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

August 20

Yolanda, Florrie, Carol Frank correctly identified "What if someone you never met, someone you never saw, someone you never knew, was the only someone for you?"  from Sleepless in Seattle

Try this one:

"It is not our abilities that show what we truly are... it is our choices."

At Theaters:

The Butler - Although this film does not break any new ground, the story is an important one of notable events of the 20th century and the civil rights movement.  It is  told through the eyes of Eugene Allen the actual White House butler who served 34 years from the Eisenhower through Reagan administration..  Allen's name was changed  to Cecil Gaines for the film.  Although Oprah has gotten rave reviews playing Gloria, his wife, I thought Forest Whitaker as Gaines was the most outstanding cast member.  An ironic casting of Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan brought a smile to my face.  For an interesting look back into the not too distant past, see this film.  

On Netflix:

Footnote - This Israeli film deals with the strained relationship between a reserved Talmudic scholar and his ambitious son; both professors at the same university.  A mix-up ensues regarding an award and as they say, the plot thickens.  Not too happy with the ending, but the beginning and middle both dramatic and funny.  Worth the viewing.  

On Netflix and Streaming:

The Great Gatsby - Since my book group had read this last month, we decided to see the 1974 version starring Robert Redford, Mia Farrow and a very young Sam Waterson.  I have not seen the latest version so have nothing to compare it to.  Waterson was the star of this movie. His Nick Caraway was excellently portrayed.  My one complaint is with a running time of close to two and a half hours; it was way too long.  The movies volume level was also a problem.  At times it was very loud, especially during the party scenes, and other times the actors were whispering.  Was it true to the novel, pretty much so.  Did I enjoy the movie - I enjoyed the company better.  Decide for yourself.  

At Wolf Trap:

Chicago (the group not the show) - Chicago has been one of Sy's favorite bands forever and when he saw that they were performing nearby, he wanted to go.  We were not disappointed.  Out of the nine members, four are original; which is saying something.  They have been together in one form or another since the 70's. They put on an entertaining show featuring their all time favorites including "You Are My Inspiration"  the song Wendy and Howard danced to their first dance as husband and wife..  They were loud and some of the songs sounded alike.  The vocalist who sang songs that Peter Cetera made famous had big shoes to fill and for those of us who remember Cetera, he doesn't quite fill them, but gives it the old college try.  When he sings newer songs, he is more successful.    It was a lovely way to spend a comfortable summer evening.

Two recently read novels for my book group:

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier - This novel by the author of the Girl With a Pearl is a very quick read and engrossing as well.  It is about an English Quaker woman who comes to America and learns about and helps with the runaway slaves.  The historical information is fascinating.  I learned quite a bit about the times and the people and although fiction, I am sure many who were part of the "railroad" were as brave as the characters in this novel. There is only one episode that does not make sense for this character and felt like it was put in to sell books, but for an engaging book, pick this one up.

The Round House  by Louise Erdrich - Although I learned quite a bit about Native Americans and the injustice that they have to live with regarding how crimes are dealt with, I was left cold after reading it.  It deals with a horrific crime and how a family and the community deals with it and the consequences it has on them all.   I felt the ending was ridiculous, but am in the minority as most of my friends loved the novel.  Why not pick it up and decide for yourself.

A number of movies out now I want to see.  Hopefully I'll get to see them, if not in the theaters, my living room!

August 12

Julie and Carol Frank correctly identified "You're a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity." from Toy Story

Try this one:

"What if someone you never met, someone you never saw, someone you never knew, was the only someone for you?"

At Theaters:

Blue Jasmine - This latest Woody Allen movie is a tour de force for Cate Blanchatt as a woman in crises after she finds herself destitute and can no longer live the life of luxury due to certain circumstances.  I don't want to give the story away, but will leave it at that.  As in most of Allen's movies, this is an ensemble cast that includes one of his go to actors Alex Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Dice Clay, Louis CK and Sally Hawkins.  The action takes place in San Francisco and New York and those towns are as much a part of the film as the actors.  For a good, adult movie see this one.   

On Netflix:

The Queen - This was the last film shown at my OLLI class on political films and what a timely film it was.  Starring Helen Mirren and Michael Sheen as Tony Blair it retells the story of the monarchy and their reaction and lack thereof of Dianna's death.  As usual Mirren does an outstanding job with the role and the film captured the mood and thinking behind the Queen's decision not to originally give a public statement.  You won't be disappointed in this film if you haven't already seen it.

At Wolftrap:

Ballroom With a Twist - Being a huge Dancing With the Stars fan, this program caught my eye.The headliners were listed as Derek Hough, Tristan Macmanus, Peta Murgatroyd and Anna Tresunskaya all dancing with the stars favorites.  In addition Melinda Doolittle, Gina Glocksen and Von Smith from American Idol were in the cast and a number of So You Think You Can Dance finalists.  Although the show was pleasant and the dancing amazing, I felt it was a bit of a bait and switch.  The Dancing With the Stars performers did a minimum amount of performing.  They were the emcees and each danced two dances and answered questions.  The real stars of the show were the other dancers and Gina Glocksen and Von Smith who provided the majority of the vocals.  Melinda Doolittle sang only two songs.  Having only paid half price for the tickets, it was well worth the admission; not sure I would say the same if I had paid full price.

The following link was sent to me by Howard.  This is a youtube commercial for Diabetes.  I think you will find it very interesting.

Cool JDRF ad on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj41KVxZNHQ&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DWj41KVxZNHQ&nomobile=1

This week a few new movies open that look promising - The Butler and Jobs.  They are already on my Netflix save list!

Roberta

July 21

Carol Frank correctly identified "We walk away from our dreams afraid we may fail, or worse yet, afraid we may succeed." from Finding Forester.

Try this one:

"You're a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity."

On Netflix:

 

Broken City - This film involves a private detective, Mark Wahlberg, a crooked mayor, Russel Crowe and assorted twists and turns that has Wahlberg intent on bring the mayor down.  At times it was difficult to understand the actors especially Crowe, but that is the beauty of the DVD, you can simply rewind or put on the captions.  Co-starring Catherine Zeta Jones, Jeffrey Wright and Kyle Chandler the film can be a bit confusing, but engaging.  

In Theaters (The pickings are slim, but here goes):

The Way, Way Back - This is a lovely coming of age film starring Liam James as a teen who is figuring out his life during the summer at a beach town.  His recently divorced mother is in a relationship with a man he does not like.. He finds who he is  and a safe place to go at the local water park whose manager takes him under his wing.   Steve Carell, plays the overbearing boyfriend and Sam Rockwell the manager of the water park.  It also co-stars Toni Collette, Maya Rudolph and  Allsion Janney who is a hoot!  For a sweet film, see this one.  

At Signature:

Spin - This new musical is part of siglab which is a program developed to provide writers of new musicals a chance to see their work in a workshop form in front of an audience before it receives a full production.  Spin had four weeks of rehearsals to work, change and develop the piece.   It is based on a Korean movie and will be rewritten for Korean audiences.  There was nothing pre about this performance.  The performers were wonderful with the leads being performed by James Gardiner and Carolyn Cole.  Can't leave out Erin Driscoll, Betsy's daughter and Sarah's voice teacher as she did a lovely job with the role of the teacher.  Bobby Smith was terrific as the sleazy gossip reporter and a young boy, Holden Browne ably  played the son/grandson.  The story involves a washed up boy band singer who finds he is not only a father but grandfather.  Tickets are only $30 and are a bit less on Goldstar.  The productions runs through July 27,.

Another great restaurant:

Present - If you are looking for good Vietnamese food, look no further than Falls Church VA and this restaurant in an unassuming strip shopping center.  (Don't be frightened off by the sketchy area!)  The food  is divine and the presentation a work of art.  This restaurant was ranked the best Vietnamese restaurant by Tom S. the food critic of the Washington Post and he was not wrong.  We started with lettuce rolls  that were  hearty, but light with a wonderful touch of mint.  (Lisa once made spring rolls for us like this and it reminded us of her rolls!)  Next I had a shrimp dish that was served on a half of a pineapple.  The  shrimp were succulent and there were plenty of them.  Sy had a crab dish that he liked as well.  The price was reasonable and the restaurant decor is nice.  The only surprise was when Sy asked for more rice,  we were charged for it which surprised us. A nice change of pace and we thank the Lummers for taking us there. 

July 14

Carol Frank was correct identifying "Sometimes it's easier to be mad at the people you trust because you know that they'll always love you no matter what you say" coming from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants .

Try this one:

"We walk away from our dreams afraid we may fail, or worse yet, afraid we may succeed."

On Netflix

Dave:  To mix it up a bit in my OLLI class on political movies, this light-hearted comedy was shown.  Starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver this film tells the improbable story of a president look alike who stands in for the president after he suffers an unexpected stroke.  Frank Langella and Ving Rhames round out the cast as the devious chief of staff and president's body guard respectively.  Of course things change for the best with the impostor president.  The story is predicable, but enjoyable.  See this 1993 film for a lovely diversion. 

The Vow -  I need to shake up my queue as this was yet another romantic film.  It starred Rachel McAdams and  Channing Tatum, as a couple who needs to reconnect after McAdams slips into a coma after a car accident.  She does not remember the last five years and why she was estranged from her family.  Jessica Lange is not aging well as evident in this film.  The reason for the break up with the family is not believable. A so so film.  

On Netflix Streaming only:

Orange is the New Black -  This is, I believe, the third time Netflix has streamed a series in its entirety for their streaming subscribers.  Written by the creator of Weeds, this series tells the story of a young woman who lands in jail after committing a crime in her younger years.  Taylor Schilling plays Piper the lead and Jason Biggs is her boyfriend,  Kate Mulgrew plays a Russian who runs the kitchen.  I have only seen the first two episodes, but it is an engaging one.

A Classic:

The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald - This classic was this month's book selection for my book group.  Although I read it in high school, I needed to reread it once again.  It is a short novel that received reviews that were mixed. at the time of publication.  The story is thin, but the language is lovely.  It was a turn in how authors wrote that made it a classic   It can be read on many levels; as a simple story, as a novel that depicts the time it takes place and one where you can delve into the symbolism.  I particularly liked the explanation of the classic cover  The publisher relates and I quote - "Cugat's rendition is not illustrative, but symbolic, even iconic:  the sad, hypnotic, heavily outlined eyes of a woman beam like headlights through a cobalt night sky.  Their irises are transfigured into reclining female nudes.  From one of the eyes streams a green luminescent tear; brightly rouged lips complete the sensual triangle.  Below, on earth, colored carnival lights blaze before a metropolitan skyline."  The publisher also stated that Fitzgerald's symbolic billboard eyes of D. TJ Eckleburg was derived from Cugat's jacket art.  A criticism that the publisher noted was that although most characters were well written and fleshed out, Gatsby was somewhat vague.   It is interesting that there are factual errors in The Great Gatsby that can be divided into external (actual outside world)  and internal (fictional world) errors.  The external ones were based on Ftizgerald's shaky geography and the haste in which the novel was manufactured.  i.e. he was a Midwesterner from San Francisco.  The internal ones  had to do with fictional places on Long Island (East and West Egg)  There are chronological problems too.    Too much action is crowded into late August.  The use of general language: a few days, several weeks and about six weeks cause some of the difficulties. I reas these insights from the preface, forward, The Text  of Gatsby and the publisher's afterward.  This is a case where having the actual book and not an electronic copy added to the pleasure and explanation of the novel. 

A Note About Reviewers/critics:

In today's Washington Post, Hank Stuever, their TV critic compares Honey Boo Boo with The Newsroom.  He pans Newsroom and celebrates Honey Boo Boo.  My questions to him is what planet does he live on. He doesn't like the talky nature, the flashback to the recent past and the major characters on The Newsroom while he enjoys the authenticness of Honey Boo Boo and her family.  I know people don't always agree with me, but what is he thinking.  Most of my friends not only enjoy The Newsroom, but are anxiously awaiting its return to HBO tonight at 9:00 p.m.  If you subscribe to HBO and haven't seen Newsroom, see it tonight and make your own decision.  I won't even suggest that you watch Honey Boo Boo.  If that make me a snob, so be it!!

July 7

Carol Frank, Sy and Yolanda correctly identified "When a defining moment comes along, you can do one of two things. Define the moment, or let the moment define you." coming from Tin Cup one of Sy's favorite movies.  I finally put Sy on my distribution list and this is why this is the first time he was able to answer a quote question.

This was my weekend for romantic comedies.  A good way to avoid the hot, humid weather.

Try this one:

Sometimes it's easier to be mad at the people you trust because you know that they'll always love you no matter what you say.

On Netflix:

Think Like a Man - This film was based on Steve Harvey's book of the same title.  Five couples have relationship issues and the females use Harvey's book to get them what they want.  Little do they know the men get a copy of the book as well and the "battle of the sexes" begins.  Michael Ealy, Taraji P. Henson and Gabrielle Union head the cast of the most beautiful people you would want to see.   A very predictable film, but enjoyable.  

On Netfix and Streaming:

Playing for Keeps - Gerard Butler and Jessica Biel star in this light romantic comedy about a washed up former soccer star who comes back to town to rebuild his relationship with his son and ex wife by becoming his son's soccer coach.  Catherine Zeta Jones and Uma Thurman play two of the love starved soccer moms and Dennis Quaid plays a jealous soccer dad.  Again predictable, but enjoyable.  

Kennedy Center

Anything Goes - This lovely production had its last performance tonight and we were lucky to see it this afternoon.  I thought the girls would like it and they did.  What's not to like - the music by Cole Porter includes many of his classics including the title song, "Friendship"  "It's De-lightful"  "I get a Kick Out of You".  The dancing is devine with the show stoppping production number of Anything Goes concluding the first act.  The book, though dated, funny.  The performers were top rate and production Broadway quality.  What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon with my family!  Make sure to check the Kennedy Center website for discounts.  Although I received an email, discount tickets were available.  We sat in the rear orchestra for $59.00 a ticket.  They do add on lots of service charges,one of my pet peeves, but I paid about $275 for the four of us.  The cost of one ticket with the service charges to see "Book of Mormon" later this summer.

Theater manners:

I am glad the theater reminds people to shut down their cell phones and unwrap the candy before the show starts, but it is a shame that parents don't hush their children during the performance.  I did know there would be many children in the audience and a little aside here and there is acceptable, but the mother and daughter sitting behind us were a bit rude.  Not only did they talk a little too much that I had to turn around and give them the teacher eye, but the young girl chewed gum like a cow during the performance and actually popped bubbles.  The wrappers were scattered around her seat when I looked during intermission.  Sy gave them the evil eye and the Mom actually apologized to him during intermission.  Note - if you know your child cannot sit, don't bring them to the theater and for heaven's sake don't give them gum to chew on.