stepping out on amc with ncg

"What does that mean? Does the NCG Cinema have a special movie-goer's deal like AMC's A*List?"

 

It does not, but the dances over there have been much more enticing!

 

"What does that mean??"

 

AMC seems to expect me to keep doing the same few twirls over and over, week after week, without bringing in something new to tempt my tootsies. I guess they're trying to please the horror fans more than anyone else right now. I've only seen one movie with my A*List, and it, like the last two I had, aren't anything I care to ever repeat. However, NCG is more than willing to give me something that moves my groove thing! I was just there this morning, for the third time this week, and I most def danced!!! Ivan and Peyton didn't, but that was their choice.

 

"Oh, those are Laura's visiting grandkids, right?"

 

Correct! Today was the last Summer Camp flick, so they went to "Shrek The Third" with me. But they didn't dance during the end credits. I sure did! Gotta dance to Sly & The Family Stone!!! Ivan did shuffle a bit, but not her.

 

"Hey, she's 11, she's already 5'4", and she would terrify Sheldon Cooper with her pale skin and red hair combination. I'm sure she mostly tries not to draw attention to herself. Your dancing self probably had her trying to shrink out of sight!"

 

Yeah, I'm sure you're right... but I danced anyway! Then we three dined at Cici's. This is their last week in Savannah, so I wanted to spend a bit more time with them. Glad I did!

"So, what else have you seen at NCG?"

 

This was on Monday! I passed on Music Bingo to check out the $5 Mystery Movie, and I am so glad I did! It was one I've been looking forward to, called "Sketch", and it was fabulous!!! True, it was a little scary at first, but I hung in there, as did the kids in the audience, and we were all thrilled with the end!!!

 

"That's the one about the little girl whose mom died, right?"

 

Yes, that's right. The girl always loved drawing, but now her images have become monsters, not Butt-erflies. That was an inside joke with her mom, see?

 

"Oh, that's cute! And sad, too."

 

Right, it was both, a bittersweet concoction. I very much liked it and look forward to seeing it again.

 

"I'm sure you do! But you need to clarify something. You said you'd been over at NCG three days running, but you're missing Tina Tuesday."

 

It isn't missing, just not touched upon yet! Patience, dearie! I'd even asked Sandy to go with me for it, but she'd had a busy day and wasn't up for a 9:05 PM flick.

 

"That late?!"

The cinema only had two screenings a day of "Oh, Hi!" and I missed the matinee because I had a luncheon with Dawn. We even had a nice long chat at "our" Thai place! Plus she brought me a big bag of pork burnt ends, as well as a big bag of pork belly for the physicist! I look forward to munching on all that!

 

"I'm so glad you two got together! That was on Tina Tuesday, too?"

 

It was, which was why I had no worries, as that was 6-buck movie day there at NCG! I liked the premise of "Oh, Hi!", so I'd taken a chance... and I loved the movie! Very modern, very hip, thirty-something rom-com, with a side of bdsm thrown in for good measure - hahahaha!!! It must be a sleeper, 'cause the place should have been packed. As it was, I found out afterward that Linda G - the woman I used to volunteer at the Lucas with and who shows up at many of the same events I do - was sitting right behind me the whole time! I need to make it a point to get her phone number so we can maybe deliberately be at the same things.

 

"Yes, you should definitely do that. You have a gap in your social circle that needs filled, so just do it already!"

 

I will, I promise. (smile!) As for that movie, I can't say I know who Molly Gordon or Logan Lerman are, but they worked well off each other as the leads, 'Iris' and 'Isaac'. However, it's John Reynolds I want to see more of! He played the boyfriend of the bff of 'Iris' and I loved every minute of his screen time!!! He reminds me so much of Jason Segel, who I've loved for a couple of decades. I hope I can see Reynolds in something else soon!

 

"I hope you do, too. All of those actors seem to be hot in the streaming services. Maybe Peacock will pick up their series."

 

We'll see! Fingers crossed!

pizza luncheon with 2 little girls!

 

Here is that sassy duo!

We were waiting for Christina to step away from the register at NCG Cinema and, when I asked them to pose, that sassiness came bursting out in full force!

Glad to know they take after me through nurture, since they cannot by nature.

We are linked forever by love!

(smile!)

And we were linked together at this viewing of "Clifford, The Big Red Dog", with the four of us sitting in the front row and laughing at the antics of the 12-year-old girl and the pet she received from Mr. Bridwell!

 

Yes, I had just seen it yesterday, but I had not seen it with them... and that makes all the difference!

Getting to laugh at the dog playing 'fetch' it in their company -

getting concerned when the corporation tries to take the puppy away -  

getting misty-eyed when the girl has to say goodbye at the ship -

yes, much better with Miyah and Chloe there with me!

As for Christina, she had a little nap in between scenes.

Hahahaha!

Then, off to Cici's Pizza for our luncheon!

I must say, this summer has really shown how much the girls have grown emotionally - they will be so much more ready for school this fall!

They both listen better, for starters.

My first niece even says they do well at entertaining themselves on rainy afternoons or hot evenings when the weather prompts them to stay indoors.

Good for them!!!

I am so proud of how much they have matured!

That's not to say they don't have their silly moments...

but so do I.

Good for them!!!

(smile!)

movie here, movie there, mileage in between

First thing this morning, I was off to see John Cleese!

I do so love that man with the twinkling eyes!!!

NCG had "Clifford The Big Red Dog" as their Summer Camp movie this week and so I knew the Brit would be there!

Surprisingly, Peyton's clone was in that movie, too!

Long curly red hair, pale skin, 6th grade - well, I guess Darby Camp is a year older than her.

I'm so glad the screening room was full of others who enjoyed the movie!

Although being the sole audience member doesn't detract from my enjoyment of a movie, I admit to getting an extra hit of merriment when others are there who are as actively engaged as I am.

Right place, right time, as confirmed by my odometer when home.

I was striving for a palindrome, but didn't quite make it.

Still, that mileage of 242042 was good enough to make me smile!

Encouraged, I checked Georgia Gateway about my Medicaid application.

It still lists mine as awaiting the caseworker's determination of my eligibility for those Medical Benefits that I had until April.

While the caseworker works on this, I have to pay the Medicare Part B premium, which means my Social Security check has been $185.00 short for three months.

That's a pretty hard hit to my budget.

Hopefully, that will be straightened out soon.

Thankfully, I had free entertainment tonight... and with my brothers!

When I called Smitty earlier to sing to him, he mentioned that he and Mary were going to Compassion Christian East for the "At The Movies" kickoff.

Most excellent!

Tony and Laura had spoken of that on Sunday, telling me that the movie selected to be sermonized was "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring".

I knew that story well, as I once owned that trilogy in paperback form.

So, I made a plan to show up and surprise my brothers and their wives!

That worked out perfectly, as Laura spotted me at the door and waved me over to where they sat - hooray!

Very well done, the sermon was, inferring a comparison of the mysticism of the Ring (in the movie) to the mysticism of the Holy Grail (in the Christian Bible), though the inference was not direct.

Afterward, I was able to give Smitty a birthday hug and talk about his left eye.

Then I got big hugs from Mary, Tony, Laura, and Peyton - fabulous!

And after a bit of a chat about the movie and life, more hugs!

(smile!)

Bonus points to me for coming out on a rainy night, too.

i Thank You, God.

summer kids at the SKFF2025!

 

I say that Peyton and Ivan are "summer kids", but that isn't for sure.

They are Tony and Laura's grandkids from her eldest son, Josh.

Ivan is 13, due to be 14 in October, and he's a very well-mannered kid.

His sister, Peyton, is like the twins, in that she is 11 going on 21.

She's never had a phone before and has zero phone etiquette, prompting me to take both of their phones during the movie. 

Their status is up in the air as to whether they are in town just until school starts back up in August or if they'll be returning to Missouri before that.

 

All I know for sure is they were here with me for this third film in the NCG Summer Camp SKFF2025!

"Madagascar" was our treat today and we all sat in the front row, of course!

I've been giving that tendency of mine some thought and I believe I have reasoned out why I like sitting in the front.

I thank Keith Burnett for that.

He's the one who had me sit in the front for "Star Wars", back when I was 19, and I developed a habit of doing so.

No heads in the way and no distracting phone lights, either!

(smile!)

Later, I'll be watching the advance screening of "F1 The Movie" with Carolyn.

That will be in the Big-D screening room at AMC.

She and I won't be sitting together, though.

She likes to sit halfway up in the upper center section.

There's a reason why she does that: so she can watch the reactions of the other people all around her.

She's definitely a people-watcher at the cinema.

Not me.

I want to feel like I'm part of the movie, and I can't do that if I'm distracted by the presence of others.

Different strokes for different folks!

That will finish out my AMC A*List, too.

How fitting that I should start it, and end it, with Carolyn!

We'd seen "Sitaare Zaneen Par" last Friday at high noon.

I'd very much enjoyed that Indian film!

It was so much like the 2023 movie "Champions", that Woody Harrelson was in, that I knew what to expect on screen.

Marvelous sports movie with people who had mental disabilities, but lots of heart and lots of good attitude!

Then, in the middle, I'd danced with little "Elio" in outer space, as he searched for his mom in that vastness.

I could certainly relate to his great sense of loss.

What a mixed bag of movies I've had for this A*List!

toys in the attic (and elsewhere)

This morning, I started my day with this movie about toys.
I was given free popcorn.
(Free drink, too!)
"The Lego Movie" was part of the Carmike Cinema's Summer Kid series of films.
Tonight, I will end my day with a movie about toys.
I will also receive free popcorn.
"Transformers: Age of Extinction" begins in about thirty minutes, making it a night flick, but thanks to Dealflicks and Spotlight Eisenhower Square, it won't cost me but a few bucks more than I paid this morning.
(The drink will be extra, if I choose to buy one.)
What a wonderful life!

I had seen "The Lego Movie" earlier this year, on February 18. Then, on March 16, while marking time waiting for the bfe's flight back from Canada, I arranged the pieces of the display and snapped the above photo. (That movie had some staying power, for its marketing materials to still be out in the cinema lobby!)
At the time, I thought it was a post-apocalyptic bit of fantasy and very much enjoyed it. So, I'd been looking forward to seeing it again, when I saw it was on the summer schedule.
Today, I realized something else: this film bears a striking resemblance to "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who"!!!
What a revelation!
Seriously, just hear me out.
(All subreferences intended!)
The correlation between the two does exist.
Both movies are about imaginary, small, worlds populated by inhabitants who are mostly unaware of their presence in a much larger world.
Both movies feature main characters in the larger world who are trying to convince others in their world of the presence of life in the small world.
For the most part, the inhabitants of the small world are oblivious to the fact that outside forces are at work, either for or against them.
Sure, the details differ.
One movie is completely animated and both worlds are imaginary, whereas the one I watched today had both animated fiction and live action reality.
In one movie, one of the inhabitants of the small world must convince the others of the presence of the large world in order to save their wish-puff from being scattered into the four winds. In this morning's movie, the inhabitants of the small world are never aware of the outside world. Not once.
So, off I go to see Optimus Prime! Will he save Earth?
I sure hope so!!!
(smile!)

summer kid, that's me!

That is one giant bumblebee!
Though, in truth,
it probably isn't any larger than this one.
But perspective is the key.
When you've been shrunk to the size of the Leafmen, size definitely matters!

I've really been enjoying my animation film festival!
While it's true that not all of the movies in the cinemas' series of summer-morning films are animated, a good many are.
That's fine with me!
Especially when they include race scenes or swordfights or pirates!
Not that pirates are in "Epic". Because they are most certainly not.
But I would not have minded if they were.
(smile!)
I was a little late joining the summer-morning films this year.
I did not see my first one until Tuesday, June 10th. But what an awesome first film for my personal Summer Kid Film Festival - "How To Train Your Dragon"!!! Toothless, my lovely Night Fury dragon!!! Woohoo!!!
To get to see the original days before the sequel came out was... aWeSOmE!!!
(Yes, I know I already said it, but it bore repeating.)
That first film of my SKFF was at the Royal Cinema in Pooler. They were the only ones that offered that favorite movie for me. Their summer films had started the week before. The movies screen on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 AM and cost one dollar. Popcorn and a drink can be had for only $4.
Two weeks would pass before I was able to continue with my Summer Kid Film Festival. (Hey, I'm pretty busy in the summer, with travels and such. You, too, right?)
That second film, on June 25th, was "The Croods", at the Spotlight Cinema. Great movie about family, adventure, and daughter-father relationships. The Spotlight group screens their summer-morning films on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, at 10 AM. They are the only cinema that offers three days of these kid movies - and they are also the only ones at which the movies are free. To encourage them to continue, I usually buy the kid-sized tray of popcorn, soda, and candy. (It's only about $5.)
The very next day, I went to my third film as a Summer Kid: "Despicable Me"!!! That was at the Carmike Cinema. A mere $4 gets you the movie, popcorn, and a drink. Their Summer Kid Series is held only on Thursdays, so keep that in mind.
Up to this point, I had previously seen the movies. None were new to me.
Not so for the fourth film! "The Adventures of Tintin", about an investigative boy reporter and his dog, had somehow escaped me when it came out three years ago. I'm so glad the Summer Movie Express at the Regal Cinema brought it for me on this first day of July!
By the way, their summer films are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and cost just one dollar. Popcorn can be had for just a few dollars more. Two of them, in fact. Dollars, not popcorns.
On July 3rd, I was back at the Carmike for "Despicable Me 2", for more fun with Minions and the three once-orphaned girls Gru had adopted - adorable! What great timing! Just one week after the cinema had screened the original! I bet they did that on purpose!
(smile!)
And that brings us to this week and today.
My Summer Kid Film Festival has had five movies so far, all animated.
I wonder what the rest of the festival will bring?
I'll be sure to let you know...