October 31

Note about my review of Captain Phillips and why they did not have armed guards - Jim Cannon, Lucy's husband shared this reason:  

The boats cannot be armed as they would then be considered  combatants, it is an international law..

 

Carol Frank correctly identified "Fear can hold you prisoner.....Hope can set you free"  coming from Shawshank Redemption

Try this one:

"A gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you're not enough without it, you'll never be enough with it."

On Netflix:

Sparkle -  This was Whitney Houston's last film, but the real star was Jordan Sparks of American Idol fame.  The story is predictable and slight.  The real star of the film was the music especially songs sung by Sparks.  It is sad to see Houston knowing that she died soon after the filming of this movie.  What a wasted life.  To pass a few hours, you can put this on your list, but better yet listen to an old Whitney Houston album.  

Gravity - This well touted film was a disappointment to both Sy and me.  Don't get me wrong the cinematography is amazing and we did see it in 3D, but the story was thin and in our opinion not very interesting. Sandra Bullock is fine and George Clooney is quite funny, but not enough to make this a good film.  We also did not think that the 3D added much to it.  I think when a film receives such wonderful reviews it is sometimes hard to live up to them and as the viewer we set the bar much higher for enjoyment.  See it for yourself and let me know.  

TV Update:

As the season has worn on, I am finding very few show I have added to my DVR list.   I am getting a kick out of the Robin Williams show "The Crazy Ones."  I am still hanging in there for "hostages", but my patience is growing thin for the ridiculous story.  Those are the only two I am still watching.  Some of my favorites are getting better this year.  "The Good Wife" has added a lot of tension and "Scandal" is so much fun to watch.

DWTS:

Coming down to the home stretch and I must say there a a number of excellent dancers left:  Corbin, Elizabeth and Amber top my list with Jack as a sentimental favorite.  It is time for the comedian and Lisa R. to go.

Roberta

October 20

Lucy and Carol Frank correctly identified "She was a smart girl until she fell in love." coming from Sex and the City.

Try this one:

Fear can hold you prisoner.....
Hope can set you free.

In Theaters:

Captain Phillips - This is the true story of the hijacking of the Alabama off the coast of Somali by pirates.  I did read a few articles about the film and by and large most of it was true to the story although a few of the crew question Captain Phillips' memory. Tom Hanks not only looks quite a lot like the real Captain Phillips, but does a very good job in portraying him.  Abduwali Abdukhadir playing  the hijacker Muse Barkhad Abdi was also quite convincing. For  a suspenseful, exciting movie, put this one on your list.  Having now seen two "true" stories, I must say that I enjoyed Rush more than this film, but you can make the decision for yourself.  On a related note, but Sy and I were amazed that a large ship like this did not have any armed security guards.  Don't know if that is law or just the company being cheap.  When you consider how much money the country spent rescuing Captain Phillips, it would make good economic sense to have these boats armed.  

Reston Community Players:

A Tribute to the Music of Rodgers & Hamerstein & Andrew Lloyd Webber- What can I say, my face still hurts from smiling so much.  This musical review will have you tapping your toes to the music and trying to prevent yourself from singing along.  The first half is Rodgers and Hammerstein music from Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Flower Drum Song,Allegro, Cinderella and Oklahoma.  I loved every one of them. The second act was devoted to Webber songs that were just as good, but not as rousing from Evita, Starlight Express, Cats Sunset Boulevard, Phantom of the Opera and Aspects of Love.  All was preformed with a 30 piece orchestra which sat directly on stage.  The singers had lovely voices with special note to Jennifer Lambert who sang some of Webber's difficult tunes and Harv Lester who did a wonderful job with some of the Rodgers and Hammerstein melodies.  All the cast was strong and the orchestra wonderful.  The show will be performed the next two weekends on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Tickets are inexpensive.

JCC of Northern VA:

The Marcy and Zina Show - Did you ever go to something and think that it will be OK, but a good way to spend a few hours?  That was my expectation when I ordered tickets for this show through Goldstar.  Boy was I wrong!!!! This was a fantastic show of enormously talented individuals.  A little background first - When I read the blurb in Goldstar, I saw that they had written "Taylor the Latte Boy." which is a song Sarah has been learning and polishing up with her music teacher, Erin Driscoll.  I thought this was good, so might as well go.  Well not only did that write this, but the show "Dear Edwina" another connection to Sarah as she appeared in it in Middle School.  These two women Marcy Heisler,the lyricist and Zina Goldrich, the composer are no slouches.  They have collaborated on numerous shows and have written some hilarious songs - look on UTube for Audra McDonald singing their song "Baltimore" Live at Lincoln Center.  Their music is funny, endearing and clever.  Added to the show was Scott Coulter who has a lovely voice.   They have been selected to write the music for the upcoming musical Ever After so be on the look out for it.  You won't be disappointed!

October 6

Carol Frank was the only one, I think, who correctly identified "Never hate your enemies, it effects your judgment"  coming from The Godfather.

Try this one:

"She was a smart girl;

Until she fell in love."

In Theaters:

Rush - This Ron Howard film is based on the true story of James Hunt and Nicki Lauda Formula One racecar drivers . Their approach to driving and winning was very different as were their personalities, but their rivalry was the element that made them better drivers and winners.  Chris Hemsworth plays Hunt and Daniel Bruhl plays Lauda.  They do an excellent job with the roles and look very much like the actual drivers. Although the movie is a hair over two hours, the time flies.  The racing scenes are exciting and keep you on the edge of your seat.  Olivia Wilde plays Suzy Miller, a supermodel, who is Hunt's wife while Alexandra Maria Lara, a socialite, plays Bruhl's wife.  Casting is quite good, but the star of the film is the racing.  For an exciting, fun film, see this one.  Make sure you see the end where there is actual footage of Hunt and Lauda.  

At Kennedy Center:

Million Dollar Quartet - Today was the last day for this performance and I once again had discounted tickets ($59.00 for orchestra seats).  This tells the story of a Tuesday night shortly before Christmas 1956 when four legends: Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley gathered at the Sun Records studio in Memphis where their careers were launched.  Sun Records owner, Sam Phillips, discovered them and produced this record of the Million Dollar Quartet.  It was the one and only time the four of them sung together.  All the actors portraying these performers were outstanding; playing guitar, piano and singing.  John Countryman, playing Jerry Lee Lewis, was a particular standout.   Although the story is thin and does not measure up to traditional Broadway shows, it is a lot of fun.  

A note about parking at the Kennedy Center - The price to park at the Kennedy Center has gone up to $22.  Since today was beautiful and sunny, I convinced Sy to try and park at the Watergate which is a stone's throw away from the theater.  It was only $12 to park, just across the street from the center and very easy to get back on to 66 to get home.  Another bargain.  Not sure I would do it at night or on a cold, rainy day, but today perfect.

This season TV shows:

This season's shows has been below par.  The comedies are many, but not many good.  I really tried to like The Michael J. Fox Show, but it was just too difficult to watch.  The only one that I a continuing to DVR is The Crazy One starring Robin Williams.  He truly is crazy and the relationship he has with his daughter and the two young men who work for him is touching.  Two other comedies I might watch, if I have time but not DVR are Mom and Trophy Wife.  I must admit a guilty pleasure is The Goldbergs as it is my family.

The only drama that I am watching is Hostages.  It stars one of my favorite actors Dylan McDermott and has Toni Collette who is not too shady either.  The series is based on one from Israel.  Not sure how it will sustain an entire season, but it is quite gripping.  I know there are other dramas that got good reviews, but I do have a life outside of TV and have to limit some of my watching.  If anyone has one that they particularly like, please let us all know.

Travel:

One of the reasons I have not posted for a while is that I am catching up on lots of stuff I DVR ed and also we were in MN for the Levy Bar Mitzvah.  It is so nice to travel especially for a special event which this was!. We did get to go to The Mall of America.  It is huge and quite overwhelming!  Didn't have a whole lot of time there, but the girls did enjoy going on the rides.  There is an amusement park right in the middle of it. When Sarah complained she did not have time to shop, Debbie told her all the stores there were ones she had in Northern VA.  but it was fun to visit it.  I can now check it off my bucket list!

Roberta