July 14

Betty and Carol Frank correctly identified "I see men-sixty, seventy years old breaking their balls to stay fit." "What for?" "When I die I want to be sick, not healthy." coming from The Witches of Eastwick

Try this one:

"You see in this world there are two kinds of people, my friend: those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."

At Theaters:

Larry Crowne - This film starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts won't win any awards and is very predictable, but a nice way to spend about 90 minutes. Although the story is one we have seen time and again, it does have a good message about education. Being a teacher for so many years, I like to see that theme in movies..

On Netflix and Cable:

Rebecca - Sy is taking a class through OLLI that is showing Alfred Hitchcock movies and this week I decided to tag along with him. This film is based on the Daphne du Mauree novel by the same name. I say based as Hitchcock took liberties with the story to make it his own. It was released in 1940 and received the Academy Award for best picture. In fact, they delayed release so that it would not come up against Gone With The Wind. It is a Gothic romance, but with the Hitchcock twist starring Joan Fontaine, Lawrence Olivier and Dame Judith Anderson as the villainous Mrs. Danvers. In fact, Anderson was voted number 37 as the most convincing villain by AFI. Although at times the dialogue was hard to understand, it does endure the test of time. It will hold your interest and you will be surprised by the ending. Look for it on TCM.

At Wolftrap:

Huey Lewis and The News - Our long term health seller invited us to this concert last night at Wolftrap Park in Vienna, VA. Since it was free and free food too, we went. We were a little anxious about the weather since we had horrible downpours in the afternoon, but the evening proved to be nice; a bit sticky, but nice. I have to say that I am not a fan of outdoor theater, but crowd watching is a show unto itself. I guess this group has a big following as the lawn and theater was packed and it was a Wednesday night. The opening band was Paul Thorn Band and I must say he was quite good. Didn't get full audience attention, especially on the lawn, but was quite an accomplished singer and his lyrics were interesting. We did not stay for the entire show, but what we did see of Huey Lewis was good and entertaining. I can't believe they have been around for over thirty years. Sitting so far back, I couldn't see how well he has held up, but his voice has. A note to the seniors out there: if you want to see a show and don't mind waiting for the last minute, Wolftrap sells half price tickets 30 minutes before the show starts to those 65 and over. As long as that person is buying the tickets is of that age or close to it, they don't ask about the others in the party.

Netflix's new pricing policy: By now all of you who are subscribers have received their new pricing policy. I heard on the news today there has been an overwhelming negative response to it so I assume it will change. If it doesn't, Sy and I will probably go back to just getting DVDs. We don't watch streaming that often and although the $7.99 is less than a full price movie ticket, we will probably opt for that program. Stay tuned for the latest news.

Roberta

July 2

Florrie,Carol Frank, Yolanda and Betty correctly identified, "How did you find America?" "Turned left at Greenland." coming from A Hard Day's Night. Most of them even knew it was John Lennon who said it - and I thought this was a hard one!!

Try this one:

"I see men-sixty, seventy years old breaking their balls to stay fit." "What for?" "When I die I want to be sick, not healthy."

Another guest reviewer (Wendy) writes:

Judy Moody Not So Bummer Summer - If you are looking for something to do with your 7 - 11 year old daughter/granddaughter, this is just the thing. The movie follows the characters of the Judy Moody book series as Judy and her brother Stink get into some funny situations with their Aunt (played by Heather Graham). There is a little plot but the main reason to see it are the hijinks that the characters get into while their parents are away for the summer.

On Netflix:

Life As We Know It- Although this is a very predictable romantic comedy, it was a nice way to wile away almost two hours. Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamal star as the two romantic leads who become guardians for an orphaned child. Watching them deal with instant parenthood is amusing and Duhamal is easy on the eyes. An award winner - no, but in this day and age of films with gratuitous violence and sex and crass content, it is fun to see this cute movie.

On Netflix and Cable:

A Night At the Opera - My class this week showed this Marx Brother's 1935 classic. Let me start by saying that I am not much of a slapstick comedy fan which I believe this is, but the students in my class were laughing out loud. The Marx Brothers were truly talented; not only as comedians, but as accomplished musicians as well. Harpo played the harp and piano, Chico played the piano, Groucho played the violin and Zeppo was the vocalist. This was the first film without Zeppo. We were told that the "silly violence" was tampered to attract more female viewers, but there was plenty of that. Co-starring in this film is a very young Alan Jones and Killy Carlisle who played the romantic leads and Margaret Dumont playing the wealthy supporter of opera. Who knew that Carlisle was a trained opera star and sang for this film. Not my cup of tea, but you certainly will get a chuckle out of it.

We are off on a short vacation and unless the plane has films, I won't be seeing any films for a week or so. I do have some films still on instant Netflix and might review them when we return. Right now the pickings at the theaters are slim. I am anxiously awaiting the release of the final Harry Potter movie the weekend of July 16 other than that I don't see any blockbusters on the horizon. Let me know if you find some hidden treasure out there.

Roberta

June, 26

Betty, Carol Frank and Sara were correct in identifying the lyrics "Instead of praising our goulash. They're appraising the plays of Willie Mays." coming from Damn Yankees.

Try this one:

"How did you find America?" "Turned left at Greenland."

At Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts:

"The Ultimate Doo-Wop Show" - This weekend Sy and I went to Wolf Trap and saw this show. We found it entertaining seeing the old, and I mean old, acts of the 50's and 60's. As a young teen, I went to the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn to see an Alan Freed Show and this was reminiscent of that. It was fun to see people like The Fleetwoods, Jimmy Clanton and The Crystals singing their top ten hits, but in some ways it was sad. They were so old and still doing these shows - one night stands throughout the US. One gentleman was 77. Isn't it time for him to retire?

At theaters:

Midnight in Paris - This is classic Woody Allen from the showing of the beginning credits and music to the story and dialogue. Owen Wilson, who is not one of my favorite actors, does a fine job as the lead and has Woody Allen down pat. Since Allen is too old to play these roles, finding someone who can mimic his delivery and gestures was probably a must and Wilson fits the bill to a tee. He plays a young man who is disenchanted with his present life and would love to relocate to Paris. His fiancee, Rachel McAdams is not keen on the idea. I won't tell any more, but it is a lovely movie. Paris should pay Allen for making their city the main character and as the main character it shines. For an interesting movie and a lovely way to spend 90 plus minutes, see this film.

On Netflix:

For Colored Girls - Save your Netflix selection and don't even put this on your list. It is over two hours long and it is a mess! Every Africian American actor is in it so it should have been good, but it was awful. It was preachy, violent and according to this film there is no good Black man in the world.

On Netflix and Cable TV:

Citizen Kane - This was the second showing at my Oscar Losers class. Citizen Kane which came out in 1941 lost the Academy Award for best picture to How Green Was My Valley. Once again this is a film I had never seen in its entirety. The story parallels the life of William Randolph Hurst who used his influence to limit the distribution of this film. In fact, the film did not get a wide audience until it was shown on TV and then was re-released to the theaters. The techniques used in the film were way ahead of its time and the story engrossing. Orson Wells starred, wrote and directed the film, but a number of newcomers in the film found fame in later years such as Agnes Moorehead and Ruth Warrick. If you have never seen the film, I recommend it. I also believe it is a good film to see in a group to discuss all its fine points.

Good Read:

The Wives of Henry Oades - Although one is led to believe this is based on a true story, that is in doubt. That being said, it is a good read about the relationships especially between women. I won't give too much information as I read the back cover and it spoiled the beginning of the book for me. It takes place at the end of the 19th century place in England, New Zealand and Berkeley, California.

Guest Reviewer:

From time to time people on Roberta's Reviews sends in their sentiments about a film. The following is from one of our fellow movie goers:

Warning: "The Tree of Life" was perhaps the most forgettable movie we have seen in a long time. Pompously artistic, too slow paced for an old and weak story and the background music was of no help - in fact it was irritating. We walked out somewhere in the middle of the show. In short, save your money.

Now is a good time to catch up on movies you missed as the theater offerings are slim.

Enjoy,
Roberta

June 19

Betty, Carol Frank and Yolanda were correct in identifying "A man convince he is somebody else but never himself" coming from The Unusual Suspects.

Try this one that David Heymsfeld gave me. Hint: these are the lyrics from a song from the movie:

"Instead of praising our goulash. They're appraising the plays of Willie Mays."

At the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC:

Wicked - When I saw this advertised I thought it would be another good theater outing for me and my granddaughters, but I waited too long and all the tickets I was willing to pay for were gone. I thought I too had missed my chance to see it, but Friday, Betty Jenkins put an all call out for anyone who wanted her friend's ticket. After conferring with Sy who told me to go, I called Betty and was fortunate to be the one to go with her. Her tickets were in the orchestra, row K and right in the center. What a great seat. Also after watching the Tony show last Sunday, I really needed a Broadway fix and this certainly did the trick!

For those of you who do not know the story of Wicked it is the prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Although you don't go out humming the music except maybe "Gravity" and "Popular" the songs are vehicles to move the story along. The two leads are wonderful. The Washington Post gave the actress playing Elphaba, Dee Roscioli, rave reviews and I concur with them. The actress playing Glinda was not there at our performance, but I can't imagine her doing a better job than her understudy, Emily Ferranti. I can see the original cast member vividly in these roles Kristen Chenoweth as Glinda and Idina Menzel who won the Tony that year for her portrayal of Elphaba. Everything from the sets to the dancing, to the orchestration is top rate. If there are any tickets left, do yourself a favor and see this production, you won’t be sorry!

I am taking a class through OLLI (Life Long Learners) about Oscar movies, but more specifically Oscar losers. You might be interested in the attached list of Oscar losers that the instructor sent to us. It is a real eye opener. This week we saw a winner, but next week we will view one of the movies that lost to it.

On Netflix and on TCM at times:

How Green Was My Valley - This 1941 best picture Oscar winner tells the story of the Morgan family who work the coal mines in Wales. It starred Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara and a very young Roddy McDowell. It would not get the accolades it got then today, but it was a sweeping saga; from the danger of the mines, to the letting go of workers for cheaper labor (sound familiar?) to a forbidden romance. The flow of the film was a bit choppy, perfect for commercials, but kept my interest. I did not see it in the best of venues; the seats were uncomfortable and not graded so I had a hard time looking over the head of the gentleman in front of me. For a look at a movie that depicts excellence for the 40's, look for it on cable TV.

Hopefully Sy and I will get to see the Woody Allen movie this week, but many of you already wrote to tell me how good it is so I can't wait to see it for myself.

Roberta

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