Movies, Mom & Me

I'm beginning to wonder if I am the sole "Disappearer". I don't think so, but I don't have any concrete evidence of this and, possibly never will, simply because when I reconnoiter and republish a post, previous technical information is overwritten.
  At least, so far, I have always managed to recover the disappeared posts in the Blogspot Post library. That's a help. From now on, though, if I have such a disappearing incident, again, I think, before I republish, I'll note the previous technical information, which remains intact despite the disappearance of the post on my public-facing blog pages. I didn't think to do that, before.
  In addition, while I'm at it, and since it looks like this is a semi-regular occurence, here are the steps I use to recover and republish missing posts:
1) Find the post, by title, in the Blogspot Post library;
2) Click into the post's library existence to access the raw HTML and technical data;
3) Make whatever changes I need, like placing an update to explain the rearrangement of posts on this journal, and take notes about previous HTML, CSS and publishing information;
4) Republish the post for the current date and time. This is important because if I attempt to republish for the previous publishing date and time or even the previous date with a variation in time, the post remains disappeared. Believe me, I've tried this;
5) Check to make sure the post appears in the current archive;
6) Change the archive listing in the Blogspot Template for this (or, the appropriate) journal
7) Make sure to save all my work as I go;
8) Refresh my initial public appearance page;
9) Test the new link to see if it's bringing up the correct post. If not, rinse and repeat, as they say in the trades.
  The reason I'm recording all this, above, is because during previous disappearances I've had no notes to access, so I've had to refigure the process each time. It's not hard to do, but time consuming. Now, I have notes. Hurray!
  Now, I think I'll cross my fingers that this post isn't disappeared and that Blogspot doesn't invent a new procedure that disappears posts from the Post Library when they disappear from blog pages!
  Okay, I think my ass is covered as much as I can cover it. Now, back to work with inserting Actor/Role tables. After I wash a few dishes and eat a muffin.

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  none
• 
  Commentary:  This is another excellent series produced by the same people who brought us Planet Earth. I have a preference for nature shows that explore water environments and this one stacks up very well. Unlike March of the Penguins, it lives up to its hype, even if you're a regular watcher of the variety of channels that frequently host animal and geographical specials. While I have tended, over the years, to become a bit jaded in the company of Animal-Vegetable-Mineral programs, seeing as how we view so many of them, this one, like Planet Earth, engages me, every episode, every time, and, because of my sub- and unconscious veering toward water videos, adds an extra "dreamy" dimension for me.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2001
    Alistair Fothergill is listed as a director for one episode. No other directors are listed.

Labels: documentary1, dream1, film-art1, political3, science, shared-favorite, TV1

• Who's watched:  M & G, ad infinitum
• Mentions:  *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6* *7*
• 
  Commentary:  For the most complete coverage of this series in our lives, best for you to click into the first Mention, above. Otherwise, suffice it to say that, as of this date, I still haven't been able to watch any of the episodes of this series (as I haven't since my mother's death), but refuse to pass these DVDs on to someone else.
    * As usual, while there are many directors throughout the seasons, female directors are merely scattered throughout. In fact, the first season had no female directors. I guess that figures, since it's a series underhandedly about the Abrahamic God.
    P. S.: I recall that there are at at least a couple of Christmas stories in this set ... I just don't know which episodes they are.
  Update 2/10/18:  True, not your classic super-hero series but, don't you agree, the angels act miraculously and certainly have what humans would consider super-powers. And, they help people and, in a few episodes, do battle with Satan, their nemesis. What could be more super-heroic than that?!?
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
  Update 11/24/22:  In case you're curious, the Touched by an Angel episode in which Kirk Douglas acted was season 6-episode 18, "Bar Mitzvah".
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Roma Downey	Monica	Della Reese	Tess	John Dye	Andrew	Valerie Bertinelli	Gloria
  Alexis Cruz	Rafael	Charles Rocket	Adam	Paul Winfield	Sam	Cloris Leachman	Ruth

  
    Ossie Davis appeared as Erasmus Jones in "Touched by an Angel" Season 3/Episodes 11 "Promised Land" & 12 "The Homecoming"; "Touched by an Angel" Season 4 Episode 1 "The Road Home Part 1"; Season 5 Episode 2 "Saving Grace Part 1"
    Ossie Davis appeared as Gabe in "Touched by an Angel" Season 6 Episode 10 "The Christmas Gift"
    Ossie Davis appeared as Gabriel in "Touched by an Angel" Season 9 Episode 9 "Remembering Me Part 2"
    Piper Laurie appeared in Touched by an Angel, Season 4/Episode 12, "Venice"
    John de Lancie appeared in Touched by an Angel, Season 4/Episode 5, "Jones vs. God"
    Nancy Allen appeared in Touched by an Angel, Season 1/Episode 7, "An Unexpected Snow"
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1994-2003
    Directed by: See * note above.

Labels: Christmas, edward-james-olmos, enrique-castillo, fantasy2, female-director3, jesse-borrego, john-de-lancie, kirk-douglas, mom-favorite1, nancy-allen, ossie-davis, piper-laurie, spiritual1, william-devane

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  This is my favorite version of this movie. For some reason, Lana Turner doesn't do it for me. That being said, being who I am, raised in the manner and era specific to me, I still find this movie and it's 1959 remake disturbing, to say the least. There are 25 years between the two movies and, yet, the basics of the story are the same. Surely such a movie could not be made now and considered legitimate ... could it? I hope not.
    Of the two reviews in the link attached to the title, the first is about the movie. The second is a short article about the book and the story.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post republished on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Claudette Colbert	Beatrice Pullman	Rochelle Hudson	Jessie Pullman	Louise Beavers	Delilah Johnson	Fredi Washington	Peola Johnson
  Ned Sparks	Elmer Smith	Warren William	Stephen Archer	Wyndham Standing	Jarvis the Butler	Alan Hale	Martin

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1934
    Directed by John M. Stahl.

Labels: dramaC, louise-beavers, mother-daughter-dynamics1, pre-code, romance4

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  none
• 
  Commentary:  This was one of the last Christmas movies we purchased before Mom's death. I'd often wanted a copy of it because Mom had fond, though vague, memories of it. The version we purchased included the black-and-white and color editions. Although there are several b&w movies I'd refuse to watch in color, It's a Wonderful Life, for instance, or High Noon (yee gads, what a horrible idea, High Noon in color), the usual Tracy/Hepburn movies, Miracle on 34th Street (the original one), I have to say, I like this one in color better than the b&w version, although, in it's favor, that's the version we watched first. I gave Mom a choice and she chose color first. This edition contains a special feature which documents the colorization process. Once I understood how it's done, the idea didn't seem quite so disgusting. But, I still want my Now, Voyager in black & white.
    Review opinions on this movie run the gamut. I've linked a negative review to the title of this post. Here's a foursome of much more positive reviews of the film. So, you know, watch the movie, take your pick.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Bing Crosby	Jim Hardy	Fred Astaire	Ted Hanover	Marjorie Reynolds	Linda Mason	Walter Abel	Danny Reed
  Virginia Dale	Lila Dixon	Louise Beavers	Mamie	Irving Bacon	Gus	James Bell	Dunbar from Hollywood

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1942
    Directed by Mark Sandrich.

Labels: 20th-century-chick-flicks1, Christmas, comedy1, dance, fred-astaire, louise-beavers, musical1, popcorn-and-soda3, romance2

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1*
• 
  Commentary:  This is one of those movies neither Mom nor I had seen but it was one of my father's/her husband's favorites. So, one day I found a classic video rental store in Prescott (What a find!) and we spent the weekend watching 'old' movies, including our first viewing of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and this movie, with which we were both taken. I didn't realize it was such a dark story. As well, I found myself enjoying Gary Cooper, who's performance in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town was a little too over the top for me. Plus, one of the disturbing things about Capra movies is that the same actors keep showing up, playing essentially the same roles...Beulah Bondi, for instance; and the guy who plays drunken Diz, Thomas Mitchell, also plays addled Uncle Billy. It's eerie...like, you're not watching a movie, you're spying on another dimension. Not true for this movie. Thank the movie gods.
    Although I already have a post title review tagged above for this movie, out of curiosity, I wondered why I hadn't used Roger Ebert's review for it. Turns out, he didn't do a full review of the movie, although he mini-reviewed it on his PBS show and mentioned it in other pieces a few times. In answer to a question on his site about the whys and why-nots of his list of "Great Movies", Roger had this to say about the movie: "I recently screened "High Noon" (No. 33) as a candidate for my Great Movies series, and rejected it as, frankly, just not a very good film. I chose Howard Hawks' great Red River instead."
    Many reviewers disagree with Roger, such as the one whose review I linked to the title of this post. For fans of High Noon, the immediately previous link is to a four star review of the film.
  Update 11/17/2021:  This post was originally published February 6, 2005. It was one of the accidental deletions that occurred, which is covered in this post.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post re-published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Gary Cooper	Will Kane	Thomas Mitchell	Mayor Jonas Henderson	Lloyd Bridges	Dep. Marshal Harvey Pell	Katy Jurado	Helen Ramirez
  Grace Kelly	Amy Fowler Kane	Otto Kruger	Judge Percy Mettrick	Lon Chaney	Martin Howell	Harry Morgan	Sam Fuller
  Ian MacDonald	Frank Miller	Sheb Wooley	Ben Miller	Lee Van Cleef	Jack Colby	Robert J. Wilke	Jim Pierce

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1952
    Directed by Fred Zinnemann.

Labels: dad-favorite, dramaC, film-noir3, melodramaC, revisionist-western, thomas-mitchell

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  none
• 
  Commentary:  This is another spectacular BBC series that charts the evolution of the earth. Fascinating. We watched it when it broke on TV then decided we had to have it for re-viewing. We watched it, in its entirety, a couple of times before Mom died.
  Update: 7/31/21:  This series came out, originally, within the year just previous to my mother's death. Since, it has been renamed "Earth: The Power of the Planet". From what I can tell, without actually watching it before writing this update, it is the same program, just a different name. As well, an overall director (although I'm sure there must have been one) has yet to be named in any of the material on the show. The closest I can get to someone who probably had editorial and directoral control over this product would be D. Iain Stewart, referred to as the "presenter" of this program.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2007-2008
    Directed by: Different Directors for different episodes; 5 directors in all.

Labels: audio-visual, documentary1, popcorn-and-soda3, science

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  none
• 
  Commentary:  I purchased this DVD while Mom was in rehab in 2008, so it's definitely a late-comer to our library. I'd rented it and was so pleased with the movie and the accompanying website (linked above to the title) that I decided to purchase it. I was sure that Mom wouldn't be interested in watching it and hadn't planned to run it for her but I'd accidentally left the jacket on the coffee table next to her rocker. When she came home she noticed and asked about it. I gave her a little enthusiastic review, than told her I wasn't sure she'd be interested in it, but she wanted to "give it a try". Much to my surprise, she really enjoyed it. It was one of those videos which we occasionally paused to discuss points and issues. She never watched it more than once, it wasn't one of those for her, but, well, suffice it to say this movie taught me never to underestimate my mother's interest in anything, always check, first.
    Here's a link to Roger Ebert's review of this movie. Frankly, I was surprised he reviewed it. He even gave it three starts.
    Narrated by Mikela J. Mikael.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2003
    Directed by Mark Achbar & Jennifer Abbott.

Labels: documentary1, political3

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  none
• 
  Commentary:  Although Mom and I regularly watched all kinds of teaching movies, this is one of only a few we have in our collection. It's also a late comer, although both Mom and I saw it, both on TV and in the theaters, at least a few times before we bought it. It excites Mom to watch this movie, as it does all well done teaching movies. I like it because it's a Peter Weir production (so, we were destined to own it) and because it's done so well. Every time we watched this movie Mom would say, "This just makes me want to get back to the classroom," and work her arms as though she was revving herself up for a dash to the nearest school.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Robin Williams	John Keating	Robert Sean Leonard	Neil Perry	Ethan Hawke	Todd Anderson	Josh Charles	Knox Overstreet
  Gale Hansen	Charlie Dalton	Norman Lloyd	Headmaster Gale Nolan	Kurtwood Smith	Thomas Perry	Carla Belver	Mrs. Perry

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1989
    Directed by Peter Weir.

Labels: drama7, mom-favorite1, peter-weir, robin-williams, teaching

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1*
• 
  Commentary:  Yes, Mom and I watched this movie a long time ago, when it first came out in video. Remembering how Mom enjoyed it (whether or not she believed in angels, I never asked her this, despite her interest in this movie and the Touched by an Angel series), when I noticed it on TV during our channel surfing episodes, if nothing else looked more interesting to her, I'd click into it. I watched the entire movie once. Although I was (and remain) impressed with the visualization of how the angels in the movie exist on earth, since I'd seen Wings of Desire long prior to watching this movie, became interested in this movie because I enjoyed the former and was sorely disappointed that the remake was sooooo much different than the movie upon which it was based, after my first watching, I subsequently paid little attention to it, except, I must mention, the panoramic shots of angels, which I continued to admire.
    Then, Mom died, and, well, the rest of the story of my relationship to this movie and why I decided to purchase a copy of it is contained in the link up there in the Mentions section. And, yes, I'm still embarrassed by my late-realized attraction to certain scenes in this movie. It is, for instance, with some chagrin that I'm labeling (below) this movie in the "spiritual" category. Objectively, it's not, really, but I have to say, reluctantly, that the effect of the angel-vision scenes on me after my mother's death is emotional-spiritual (probably the "emotional" aspect is more important than the "spiritual" aspect).
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Nicolas Cage	Seth	Meg Ryan	Maggie Rice	Andre Braugher	Cassiel	Colm Feore	Jordan Ferris
  Dennis Franz	Nathaniel Messinger	Robin Bartlett	Anne	Joanna Merlin	Teresa Messinger	Sarah Dampf	Susan

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 1988
    Directed by Brad Silberling.

Labels: drama7, fantasy2, haunting2, me-favorite2, meg-ryan, nicolas-cage, romance2, spiritual1

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  none
• 
  Commentary:  This collection includes:
  Free and Easy [directed by Edward Sedgwick; Release date: 1930];
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Buster Keaton	Elmer	Anita Page	Elvira	Trixie Friganza	Ma Plunkett	Robert Montgomery	Larry Mitchell
  Fred Neblo	Himself	Lionel Barrymore	Director	David Burton	Himself	William Haines	Himself

  
    Cecil B. DeMille aso appears as Director Cecil B. DeMille.
  
  Spite Marriage [directed by Edward Sedgwick and Buster Keaton; Release Date: 1929];
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Buster Keaton	Elmer Gantry	Dorothy Sebastian	Trilby Drew	Edward Earle	Lionel Benmore	Leila Hyams	Ethyl Norcrosse

  
  The Cameraman [directed by Edward Sedgwick and Buster Keaton; Release Date: 1928].
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Buster Keaton	Buster	Marceline Day	Sally Richards	Harold Goodwin	Harold Stagg	Sidney Bracey	Edward J. Blake

  
    You can access individual reviews for these movies through the link in the title of this post. Otherwise, all links are to Wikipedia pages.
    Mom actually got bored with these movies during the first one we watched; I'm not sure which one that was. I however, was blown away by Buster Keaton and didn't much care whether or not I liked any of the stories (I didn't particularly care for the story behind Spite Marriage); I was much too engaged by Keaton's look and technique. I'd have to say, though, if pushed, that my favorite is The Cameraman. Although I'm not usually a fan of silent film parody, watching the romance in this movie reminded me of some of the silly incidents that boys in our neighborhood displayed when they were smitten with one or another of us sisters or our girlfriends.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.

Labels: comedy1, pre-code, silent

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  We acquired this movie just before last Easter when I was on a mission to obtain every jesus/bible related movie that we didn't already own. I didn't know whether Mom had ever seen this movie, but she was up for it when I mentioned it to her and was immediately enraptured in it's sprawl. She's also, of course, is a big fan of over-the-top drama of the period in which this was made.
    So am I, depending, and this movie didn't disappoint me, but, I have to say, The Ten Commandments is still my preferred movie spectacle film. I think. It depends. If I want some realistic spectacle grit, this is my go-to. If I want silky theatrics, then I opt for The Ten Commandments.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Charlton Heston	Judah Ben-Hur	Jack Hawkins	Quintus Arrius	Haya Harareet	Esther	Stephen Boyd	Messala
  Hugh Griffith	Sheik Ilderim	Martha Scott	Miriam	Cathy O'Donnell	Tirzah	Sam Jaffe	Simonides
  Finlay Currie	Balthazar	Frank Thring	Pontius Pilate	Terence Longdon	Drusus	George Relph	Tiberius Caesar

  
    Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
    Release Date: 1959
    Directed by William Wyler.

Labels: action3, adventure3, bible-movies1, charlton-heston, drama7, jesus-dvds, period3, popcorn-and-soda3, revenge1, spectacle2, violence3

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  Decades ago, when this show debuted on PBS, Mom and I watched it separately, then together during a serendipitous visit when it was being aired again, and, as well, during one of those watchings I recorded it off the TV and we listened to it many times. Over the last year the desire to listen to it, again, came up between us and I couldn't find the old casette tape, so I scoured the internet and found a copy of the original video production. We watched it at least twice before Mom died. We enjoyed it as much as we did the first time around. Definitely a shared-favorite! We both felt that Julie Harris did a wonderful job of portraying a highly self-possessed, talented wordsmith of a woman who wasn't so much shy as a joyful loner.
    You'll notice that I did not link a review of this DVD to my title, I linked the section of the play wherein Dickinson narates her recipe for Black Cake. It's fun to contemplate. You might want to read a review for the televised version. Here is a link to the only review I could find for the televised version. The play production that was televised was presented at the Longacre Theatre in Manhattan, New York, in 1976. The film was not processed for DVD release for 28 years, even though it appeared on television through PBS much earlier than that.
    One last surprise! I scoured the net and found a scaled down recipe for Dickinson's Black Cake. It reads very much like my mother's yearly process for making fruit cakes, down to the wax paper lining the baking pans, except that my mother included a larger variety of candied fruits and nuts, always nuts, specifically pecans, which I think were singled out because, to the taste, they are a sweet nut. I think I like Dickinson's variety better. My mother did not like cooking or baking, although she wasn't bad at it, so she trained us daughters in home culinary skills very early, as soon as we expressed an interest. She was, however, dogged about taking on the task of making seasonal fruitcakes herself. She gave them as gifts, and always kept a few for us, her family, to happily munch. She also "soaked" (her word) the cakes much more liberally with a variety of sweet fruit brandies than this recipe recommends. My father also, yearly, took over one of her cakes and soaked his even more than my mother soaked hers. Oh, it was always a Merry Holiday Season for all at our house when I was a child!
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    There is a Wikipedia write-up for the play as it appeared at the above location in New York, but it's of little use.
    Release Date: 2004
    Directed by Charles S. Dubin.

Labels: audio-visual, biography1, period3, shared-favorite, TV1

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1* *2*
• 
  Commentary:  My mother's interest in this movie was a big surprise for me. I didn't expect her to enjoy it because it is subtitled, it portrays a brutal episode in history and Werner Herzog spared no one and nothing in making this movie, but she was mesmerized by it. Unfortunately, the only copy we were able to obtain was one that had been "formatted for your screen"...big problem with this movie, since it depends on panoramic scenes, especially in the beginning, but I don't think my mother noticed or cared. I will probably keep tabs on versions of this movie and replace my copy with a widescreen version at some time in the future.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Klaus Kinski	Lope de Aguirre	Helena Rojo	Inés de Atienza	Ruy Guerra	Don Pedro de Ursúa	Del Negro	Brother Gaspar de Carvajal
  Peter Berling	Don Fernando de Guzmán	Cecilia Rivera	Flores de Aguirre	Daniel Ades	Perucho	Alejandro Repullés	Gonzalo Pizarro

  
    One of Roger Ebert's Great Movies.
    Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this film.
    Release Date: 1972
    Directed by Werner Herzog.

Labels: adventure3, drama7, haunting2, historical2, period3, political3, spectacle2, violence3, werner-herzog

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1*
• 
  Commentary:  My initial interest in this movie was that Robert Downey, Jr., plays the title character. I've never been disappointed with his work, even loved and admired some of it, and I couldn't imagine him playing a super hero. "Must really need the money," I thought, but I went for it, anyway. Perfect casting, I decided, just perfect, and good super hero story, too, good enough for me to want to own it after having rented it (and, I don't have a yen to own many super hero movies, although I try to watch as many as possible). Even though I purchased this movie some weeks before Mom's death and we both watched it (she wasn't thrilled with it), after Mom's death I found myself watching this movie several times...introducing it to relatives then watching it more on my own. I can't explain why, but it has provided me with inexplicable comfort since my mother's death. And, LOVE the suit...
    By the way, Jim Emerson of Scanners, a blog he writes attached to RogerEbert.com, also wrote an interesting review of this movie, highlighting different aspects of the feature and the actors. In addition, in an ancillary commentary highlighting the tendency of movies the celebrate "free-market principles" (not only super-hero movies, but those, as well) to be more popular (probably because they are more likely to be promoted by those with promotional money, he insinuates) and more lucrative than movies with a socialistic bent. It's very eye-opening. You should check it out, Dear Reader.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Robert Downey, Jr.	Tony Stark	Terrence Howard	James Rhodes	Jeff Bridges	Obadiah Stane	Shaun Toub	Ho Yinsen
  Gwyneth Paltrow	Virginia Pepper Potts	Paul Bettany	J.A.R.V.I.S.	Clark Gregg	Phil Coulson	Samuel L. Jackson	Nick Fury

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2008
    Directed by Jon Favreau.

Labels: action1, adventure3, drama7, fantasy2, jeff-bridges, me-favorite2, robert-downey-jr, samuel-l-jackson, science-fiction1, super-hero2, suspense2, violence3

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  *1* *2*
• 
  Commentary:  The "Mention" is only for one movie, but we watched all four with just about equal pleasure.
    Although I'm sure there are excellent reasons to critique the movies, we just sat back and enjoyed them.
    I understand yet another American Girl movie has been released, Chrissa. If Mom was still alive I don't think I'd be collecting this one because there is no obvious historical context and it looks like a highly moral 'tween version of Mean Girls. Much of the draw, for Mom and me, of this series, was the historical context.
    
  
  Kit Kittredge [Directed by Patricia Rozema.  Release Date: 2008];  Mom's favorite. It's the one that takes place during the Great Depression of the 1930s. This is the movie that elicited the most enthusiastic response from her, possibly because she was a child during that period. This movie so far, has been the only one to be reviewed by a major film critic, Roger Ebert. I've attached his review as the link for this movie.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Abigail Breslin	Margaret Mildred 'Kit' Kittredge	Chris O'Donnell	Jack Kittredge	Julia Ormond	Margaret Kittredge	Joan Cusack	Lucinda Bond
  Stanley Tucci	Jefferson Jasper Rene Berk	Jane Krakowski	May Dooley	Madison Davenport	Ruthie Smithens	Austin MacDonald	Roger
  Willow Smith	Constance	Wallace Shawn	Mr. Gibson	Glenne Headly	Mrs. Howard	Colin Mochrie	Mr. Pennington

  
  
    Felicity [Directed by Nadia Tass.  Release Date: 2005];  My favorite. It's the one that takes place just prior to the American Revolution.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Shailene Woodley	Felicity Merriman	Marcia Gay Harden	Martha Merriman	Katie Henney	Elizabeth Cole	John Schneider	Edward Merriman

  
    Samantha [Directed by Nadia Tass.  Release Date: 2004];  This one is the Christmas movie in this collection.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  AnnaSophia Robb	Samantha Parkington	Kelsey Lewis	Nellie O'Malley	Mia Farrow	Mary Edwards	Jordan Bridges	Gardner Edwards

  
    Molly [Directed by Joyce Chopra.  Release Date: 2006].  
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Maya Ritter	Molly McIntire	David Aaron Baker	Dr. James McIntire	Molly Ringwald	Helen McIntire	Thomas Brodie-Sangster	Boy in Spelling Bee

  
    Although I'm sure there are excellent reasons to critique the movies, we just sat back and enjoyed them.
    I understand yet another American Girl movie has been released, Chrissa. If Mom was still alive I don't think I'd be collecting this one because there is no obvious historical context and it looks like a highly moral 'tween version of Mean Girls. Much of the draw, for Mom and me, of this series, was the historical context.
    Apparently, American Girl movies continue to be made. I just scrolled through Amazon and several are out there, including some that are free to watch if you're an Amazon Prime member (and, of course, some require a rental fee, as well). I haven't watched any of the movies we acquired when Mom was alive since she died. All other links are to Wikipedia pages, I'm afraid, but the main article has some interesting information about the series history and almost every movie in the series has an additional Wikipedia link of its own. In time, I might scan through Amazon Prime (to which I subscribe) and check out the free movies. Should be interesting.
  Update 8/26/21:  Out of curiosity, I decided to check to see if any more American Girl (same link as in the title of this post) movies have been produced. As of 2017, 10 more, aside from the initial four which we own, have been released. Four of them appear as a four-pack on Amazon. Two are stand alones. Four, so far as I can tell, have only been released on Prime Video.
    Will I be watching them? I doubt it, but you never know. They're pretty sleek productions.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.

Labels: Christmas, coming-of-age1, female-director1, historical3, kids, marsha-gay-harden, period3, popcorn-and-soda3

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  none specific to this DVD
• 
  Commentary:  Although I remember the two of us delving into this DVD set soon after in arrived, I have no memory of three of the interviews:
  • Al Pacino Release Date: 2006,
  • Robert DeNiro Release Date: 1998,
  • Sean Penn Release Date: 1999.
  • and only a vague memory of one, Russell Crowe's Release Date 2004; Interview Transcript.
    Hard to imagine that I spaced so much of these episodes, as I'm sure both of us enjoyed all of them...but, I received this sometime in 2008 and can only imagine that my concentration level was severely hampered by everything that was going on during Mom's last year of life. At any rate, the link connected to the title, above, gives a good overview of each interview...and writing this reminds me that I need and want to watch these episodes again!
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    Sorry, no Wikipedia links to these specific programs, but the individual actor's names are linked to their individual IMDb Inside the Actors Studio appearance pages.
    All Episodes directed by Jeff Wurtz.

Labels: al-pacino, interview, russell-crowe, TV1

• Who's watched:  G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  Mom never saw this movie. I suspect she would have found it interesting, but I don't know, for sure. I'm basing my guess on her reaction to Grizzly Man, which was highly favorable and of which I'm surprised we never sought a copy. Anyway, I bought the movie on the cheap because I've always harbored a desire to take off and attempt to live "in the wild" and was curious about this movie, even though much of my reading about it had forewarned me that Christopher McCandless' journey was probably more about mental/spiritual/emotional/social (take your pick) illness than anything else and that he headed "Into the Wild" frighteningly unprepared, despite himself. Some have speculated that the movie is irresponsible. Thus, any leaning toward a romantic viewing of this film had been cleared before I watched it. Still, I enjoyed the story of what this man did, even though the movie is not completely clear on the brain chemistry or social environment behind his character and choice. It's a highly romantic retelling which, opposing the critics, I find appropriate. Despite this man's talent for personal tragedy, watching the movie has a tendency to allow me to (dangerously, I suppose) consider that, well, maybe someday...with quite a bit more preparation than an idea, I can assure you ...
    Roger Ebert, by the way, wrote stunning, heartfelt review of this movie. In fact, the only reason I didn't attach his review to the title of this post is because, for some reason, I thought a definition of schizophrenia, in the context of the film, might be more appropriate. I'm not sure I was right, but, still, I'm sticking with my choice.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Emile Hirsch	Chris McCandless	Marcia Gay Harden	Billie McCandless	William Hurt	Walt McCandless	Jena Malone	Carine McCandless
  Catherine Keener	Jan Burres	Hal Holbrook	Ron Franz	Kristen Stewart	Tracy Tatro	Vince Vaughn	Wayne Westerberg
  Zach Galifianakis	Kevin	Thure Lindhardt	Mads	Merritt Wever	Lori	Leonard Knight	Himself

  
    So, I was able to find a title link alternate to Wikipedia, an interesting one, too, and it remains up, but, just in case, here's the Wikipedia article.
    Release Date: 2007
    Directed by Sean Penn.

Labels: action3, adventure3, drama7, kristen-stewart, marsha-gay-harden, road-movie, tragedy2, william-hurt

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  See Inside the Actors Studio: Icons mentions
• 
  Commentary:  Unfortunately, the Bravo TV site no longer keeps tabs on all the episodes through all the years, so it looks as though I'll be reverting to YouTube for title links from now on, which is actually better, in this case, anyway. I didn't, above, only because the link I used includes some interesting information about this interview. However, if you're curious, search YouTube for excerpts from this delightful, entertaining interview; there are many. I recommend all of them. Mom and I viewed this several times. We never tired (and I never tire) of it. Robin William's Inside the Actors Studio interview is like watching a full fledged performance of him. He worked the students like he would work an audience. Just a marvelous creator!
  Updated 8/2/21:  Turns out, there are still a few YouTube Clips left from this interview, but, I'm not going to link to them. They disappear too quickly. Take a look for them, though.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this actor.
    Release Date: 2001
    Directed by unsure.

Labels: interview, robin-williams, TV1

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  None
• 
  Commentary:  With this commentary, I'm instituting the habit of attaching specific interview video clips from YouTube to the interviews (yes, I'll be going back and doing the same for other interview subjects covered here). Again, interview well enjoyed by both of us.
  Updated 8/2/21:  BTW, the YouTube clip I'd linked to had been taken down. I looked for others, but I guess ISTAS clips are considered restricted/copyrighted property, so I wasn't able to find any. Oh well, it was a good idea, for a more egalitarian time.
  Update 5/24/22:  Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of this actor.
    Release Date: 2002
    Directed by unsure.
  

Labels: interview, TV1

• Who's watched:  M & G
• Mentions:  none
• 
  Commentary:  This is a delightful pastiche of a movie with some very good ensemble acting and an interesting interlinkage of romantic stories that simply captured us. Look, especially, at Lynn Redgrave's performance as the mother of one of the characters. Brave and brilliant! I've watched this movie several times on my own, as well as the special features, because it, well, it feels good to watch it.
  Update 5/23/22:  Yet another post that "disappeared" and I had to recapture. I think I finally figured an easy process, now. That should help.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Maria Bello	Jocelyn	Emily Blunt	Prudie	Kathy Baker	Bernadette	Hugh Dancy	Grigg
  Amy Brenneman	Sylvia	Maggie Grace	Allegra	Jimmy Smits	Daniel	Marc Blucas	Dean
  Lynn Redgrave	Mama Skye	Nancy Travis	Cat Harris	Parisa Fitz-Henley	Corinne	Gwendoline Yeo	Dr. Samantha Yep

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2007
    Directed by Robin Swicord.

Labels: dramedy1, emily-blunt, female-director3, popcorn-and-soda3, romance2, women's-movie1