June 12

Betty, Ginger, Yolanda, Martha Furniss, Florrie and Carol Frank correctly identified, "I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man! coming from The Elephant Man

This one is a bit harder:

" A man can convince anyone he is someone else, but never himself."

In Theaters:

Water For Elephants - Kind of goes with last week's quote. Although this film received mixed reviews, it was quite good. The screenwriters kept pretty close to the book and although they could not include everything in it,all important scenes were there. Reese Witherspoon did a good job as Marlena.I know the critics didn't like her, but then again they liked Bridesmaids! (I know I have to get passed that!) As usual Christoph Waltz, as her abusive husband, did a wonderful job and Robert Pattinson playing the lead character is a fine young actor and does a convincing job. Friends of ours in the theater, thought it was too violent. I did not. Although the scenes with the animals are upsetting, they are not over the top and done to move the story along not to shock.

On Netflix

You Again - This very predictable film stars Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver. It revolves around two generations of mean girl bullying. Although the trailers looked promising, the story left me lacking. Both stories were not well developed and and solutions were just too pat. Although it is good to see middle aged actresses getting starring roles, it would be nice to see them in a more emotional, meaningful story. Kristen Chenoweth plays an over the top wedding planner which was just plain silly!

I know the new Woody Allen movie has just been released and is getting a good buzz. Hopefully I will get to see it some time next weekend.

Roberta

June 5 (readable version)

Florrie, Melissa, Allison and Carol Frank correctly identified "How do you explain school to a higher intelligence" coming from ET

Try this one:

"I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!"

On Netflix:

Charlie St. Cloud - This film has been in my house even before I went off to Israel. I finally had the opportunity to watch it yesterday. Was it worth the wait? Not quite. Was it enjoyable? perhaps. The story is a bit slow and confusing, but Zac Efron of Disney fame is an acceptable actor. Your tweens will love this film simply because he is in it. It is the story of how the death of his brother stalls his growth and prevents him from moving on until a crisis forces him into action. It is sweet.

Local Theater:

"Side by Side by Side By Sondheim" at -Signature Theater in Shirlington, VA - This four singer review with two pianists performed Sondheim's early works from Gypsy to West Side Story to Company to Follies and a few other songs from shows that didn't quite make it on Broadway. I will admit, I am not a crazy Sondheim fan, but am fond of his earlier works where he basically wrote the lyrics and not the score. Whenever I see a show like this one, I realize how many really talented performers there are out there. In fact, I never understood how Bernadette Peters became a Broadway darling and a Sondheim one at that. That being said, the afternoon performance flew by as I hummed along with some of my favorites and was introduced to ones I was not quite familiar with. The Signature Theater is situated right in the Shirlington Village that has lots of free parking and many fine restaurants. This performance will be there for another week and we got our tickets through Gold Star. So......if you are free this coming week, I highly recommend this production.

Book Recommendation?

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery - Notice that there is a question mark after the recommendation. I didn't love this book nor did I hate it. In fact, if the author got to the "good" part before half way through the book, I would have liked it even more. It was about the relationship between Renae Michel, concierge, Paloma Josse, a 12 year old tenant and Kakuro Ozu their new tenant. Without going into the story. It revolves around these people and the secrets the two women keep and how they help each other come to terms with who they are. It isn't a long book and people said it was hard to get into, but try it out and decide for yourself.

I am sure now that I have caught up with all my TV tapings and there is nothing on TV now, I'll be seeing more movies.

Roberta

June 5

Florrie, Melissa, Allison and Carol Frank correctly identified "How do you explain school to a higher intelligence" coming from ET

Try this one:

"I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!"

On Netflix:

Charlie St. Cloud - This film has been in my house even before I went off to Israel. I finally had the opportunity to watch it yesterday. Was it worth the wait? Not quite. Was it enjoyable? perhaps. The story is a bit slow and confusing, but Zac Efron of Disney fame is an acceptable actor. Your tweens will love this film simply because he is in it. It is the story of how the death of his brother stalls his growth and prevents him from moving on until a crisis forces him into action. It is sweet.

Local Theater:

"Side by Side by Side By Sondheim" at -Signature Theater in Shirlington, VA - This four singer review with two pianists performed Sondheim's early works from Gypsy to West Side Story to Company to Follies and a few other songs from shows that didn't quite make it on Broadway. I will admit, I am not a crazy Sondheim fan, but am fond of his earlier works where he basically wrote the lyrics and not the score. Whenever I see a show like this one, I realize how many really talented performers there are out there. In fact, I never understood how Bernadette Peters became a Broadway darling and a Sondheim one at that. That being said, the afternoon performance flew by as I hummed along with some of my favorites and was introduced to ones I was not quite familiar with. The Signature Theater is situated right in the Shirlington Village that has lots of free parking and many fine restaurants. This performance will be there for another week and we got our tickets through Gold Star. So......if you are free this coming week, I highly recommend this production.

Book Recommendation?

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery - Notice that there is a question mark after the recommendation. I didn't love this book nor did I hate it. In fact, if the author got to the "good" part before half way through the book, I would have liked it even more. It was about the relationship between Renae Michel, concierge, Paloma Josse, a 12 year old tenant and Kakuro Ozu their new tenant. Without going into the story. It revolves around these people and the secrets the two women keep and how they help each other come to terms with who they are. It isn't a long book and people said it was hard to get into, but try it out and decide for yourself.

I am sure now that I have caught up with all my TV tapings and there is nothing on TV now, I'll be seeing more movies.

Roberta

May 31

Sara, Lucy, Florrie were correct in identifying "They Laughed at me, Mama" coming from Carrie.

Try this one:

"How do you explain school to a higher intelligence?"

I know it has been awhile since I posted a Roberta's Reviews, but I am still catching up on the many TV programs that I have on my DVR so films have taken a back seat. That being said, I felt I had to write about a movie I saw today.

In Theaters:

Bridesmaids - This movies got great reviews from all the critics, but I feel I needed to write a review as soon as I could so that you would not waste your money on this film. It is crass, gross and immature although you would not know it from the people sitting around us as they howled out loud. I like the leads, but was so disappointed in the role that Melissa McCarthy took. She is best know from "Mike and Molly." She also was on "Gilmore Girls." What actors do for a buck, is sometimes beyond me. The only saving grace is Chris O'Dowd who played the romantic lead. He was charming. So do yourself a favor and don't see this film! (If I wasn't with my friend and hadn't spent $8.25 for the ticket, I would have walked out!)

If you are on the east coast, keep cool by going to an air conditioned movie theater.

Roberta

May 11

Carol Frank, Florrie, Allison and Betty correctly identified "They laughed at me Mama." coming from Carrie.

Try this one courtesy of Sy:

"If you can't be an athlete, be an athletic supporter."

On Netflix:

Cyrus - Both Sy and I could not decide if we liked this film or not, but as we continued to watch it, it grew on us. It is an indie film starring Marisa Tomei and John C. Rilley about the relationship between the two of them and how her son, Jonah Hill, tries to come between them. It is odd, but poignant. Wait for it to come out in streaming or on TV instead of using up a spot in your cue.

On our way to and from Israel, I watched the following four movies. I believe they are all on Netflix now.

The Tourist - Although I was very tired as I watched this, it grew on me. Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolle star. They had good chemistry as a couple. Depp in particular is very good in this film. There is a interesting twist at the end. Although it is an improbable story, it was a good way to spend 90 minutes.

Ramona and Beezus - Although the plane landed before this film ended, I read the books it was based on many times and it was true to the stories. The young actress playing Ramona is adorable and Selina Gomez was lovely playing Beezus. If you are looking for a film to take children from 8 and above, this is the one to see. It will hold their interest as well as any tweener. Adults will enjoy it as well.


Unstoppable - Another movie based on true events. It is about a runaway train and how two diverse employees; one old and being forced to retire and the other a newbie who gets his job through his connections, stop it before it causes horrible consequences. Denzel Washington plays the older fellow. Although he is good, it reminded me of his role in Pelham 1,2,3. Chris Pine from the Star Trek movies plays the rookie. He is also good. Together they make a believable team. It is fast paced and will hold your attention.

Due Date - This buddy movie stars Robert Downey Jr. as an expectant father who is forced to share transportation with Zach Galifianakis who is his total opposite. If you saw Train, Planes, Automobiles (I believe that is the title) with John Candy this is a weaker copy of the movie. It is silly, gross at time and can be tender at others. The only reason I continued to watch this, is that I did not like any of the other choices on the plane or had seen the really good ones. Don't bother with this one

DWTS Update:

I had to catch up on two previous episodes before watching this week. Needless to say, Sy was sorry to hear that Cheryl and her partner had been eliminated. Although I know that Kirsty Alley has a large fan base and is trying, she is not in the same category as the remaining dancers. I believe Romeo was a much better dancer. Among the remaining three: Hines, Chelsea and Ralph it could be anyone's game. I believe the final will be between Hines and Chelsea, but Chelsea doesn't have a big fan base. I like Hines the best, but time will tell.

Roberta

April 17

Florrie, Bill, Carol Frank, Lucy and Betty correctly identified, "Get busy living, or get busy dying." from the wonderful movie The Shawshank Redemption.

Try this one:

"They laughed at me, Mama."

On Netflix:

Anything Goes - This was the last film we showed in our movie musical class. It was based on the broadway show that starred Ethel Merman. Two movies were made and this one was the 1954 edition. The story was rewritten to accommodate two main male leads: Bing Crosby and Donald O'Connor. The two leading ladies were Mitzi Gaynor and Jeanmarie. Although the plot was lame, the songs were glorious. The music and lyrics were done by Cole Porter and in addition to "Anything Goes" songs like "I Get a Kick out of you," "You're the Top" and "It's Delovely" were performed in the film. Porter's lyrics are first rate. For an enjoyable almost two hours, see this film.

Love Ranch - This Helen Mirren/Joe Pesci film did not get good reviews when it came out, but I still thought that anything Mirren did was worth seeing. In this case, just maybe. It is a story inspired by true facts. Mirren and Pesci are the married couple who owned the Love Ranch brothel in Nevada. This was one of the first legalized brothels in Nevada and is sometimes known as the Mustang Ranch. Things get interesting when a prize fighter is brought into the mix. Although it held my interest, it was too long at just under two hours, and I think Mirren was miscast. It seems that Pesci has made a career of playing sleazy characters who have a foul mouth. Word of caution, every other word is the f word if that is something that would offend you.

On Netflix and Instant Streaming

Chole - This film has an all star cast including Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried. It is an involved tale that has the Moore character thinking her husband Neeson is having an affair and she hires Seyfried to tempt him. The story takes twists and turns from there and although captivating, in the end I felt empty. It has a lot of nudity so don't watch it in front of your children. It is on instant streaming so I didn't have to waste a selection on it.

DWTS Update:

This season is an unusual one. In my opinion, it can be anyone's game. The males are the stronger dancers with Hines, Romeo, the wrestler and the Karate Kid leading the pack. The only female that can be put into that category is Chelsea. This week I think the Playboy bunny will be booted off. Lucy reminded me that she has a lot of followers from her reality show, but the judges don't like her and have given her low scores each week. Also Kirsty Alley has to go, but they keep on giving her scores that are undeserved. Ratings apparently effect their scores. We will have to wait until Tuesday to see who gets the boot.

I will probably post another entry before I leave for vacation next week. But in case I get busy this week, look for me to post again in the middle of May.

Roberta

April 10

Carol Frank and Betty correctly identified "Divine decadence darling" coming from Cabaret

Try this one:

"Get busy living, or get busy dying."

On Netflix and Instant Streaming:

Freakonomics - This documentary is uncanny as it is exactly like the book. If you read the book, don't bother watching the film, but if you didn't, it is a fascinating documentary. Using data these two individuals, one an economists and the other a journalist, explain some phenomenon like cheating, how names effect people and what caused a decrease in the crime rate. Some of their theories are a bit hard to swallow, but always interesting and jumping points for great discussions.

Toy Story 3 - This latest episode of the franchise was nominated for both best picture and best animated picture. It won for best animated picture. All the regular characters are back and this time Ken and Barbie are added. The theme is still the same: friendship, growing up and love. As with the two others, it brought a tear to my eye. It can be appreciated on many levels and that's what makes these films so successful. So....if you need a film that will delight the youngster in your life and give you a chuckle as well, see this film.

In Washington:

Hexagon Show - Each year this group gets together and puts on a show that makes fun of Washington in general. This year's productions, "21 Pun Salute," did not disappoint. The songs were catchy, the jokes topical and corny and the dancing, well let's say I give all these gals credit for getting up there and dance. All proceeds go to a different cause and this year it is the wounded veterans. Although the production ended this weekend, they return year after year; so look for its return next spring.

On TV

"Mildred Pierce"- I have been watching this series and the last two episodes are scheduled for Sunday night. Although it is not riveting, it is good television. As usual Kate Winslet is very good in the title role and the depiction of the time is spot on. It can drag at times, but I do fine it interesting. Believe it or not, I never saw the original, so don't know the story. You can probably catch up by watching in "On Demand" or Netflix will probably have it in a few months.