Even when I choose hard quotes from old movies that could be easily confused with others, Yolanda comes through as she did last time identifying the quote :"Cosmo call me a cab." "OK you're a cab." coming from Singing in the Rain, 1952 starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor. They don't make movies that those today.
Try this one:
"Four dollars/" "You know what four dollars buys today?" "It don't even buy three dollars!"
In theaters and soon to DVD:
Night At the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian:
During the last week before school started, I watched Sarah and Amanda and wanted to find a movie we all would enjoy and this one really fit the bill. It is a sequel to Night At The Museum starring Ben Stiller reprising his role as Larry Daley. A few of the former actors return in their previous roles; Robin Williams, Owen Wilson to name a few. But the delightful addition to this film is Amy Adams as AmeliaEarhart . It is a fun movie, similar to the first, with lots of action and chuckles for all. It was shown in an independent theater that shows movies that are about to go to DVD, but seeing a film in a theater adds to the enjoyment. Add to that we went to $2 Tuesdays where admission, popcorn and soda were all $2 a piece. Where else could you go for a fun afternoon for those prices? 
As noted above, I did watch my granddaughters last week and in addition to the movie we did some interesting things:
Mount Vernon - I don't remember the last time I was there, but since then they have added a visitor's center with two galleries, museum and movies. It is very interesting. The house, grounds and the guides are first rate. Make sure to visit Washington's tomb at either 11 or 2 as they have a very nice wreath laying ceremony. You don't need to go on a guided tour as as you go through the home docents are in each area telling you about the house. All of us got a kick out of Lady Washington as she stayed in character throughout our visit to her house. Although there is an admission fee, it is well worth it. We were there for about four hours and could have stayed at least an additional hour as well.
DC Ducks - This is a tour bus that goes around downtown Washington leaving from Union Station and then turns into a boat and sails on the Potomac. Although the girls liked it, especially the duck horns they got, it is 90 minutes and quite costly. Adults are $32.00 while children are about $15. Although I could have saved $9.00 on two adult and two child tickets, I opted not to after reading the fine print. Although you are guaranteed a seat, it might not be for the day you go if the tours are sold out. Save your money and go to a museum.
Postal Museum - After the Ducks we went to the Postal Museum which is part of the Smithsonian and right next door to Union Station. It is a very kid's friendly museum with lots of interactive activities. It is small and can me done in an hour.
This past weekend we went to a Bar Mitzvah in Baltimore and had some free time to explore Baltimore Inner Harbor. Once again it has been quite some time since we were there so it was pleasant to revisit it on such a beautiful weekend.
Dragon Paddle Boats - This was a fun ride in the harbor. Wendy and Eric were the paddlers while Amanda and I were the passengers. It was hard paddling especially in the hot sun, but we all enjoyed our trip. While we went there, Sarah and Howard went to the Railroad Museum which they found interesting,
Baltimore Aquarium - This is a great aquarium. We spent about about three hours there seeing all the exhibits. The sharks, stingrays and jellyfish were favorites. A note of caution. You need to get there early. The tickets are timed and even though we got there by 10:15, we were shut out of the dolphin show for the time we wanted. By noon, everything was sold out. They also have an IMAX movie that was vetoed by the majority, so we skipped that as well. There are no online discounts, but you can purchase your tickets online.
Camden Yards - Sy, Eric and Howard took in the Baltimore Orioles game. This ballfield as described by them is cozy and family friendly. The pulled pork (bar b que) sandwiches were also a hit.
There is so much to do in the Washington DC area so get out and see some of it while the weather is good. Those of you not living here are invited to come and explore.
Happy First Day of School to those in Fairfax.
Roberta
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
September 8
Sunday, August 30, 2009
August 30
Yolanda once again correctly identified "Man who catch fly with chopstick accomplish anything." Ever catch one?" "Not yet." coming from The Karate Kid 1984 starring Ralph Macchio and Noriyuki Morita.
This comes from a very old movie, but a wonderful one: "Cosmo, call me a cab." "OK, you're a cab."
In Theaters:
Julie and Julia - After hearing such good things about this film, we saw it this weekend. It is a fun movie. As usual Meryl Streep does an amazing job transforming herself into Julia Child. I particularly enjoyed the touching relationship Child had with her husband Paul played so well by StanleyTucci. The parallel story of Julie Powell, the blogger/writer, who, as everyone knows by now, prepares all of the recipes from Julia's cookbook over the course of a year and blogs each day about it is your typical romantic comedy, but I must admit I think Amy Adams is adorable. Is it an Academy Award worthy film, no, but a nice way to enjoy a few hours.
Changeling - I put off putting this film on my list since I was wary of the subject matter, but in the end finally did see it. It is the heartbreaking true story of Christine Collins whose son disappears and the corruptions of the LA police force. AngelinaJolie was nominated for an academy award for best actress and she does an outstanding job. In some scenes she reminded me of her earlier role in Girl Interrupted. Jeffrey Donovan plays the corrupt police captain who currently is the star on the cable TV show "Burn Notice." I hadn't remembered that Clint Eastwood was the director. It is very long over two hours and does drag in some spots. It could have been edited to less than two hours. I don't know if it is me and a short attention span or if it really is too long, you decide.
Melanie Stanley writes:
For those of you with young kids, or in my case, grandkids, go see the new Disney movie, Ponyo. We saw it yesterday, and my five 1/2 year old grandson exclaimed, "That was the best movie I ever saw!"
A note about my pet peeve:
I now know why the movies are losing money and so many people are either renting movies from Netflix or Blockbusters. As I mentioned above, we went to the theater to see Julie and Julia. The movie schedule indicated the movie was to start at 4:00 p.m. I am not naive to think it will start at 4 and to be honest I do enjoy watching the trailers for upcoming movies. What I do not like to do is sit through 20 minutes of commercials for products I don't want to buy. IDVR TV programs so I don't have to watch commercials on commercial television, but at the theater I had to pay to watch 20 minutes of them. At this particular screening the trailers started at 4:20 and the movie not until 4:30. It was interesting to note that last week when we went to the cheap local theater with older movies, there were no commercials, just a few trailers. I will be thinking twice before going to a first run movie again in a chain theater. This is yet another reason to support independent movie houses like Cinema Arts in Fairfax City.
Thanks for letting me vent!
Roberta
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
August 26
Yolanda once again correctly identified "How odd that it should end this way for us, after so many stimulating encounters. I almost regret it. Where shall I find a new adversary so close to my own level? Try the local sewer." coming from Raiders of the Lost Ark starring Harrison Ford and Karen Allen. Good going Yolanda!
The dialect of this quote might be a clue to its identity. "Man who catch fly with chopstick accomplish anything." Ever catch one?" "Not yet."
In local theaters, but soon to be released on DVD:
Star Trek - Sy had wanted to see this film when it first came out, but when we finally had time to see it, it seemed to disappear. Fortunately there is a theater nearby that gets movies right before they are released for DVD distribution and with a price of $4 and $3 for students and seniors it is quite a bargain. To our delight Star Trek was playing there. Sy has been a Star Trek fan for years and I have watched along side of him. This film explains how Kirk and his crew including Spock, Bones, Scotty, Sulu, Uhora and Checkov got together. That part of the film was fun and entertaining. If you can take a vacation from reality and believe in time travel, you will enjoy the story. It was also nice to see Leonard Nimoy recreate his role as Spock. The young Captain Kirk reminded me of a young Brad Pitt. All the major actors are enagaging, but none that I knew. For a fun film, put this on your Netflix list.
On Netflix and instantly on your computer:
Frozen River - This movie stars Melissa Leo who was nominated for best actress. She is unknown to me and although did an admirable job with the role, was a bit of a surprise to be nominated.It is an indie movie that tells the story of a mother on hard times living on the outskirts of a Mohawk reservation on the Canadian border. In an unusual way, she becomes partners with a widowed tribe member in a smuggling scheme. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but although a bit slow, quite good. None of the actors are on the A list, but they are certainly good actors just the same. It did get nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards including Best Feature. The two young actors playing Leo's sons are good as well. A nice ensemble cast. 
From time to time one of our co-film lovers sends along a suggestion for me and I'd like to share it with you. Carol Frank writes:
Just watched the 2007 Oscar Foreign Film Winner "The Lives of Others."
A really fascinating movie that takes place in East Germany (1984), 4 years before the
wall fell. The government is at it's height of 'spying' on it's citizens to keep Western ideas and thoughts out.
You know how I like serious movies- this is definitely one of them with a very
interesting 'human condition' element. Check out the description on Netflix- you may want to watch this one.
Dancing With The Stars Update - Dancing Partners Revealed:
Donny Osmond - Kim Johnson
Tom Delay - Cheryl Burke
Mark Dacascos - Lacey Schwimmer
Kelly Osbourne - Louie Van Amstel
Ashley Hamilton - Edyta Sliwinska
Kathy Ireland - Tony Donvalani
Chuck Lidell - Ann Trebrinskaya
Macy Gray - Jonathan Roberta
Aaron Carter - Karina Smirnoff
Natalie Coughlin - Alec Mazo
Debi Mazar - Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Louie Vito - Chelsie Hightower
Mya - Dmitry Chaplin
Joanna Krupa - Derek Hough
Melissa Joan Hurt - Mark Ballas
Michael Irwin - Anna Demidova
It looks like Sy's favorite girl Cheryl won't be on the show for long with Tom Delay for a partner, but stranger things have happened.
Enjoy,
Roberta
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
August 19
This one is a bit harder: "How odd that it should end this way for us, after so many stimulating encounters. I almost regret it. Where shall I find a new adversary so close to my own level? Try the local sewer."
On Netflix:
Frost/Nixon - It has taken me awhile to see this Oscar nominated film, but it certainly was well worth seeing. Frank Langella does a remarkable job portraying Richard Nixon after leaving office and deciding to be interviewed by, at that time, a lightweight talk show host David Frost portrayed by Michael Sheen. Although the beginning was a bit slow, once the two actors got into the interviews, it was captivating. I forgot who won for best actor, but Langella was marvelous. Don't remember if Sheen was nominated for supporting actor, but he too deserved a nomination at least. As you know this was adapted from the Broadway play which can go either way for better or worse. From the folks who saw the play and the movie, they have told me they both were wonderful. So if you haven't seen this film, rent it. And if the production comes to a theater near you, see that as well.
Dancing With The Stars News:
For those of you who are interested the DWTS lineup was recently posted on AOL. I believe the show will star airing the third week in September. Here are this season's contestants:
Donny Osmond: Singer
Mya: R&B singer and actress
Michael Irwin: :Former NFL wide-receiver
Melissa Joan Hart: Actress (Sabrina the Teenage Witch)
Kelly Osbourne: Singer
Debi Mazar: Actress
Chuck Lidell: Light heavyweight champion
Natalie Coughlin: Olympic gold medalist in swimming
Joanna Drupa: Swimsuit model
Aaron Carter: Sincer
Tom DeLay: Former House majority leader
Kathy Ireland: Model
Ashley Hamilton: Actor
Mark Dacascos: Actor (host of Iron Chef America
Louie Vito: Pro snowboarder
Macy Gray: sing
Some good summer reads:
One advantage of retirement is that it has given me the opportunity to read lots of books that are not education related. Here are two that are based on leadership (OK I lie, they are a bit educational) and two that are great for the beach.
Good to Great by Jim Collins - This book, that has been on the best seller for ages, is an interesting account of thirteen companies that went from good companies to great ones and what it took to get there. (It is interesting to note, that one of the companies Circuit City has gone bankrupt since the publication of the book,.) There are great stories about the companies and their leaders that makes the book less dry than others.
Life's A Campaign by Chris Matthews - Even if you don't agree with Chris Matthews' political point of view or how he conducts his TV program, this is a quick and interesting read. Once again he shares personal stories about people in the news and how they taught him lessons for success.
Now some novels:
The Whole Truth by David Baldacci - I had this novel in my house for a long time and once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down,. It is a thriller that shows how too much information too quickly transmitted can cause horrible results. This is the first book I've read by Baldacci, but I understand it is part of a series. He hails from this area (Metropolitican DC) and puts familiar places in the novel like the Dulles Toll Road and Whiele Avenue. His style is like John Grisham and totally captures you from page one. A wonderful read.
The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James - This past year I read Pride and Prejudice with my book club. After reading it, Carol Flicker gave me this book which once again sat on my night stand for months. Once again when I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading it. It is historical fiction that enchants the reader as it tells of Jane's life based on memoirs found in the wall of an old house. You see how her life experiences effected her characters. If you are an Austen fan, you must read this novel.
Although I love the movies, there is so much that you can do to occupy your time.
Roberta
Friday, August 14, 2009
August 14
My last quote drew the most response ever. It seems everyone knew that "Then you jump first. No, I said. What's the matter with you? I can't swim. Why, you crazy? The fall will probably kill you."came from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid released in 1969 starring the hotties of the day Robert Redford and Paul Newman. The female lead was Katherine Ross. I wonder where she is today. But Kathy Luke was the first correct responder. Congratulations Kathy!
This week I received the following quote to use from Shirley Steinmetz. She promised not to guess. See if you know what movie this came from, :"Listen! Smell something?"
On Netflix:
Quantum of Solace - I ordered this film on Netflix for Sy as he has been a James Bond fan from the beginning. So....if you are one of the fans, you will love this movie. The plot is absurd, but the action is never ending. The stunts are amazing and Daniel Craig as Bond is fit and agile. The story picks up after CasinoRoyale so it you are not familiar with this film, you will be a little lost as I was. Bond seems to always be saving the world from some bad guy and this movie is no exception. To me the only bright spot wasJudi Dench recreating her role as M. If you want a mindless film, see this. For me, it was a waste of time.
On Netflix and Instant Viewing:
Autumn Hearts: A New Beginning - I put this on my list after the annual Jewish Film Festival. It was a film that looked promising, but I didn't get a chance to see. It has a remarkable cast: Susan Sarandon, Gabriel Byrne, Christopher Plummer and Max von Sydow, beautiful scenery but a very slow story with numerous unanswered questions. It is about a group of friends who reunite 35 years after their release from Drancy, a Nazi internment camp in France. How they got to the camp, Saradon character is American, Byrne character is Irish, is never explained. How they were spared is unclear. Apparently the von Sydow character made a deal with the Nazis, but that too is never fully explained. It really focused on their lives now, but those relationships were not fully developed either. It is based on a novel by Matt Cohen which I believe was entitled Mental Arithmetic. Perhaps if I had read the book, the movie would have made more sense. 
Local Theater:
Wayside Inn/Theater - Middletown, VA - This past week, I had the opportunity to venture to the foot of the Shenandoah Mountains with a group I belong to to the Wayside Inn where we had a delightful lunch and then made our way down the block to the Wayside Theater to see a production of The Gin Game. All too often we dismiss local theater, but there is a wealth of talent to be seen there. This production features two actors who are members of Actors' Equity and have a long list of credits to their name. They were both marvelous in the play. The story itself is a bit depressing about two people who meet in an old age home. As I went with a Seniors' group I wondered if it was a glimpse of things to come. Take the opportunity to see local theater. It certainly is a lot cheaper than Washington DC and Broadway. (I am paying over $100 a ticket to see Jersey Boys this November and for that amount, I could almost get a season's subscription to a local company!!!)
Lots of good movies either in theaters now or opening this weekend. So escape the heat, and see a film.
Roberta