have 3 children including a new born baby. You also have a captain of a boat with, about 100 passengers who must also deal with the effects and Roger Veerbeek who was on the island of Java studying the volcano becoming friendly with the lighthouse owner, his wife and her son. His studies on this violent eruption brought Volcanology to the forefront. When this Volcano exploded, one could hear the explosion from over 3,000 miles away. You are truly on the edge of your seat knowing what is to come but helpless. You watch them go through the explosion, the pyroclastic flows and a tsunami. It killed over 36,000 people with many thousands more injured and the island left in ruins. the enormous ash cloud changed the skies all over the globe for 5 years. It is well acted and the effects are outstanding.
3. THE IMPOSSIBLE-2012
This film is based on the 2004 tsunami that killed over 227,000 people in indonesia but also India and Africa. The effects of this tsunami was even felt in Australia as well. My one dear friend was staying with me and we just laid on the couch all day watching CNN dumbfounded at the footage, we couldn't take our eyes off of it. Funny that he has visited many of those places since and he was surprised at how much has been cleaned up but the effects are still felt. This film is based on this horrible event taken by a true story of a family that survived the devastation but were separated for days not knowing if the other was alive. It stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor as parents to 3 boys who come to Khao Lak in Thailand to enjoy Christmas and New Years as a family. They have no idea what is about to happen and you watch as they are separated, suffer and somehow, against all odds, are reunited. (sorry, spoiler alert, unless you know about the Spanish family who went through the ordeal). The effects are great and, thankfully, before everyone went nuts for CGI which now makes everything look quite fake. This is another must see.
Another week and a song challenge by Jingle, Jangle, Jungle. Unbeknownst (this sounds like a word to me so I am keeping it in) to her, she has tied in with a theme for my movies tomorrow but i won't tell you which theme she tied in with..I'll let you guess. Here are the 3 themes:
A SONG WITH BROTHER OR SISTER IN THE TITLE
A SONG ABOUT A NATURAL DISASTER
A SONG WRITTEN OR PRODUCED BY MUTT LANGE
1. SISTERS ARE DOIN' IT FOR THEMSELVES BY THE EURYTHMICS-1985
I love this song which I found very empowering when I was 21 and hating when the construction men whistle at me (now, if they whistled I would smile and thank them!). I danced to this many times loving anything by this band. They are one of the few rock concerts I went to and it was great. By the way, Aretha Franklin sing with Annie Lennox in this song.
2. BLIZZARD OF '77 BY NADA SURF-2002
I broke my rule of choosing the first song that came into my head(Hurricane by Bob Dylan) because I lived through the Blizzard of '77. I was curious if there was even a song about this and I couldn't believe it when I found out there was and this is pretty damn good! I grew up in the country where we got all the Buffalo weather. My brother and I were lucky that we made it home just before the blizzard hit. We were also very lucky that we did not lose our power but many were not as lucky with some dying because of this storm. I recall listening to the local AM station who kept the lines open for anyone who needed help. The DJ got very angry, rightfully, at one woman calling in because she was out of smokes! He tore a strip into her and I was ticked about that. Afterwards, I had fun in my big snowsuit climbing up the drifts (not man-made) with my friend and sliding down them but not before ducking under wires(they were near the top so you just had to lay flat at first before you could sit up as you flew down). I was tickled pink being out of school for 2 weeks because the school was completely under a snowdrift.
3. MAN, I FEEL LIKE A WOMAN SUNG BY SHANIA TWAIN-1997
When I saw her at the Grammy's, I thought she was the sexiest thing and I am no gay but I can appreciate how well she sang this song, making it sexy, strong but never vulgar or derisive to women. Shania was married to Mutt Lange for something like 17 years when she found out the dog was having an affair with her best friend. She divorced Mutt(what a stupid name) and he continued his relationship with her, now, former best friend. Her husband and Shania compared notes and...now they are married. Talk about a Soap Opera.
What 3 songs would you choose? Have you been through any natural disaster?
Some Blizzard of '77 picks...
No that is not me or my brother. My parents never thought of taking a picture. pretty cool though since this is the top of their house.
Oh, I bet you writers out there in the dark can have a field day today with this theme chosen by The Punk Theory. There are countless films based on books with many being good, entertaining and fun, a few being great and many that stank the high heaven. I hope you check out Wandering Through The Shelves to see what everyone else has chosen. Here are my 3 stinkaroos....
1. THE NOTEBOOK-2004
I might get some flack from this irritating romance but I can't help it.....this film sucks. The only redeeming quality of this film are the scenes with James Garner and Gena Rowlands who had chemistry and portrayed genuine love and affection for one another. The Garner character reads from Rowlands' notebook to her hoping she will register who she is and whom he is since she has Alzheimer's. We travel back in time to 2 young people who are attracted to one another but seem to fight, burp and fart around one another causing mayhem and irritation to this person watching this couple. Years pass, they kiss in the rain (oooh, that's original) before they burp, fart and fight knowing that they get under each others' skin like bedbugs but they can't be without one another....ok. You find out this irritating couple are the loving old souls...bulls&^! They would have divorced long ago or killed each other if I didn't go through the screen first to kill them. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams did become a couple for a while but the burp and fart split many moons ago.
2. THE GREAT GATSBY-2013
The book is great and I don't mind the Robert Redford version although what he saw in Mia Farrow I have no idea. The remake stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan in an over the top monstrosity directed by Baz Luhrmann who just threw up color, glitter, camera tricks, modern shit and everything else to create a colossal bore of a flick. Tobey(Where is he?) Maguire is the narrator and eventual friend of the mysterious Gatsby played by Leo who has many parties (being the 1920s and all) before falling for the whispy Daisy. Who cares, this film dragged so much and was so long that I lost a third of my life watching this dredge.
3. 50 POUNDS OF SHIT..ER....50 SHADES OF SHIT..NOPE..WHO CARES-2015
I read a few parts of this horrible, horrible book while in Chapters and was laughing at the crap I was reading. Barbara Cartland must be turning over in her grave. The chick who wrote this dredge plus 50 Shits Darker and 50 Shits Freed (sounds like books for reasons why one needs a colonoscopy) is laughing all the way to bank. When there are so many great writers out there, what did she do to get these published and made into movies that so many went to see. Why? Why have so many gone to see the slop..no, I have not seen any of these flicks of bad taste. I don't care to see heavy breathing, butts, boobs and whatever else that a good porn will do. I would rather see "The Sheets of San Francisco" or "Ramb-ohhhh" (Yes those are real) than ever watch this dribble.
So which Flicks would you choose? Battlefield Earth anyone??
Jingle, Jangle, Jungle has a creative mind coming up with themes each week. So, without blabbing too much here are the 3 themes:
A Song With A Chess Piece In The Title
A Whistling Song
A Song With A Beverage In The Title
1. DANCING QUEEN BY ABBA-1976
Now, come on, of course I am picking ABBA and this song is very famous coming out when I was 12 yrs old loving this song from the start. I had heard S.O.S. before,not realizing it was from ABBA but this song made me fall in love with the group and I needed to hear all their songs. I even have ABBA’s Spanish 1980 album “Gracias Por La Música”, from 1980, with this song is on the album.
2. FINNISH WHISTLER WHISTLED BY ROGER WHITTAKER- 1974
When I read this theme, my mind went to Roger whom my mom loved and was able to see, with my brother, back in 2007 or 2008. This song became a big hit in Finland when he was in the Eurovision contest. I learned about Eurovision last week from some other bloggers(Ms. Jingle, Cathy and Mr. One Hand Typing) so it was neat to find this.
3. ONE BOURBON, ONE SCOTCH, ONE BEER SUNG BY GEORGE THOROGOOD-1977
I really like this man’s singing style as it brings the wild out in me...not with him as he is ...Er...not pretty. I have his greatest hits and love listening to it. I don’t like any of these drinks to be honest, well, beer is ok but not a favourite of mine, but it is the song that came into my head. I had no idea that it is actually a song from 1953 written by Rudy Toombs who must have had a bad breakup with his gal when he wrote this.
Here is another biggie from the Oscar contenders which is writing. Let's face it, you can have the best actors and directors but, if the writing sucks, the movie will suck. Check out Wandering Through The Shelves to see what everyone else has chosen. Without further adieu, here are my 3 from each category with the first being Best Original Screenplay.
1. CITIZEN KANE WRITTEN BY ORSON WELLES AND HERMAN MANKIEWICZ-1941
Well, this is a sore point for Herman and Orson since each claimed they wrote most of it and has become so legendary that a recent film was made about this (Mank-2020). This is considered the best film ever made (despite people now saying it is The Godfather-not a fav of mine) and I have to give credit to this brilliant film even though it is not one of my personal favourites. This is a somewhat veiled portrait of the huge newspaper tycoon, William Randolph Hearst, who was so incensed by the film that he and Louis B Mayer tried to buy up the negatives to have it destroyed. The film is famous not only for the film itself but everything that happened backstage, as it were. Movies and documentaries have been made about this film and it is worth watching the film and then watching the documentaries about it.
2. THE SEVENTH VEIL BY SYDNEY & MURIEL BOX-1945
When I saw this film as a young teen, I fell for the smoldering James Mason who plays a crippled musician who teaches, mercilessly, his second cousin, the meek but very gifted Francesca(played by Ann Todd). He does his all to make her great but at the cost of any romance with anyone. He berates her and, finally breaks her where she ends up in the psych ward. Yeah, he's a peach! This is well acted and James Mason is one of the few that could make an a-hole somewhat romantic because, wait for it, it is also a love story. Today, he would be thrown in jail, justifiably. I found out that Muriel Box was not only a gifted writer but a female director when they were very few female directors around.
3. THE PRODUCERS BY MEL BROOKS-1967
I love Mel Brooks who would probably not be able to get any film made today with all the political correctness out there. Not everyone likes Mel Brooks but I find him hilarious and this movie(which he later created into a Broadway musical winning many Tony's) shows him at one of his best. You have a con man, played by Zero Mostel, who bamboozles old, wealthy women of their money, to create stage shows by bamming them to happiness. Enter Gene Wilder, as a young tax auditor, who must never be away from his blanky. Soon the 2 are in cahoots to create such a bad show that it will close but they will make out like bandits. They find the perfect show in "Springtime For Hitler" which is all about poor misunderstood Adolph. It's absurd but you can't have it any other way.
Now onto Best-Adapted Screenplay...
1. LITTLE WOMEN BY SARAH Y. MASON & VICTOR HEERMAN-1933
One day, I will watch every film or TV remake of this classic novel, by Louisa May Alcott, so I can compare how each are. I have to admit, I do like this early sound film starring Katherine Hepburn as Jo who seems perfect for this character as the strong willed sister. You follow the lives of the 4 sisters but Jo is the star in every way.
2. JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG BY ABBY MANN-1961
This film is based on Abby Mann's writing for a Playhouse 90 TV film (back when TV had some great shows on regular TV) which he based on the actual Nuremberg Trials. Of course there is some poetic licensing, but the brutality of these men (and women) against the Jewish people (as well as Germans who were Gay, mentally challenged or openly defied the Nazis) really is shown in some graphic detail that was shocking back in the day (and even now). This film is intelligent and makes you question so much yet you are horrified at how many felt they were still in the right. It is truly worth watching.
3. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD BY HORTON FOOTE-1962
To Kill A Mockingbird is one of my all-time favourite books, written by Harper Lee and this film is one of my favourites. Horton Foote(love this name!) made a faithful adaptation of this book with an outstanding performance by Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, a small town, widowed lawyer defending a black man accused of raping a white, trashy girl. You know the young man is innocent but when does that ever stop hate and bigotry? You view this film mostly through the eyes of his daughter, Scout, who questions everything and brings hope and love to those who need it, like Boo Radley. I have spoken about this film before but I had to include it here (just like I had to include Kane). Read the book...watch the film.
Happy Birthday...to me! I am officially 57 and I share a birthday with the Marquis De Sade and Johnny Weissmuller (Me, Tarzan). What a great way to share my birthday than with some songs and with my 3 favourite song topics that Jingle, Jangle Jungle has chosen.
TV THEME SONG
SONG USED IN A MOVIE
SONG FROM A BROADWAY MUSICAL
1. I DREAM OF JEANIE BY HUGO MONTENEGRO & BUDDY KAYE-1965
I love Bewitched which is strange to say this first but the reason I didn't choose Bewitched is because I already wrote about the show earlier this year so I went with this snappy theme song. The TV show is about an astronaut, stranded on an island who finds a lamp, rubs it and out pops Barbara Eden sans showing her belly button. She becomes his "slave" er, saviour, um...girlfriend....later wife who gets him and his buddy into all sorts of trouble but also bails them out of it. It is not as clever as Bewitched nor as sophisticated but I love the theme song which I always wished, like the Bewitched song, to be able to dance to it a la ballroom dancing.
2. MOON RIVER SUNG BY AUDREY HEPBURN-1961
This song was written by Henry Mancini, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, with Audrey Hepburn in mind. The studio wanted to cut the song with Audrey stating clearly "Over her dead body"(with maybe some other colourful words in there). Thankfully, the execs lost and this song became famous winning Grammys and becoming the tune for Andy Williams. When I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's, I found this song enchanting and believable.
3. YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE BY ROGERS & HAMMERSTEIN-1945
This song originated from the Broadway show, "Carousel" which was later made into a film starring Shirley Jones and Gordon MacCrea about a young, innocent girl who falls in love with an angry, good for nothing carousel barker. This song is sung when all seems hopeless and it is one of the most inspiring songs ever composed. I ended up going with one of my favs, Andre Rieu and his orchestra but so many have sung this song that the list seems endless from Josh Grobin, The Celtic Women to Andrea Bocelli and Renee Fleming. Sometimes, when times are low, we need to hear this song.
