December 1

In Theaters:

The Book Thief - This film is based on the book by the same name which I recently read.  It tells the story of the relationship of Liesel,  her foster parents and the Jew they are hiding against the backdrop of the horrors of Nazi Germany. Sophie Nelisse as Leisel is wonderful and Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Ben Schnetzer and Nico Liersch give convincing performances.  As in any adaptation, parts had to be left out or not fully developed, but in general a good adaptation.  Although this was a "youth" book, I would not recommend it to teens as they would find it slow. 

  

On Netflix and Instant Streaming:

Starbuck - A Thanksgiving tradition in our family is that the day after Thanksgiving, the Shermans, Kamens and Rubins go to the movies.  This year the bulk of the group went to see The Hunger Games movie while three Rubins went to see Delivery Man.  I stayed home with Abby, Amanda and Paula, but I remembered that I had Starbuck on my list and it was streaming.  Starbuck is the French Canadian version of Delivery Man.  In fact it came out just a few months ago and when the review came out for Delivery Man they compared the two.  Although I didn't see the Vince Vaugh one, I did watch this one.  It is quite delightful. Starbuck does not refer to the coffee chain, but the name used by the main character when he donated sperm. You probably know the story, but it is about a sperm donor who finds out he has fathered over 500 children and goes about to meet a few of them.  I thought this would be a great TV series as he could visit a different child each week and stay on the air for many seasons! The actors were not familiar to me,but funny and touching.  My brother Jeff said he like the American version and as he related scenes to me, they were exactly the same in this version.  So if you want to save yourself at least $9, just see this one

The Little Theatre of Alexandria:

My Temple's Sisterhood planned a dinner theater party and chose the Little Theatre of Alexandria's production of The  39 Steps as the production to see.  It was not the Alfred Hitchock version, but a spoof (I believe) since I never saw the original movie. Having seen much community theater, this performance left a lot to be desired.  The theater is lovely, but the production from sets to the acting was in line with a high school production.  In fact, I've been HS production (Bill!) that were much better.  The evening was fun because we were with fun people.  One of the actors was very good, but the others so so.  Although tickets are inexpensive and it is good to support community theater, this one was not one I could recommend.

A note about the Worldgate theater in Herndon -   It has recently been acquired by AMC and with the acquisition, they renovated the theaters.  The nine Rubin/Sherman/Kamens who went could not say enough about the theater. We went to the theater to see The Book Thief and agree with them all.   The seats are recliners. Sy said all they needed was a waitress to take his order.  You can also reserve your seats in advance or do it when you purchase your tickets at the box office.  The only minus is that if the film is a bore, there is a good possibility you might fall asleep!

DWTS:

Well it is all over and there were no surprises.  Amber Riley of Glee won with Corbin Bleu coming in second and Jack Osbourne coming in a respectable third.  My complaint is that although Amber and Corbin are not ballroom dancers, they are familiar with production numbers and moving while Jack was a true novice.  Not until they change who they recruit to dance, this will always be a problem in my mind.  

Happy belated Thanksgiving to all and a Happy Chanukah to those continuing to celebrate the holiday this week.

Roberta

November 15

It looks like my quotes are not generating a lot of interest so I will give it a rest for a while.

By the way, the last one was from Cool Runnings

In Theaters:

Enough Said - This delightful romantic comedy is a refreshing look at romance between middle aged people looking for love after being burned by their first marriages.  Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini play the leading roles with Cattherine Keener and Toni Collette in supporting roles.  It is a story of letting go and finding new love with a twist.  We left the movie smiling, but a little sad knowing this was Gandolfini's last role.  For a charming movie, see this one.  

On Netflix:

Stands Up Guys - This was a change of pace for me - not a foreign or Black movie.  The movie stars Al Pacino and Chirstopher Walken with co-star Alan Arkin.  Julianna Margules has a small role as do other actors I did not know.  It is a comedy that follows the three former criminals' lives after Val (Pacino) gets out of prison.  The ending was a little Butch Cassidy.  It was fun seeing these actors relate as older citizens.  The scene in the pharmacy was really funny.  For an enjoyable movie, put this on your list.  

On Netflix and Instant Streaming:

Populaire - I had seen the coming attractions for this film and when I saw it was on streaming, I thought it would be an excellent choice for my AAUW movie group and I was correct.  This delightful film is a throw back to the Rock Hudson Doris Day films of the 50's.  All I can say is that we have come a long way from being the obedient secretary who only wears dresses, hats and hose and types on a manual typewriter.  The film is just delightful.  An added bonus is the music that plays throughout the film.  It brought back many memories and put a smile on my face.  For a lovely film, see this one.  

DWTS:

I cannot believe that ElizabethBerkley was eliminated.  She was such a graceful dancer.  How can Bill Engvall and Leah Remeni still be on??  Jack Osbourne is doing an admirable job, but I think in the final analysis Corbin Bleu will come out on top.

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

September 18

Carol , Julie identified "We can stay up all night swapping manly stories and in the morning, I'm making waffles!" coming from Shrek

Try this one:

"Never hate your enemies, it affects your judgement."

In Theaters (limited distribution):

Therese -  This 2012 film was the closing night selection at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and is presently playing at Cinema Arts in Fairfax.  I assume it is playing nationwide at "art" houses. I had seen the previews last week and was under the impression that the film would be going into an entirely different direction.   It is a period drama that deals with the heroine's troubled struggle to remain autonomous as a member of her oppressive husband's family.  Audrey Tautou  stars as the unhappily married women.  It is very slow, but after the film we all talked about it a lot!  All of us were not sure how we felt about the movie, but if a movie gets you talking, doesn't that say something about the film?  The way Therese deals with her unhappiness is bizarre and the film dangles carrots and then does not act on them.  So....did I like it, not sure.  It is not presently in the Netflix bank, so you can't see it yet at your home or on streaming.  Look for it and if it comes along, see it and let me know what you think.  

At Signature Theater in Arlington:

Miss Saigon - All I can say is WOW!!!  Sy and I tried to get to see this last weekend, but there were no decent "Rush" tickets so we left.  Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Northern VA so we left in late afternoon and were the second group of people waiting on line.  We did secure good seats and enjoyed the performance.  I had never seen Miss Saigon, but it is loosely based on Madame Butterfly set in the Viet Nam War. The leads are amazing.  As a side note, the young man playing Chris, Gannon O'Brien, had to take over last minute as the lead pulled his vocal chords and could not perform due to doctor's orders.  He did a lovely job with the role.  Diana Huey, Kim,  has a lovely voice that is put to the test as the entire play is sung.  Thom Sesma as the Engineer brings a bit of comedy to the role.  Of course our favorite, Erin Driscoll, is wonderful as Ellen Chris' American wife.  A new song was added to this performance that Erin sings.  I was especially impressed with the staging.  If you remember in the Broadway version, a helicopter lands on stage.  Of course, Signature could not do that, but with lighting and sounds effects you feel a helicopter is there.  Kudos to the orchestra as well.  Their playing was flawless.  Another hit for Signature.  If you can, go see it before it leaves.

DWTS Update:

So the first episode was been put to bed and these are my thoughts.  Judges were overly generous to some and too harsh on others.  I know Valerie Harper is battling cancer, but her dancing did not deserve all 7's.  Although Bill Nye did not dance well, neither did Keyshawn Johnson the football player and his scores were higher than Bill's. I am happy that the show will only air one night a week.  The results show was a waste of time.  Here is my evaluation:

Front runners:

Amber Riley

Christina Milean

Elizabeth Berkley Lauren

Corbin Bleu

Middle of the Pack:

Jack Osburne

Brant Daugherty

Leah Remini

Snooki Polizzi

Bottom

Valerie Harper

Bill Nye

Keyshawn Johnson

Bill Engvall

Enjoy this beautiful fall weather.  If you are in the Washington area, this weekend is the annual National Book Festival on the Mall.  It is always fun to go to.

Roberta

September 12

Betty, Julie and Allison "It is not our abilities that show what we truly are... it is our choices." Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.   Carol Frank gets a mention as she guessed Harry Potter without the exact movie.

Try this one:

"We can stay up all night swapping manly stories and in the morning, I'm making waffles!"

In Theaters:

In A World... - This indie film stars and is written by comedian Lake Bell.   It takes you into the world of voice overs specifically trailers.  The characters are quirky and story is sweet.  It received great reviews.  Is it great, not according to me, but good. It got better as the story progressed.   I would save it for my DVD list or streaming.  

On Netflix:

Admissions:  This Tina Fey, Paul Rudd comedy is a nice light weight romantic comedy about an admissions officer at Princeton and the head of an alternative school trying to get his student in.  There are a bit of twists which I will not divulge, but it is a fun movie.  Lily Tomlin playing Fey's mother, is a hoot.  For a feel good, mindless movie, put this on your list.  

Liberal Arts - Did you ever see a movie and after watching it did not know if you liked it or not; well this is one for me.  It tells the story of a thirty something who is called back to his university to give a tribute speech to his former professor and falls in love with the place again.  Relationships are examined with a young coed, an older professor and a troubled student.  It was fine, not great not bad. Although I did not know the lead, Josh Radnor,  Elizabeth Olsen, the younger Olsen sister, starred as well.  She is lovely and a good actress.  Richard Jenkins is the professor and Allison Janney, Zac Efron and Kate Burton have minor roles.  See it and decide for yourself.  

An Uplifting Read:

My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor - What an incredible road this woman has taken to become Supreme Court justice.  Needless to say, she is brilliant and was able to overcome insurmountable odds to reach this position, but the human being comes across in this very readable memoir. After reading this, I wanted to be here friend.   Even if you don't like to read biographies, you won't be disappointed or bored while reading this one.  

DWTS:

It is that time of year when Dancing With The Stars reveals their cast roster.  Here it is.  We are in store for another interesting season.  Am though annoyed that there are some real dancers on the roster; Amber Riley from Glee dancing with Derek Hough (another fix in the making).  I think they put him with excellent dancers so that he remains on the show for a significant amount time since he is a draw.  And Corbin Bleu from High School Musical has dancing ability although hip hop.  Not sure about Elizabeth Berkley and Christina Milian.  Time will tell!

• Valerie Harper and Tristan MacManus
• "Saved By the Bell" and "Showgirls" star Elizabeth Berkley will dance with Valentin Chmerkovskiy
• Amber Riley with Derek Hough
• Footballer Keyshawn Johnson and Sharna Burgess
• "High School Musical" star Corbin Bleu and Karina Smirnoff
• Leah Remini and Tony Dovolani
• "The Voice's" Christina Milian is paired with Mark Ballas
• Bill Nye (yes, "The Science Guy") dancing with Tyne Stecklein
• "Pretty Little Liars" and "Army Wives" actor Brant Daugherty with Peta Murgatroyd
• Jack Osbourne with Cheryl Burke
• "Blue Collar Comedy's" Bill Engvall and Emma Slater
• Jersey Shore" star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi with Sasha Farber

To all my Jewish followers, I wish you all a very Happy New Year and an easy fast.

Roberta