19 movies, thanks to football!

Actually, thanks to Comcast for thinking of all of us who don't live for televised sports during this Thanksgiving season!

My gratitude for this MGM+ Film Festival, and its wealth of good movies that I'd never even heard of, is overflowing!

Correction: I had heard of one of them before.

In fact, it was the very first one I watched. 

"Planes, Trains, And Automobiles" is one I try to catch every year.

Hey, that looks and feels like a pun, doesn't it?

(smile!)

Also, I have one more clarification before I start my summation.

Not all of the movies were on MGM+, so I extended the "+" to include them.

That symbol is made for being inclusive!

(smile!) 

Now, on to the show, and let's begin with "Best In Show" from 2000.

After all, the kennel club dog show will soon be on, and this movie is a great send-up on that tradition!

Written/directed/starring Christoper Guest, it was slap full of names I knew!
Fred Willard as the dog show emcee -
Ed Begley, Jr. as Hotel manager for the event -
Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara -
Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins as a gay duo -
Christopher Guest (and his bloodhound) -
Jennifer Connolly and Jane Lynch, for the lesbian crowd -
Larry Miller and Linda Kash -

Wow, what a cast!

It just couldn't help but be funny! 

Continuing on the 'holiday comedy' theme was "Pieces Of April" from 2003.

I admit, it was the fact that it had the same name as the 1973 song I knew that first caught my attention, but I'm glad it did!

Not that it had anything to do with the Three Dog Night hit, but, still.

'April' (Katie Holmes) is the family fuckup, charged by her father (Oliver Platt) to host the 'perfect' family feast for the dying mom (Patricia Clarkson).

But her oven is broken and she has to seek help from multiple neighbors in her apartment building while the family is en route.
Hilarity naturally ensued! 

For the next duo, on the next day (Wednesday), I changed the theme to science fiction romance.

"Stardust", of 2007, is based on Neil Gaiman's fantasy book.

Claire Danes is the Star that falls from the land of Faerie to the land of Wall.

Soon, she has a passel of people trying to capture her! 

'Tristan' (Charlie Cox), the boy born of both worlds, is after the fallen Star as a token of
love for desired girlfriend, 'Victoria'.

'Lamia' (Michelle Pfeiffer) is one of three witch sisters after the fallen Star's heart, seeking returned youth and beauty.

Septimus (Mark Strong), the 7th son of the king (Peter O'Toole) of Stromhole, wants the Star's heart, too, so he can rule forever.
Robert Deniro has a fun role as 'Captain Shakespeare', the cross-dressing leader of pirates
who harvest lightning - LOL!
Nice to see a young Henry Cavill as 'Humphrey', the fiance of 'Victoria'.

I'd definitely see this again! 

The same can be said of "Every Day", which had an interesting premise.

In the 2018 movie, a spirit inhabits a different body every morning, but just for the one day, and has done this all its life.

Now, the spirit is 16 years old and has leapt into the body of 'Justin' (Justice Smith), leading
to an impromptu day of hookie from school with his girlfriend, 'Rhiannon' (Angourie Rice), leading to an intense connection, something the spirit has never had before.
But just before midnight, the spirit is out of that body and 'Justin' is back to being the self-absorbed teen jock he was, recalling none of that day.
The spirit bounces from one teen to another, trying to reconnect with 'Rhi' through the new bodies it inhabits, and eventually tells her of this spiritual-physical disconnect that it has.

She realizes that first day it had with her, in the body of 'Justin', was what she wanted to have more of, so the two of them manage to have a relationship, kinda sorta. 

Really nice "what if" movie!

Time for a theme change: small town films!

Both had an old-time feel, too, though one was much older than the other.

The holiday-themed "Prancer" came out in 1989, whereas the musical Western, "Rawhide", is from a full half-century earlier.

Both had names that drew me in: Sam Elliott and Lou Gehrig, respectively.

I'm glad they were name droppers!

In the first, Sam Elliott is the widowed dad of a son and a headstrong daughter, 'Jessica', who is convinced she has found an injured reindeer who is Prancer and that she must return him to Santa by Christmas Eve.
Cloris Leachman, at 63 years old, plays the rich old lady the girl works for to buy oats for the animal.
Abe Vigoda is the local vet the girl talks into healing the animal.

Michael Constantine as the store Santa she talks into passing a letter to Santa about her returning Prancer (only he takes it to the local newspaper as a 'feel good' story for the town's readers).
And there's a surprise for me: a young 14-year-old Johnny Galecki (TBBT's Leonard!!!) is there as 'Billy', one of her teasing classmates!
Very nice!

Now, let's address why the baseball player was in a Western, shall we?

The year was 1938 and Lou Gehrig had been 'The Iron Horse' for the New York Yankees for 15 years. 

He was the first athlete pictured on a Wheaties box and had not yet begun having the disease that would kill him at age 37.

"Rawhide" was an opportunity for him to portray a man ready to retire from the sports world, ready for a quiet life on a cattle ranch.

I'm glad his publicist pushed him into the one and only film he ever made!

He even sang a number ("Drifting") with Smith Ballew, the lawyer ('Larry Kimball') he engages to fight against the Ranchers Protection Association, an extortion group that rivaled any in New York City.

Yes, I'm glad I found this one!

There wasn't any baseball, but it was wonderful seeing Gehrig still in his prime, healthy, shape.

Then I bopped over to meTV and caught an oldie from 1969: "A Boy Named Charlie Brown". 

It's been years since I saw this, but I hadn't remembered how much bullying that 7-year-old child received from his classmates and others. 

(My great-nephew, Bert, is 9 years old and he was bullied around by his 12-year-old brother and 16-year-old cousin pretty hard over at Tony's on Thanksgiving. Tony, Laura, and I all got onto them about that, too.) 

Good thing 'Charlie' had 'Linus' to cheer him along!

Then, as football was eating up the night, I bounced back to MGM+ to catch "City Of Ghosts", a 2002 international suspense written by/directed by/starring Matt Dillon.

In it, he's part of a sham disaster insurance company (based in New York City) that's been found to be penniless when a hurricane strikes Florida and the claims come rolling in.

He manages to convince the police that he knew nothing, then he flies out to Asia to seek out his partner (Stellan Skarsgard) and dad (James Caan), ending up in Cambodia.

That's when the lies and deceit really hit the fan.

Rather telling when "Both Sides, Now", sung in Khmer, plays as the end credits start rolling!

It wasn't until afterward that I realized that both of these movies had something in common: the use of frequent, moody, instrumental interludes between the spaced-out bits of dialogue and action.

If not for seeing them both so close together, I never would have picked up on that.

Right time, right place, amazingly enough.

Black Friday dawned and I kept my silly self home!

I started with two thrillers, one set in the ocean, the other in the sky.

"Run Silent, Run Deep" is a phrase familiar to all Naval personnel, whether or not they ever had submarine duty; I was born the year it was made. 

It starred a 57-year-old Clark Gable as 'Cmdr Richardson', the one whose sub was destroyed a year earlier at Bungo Strait in Area 7.
Now, he's commanding a new sub and heading right back there to try to find and destroy the vessel that sank his sub and every other in that area.
Burt Lancaster is 'Lt. Bledsoe', who first disagrees, but comes to believe in the Commander.
Don Rickles (32 years old) is great as a wise-cracking sailor on the crew!

"Red Eye", from 2005, starts off with Lisa (Rachel McAdams) and Jackson (Cillian Murphy) having a meet-cute at the airport when their flight to Miami is delayed.
That premise is furthered when her seat turns out to be right beside his!

She's a hotel manager, and he's a manager, too, but of political assassinations and that sort of thing - that's why he targeted her, as he needs a politician to be moved from his usual room to one with bayside access, and he has her dad as leverage to make it happen.

Good flick, and the action scenes benefit from Was Craven as director.

Then came Saturday, and Craven's name had me going to his home base of 'horror', just nothing too bloody or creepy. 

I found two that were perfect for me!

The 1940 "Beyond Tomorrow" was 'horror' because it had three ghosts.

It's set in NYC, where 3 wealthy men - 'Michael', 'Chad', and 'Charlie' - get stood up for Christmas Eve dinner, so they throw their wallets into the street, vowing to take in any honest people who return them.
Enter 'James' of TX and 'Jeannie' of NY, two sweet young people who end up falling in love until his singing voice leads him away.
The three rich men die in a plane crash, but return as ghosts to help the two.
Really was a wonderful movie, with great singing by Richard Carlson ('James').
I especially liked "Jingle Bells" with everyone, from the cook and maid to the butler and valet singing in their native languages! 

"Night Of The Comet", from 1984, mixed its 'horror' of zombies with the material-world antics of valley girls in Los Angeles.

'Reggie' (Catherine Mary Stewart) spends the night inside a cinema, only to find the city totally deserted, except for piles of clothing where people should be.

Concerned, she goes home to find her sis, 'Sam' (Kelli Maroney) alive, but no one else there, just piles of their clothes.
The radio station is still on air, so they go only to find it was all recorded, without a live DJ or anyone else except 'Hector' (Robert Beltran), a trucker also drawn to the station.
A group of scientists (led by Geoffrey Lewis) come to town to round up any survivors, hoping for a cure before they become zombies like all the others who didn't vaporize when exposed to the comet's radiation.
Nice touches of humor! 

As TV still was overloaded with football, football, football, I decided it was time for more movies and I chose documentaries!

Actually, "Comedy's Dirtiest Dozen" wasn't so much a documentary as it was a recording of a live show.

Filmed in 1988, I was surprised to find how tame it was!

I was also surprised to find I only knew two of the comics: a 23-year-old Chris Rock and 35-year-old Tim Allen.

Wow.

The others featured were Monty Hoffman, Larry Scarano, Stephanie Hodge, John Fox, Thea Vidale, Otto Petersen, Joey Gaynor, Bill Hicks, Steven Pearl, and Jackie Martling.

Even though I looked them up, I still don't recall ever seeing them.

The other documentary, "Danica", was all about Danica Patrick and her life behind the wheel of race cars, up until 2017.

She started with go-cart driving in 1992 at age 10, because her sister was into that sport.
By the time she was 14, Danica was winning every race.

After training in England for several years, she found a sponsor and became an Indycar driver, eventually winning at that in Japan in 2008 at age 26.

Then she decided to go for being a NASCAR driver.

At the film's end, she was a 35-year-old entrepeneur of Somnium wine, Warrior clothing, and exercise videos and books.

I found this look at the life of a woman in a man's field very relatable.

Sunday came, the final day for me to enjoy MGM+.

Both of my choices were dark comedies, favorites of mine!

"Pocket Listing" was an insight into high-end real estate, written by and starring James Jurdi, a charming fellow who reminded me very much of Bruce Willis during his years "Moonlighting".

In this 2015 movie, he's 'Jack Woodman', a slick hustler working for Burt Reynolds until he's found doing sales for himself, not the company.

Out he was tossed, stuck managing a slum project he'd just bought to flip, until Euro-trash mobster Rob Lowe shows up wanting him to sell his $20-million estate on the beach for $12-million, because he needs the cash.

Lots of back stabbing and betrayal, lots of humor! 

(Sadly, nothing about James Jurdi since 2018.)
"Hawks" has two favorite actors in a movie reminiscent of "The Dream Team".

In this 1988 film, Anthony Edwards is an American football player on an exhibition tour in Europe when he falls terribly ill.

He comes to in a hospital in London, sharing a room with English lawyer, Timothy Dalton, who is currently in remission.

The lawyer decides the footballer needs something to perk up his spirits, so they steal an ambulance and head for Amsterdam to visit Paradise, a favorite brothel.

On the way, they meet Hazel and Maureen and have an adventure -
truly a lovely movie, with the most fun I've ever seen Dalton have! 

(I may recommend this one to JinHi, who has had a break from chemotherapy for the last few months and is now starting a new regimen.)

Now for the final two, both holiday movies and neither on MGN+.

I should add that neither are new to me, either!

"The Story Of Santa Claus" (1996) was a gift from meTV, featuring the musical stylings of Ed Asner and Betty White as the Claus couple, with Tim Curry as Nostros, the wizard elf.

ABC was the source of "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town", from 1969.

This was also an animated holiday musical, featuring songs from Fred Astaire (as the mailman with all the answers!) and Mickey Rooney ('Kris Kringle').

Those were well worth including in this film festival!

Now, I'm off to turn on the heated mattress pad!

25 november '25: tina tuesday, too!

Such a busy day it has been... and that's been great!

My outing ended with dinner at Olive Garden with my first niece and her two daughters! 

Kayleigh was along, too, but she made sure Christina sat across from me - thank you!

I had the eggplant parmigiana, in honor of my friend Roy Wood.

That's always his favorite. 

That really hit the spot, along with two bowls of Pasta e Fagiole soup.

We came for dinner straight from the AMC and we were all pretty hungry after the long movie.

Comcast rewarded me with two free tickets to be "Wicked For Good", so I used those for Christina and Miyah.

Mine was with my A*List and Chloe's was from my AMC Rewards, which also paid for some of our cameo specials!

Then Kayleigh used my A*List membership to get her ticket for the musical, and the cameo special, too.

At dinner, I sat right beside Chloe, but not for the movie.

In the cinema, I sat right between Christina and Miyah.

Everybody wanted to sit by me! 

But Miyah did something extra special: she had drawn and colored a picture of a loggerhead turtle for me!

Magnificient, isn't it?

That piece of art wasn't the only gift I received today, either.

I made a special trip to Grayson Stadium earlier, following the explicit map sent by the Savannah Bananas.

Because I had a season ticket package this year, they gave me a free pie for Thanksgiving.

I'll be taking that pumpkin pie to Tony's, as well as the Cool Whip they included.

Very nice, even though I have left Banana Nation.

As for other gift transactions, I gave Christina the 99 items for her school store.

The gift bags with the twins' birthday gifts stayed at home.

I want to see their faces when they open them, to give them big hugs and let them see my face, too.

Soon, I hope!

gambler's lament?

Not by me!

I took myself to Music Bingo tonight, as I haven't seen those friends for a couple of weeks.

I sat across from Marcia, specifically so I could sing with her!

Well, it was also because it was the only corner chair still empty.

Sandy and Elissa were already there, as well as Elissa's son, Isaac.  

Amanda, however, was late, so I took the seat she usually took across from her mother.

Yeah for me!

That made it so much easier on my right hip!

(smile!)

This week, the game had changed again.

A new group, Mix Tape Music Bingo.com, is in charge of the play slips and songs used, though Robert is still supposed to be the bingo jock.

He was not there tonight, but the young man who was ran the game the same as he would have.

That meant a free pitcher of draft beer was the prize for the first game, the "Yacht Rock Mix #1", which even had "The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys" - love that song!

None of us, thankfully, won that, as none of us drink beer.

(smile!) 

Game 2 was the "Old School Club Mix", which certainly wasn't from the era when any of us were clubbing - lol!

We had to ask the phones for the titles of almost every tune! 

None of us won the prize - free cocktail or appetizer - from that one, either.

Not that the losses kept us each and every one from ponying up $5 for the third game, "Stars & Stripes Mix #1", a country feast.

That's the only game not free, as its prize is the pot of money received from all the players who pay the ante.

That would have meant $215 in hand!

But not for any of us.

By this time, the grumbling among the more competitive in our midst began.

Time for the final game, "50's & 60's Mix #1 - New".

It promised a $50 gift card to Midtown Sports Grill for the winner! 

All that was needed was a double bingo - horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.

In the meantime, we had all this great music to enjoy!

"At The Hop", "My Girl", "Summertime Blues", "Respect", "Mr. Tambourine Man"!

That last song had been one of two I'd been waiting for to complete my double!

I only had one song that I needed to simultaneously complete the top row and the "G" column - wow!!!

However, it was not to be that I'd get "All Shook Up" by Elvis!

(Nice little inside joke with that one line!)

Someone else in the restaurant got their double first.

That's okay, though - we all had fun, listening and singing along as we danced in our seats and hung out together!

And, as I told the others, wasn't that the point?

(smile!)

I already knew I was a winner anyway... AARP told me!

Every day, I go to the site to amass Reward points and to spend them, too, mostly on the sweepstakes and these Instant Win games.

This morning, I won a $10 gift card to Jersey Mike's Subs!!!

I just may have to give that to Dawn - she loves that place.

(smile!) 

fb flashback: 24 November 2011

Let me set the stage.

It's been two years since Daddy died, and this was my second year of going to my paternal cousin's home for Thanksgiving.

Amazingly, I'd managed to talk my middle brother into going with me.

Amazing!

We even made it a two-fer, visiting our maternal cousin while there.

What a trip that had been!

So, here's the slide show!

We began our visits in North Augusta, SC.

Here's Ronnie with our cousin, Sharon, younger daughter of Mama's brother, our Uncle Jimmy, and his first wife, Aunt Janet.

Ronnie had pose time with Susan, too, Sharon's not-yet-official wife.

They've been together since college, more than twenty years earlier.

Sharon's brother, Ricky, will be coming over later, as well as Ashley, daughter of her sister, Valerie.

Meanwhile, it was time to head south to Augusta, GA.

Our paternal cousin, Bev, was awaiting us and she'd made sure to have plenty of my favorite food: the cranberry-sauced oranges!

Math joke: I ate some pie! 

Another joke: the time of this post!

Here's Bev's mom, our Daddy's one-and-only sister, Aunt Barbara and her third husband, John.

Bev's dad was Aunt Barbara's first husband, Bill.

And just why was Aunt Barbara standing?

All that talk of pie had whetted Ronnie's appetite for some dessert!

Would he prefer pecan or pumpkin?

"Both, please!," was his reply.

Everyone got a kick out of that and followed his lead!

After, we all hung out and chatted.

Ronnie even let Lucas test drive his hat!

Lucas is the son of Tyson, son of Bev and Allen, and his wife, Jenny.

Bev and Allen's younger daughter, Terri, was there with her husband, Mike.

Bev and Allen's other two children, Robbie and Leeman were absent that day; she had to work and he lives (still) in Korea.

Our other two paternal cousins, Bonnie Clark and Becky Ferguson, were missing, too.

The first lived in Hawaii and the other resides (still) in Texas.

What a marvelous time we had with them!

I'm so grateful he chose to go with me that day.

i thank You, God. 

sunken treasure no more

Remember where I was going the day the shifter cable collapsed?

 

"Um, what? Wasn't that the start of October?"

 

That's right.

 

"Well, let me think. You were going to Pooler for a movie?"

 

No, I was going there to Miller's Coins, as they are listed at the Better Business Bureau site as a reputable place to exchange and sell coins and foreign currency. I had all that money from Panama, Okinawa, and Europe that I wanted converted into US dollars.

 

"That's hardly worth the trip, is it? Wasn't it like 20 Euros and about 2000 Yen and not even 1 Balboa? What would that be, maybe 30 bucks?"

 

Honestly, I was hoping the age of the coins might make them more valuable. After all, the ones from Panama and Okinawa and Hong Kong are more than 40 years old. I realize the Euros aren't that old, nor are the Loonies of Canada. I just wanted to get them exchanged for money I could spend here. I need to buy some clothes, in particular long pants, and I'd like to do that without using my credit card.

 

"Gotcha."

 

I'd even emailed Joey, the man in charge, before the trip then, to make sure he'd take the foreign coins. I also wanted to see if he'd buy the Atocha coin. I figured I might need an appointment to sell that one. However, he'd replied the next day, with it okay for me to come any time. So, that's what I'd set out to accomplish that day.

"Good deal! Wait... did you say that piece of silver jewelry you'd bought at Reeds Jewelers so many years ago?? You wanted to sell that piece of world history from that Spanish galleon?! Why not hang on to it and see if someone in the family wanted it?"

 

Ever since I closed the safe deposit box out, I've wanted to get rid of its contents. That's why I gave Mama's pearls to Christina. Most of the stuff had been papers, like insurance policies and that sort of thing. The box at the bank had just been a "safe place" for me to keep them and not lose them. That pendant was made in the 1990's by Mel Fisher's group from the silver real minted at the Potosi mine of Bolivia in the late 1590's to early 1600's during the reign of Phillip III. I had really wanted it when I saw it, but I have to admit: I mostly liked the emeralds. However, due to its worth, it spent most of the time at the bank. In the thirty years I've owned it, I bet I only wore it five or six times. I even made a point of wearing it one time for my passport photo! That way, I'd be able to flash it every time I traveled.

 

"And now, you no longer own it."

 

That's correct. It's to be in the case with other Atocha coins and jewelry, items bought by others during that show in the mid 1990's here in Savannah. Actually, Miller's Coins has three display cases with that stuff.

 

"Was it worth the trip out there?"

 

It was, not just financially, but also for peace of mind. I had to force myself to go there today and I finally realized the reason for my delay. It all hearkened back to that ripoff by the fake DEA agent several years ago. I found myself mentally paralyzed this morning by the dread of getting ripped off by this coin dealer. It was after 1 PM before I finally left home. But the trip went well and no one tried to pressure me into anything. The place had a steady stream of folks selling to Joey, a lot of them repeat customers. I took that as a good sign. And now I have money to buy a few things I need, like another GPS. I've felt a bit stranded ever since my Garmin Nuvi died back in April.

 

"Yes, you really need a new GPS. 'Stranded' is not your style at all."

 

Agreed. Maybe I'll find a new one for Black Friday or Cyber Monday. I want to make sure I stretch that windfall! I'm earmarking some of it for travel next spring, too. I plan to be there with cousin Penny and cuzn Jeff the next time they're at St. George. (smile!)

jazz with kids

The best part of the Winter Jazz Concert at Savannah Country Day?

The absolute pride the two teachers had in their students!

As a retired teacher myself, I recognized that joy evidenced by Alyse Hudson and David Elliott there on the stage.

How wonderful!!!

Here's Ms. Hudson with her 8th graders, bouncing around almost as much as they did!

She started out tonight with 32 students, all in the 6th grade and fairly new to playing their instruments.

They'll get better with experience, but their renditions of "When The Saints Go Marching In" and "Ode To Joy" were still recognizable.

Next up she had 18 students, in the 7th grade, so they were in their second year with their saxophones and trumpets, flutes and trombones.

Yes, their pieces were much smoother and, although I didn't know "Grooved Pavement Ahead" or "Orangutango", I could definitely appreciate them!

Then came her last bunch, the 11 she's having for her 8th grade class.

She put them to work clearing the stage, then had them stand to perform!

And their music?

Such a wide assortment, from the fierceness of "Brass Attack" to the familiarity of "Favorite Things" and the newness of "Back In The Day" - I loved it all!

And she just beamed the entire time, so proud of 'her' kids!

(smile!)

Then it was time for the Upper School Jazz Band to take the stage with their 2 keyboards, 7 saxophones, 6 trumpets, 3 trombones, and rhythm section of bass, drums, and vibes.

Impressive bunch!

Mr. Elliott made sure to note the new instruments that were supplied by the school's fundraising group - kudos to them!

These students really knew how to play them, too, and all seemed to enjoy not only their music makers, but the music they were playing.

Trust me, due to their enthusiasm I was dancing in my seat for "Low Country Shuffle" and "Mas Que Nada"!

I will gladly stand up and dance the next time they perform!

Thanks for the free concert, y'all!

Now, it's time for my free dinner from cousin Penny and Panera.

I'd ordered it on the way, intending to eat at the school's parking lot, but the restaurant was abnormally slow, so I settled for only eating the chips.

I'd kept the bag shut tightly, so the Ciabatta Chicken Pesto Dipper and sauce were both still warm when I got home - nice!

Now, to settle in for "Ghosts" and "Elsbeth" while I dine...

what a busy, different, day I've had!

(smile!)

pre-vening with veterans

It's been a few months since Post 36 of the American Legion has met. 

Even though the construction crew had promised to make Two Firsts a priority...

they couldn't control the city's schedule for inspections during the busy spring and summer...

nor could they control the delivery schedules for all the furniture... 

nor that of all the kitchen equipment.

So when Doug Anderson invited us yesterday to meet, I made it a priority to be there.

He and I and Carl were the only ones to come.

Better three than none!

As the Post 36 Historian, I made sure to take plenty of photos to document the changes.

Kudos to Post 500 for assembling the chairs and stools and tables - excellent work, y'all!

Now, time to hire a staff to operate the bar and kitchen before a hopeful opening on 13 December.

The Certificate Of Occupancy is for 60 patrons and Doug told us there are already people waiting at Hunter Army Air Station for the doors to open.

This has been such a long road!

luncheon with sisters

"You don't have any sisters. You only have brothers."

I have Sisters In Faith! Today, we had our monthly luncheon at Asbury Memorial and there were 71 of us attending!

"Wow. That's twice as many as last month, isn't it?"

I think there might have been over 40 at that one.

"Such a pretty place setting!"

Linda Combs had a program at each of the six tables. Ceecee made the pretty little bracelets for each of us!

"Very nice! And who was the guest speaker this time?"

It was Dawn Rodriguez of The Living Vine. That's a home for up to 6 teen mothers and their babies, to teach them how to live on their own.

"Oh, that's the place that's associated with Blessingdale's Thrift Store, tight? And the home is located where the old Florence Crittenton's house for pregnant girls was?"

Good memory, though it hasn't been called that for many years. As for the thrift shop, they had comedy going on, pre-pandemic. I was glad to hear it was still active. Now that Home Again has closed, I should take the stuff I'd culled to go there over to Blessingdale's so someone can get use from it. You know - it would be good for my excess to go home again with a new owner.

"Very punny, dear! And what have you there?" 

Two last bites. I wasn't sure which food I wanted as the final taste in my mouth. The pecan pie or the mac-n-cheese, which would win out?

"The battle of the sweet versus the savory! Such a decision to make! So, which bite won?"

I chose the savory as the final, though I certainly made sure to savor the sweet beforehand. Such difficult choices! (smile!)

why 2005?

Oh, what a beautiful day!

 

I might have thought I was

in Oklahoma 

had I not known better.

 

(That's an inside joke for those 

who know musicals!)

After letting all that lovely warmth into the house, out I went to get the third movie for this week: the remake of "The Running Man". 

 

I must say, Glen Powell is certainly a handsome 37-year-old man, with all the right bits in all the right places, to paraphrase Meghan Trainor.

However, he's already done that shtick in his movies.

The man best be careful lest he be typecast as eye candy and not a person of substance.

Without Edgar Wright at the helm of this latest version of the story, Powell's antics might well have derailed the scifi movie into comedy.

In fact, none of this week's A*List dances have been quite in step.

"Die My Love", though well-acted, was a bit jumpy in its presentation, which could have been a cheap shot at reinforcing Grace's post-partum descent into madness.

"Now You See Me: Now You Don't"  was certainly full of the magic I love, but it seemed a bit rushed, like they were determined to cram too much movie into too short a running time.

One thing all three movies shared: a fabulous supporting cast, even though many of those actors with street cred - Nick Nolte, Morgan Freeman, and William H. Macy, in these three films - had hardly any screen time.

Enough already!!!

Time for Thanksgiving this evening!

Yes, this was the last Wednesday Night Supper of the fall and that meant: turkey!!!

Plus there were mashed potatoes, green beans, an cranberry sauce!!!

Several folks at Asbury Memorial supplied the desserts, like Danny Lewis and his pumpkin pound cake - so good!

I sat with Pam and Walt again, as well as Lynn Hoerlin and her son and granddaughter, both visiting from Ohio.

I really enjoyed talking about Las Vegas with Meko - she was a delight!

I sure am going to miss these meals with other Asburians!

 

And when I checked the time, 

I found out I could still 

do laundry after all.

 

The last wash at Suds Laundry 

has to be started by 7 PM, 

and it was 6:47 

when I pushed the button.

How very fortunate I was! 

 

This has been a very messy two weeks for me, so messy that my long pants and my fuchsia sweater were both rendered unwearable.

 

As good fortune would have it, the weather has been in the upper 70's, allowing me to wear shorts today.

 

All the more reason to do an emergency wash - 

and go ahead and do the bed linens, too.

 

As I was waiting for the flannel sheets to come out of the dryer, I spotted a penny on the table by my basket.

 

It was not there while I'd been folding clothes.

 

Right place, right time.

 

i thank You, God.

 

Now, time to watch "Wicked" on ABC!

starz in my eyes...

Yes, I have had STARZ in my eyes ever since Veterans Day!

That's when I watched the first of the free movies in this "STARZ in my eyes" Film Festival, given to me by Comcast!

By the time I finished the last one an hour ago - which coincided with the witching hour when the STARZ went out - I'd seen eleven.

Nice little reference to Veterans Day, n'est-ce pas? 

Right place, right time!

 

Let's start with that first choice, shall we?

"Novocaine" (2001) had nothing to do with the same-named movie that I watched at the cinema earlier this year.
Here, Steve Martin is a dentist who has sex with a patient (Helena Bonham Carter) who is a drug addict and thief.
Laura Dern is his girlfriend/Dental hygienist.

The real action comes when the feds arrive to audit his controlled substances that should be in the safe in his office!
Lots of fun, of course!

The next day, I watched a movie with no one I knew.

"Summoning Sylvia" (2023) starts with the premise that 3 gay friends set up a bachelor party for Larry at a haunted house.

One even brings a book to bring forth the ghost of the murdering woman and the son she killed right there at the house, many years ago.
Amazingly, the seance works at same time that Larry's straight, military, homophobic brother-in-law to be shows up, on a dark and stormy night!

Honestly, much better than it could have been!
Nice drag show at the end! 

I followed that up with "Walk Of Shame", (2014), starring Elizabeth Banks as a woman looking to be a news anchor, then having a series of unfortunate events.

That started with borrowing that neon-yellow, skintight dress before going out and getting drunk after she loses the job...

so drunk that she goes home with a stranger (James Marsden) to his place in an unfamiliar part of Los Angeles...

then finds her car has been towed, with her purse and ID in it...

and she has to make her way back to the studio for a second chance at the job.

Nice to see Willie Garson in this, too!

Thursday, I found time to watch two more STARZ offerings.

 "Welcome To Acapulco" (2019) was a clever, fast-paced action flick - yes!

'Matt' is a video game designer who's supposed to fly to Albuquerque, NM, to make a pitch at a nerd conference.
Instead, his friend 'Tony Wood' gets him drunk and has him flying in to Acapulco, Mexico, where folks there think he has a 'package' that they want.
Good thing a CIA agent is there to save him... and become his gf too!
Michael Madsen as a bounty hunter, Paul Sorvino as a corrupt Senator, and a familiar face: William Baldwin as another CIA agent!

I really liked that one.

The next one, "Ace & The Christmas Miracle" (2021), had some poor acting and a weak story, but was still a fun holiday-themed movie.
Jon Lovitz is 'Ace', a horse that only 'Tony' the bug exterminator can hear.
The problem is 'Tony' is a gambler looking for that one big score -
and the horse belongs to a 10-year-old boy's divorced dad, who wants to take the boy from his mom who is a struggling bartender.
With the Christmas Derby coming, can Tony help them?

Like I said, it's a weak story, but still fun.

Friday, I paired some science fiction with another family movie.

"Before I Fall" (2017) started with the narrator saying "most people have tomorrow, but I have only today."
Zoey Deutcsh is 'Sam', a 17-year-old having to relive Valentine's Day over and over, dying at the end of it and waking up just to have to go at it again.
That made it kinda sorta like "Groundhog Day", with her first trying to make better choices, then just being a jerk...
then choosing to be kind and make it the best day for others...
including a loner named Juliette who wants to kill herself.
Really a good movie! 

And I really loved "Thunderbirds"!

In the 2004 movie, Bill Paxton is the dad of the Tracy family, known as "International Rescue", aka the Thunderbirds, the ones to call when the world is in danger.
Allen is the youngest, still in school, so he hasn't been part of the world-saving that's been going on.
Anthony Edwards is the stuttering tech head for the group, and his son hasn't yet played a big role, either.
They get their chance when 'Hood' (Ben Kingsley) sets up a trap that threatens the lives of the Tracy clan.
Can the kids save them in time?
Really good!

Saturday saw me with two that I would definitely see again!

"Smokin' Aces" (2007) attracted me to this one by the pun in the title!
See, Jeremy Piven is 'Buddy "Aces" Israel', a Las Vegas comedian and magician who has been working with the mob and now has a price on his head by those very same people.
Get it? Smoking' Aces? Hahahaha!
Ryan Reynolds and Ray Liotta as FBI men tasked with finding him and keeping him safe so he can testify against the mobsters.
Alicia Keys is an assasin after the bounty for Aces' death!
Ben Affleck is a bounty hunter hired by the bail bondsman (Jason Bateman), out to get Aces for leaving Vegas and running off to Tahoe!
Totally excellent movie with fabulous ending!
Then there was "Sexy Evil Genius", a 2013 film that missed Savannah.

Three people - Miranda, Martin, and Zachary (Seth Green) who don't know each other are summoned to a bar by Miranda, an ex-lover of each, and they all go!
Miranda is a lesbian ex-junkie, Martin is a jazz musician, and Zachary is the boyfriend she dumped after high school.
And why did she summon them?
So they could meet her new boyfriend, 'Bert' (William Baldwin), who is also the criminal lawyer who defended her in a murder case for killing her stalker (Anthony Michael Hall).
Say what???
Lots of twists and hidden agendas and surprisingly good! 

Then, tonight, I finished up with two that featured female leads.

Yes, indeed, these took me from the world of fashion depicted in "Phat Girlz" to the world of porn to "Meet Monica Velour" - woohoo!

In the 2006 movie, "Pretty Hot And Tasty" 'Jazmin' (Mo'Nique) has fashion designs she's sure will change the world, but she can't get a meeting with the boss (Eric Roberts) of the clothing store she works in.
She wins a trip to Palm Springs and goes with her bestie and her cousin and they find three wealthy Nigerian doctors there for a conference who go gaga over the voluptuous bodies of her and her bestie and it looks like love is hers at last!
Then a misunderstanding sends her and her girls back to LA to sulk.
But she meets with her boss and he helps launch her fashions as "Thick Madame", what the Nigerian had called her.
Really a good flick about accepting yourself as you are!

Then there's the other movie, which is from 2010.

Kim Cattrall had been the queen of porn two decades ago, starring in hundreds, like "Pork And Mindy" and "Frankenbooty" as well as a "Star Wars" ripoff, "Long Journey Into Kate".
That's the favorite 'Monica Velour' movie for 'Toby', newly graduated teen kid who drives the Weenie mobile and lives with his grandpa (Brian Dennehy) and thinks of the girl next door when he's not watching porn and dreaming of 'Monica'.
'Toby' wants a change so he puts the Weenie mobile up for sale and has a buyer in Indiana... where 'Monica' is having an appearance!
So off he goes on an adventure, getting some money and getting to spend time with the woman of his dreams!

I totally enjoyed it! 

So very nice to have found eleven movies that were all new to me!

(smile!)