October 23

Carol Frank and Mark Bunney were the only two who correctly identified "Today everything is different. There's no action. I have to wait around like everyone else. Can't even get decent food. Right after I got here I ordered some spaghetti with marinara sauce and I got egg noodles and catsup. I'm an average nobody."coming from Good Fellas

Try This one:

"They're skilled munitions workers. They're essential. Essential girls. Their fingers polish the insides of shell metal casings. How else am I to polish the insides of a forty-five millimeter shell casing? You tell me, you tell me."

At local theaters:

The Ides of March - This is the Ryan Gosling season. First we saw him in Drive and now The Ides of March. What a different role and what a good job he did with it. This is a great movie to see if you love the workings of politics and a political campaign. It is said to be based on the Howard Dean campaign manager. The cast is first rate. George Clooney looks presidential and Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti as opposing campaign managers are super as well. Marisa Tomei has a small role, but does it well. A movie worth seeing.

On Netflix:

The Concert - This French film is billed as a comedy, but at most it is a dramady. It is a story about a maestro who had been disgraced 30 years prior during a performance by the Russians due to his resistance in letting go his Jewish musicians. It tells how he gathers his former colleagues together to play for the French. He also has another secret which comes out in the movie. The music is glorious and the film engaging. It was up for a Foreign Film Academy Award.

On Netflix and the New channel I found:

No Strings Attached - This movie came out before Friends With Benefits which is a much better film. The real problem here is that I felt there was a lack of chemistry between the leads: Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. Kutcher does not do it for me as a leading romantic male star. Portman does best in dramas. It is not a horrible film, but since the other has come out, it pales in comparison. Kevin Kline does a good job as Kutcher's father. See both and decide for yourself.

The choice of films is slim this week. I hope some better ones arrive at the theaters soon!

Roberta

October 16

Carol Frank, Betty, Yolanda were correct in identifying "But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal. An institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the ignorant man the equal of any president, and the stupid man the equal of Einstein. That institution is the court." from To Kill a Mockingbird.

Try this one:

"Today everything is different. There's no action. I have to wait around like everyone else. Can't even get decent food. Right after I got here I ordered some spaghetti with marinara sauce and I got egg noodles and catsup. I'm an average nobody."

On Netflix:

Barney's Version - I must admit that I like Paul Giamatti and he stars in this film as Barney Panofsky a Jewish Canadian television producer who recalls his life with his three wives. I didn't recognize Minnie Driver as his second wife. The story really focuses on his life with his third wife. Throughout, he tends to hurt those who love him the most. It is a poignant story. Dustin Hoffman plays his father and is wonderful in the role.

Just Go With It - Although you will know the ending of the film as soon as it begins, it was quite enjoyable. Jennifer Aniston plays Sandler's assistant and Adam Sandler is a plastic surgeon. Brooklyn Decker ss Sandler's latest love interest. You won't recognize Nicole Kidman as Aniston's college roommate.. Although I usually don't like Adam Sandler, he is very good in this role, but the scene stealers are the two actors playing Aniston's children. They are wonderful. Sy and I laughed out loud. Gone With The Wind it isn't, but for an enjoyable movie, rent this one.

Community Theater:

The Drowsy Chaperone at the Reston Community Center - This play first appeared on Broadway in 2006 and ran for over 600 performances. It did win some minor Tony Awards. The Reston Players did a fine job with it. It is a homage to musicals of old. The main character is listening to the recording of this play and it comes to life in his living room. Although the songs are forgettable, it was an enjoyable way to spend an evening. Our only complaint was the projection of some of the actors as we could not hear their voices when they sang or spoke and we were sitting in the sixth row! For a cheap night of theater, see this performance.

Nice Place to Visit:

Gettysburg - This week some friends and I went to Gettysburg. Believe it or not, Sy and I had never been there. It is a short ride from Norther Virginia about 90 minutes. We chose to stay over in a Bed and Breakfast. We started our day at the visitor's center with their movie, cyclorama and museum. This gave us a wonderful overview of this famous battle. The museum is first rate and we spent more than two hours there. That evening we ate in a wonderful restaurant and enjoyed the company of our friends. The next day we had an unusual type of tour. We had a personal tour of the battlegrounds. The guide actually came into our car and drove it to all the important sites of the battle ground. He was so knowledgeable and we learned so much. As I said it is only about 90 minutes away, so you could do it in a day. You won't be disappointed!

DWTS:

Can't believe that Chaz is still on and the last two stars voted off. Although Ricki Lake and RJ Martinez are good, I can't think of a third star who deserves to make the finals. Every season I say this is the last for me, but I keep coming back!

Enjoy the lovely fall weather at least until it starts to rain again here in the east.

Roberta

October 7

Carol Frank, Yolanda and Betty correctly identified "I have plenty to say to women. I've been an unemployed actor for twenty years, George. You know that. I know what it's like to sit by the phone waiting...for it to ring. And when I finally get a job, I have no control. Everybody else has the power and I got zip." coming from Tootsie.

Try this one:

"But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal. An institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the ignorant man the equal of any president, and the stupid man the equal of Einstein. That institution is the court."


On Netflix:

Made in Dagenham - This film is based on the true story of the 1968 labor strike by hundreds of women who rebelled against discrimination and demanded the same pay as men for their work in a London Ford manufacturing plant. Their success led to the equal pay law in England which spread to all industrialized countries at that time. The film has an entire English cast. Sally Hawkins stars with Miranda Richardson and Bob Hoskins as her co stars. It is a bit slow and I watched it in two sittings to make it more watchable. I also put the subtitles on to make sure I didn't miss any of the dialogue. Can't say if I really liked it or not, so see for yourself.

Waiting for Superman - I actually watched this on a new network I found recently on my Cox subscription. It is call Epix who show pretty new movies. Unfortunately for those of you who have Comcast or Direct TV, they are not offering this channel. Anyway, I recorded this documentary a few nights ago and boy did it hit home. As an educator, I found it something that I knew, but also disturbing. Believe it or not, I do not believe in tenure. When people do not have to earn their jobs day by day or year by year, some tend to become lazy. This is not only in schools, but look at our government! I am sure all my teacher friends can think of one or two teachers who are in the system and should not be there. The people who suffer are the kids. Some schools are doing amazing things, but remember all charter schools are not alike. So although I applaud this film, you have to take it with a grain of salt too. If you are an educator, do yourself a favor and see it with an open mind and if you are not, please do not categorize all teachers who teach in the public schools as bad and/or lazy.

On Netflix and Instant Streaming:

Shine of Rainbows - Since I had to stay indoors and relax while recuperating from some dental surgery, I watched this film on instant streaming through our Wii. It is an Irish movie starring Connie Nielsen and Aiden Quinn. Since you cannot show subtitles on the Wii system. (I don't know how to do it and if someone does, please let me know.) at times it was hard to understand the actors. It is a tearjerker with Quinn playing the brooding husband, a part he tends to play, who has trouble accepting the 8 year old orphan his wife,(Nielsen) wants to adopt. It is a bit schmaltzy and would be better set as a Lifetime movie, but did pass the afternoon in a fine way.

A few good movies are headed our way, so catch one soon.

Roberta

October 2

Jen, Wendy, Kathy Luke, Florrie, Carol Frank, Carla and David, and Martha Hutchinson correctly identified "Sometimes when I've got a ballplayer alone, I'll just read Emily Dickinson or Walt Whitman to him, and the guys are so sweet, they always stay and listen. Of course, a guy will listen to anything if he thinks it's foreplay. " coming from Bull Durham

Try this one:

"I have plenty to say to women. I've been an unemployed actor for twenty years, George. You know that. I know what it's like to sit by the phone waiting...for it to ring. And when I finally get a job, I have no control. Everybody else has the power and I got zip."

In Theaters:

Moneyball - If you like baseball, Brad Pitt or both you will enjoy this film. It is the true story of General Manager Billy Beane and how he changed the face of baseball by using sabermetrics to choose players and make up a winning team. The relationship between Pitt and Jonah Hill playing Peter Brand is good and the story is engrossing for both men and women. My only suggestion is that it could have been 30 minutes shorter. It runs over two hours and the last 30 minutes or so tend to drag on. Nevertheless it is still a fine movie. A few tidbits about the real people: Peter Brand is not the real name of Billy Bean's Assistant. It is Paul DePodesta who requested his real name not be used as he felt his character portrayal was too fictitious. He is presently VP of Player Development with the Mets. He left Bean 18 months after the 2002 season. Beane is still with the A's and is a minority owner of the team.

On Netflix:

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - This is classic Woody Allen. This film tells the intertwined story of a woman, Gemma Jones, whose husband, Anthony Hopkins, leaves her for a younger woman and she consults a psychic to learn her fate. At the same time her daughter, Naomi Watts and her husband, Josh Brolin, are dealing with their own extramarital attractions. The story is funny, poignant and convoluted. Fun to watch.

Interesting Book

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - This book tells the true story of Henrietta Lack of the famous HeLa cells. In 1951 cells were taken from her body and still survive today. The book tells Henrietta's story and that of her family and explains the scientific significance of her cells. The underlying issue was who owns the cells and was it ethical to take them. An interesting read.

Another rainy day on the east coast - enjoy a movie or read a book.