August 2

David, Carol Frank and Florrie were correct in identifying "I own a couple of newspapers. What do you do?" coming from Citizen Kane.

Try this one:

"You know something." You read too many comic books."

At Theaters:

Friends With Benefits - I didn't expect to like this film especially after seeing the previews of the movies shown before the film thinking it was going to be as stupid as the films on preview, but I was mistaken. The story, although predictable, was very sweet. I am not giving the story away by telling you it is about two people, Dylan and Jamie, who hook up simply to hook up . As the story unfolds, you can guess the ending. I must say that the two leads Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis have chemistry. Justin Timberlake as Dylan has tuned into a good actor. Patricia Clarkson as Kunis' mother, Woody Harrelson as Dylan's practical confidante and Richard Jenkins as his father are great additions to the cast. I was surprised that I liked it so much.

Netflix and perhaps repeated on HBO:

Temple Grandin - This HBO movie won loads of Emmy awards last year and rightly so. It is the wonderful, true story of Temple Grandin. Temple has autism and with the help of her parents and simple fortitude, she overcomes her disability to not only earn an undergraduate degree and masters in animal husbandry, but teaches and lectures on both these subjects. She is not cured, but has learned to deal with society on their and her terms. It is a great look into the mind of someone who has this disability and how they think. Do yourself a favor and put this DVD on your Netflix list.

Netfix and Instant Streaming:

Jack Goes Boating - This indie film starring and directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman is a lovely story about loneliness and how two souls come together. There is a secondary story about the unraveling of a relationship as well. Hoffman is the only recognizable character; but the entire cast is well suited for their roles. Hoffman is such a versatile actor. It is a short film; just over 90 minutes and one that leaves you with hope.

Wild Target - This black English comedy is delightful. It stars Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt and Rupert Grint. (Ron of the Harry Potter movies.) The plot revolves around a hit man, Nighy, who cannot kill his latest target, Blunt. Through a series of circumstances, Rupert becomes his apprentice. It is quite comical although implausible. Eileen Atkins who plays Nighy's mother is a hoot. A fun movie!

Although the pickings are slim this week at the movies, hang in there as some blockbusters are just around the corner.

Roberta

July 24

Carol Frank, Allison and Yolanda correctly identified "Secret's in the sauce." coming from Fried Green Tomatoes.


Try this one:

"I run a couple of newspapers. What do you do?"

A note about the Reduced Shakespeare Company and the History of Sports show - Yolanda told me that they will be at the Reston Community Center this spring. The price for Reston residents and those who work in Reston is $15. You can call the center for a catalog or stop by and get one and see all the offerings they have.

On Netflix:

The Switch - This is another in the never ending romantic comedies that have come out this past year. It stars Jennifer Aniston as the 30 something with a biological clock that is ticking away and Jason Bateman as her neurotic best friend. The real star of the film is the little boy who plays Sebastian, Thomas Robinson. Needless to say there is a mix up and things progress from there. I did find it a pleasant way to spend one of these horrible days of July. For a movie that will not offend, unless you don't believe in sperm donors, this is a fine movie to watch.

Invincible - Thursday was the last day of my Oscar losers class. The instructor decided to show this film simply because he liked it. It is the true story of Vince Papele who became a player for Philadelphia Eagles. Although the film depicts his coming on the team through an open audition, this was not the real case. He was playing for a minor type league and was asked to try out, but an open audition makes for a better movie. It follows the familiar formula about athletes overcoming odds to become successful. Mark Wahlberg stars as Papele, Greg Kinnear as coach Dick Vermeil and Elizabeth Banks is the love interest. I like these feel good movies and it certainly was a good way to spend a very hot afternoon. An interesting tidbit: someone in the class said the Greg Kinnear went to Lake Anne ES in Reston.

Streaming and Netflex discs:

All Good Things - This film based on the mystery surrounding real estate heir Robert Durst and his missing wife is best left unwatched. Although Ryan Gosling, Kristen Dunst and Frank Langella do fine jobs with their roles, the story which started off interesting and engaging went from bad to worse. I looked it up to see if it was a true story as I found some parts hard to believe and it is. Do yourself a favor and read a good book instead.

Some movies that are scheduled to be released in the next few weeks look promising. In particular Sarah's Key, which will be in limited distribution, and The Help are on my must see list!

I have had a change of heart regarding Netflix and the price hike. After realizing that my bill will go up only $6.00, I decided to keep it as it is. After all, a movie ticket for a first run film is more than that during the afternoon hours!

Roberta

July 21

Carol Frank was the sole identifier of the quote "You see, in this world there are two kinds of people, my friend: those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig." comping from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

Try this one:

"The secret's in the sauce."

At Theaters:

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Both Sy and I have been waiting for the conclusion of the Harry Potter series and this final episode was not a disappointment. It leaves off right where part one ended. It is the final chapter of the meeting of Harry and Voldemort. There are lots of special effects, but the real stars are the three friends who have grown up before our eyes: Harry, Hermine and Ron (Daniel Radcliff, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson). They have all turned into fine actors. A note of caution; if you have not read the books or seen all the movies, you will be lost. It is also a bit scary for the younger set. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

On Netflix:

Mao's Last Dancer - This film with both Chinese and English is based on the autobiography of Li Cunxin. It is a beautiful story with wonderful ballet scenes. Even though ballet is not my favorite form of entertainment, the dance scenes were magnificent. You get the feel of how difficult it is to become a dancer and the hardships they go through to make the grade. All the actors/dancers are well suited for their roles. I don't want to tell more of the story, but highly recommend it.

Kennedy Center:

Reduced Shakespeare Company in "The Complete World of Sports" - This company takes on different subjects with their varied shows. It is a three man production and it is a hoot. The rapid fire delivery and the wonderful talent of each of the performers makes this show fly by. Goldstar has half price tickets and the Terrace Theater at the Kennedy Center is a great venue. There is no bad seat in the house. They are here only until Sunday so get your tickets. If not, they return to the area many times during the year so look for them. You won't be sorry!

With the horrible heat we are experiencing in the east, it is a good time to catch a movie!

Roberta

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