March 31

Paula Rubin finally beat the VA people to the punch as she correctly identified the quote: "The only thing we had in common is that she was from Iowa, and I had once heard of Iowa." came from Field of Dreams which was released in 1989 starring Kevin Cosner.

Here's another quote from one of my favorite movies:

"Don't worry! As long as you hit the wire with the connecting hook at precisely eighty-eight miles per hour the instant the lightning strikes the tower.....everything will be fine!"

On Netflix:

The Last Time I Saw My Father - This British movie starring Jim Bradbent and Colin Firth, two fine actors, had the makings of a heart tugging, lovely movie. Instead it was prodding and slow moving. The story has been done time and time again where father and son try to come to terms as one is dying. It was like watching paint dry. These are time when I am happy to have Netflix knowing I didn't pay at a minimum $6.00 to see this movie in the theater. It was dreadful to use a British term.

On HBO

"The First Ladies' Detective Agency" - Although I didn't like this book and only read the first one in the series, the HBO limited series was delightful. The scenery is beautiful, the story engaging and the actors are well cast. I particularly like the actress playing the secretary. She is a hoot. It is interesting to have a series set in Botswana, and an all African cast. This casting keeps true to the story which shows how far we have come since the golden days of TV. HBO repeats many of their episodes so if you missed the first one, check the listings for a repeat. I believe there are six in this series and will air on Sundays. Check you TV listings for the time. This week it was from 8-10, but I believe the rest will be an hour long so I don't know which hour they will choose.

Dancing With The Stars:

Not much has changed this week. The four top contenders are still in contention with Gilles on top with a sizzling Argentine tango. Shawn was adorable as usual with more of a gymnastic routine than Lindy. Melissa was lively in the Lindy will great lifts and Lil Kim was super with her tango.

The surprise of the night was Ty Murray. I was anxious to see him do a dance other than ballroom well and he did a great Lindy. David Alan Grier did a very energetic Lindy as well and I see the two of the in the solid middle.

I thought Lawrence Taylor's tango was just OK and Holly had improved from last week and I didn't see her fall at the beginning of the dance so I put them in the bottom middle.

Once again the two Steves were horrible. Steve O was painful to watch and Steve W is clueless. Sy said throughout the dances he could do better!

If there is any justice, the two Steves should go tonight, but it will probably be one of them, you pick, and Holly. Watch tonight to see the results.

Book Recommendations:

Since I've retired, I've caught up on reading a number of good books and would like to share these selections with you although I am sure most of you have read some of them already:

Case of a Lifetime by Abbe Smth - Without giving much away this non fiction book deals with a person who was accused of a crime with only one witness and what happens to her. It is a good read.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - I didn't care for this book in its entirety. The Eat and Love part were fine, but the Pray left me flat. The writer writes well, but it was just OK to me.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini was wonderful. He previously wrote The Kite Runner. This novel deals more with the women of Afghanistan and is a quick read. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down.

Although it is starting to be beautiful outside here on the East Coast, there is always time to watch a movie, TV program and read.

Roberta

March 24

I guess the quote: "Bring the dog: I love animals.....I'm a great cook." wasn't as hard as I thought. Lucy Cannon was the first correct answerer with Fatal Attraction starring Glenn Close, Michael Douglas and Anne Archer. It was released in 1987.

This quote comes from a movie Sy really likes. I wonder if he knows the quote: "The only thing we had in common is that she was from Iowa, and I had once heard of Iowa."

With out of town company, I did not have time to watch any Netflix this week, but did have some interesting entertainment activities.

Smithsonian Series:

A group of us attend a series from the Smithsonian Associates and I wanted to bring it to your attention. Every few months Robert Wyatt an American music specialist highlights a different composer. This last one was a Salute to Ira and George Gershwin. It was wonderful. Not only does Mr. Wyatt give you a great background on the composers, but plays clips from movies in which their songs appear and various musical selections from the Broadway shows they have been connected with. Mr. Wyatt is a musical scholar, plays the piano (not during the lecture), teaches on the University level and is an extremely engaging speaker. The lecture runs for a little over two hours, but he totally engages his audience. Previous lectures were on Rogers and Hammerstein and Cole Porter. The June lecture is on Alan J. Lerner. As the date nears, I'll remind you of it. If you are a Smithsonian Associate Member the admission is $30 or $27 for Seniors. Regular admission is $40. Be aware that if you sit near Laurie Podell or me we tend to sing along!

Regional Theater:

The Full Monty - Once again The Reston players have pulled off a daring production. The Fully Monty was almost three hours of hoots and hollers. The story line is thin, but it is so much fun. They pulled it off (no pun intended) in a very discrete manner. Judging from the response of the audience, everyone had a great time. If you don't know the story or don't know what the full monty means, just google it, but if you go to the show, don't bring the kids!. It will be at the Reston Community Center for one more weekend. I know the tickets are hot, so call right away.

On TV and my picks:

"Dancing With The Stars" - Not much has changed since last week. Once again the four top contenders are:

Shawn Johnson What poise for a young lady. I emphasize the word lady.
Gilles What a hot Samba.
Melissa Very smooth
Lil Kim The weakest of the four, but tries her heart out and does a great job

Middle of the pack:

David Alan Grier I think the judges gave him higher scores than I would have.
Ty Murray Great in the "stiff" ballroom dances. Am waiting to see him in a Latin number, but a great trouper.
Lawrence Taylor Came into his own this week, but having Editya as his partner in my opinion in a liability not an asset

Not quite in the middle:

Denise Richards This week her dancing was flat
Holly Madison Her performance lacks substance

Once again in the bottom of the heap:

Steve-O This week you have to give him credit. It was obvious he was in pain, needs to go and rest
Steve W. I know he is a genius, but he must be on the spectrum (those of you in Special Ed know what I mean). His comments are always strange!
Needs to go as well.

Who will go? After last week I am afraid to make a prediction, but I'll say it will be Steve W., but I wouldn't be surprised if either Denise Richards or Holly Madison goes. I believe that Steve-O's fans will keep him on for another day.

Tune in tonight after the President's speech to see who wins.

Until then, enjoy.

Roberta

March 9

Once again Yolanda Maldonado came up with correct answer identifying the quote: "But Mama the men she finds.The last one was so old and he was bald. He had no hair. A poor girl without a dowry can't be so particular. You want hair, marry a monkey." came from Fiddler on the Roof.

This one is a lot harder: "Bring the dog: I love animals.....I'm a great cook."

Although I don't have any movie to review yet, I wanted to get this out before "Dancing With The Stars" went on tonight and they eliminated the first couple.

Here's my run down:

The four top performers remain the same, but in this order in my opinion:

Melissa Did a hot salsa
Gilles Elegant quick step
Lil Kim Nicely done quick step
Shawn Appropriate salsa

The Middle of the Pack in order according to me:

Ty Murray The quick step was made for him as he is so stiff
Denise Richards Surprised me with her good quick step
Lawrence Taylor Did a nice job with the salsa
Chuck Although the judges were hard on him, he was fine and is very nice on the eyes
David Alan Grier Lots of standing around and not enough dancing
Holly Still needs to get up to par

Bottom Two

Steve -o Didn't even do an appropriate dance; might have to withdraw due to injury saving
Steve W He's having a great time, but as Sy said he looks like a walrus

I think Steve-O should go. He is not taking it seriously and that's why he got hurt. Steve W. really enjoys it, but is terrible. If I have to pick one it will probably by Steve W simply because he does not have the same fan base as Steve-O. Tune in tonight at 9:00 to see if I am right.

Roberta

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March 11

Once again many of you knew that " I run a couple of newspapers. What do you do?" was from Citizen Kane, but Yolanda Maldonado was the first correct answerer with Eric Sherman once again hot on her heels. Citizen Kane starring Orson Wells and Joseph Cotton was released in 1941 way before most of us were born, but a good movie is can be enjoyed long after its release.

Try your hands at this week's quote:

"But Mama the men she finds. The last one was so old and he was bald. He had no hair"
"A poor girls with out a dowry can't be so particular. You want hair, marry a monkey."

From Carol Frank:

Just watched The Changeling.

It's so apparent why Angelina Jolie was nominated for an Oscar. She was wonderful.

I really liked this movie; more than the critics.

It's based on a true story and is quite dramatic. Some parts are hard to watch, but integral to the

story. I suggest it go on your Netflix list.

Not sure if I e- mailed that I also rented W.. Thought it was OK. Interesting portrayal of George W. Bush.

My friend Susan (NJ) really liked it and she actually felt sorry for him in some parts. His relationship with his dad

and family was portrayed as very contentious, so she felt bad for him.

I did not feel that way at all.

Maybe 2 out of 5 stars.

On Netflix:

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 - Sometimes you just need a feel good movie and this one meets the bill. Although Sy thought it was a chick flick times four, he watched it all the way through with me. The stars are adorable with the typical problems college age students have and all the stories tie up in a package with a nice little bow. If you can suspend reality for almost two hours, it is nice to not think about the world problems and settle in on a nice movie. Most of the major stars are known to you especially through TV i.e. America Ferrera is 'Ugly Betty"; Alexis Bledel was Rory in "Gillmore Girls," Amber Tamblyn was Joan in "Joan of Arcadia" and Blake Lively was in "Gossip Girl."

On Netflix and HBO

American Gangster - This film is over a year old, but I just got around to watching it on HBO. It is the true story of Frank Lucus a drug kingpin from Harlem and the detective who brought him down with tireless police work, Richie Roberts. Two of our best actors in my opinion star in this film, Denzel Washington as Lucus and Russell Crowe as Roberts. Although it is almost three hours in length, the story is very engaging. There is much violence, but it is all important to the storyline. If you haven't seen it, either put it high on your Netflix list or look for its next showing on either HBO or a commercial channel.

On TV

"Dancing With The Stars "- After watching Monday night, I have divided the pack into three major divisions: top, middle and bottom. I have divided the middle into two sub groups: middle and low middle. Keep in mind this is the first week and the list can change quickly.

Top:

Lil Kim Cracked up when she dedicated her dance to the girls in the prison
Gilles Marini As many of you know, Sy loves Cheryl, but this dance was very sexy
Melissa from The Bachelor It is obvious she was chosen due to dancing ability. There is no way she could have come up to speed so quickly without it.
Shawn Johnson What a cutie, I am afraid her age will work against her, but did a great job.

Middle

Chuck Wicks He and Julianne made a lovely couple. Hope the dancing skills come up.
David Alan Grier Has a great partner in Kim Johnson so might improve
Denise Richards Also has a great partner, but needs to lighten up
Lawrence Taylor Coupled with Edyta which in my books is a disadvantage. Needs to loosen up

Middle Low

Belinda Carlisle Very stiff. Reminds me of Pricilla Presely
Holly Madison Since she just started, will see how she progresses
Ty Murry Very out of his element, but actually did a bit better than I thought.

Low

Steve-O What a character, I don't think dancing is his thing.
Steve Wozniak What can I say, reminds me of Steve Guttenburg from last season. Dancing is not his thing. He'll be the first to go!

In the meantime, enjoy.

Roberta

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A Good Credit S

March 5

Well I guess the last quote was quite easy as many of you identified " The 1961 Ferrari 250GT California. Less than a hundred were made. My father spent three years restoring this car. It is his love, it is his passion. It is his fault he didn't lock the garage." from Ferris Bueller's Day Off starring Matthew Broderick back in 1986. Emily Cope was right on her blackberry as she correctly identified it just minutes after it was posted. I need to give a shout out to Eric Sherman who answered in the morning as well, but on California time.

The following quote is from an old movie, but one many of you should know. Read the quote carefully as it gives you a great hint. Good luck!
"I run a couple of newspapers. What do you do?"

On Netflix:

The Dutchess - Keira Knightley once again plays a Victorian lady; this time Lady Devonshire. Locked in a loveless marriage with the Duke played by Ralph Fiennes, she looks elsewhere for love as does the Duke. It is entertaining and makes you happy we all live in the time of free choice. Although a true story, they all seem to feel the same. Sy even said as we watched isn't this The Other Boleyn Girl , but the scenery, costumes (Oscar winner) and music is worth the watch.

On Netflix and HBO

Fool's Gold - Think a poor man's National Treasure with not as good a plot or acting and you have Fool's Gold. It stars two very pretty people, Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson as exes looking for a treasure. Donald Southerland plays a wealthy individual whose relationship with his dim witted daughter is strained. A very predictable plot. I would say it is nice to look at these people, but McConaughey although handsome could do with a haircut.

TV Alert

"Dancing With The Stars" returns to ABC this Monday with a two hour show. I don't know the times as yet, but assume 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. For those of you, like me, who are "House" fans you'll have to tape the show or DVR it. If you don't have either, 24 hours after a show is shown on ABC you can go on to ABC.com and see the entire episode with limited commercial messages. It's a good way to catch up when you forget to set your machines. Starting next week, I'll be giving you my pick for who will be eliminated. Feel free to voice your choices as well through our emails or the blog at robertasreviews@blogspot.com

Enjoy,

Roberta

Important Message

You may have done this before-but please do so again and pass it along to other women.

Many thanks, Estelle
* I* 6*Y
Please tell ten friends to tell ten friends today!

The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman..

It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' -- for free (pink window in the middle). This does not cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate a mammogram in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Please pass it along to people you know.

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

March 2, 2009

Last week many of you knew that "You're gonna need a bigger boat." came from "Jaws" which was released in 1975 and starred Roy Scheider,Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss, but the first correct answer came from Carol Frank. Congratulations!

This week's quote is: "The 1961 Ferrari 250GT California. Less than a hundred were made. My father spent three years restoring this car. It is his love, it is his passion. It is his fault he didn't lock the garage."

On Netflix:

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - When I first started watching the video, I thought "A teeny-bopper" flick what was I thinking," but to my great surprise it actually got better and quite enjoyable. Although it had some laughs in it, I would not categorize it as a comedy, more a dramedy. The main character was quite likeable and the new boyfriend a hoot. It has a bit of male frontal nudity and the language racy, but the story quite sweet.

Instantly on Netflix:

Priceless - This delightful French farce stars Audrey Tautou who starred with Tom Hanks in The DaVinci Code. Suffice to say, it is a feel good, romantic movie. Without giving much away, there is a bit of a twist when a young man falls in love with this beautiful girl and how he finally wins her heart. I don't like to watch movies on the computer, but since I didn't have another Netflix to watch, I did the next best thing.

On TNT and sure to be repeated:

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story - This is the true story of the gifted surgeon Ben Carson head of pediatriac neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins. It is one of those feel good movies where a person overcomes hardship and succeeds beyond the expectations of many except of course his Mother. There areparts of the story that could have been developed better, but Cuba Gooding Jr. does a nice job in the starring role. I especially recommend this to teachers of students who think they will never get ahead and need to believe in themselves.

It is snowing on the East coast; a good day to catch up on movies. Stay dry, warm and safe.

Enjoy,

Roberta

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A Good Cr