Love At the Movies

Love Week continues!

When I was in sixth grade (1970), the movie Love Story came out in theaters. It was the TALK of the sixth grade! Of course, at age 11, none of us had seen it, nor were the chances good that any of us would be allowed to see it. But Sharon Jenkins had an older sister who did see it, and she shared ALL the details with us. I remember just being shocked by the sucker punch of an ending. Shocked. Because love stories could have sad endings???? (Oh, my tender 11-year-old heart. . .)

I didn't see the movie until several years later. Back then, you couldn't just grab a VHS and watch when you wanted, of course. If you missed a movie on its theater release, you had to wait until it showed up on TV at some point. (Bleak times for movie viewing, for sure.) And by the time I did see the movie, I had read the book (all in one day, ending up with a tearful session reading under the covers with a flashlight late at night) -- and had already cycled through "the poster" that hung in my bedroom for years. (I thought the movie was okay; nothing can compare to Sharon Jenkins describing every detail at recess -- and the book was better.)

So. Movie love stories. Do you prefer tear-jerkers like Love Story? Or are you more a fan of the rom-com . . . where eveything eventually "fits" in the end?

When I started thinking about love story movies earlier this week, I figured I would come up with my best three movies about love . . . and call it good for a Three on Thursday post. But the more I thought about it, the longer my list became! Ultimately, I've got a list here that can't even remotely qualify for a Three on Thursday post. (Three-Times-Three-Plus-One On Thursday?) (How about that, Carole?)

So, here you go. My Three-Times-Three-Plus-One list of favorite movies about love . .  

• Amelie
• Something's Gotta Give
• Shakespeare in Love
• Under the Tuscan Sun
• Brooklyn
• Four Weddings and a Funeral
• The Big Sick
• The Holiday
• Moonrise Kingdom
• Bull Durham 

I could add more . . . but I decided to stop with my top 10. 
What about you? What are your favorite movies about love???

(And did you have that same Love Story poster hanging in your room? It was ubiquitous in my 1970s world.)

==

"Life is one big love story with hundreds of little love stories within it."
       --- Ram Charan

 

 

 

And So It Begins

This afternoon marked the official "opening" of our annual . . . 

Although the Oscar winners won't be announced until February, Tom and I have already started following "the buzz."  We have our list.  And we're heading for the movie theater.  (Yes, beginning to follow the contenders this early in the process means . . . we see a lot of movies that never make it to the nominations.  But that just means . . . we see a lot of really decent movies!)  (It also means we don't miss the early-release movies and have to scramble to find them later.)

So. . .  today, we saw a matinee of Quentin Tarantino's latest, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.  This was a great movie to kick off the season for us.*  First, we're Tarantino fans.  Second, it lives up to the hype.  It was very good and great fun -- and I'm not going to say another thing about it.  (If you're interested in seeing it, my advice is to avoid the spoilers.)

Enjoy your weekend!
(Go see a movie.)

==========

* Technically, we kicked off the season with Us several months ago.  But that was really too early to be considered our official kick-off.

 

 

Hurray for Hollywood

After months of movie-watching, we've finally arrived . . . it's Oscar time!

But -- as you can see by my Oscar checklist, I'm still missing one major movie:  Call Me By Your Name.  I've really been sweating this one . . . because it just hasn't hit the theaters here yet.  Until today!  I'll be seeing it tonight -- solo.  (Because Tom is out of town for a curling tournament.) (Talk about under the wire.)

Just in case you want to catch some of the nominated films before the Oscars on Sunday, here's a quick run-down on home viewing availability:

Rent ($5.99) or purchase ($14.99) via iTunes:

• Darkest Hour
• Lady Bird
• The Shape of Water
• Three Billboards...

Rent ($5.99) or purchase ($9.99) via iTunes:

• Get Out
• Dunkirk

Purchase ($14.99) via iTunes:

• Call Me By Your Name

Sorry, but not available yet (although you can pre-order):

• The Post
• Phantom Thread

My particular favorites this year?  The Shape of Water and Lady Bird.  I really liked Get Out, Darkest Hour, The Post and Three Billboards, too.  Dunkirk is just not my genre . . . and I was not a fan of Phantom Thread.  (And, of course, I will have no opinion on Call Me By Your Name until later this evening, although I have a feeling I'm going to like it.)

How about you?  What's your favorite movie this year?

==========

If you want to get in on some of the movies nominated in other categories, you can also rent (on iTunes) I, Tonya (Margot Robbie), The Florida Project (Willem DaFoe), and The Big Sick (screen play).  You can catch Mudbound (Mary J. Blige) on Netflix.

==========

And if you geek out over the movies, you might enjoy taking this little Oscars quiz from the New York Times.

==========

Have a great weekend -- and have fun at the movies!

So Darn Quotable

Thinking about this week's Think Write Thursday topic (writing about the movie we can quote the most from) was just, well, fun.  Also . . . revealing.  Because Tom and I realized just how often movie quotes fit right into our everyday conversations.  Just part of our lexicon, y'know?

I mean, how perfect is this line from Love Actually:  "Just in cases."  
It creeps into our conversations all the time here, I can tell you.

Same with this one from Best In Show:  ". . . in his mind, the judge can pick up on the telepathy."  
We use this line WAY too often - and especially when talking to each other about our dogs.  (We also go into the whole "namin' nuts" thing whenever we, well . . . say the name of a nut.  Just can't help ourselves.)

And Tom . . . with The Big Lebowski.  Oh, my.  Don't ever get him started . . . "if you're not into the whole brevity thing." 

But.

There is one movie that stands head and shoulders above the crowds when it comes to sheer quotability for Tom and I.

Bull Durham -- a movie we have watched probably 50 times since we first saw it in the theater back in 1988.  Bull Durham is a romantic comedy sports film (now there's a genre for you!).  A minor league baseball team serves as the backdrop for a romantic triangle featuring a veteran catcher, a rookie pitcher, and a baseball groupie.  The film combines sport, philosophy, humor, and love to . . . well . . . hit it right out of the park!  (Sports Illustrated ranks this movie as the #1 sports movie of all time.)  

The movie has two charming and very well-known "monologues" that are always worth watching/listening to.  (You can watch Susan-Sarandon-as-Annie-Savoy's "Church of Baseball" speech here, and Kevin-Costner-as-Crash-Davis' "I Believe" speech here).  

There are so many great quotes in this movie that there's even a poster series!

There are really great quotes in this movie -- the kind of quotes that cover the spectrum of human existence.  Sort of . . . The Philosophy of Life, by Bull Durham.  Tom and I find ourselves using these quotes all the time:

"The world is made for people who aren't cursed with self-awareness."

"After 12 years in the minor leagues, I don't try out."

"I didn't get lured; I take responsibility for my actions."

"They're young.  Scare 'em."

"You know that that makes you?  (Larry?)  Lollygaggers!"

"I want to announce my presence with authority."

"Don't think.  Just throw."

"We're dealing with a lot of shit."

"Honey, we all deserve to wear white."

"I hit my dinger and I hung 'em up."

"It's a very simple game.  You throw the ball.  You catch the ball.  You hit the ball."

"Never fuck with a winning streak."

"Sometimes you win.  Sometimes you lose.  Sometimes it rains."

Words and wisdom - compliments of Bull Durham!

==========

Today's post is part of Think Write Thursday.  Read more posts about favorite movie quotes here -- and sign up to receive the weekly prompts here.

 

 

 

Just Can't Look Away

Yesterday, Tom and I were in the car for a long time.   

We passed several miles of our trip discussing this week's Ten on Tuesday topic: 10 Movies You Have To Stop & Watch When You Come Across Them While Channel Surfing.

Our lists vary a bit, but we share a few, too.

We seem unable to look away from pretty much any Quentin Tarantino movie . . . 

1 -- Pulp Fiction

2 -- Kill Bill (1 or 2).

And, equally, get sucked right in to the Bourne series . . . 

3, 4, 5 -- Bourne (Identity, Supremacy, Ultimatum).

Tom stands alone with . . . 

6 -- any of the movies in the Rocky franchise,

and I am on my own when it comes to 

7 -- Mary Poppins or anything with Fred Astaire.

Jointly, we can't look away from these comedy favorites . . . 

8 -- Caddyshack*

9 -- Young Frankenstein

10 -- Best in Show

How about YOU?  What movies do you stop and watch when you find them as you channel surf?

==========

See what sucks everyone else in . . . here!

==========

* I have never actually seen Caddyshack from start to finish, but I've seen most of it . . . thanks to channel surfing through the years.

 

Check!

Best Picture nominees?

Check!

Still hoping to catch some of the nominees in other major categories before the Academy Awards on February 28, but the pressure is off.  (My personal quest to see All The Movies only includes the Best Picture nominees.)

Do you have a favorite this year???

==========

(The photo is a page from my Bullet Journal.)

It's Showtime!

It's no secret that Tom and I like to go to the movies -- and especially at Oscar time.  We usually try to see all the movies nominated for Best Picture, and for most of the other "big" nomination categories, too.  In fact, it's kind of our Annual Movie Mission.

Since today is the day the Oscar nominations are announced, I thought you might like to hear how our particular "mission" got its start.

Let's go back . . . WAY back . . . to 1979. . . 

Two college kids.

Dating.

Always looking for something to do.

(And, as Tom reminded me last night, there's only so much drinking and dancing you can do in one week.)

We went to the movies.

Like . . . ALL the movies.

Every. Single. One.

And when it was time for the Academy Awards in the spring of 1980 (because they weren't called "The Oscars" back then), I watched -- and discovered with delight -- that I had seen every nominated movie!

The Best Picture nominees that year (just for some perspective)?

 (The big winner that year?  Kramer vs. Kramer.)

(It was also the year that featured Manhattan, Being There, The Rose, The China Syndrome, The Black Stallion, . . . and Justice for All, and The Muppet Movie.)

We discovered . . . it was so much more fun to watch the Academy Awards when you'd seen the movies, and cared about who won.

It stuck.

Although there were plenty of years (when the kids were little, for example) that we didn't see ANY of the nominated movies, we do enjoy the challenge . . . of seeing ALL the movies.

It's showtime, folks!

 

 

 

Right Now . . . November 2015

30/30

Oh, November.  You've been a busy month.  And especially here, right at the end . . .

 

Here's what's happening for me . . . Right Now.

Watching . . . Oh, my.  Nothing, actually.  (Although I did see Suffragette earlier this month with my book group.  Very good; highly recommended.)

Reading . . . In my ears: Remains of the Day (Kazuo Ishiguro). In words: Village Diary (Miss Read) (for my book group; an easy December pick) (although I can't imagine what we'll discuss, exactly). 

Knitting . . . I recently finished a special knit, which I will share sometime soon.  Now that it's finished, I've picked up this ongoing sweater again.  (No Christmas knitting for me this year!)

Listening to . . . Adele.  Of course.  Just like Everyone Else in the World.   (And this version of her Hello is my current favorite - for fun.)

 

Planning . . . How to simplify my Christmas.  (Also, maybe . . . a Solstice party.)  (We'll see.)

Needing to . . . Make a couple of deliveries for a volunteer event later this week.  (Easy peasy; I just don't want to forget.)

Drinking . . . Wine. (Because how else???)

Itching to . . . Just sit.  And do nothing. (Because that hasn't happened in a while.) 

Dreading . . . Nothing, really.  (I think I'm numb.)

Wondering . . . If there is anybody who doesn't have Adele's Hello playing constantly in their head???  (Because, my God.  It's on an endless loop in my brain.)

Delighted by . . . A long weekend with a full house!  It was so wonderful to have both kids and their "significants" and my parents with us.  (Lots of laughing.)  (Good times.)

Organizing . . . Myself.  (Or . . . trying.)

Celebrating . . . The successful conclusion of NaBloPoMo.  (Thanks for playing along.)

How about YOU? What's happening for you . . . right now?

 

 

Can You Fly That Helicopter?

As soon as I read Carole's Ten on Tuesday email this weekend, a movie scene popped into my head:

 

Yeah.

What Ten Things Do I Wish I Could Learn Instantly?  (Like . . . Matrix instantly . . . )

1. Italian.
2. Watercolor. 
3. Sound mixing.
4. Photoshop.  (Shut.Up.)
5. Snowboarding.
6. Biochemistry.
7. Carpentry.
8. French cooking.  
9. Cartography.
10. Flying that helicopter!

Tom wanted to join in this week.  Here's his list:  

1. Chain saw sculpture.
2. Lion taming.
3. Tight-rope walking.
4. Hang gliding - or maybe cliff diving.
5. Diffusing bombs.
6. Computer hacking.
7. Working the exit door on an airplane water landing.
8. Making the perfect topping for crème brûlée.
9. Breakdancing.
10. Hostage negotiation.  

(I don't know about you, but I think his is the more interesting list!)  (I so wanted to steal hostage negotiation from his list.)

How about YOU?  What do you wish you could learn instantly?

==========

Join the fun!  Sign up to recieve Ten on Tuesday prompts here - or read other lists here! 

Right Now - February 2015

February . . . For such a short month, you're such a drag.  Really.  So much snow.  So much cold.  I am overwhelmed by the winter BLAHs, and I would just like it to be done now.  (Disclaimer:  This post contains quite a bit of whining.)

 That said, here's what's going on . . . Right Now.

WATCHING . . . I'm sort of in movie-withdrawal.  After seeing all Oscar-nominated movies, it just becomes what do I watch NOW???  So I count down the days (1) until Season 3 of House of Cards and turn to PBS for Grantchester.  (I'm also looking forward to seeing Cinderella and Man from U.N.C.L.E. when they hit the theatre.)  (The eye-candy in Man from U.N.C.L.E. is especially welcome on another cold winter day.  Just sayin.)

READING . . . My winter funk has wandered over into my reading list, where nothing sounds appealing to me.  (Really.  Winter is taking away my will to read.)  So I've turned to re-reading a book I already love (Plainsong) and then to a genre that never lets me down (classics) by diving into the Forsyte Saga (which has been on my to-read list for decades).

KNITTING . . . My winter funk spills over into my knitting, where I am somewhat uninspired and seemingly unable to make a decision.  What's a knitter to do?  I've cast on for my second Deep End, while I continue to contemplate the merits of various pullover sweaters.  (Someday I'll probably even cast on for one or the other of them.)

LISTENING TO . . . Diana Krall's new album, Wallflower.  (Perfect to wallow in the winter BLAHs, actually.)

 

DREADING . . . Another day without cardio.  Because, as if the winter BLAHs weren't enough to bring me down, I am also suffering from a flare of my Achilles tendinitis and can't jump, spin, run, or even walk right now.  So Pilates it is.  And if it doesn't clear up in a couple more days, I'll have to resort to the dreaded elliptical machine.  Or hit the pool again.  (Which is much preferable to the elliptical.)

DRINKING . . . More wine, please.  (And that's all I have to say about that.)

PLANNING . . . Where my Purge Project will take me next.  I've just gone through every closet, cupboard, shelf, and cubbyhole on the first floor of my house.  I've purged 30 boxes of books (the library thanks me), boxes and boxes and bags of things for Goodwill and other nonprofit organizations, and - sadly - many bags of trash.  (I'm recycling what I can, but some things must be thrown out.)  Anyway . . . where next?  I think to the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs!

HUMMING . . . This.  (Ever since I watched Boyhood.  Can't get it out of my head.)

 

WONDERING . . . Why -40ºF and -40ºC are THE SAME!!!  Tom has tried to explain many, (many) times.  I just can't get it.  My head explodes every time.

ITCHING TO . . . I can't even with this one.  

ORGANIZING . . . Not much, actually.  While I've purged the heck out of 50% of my closets, I haven't organized any of the things I've kept.  It's part of the whole KonMari thing . . . organize AFTER purging.  (So my cupboards and shelves look like disaster victims right now.  Only the survivors remain. . .)

DELIGHTED BY . . . Seeing a sundog last week!  So glad I was at a good place to pull over and take this photo with my phone.

INSPIRED BY . . . Well.  Not much right now, actually.  I think I'd like to hibernate until this everlasting winter is OVER.

How about YOU?  What's happening for you . . . RIGHT NOW?