I truly enjoy this show. The two hosts are appealing and seem to really enjoy working together and being around each other. There are many projects and/or recipes per show and I almost always find something I would make in each episode. I don't always like every single item they are making. But, often times, even then, I learn a new technique or something which inspires me to create my own projects or put my own spin it. The processes which they use are very simple, for the most part. Recently I watched one where they made handmade paper. You would need a blender and a paper making frame. That could get pricey. But the result was so nice! I could totally see myself using that handmade paper in cards and other project. Other projects are as simple as taking some wide ribbon and some pearls and making a beautiful bracelet which I would actually wear and it looked so easy. I wish this show was still in production! But DIY is showing reruns and I am taping them all! They cover a wide gamut of different kinds of crafts and demonstrate a lot of different products.
Reviews
6 Reviews
Happy-Go-Lucky
(2008)
Annoying and unbearable
26 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This has got to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The main character, Poppy, was so annoying and idiotic I can't believe she managed to make it through college and get her teaching degree. Did she constantly ignore all of her professors' instruction with her snickering and inane comments? This movie reminds me of my younger son continually picking and poking at my older son until he finally pops him a good one. If I had been the driving instructor I'd have pulled her hair and gone psychotic as well. Even her friends couldn't have a reasonable conversation with her without her constantly spewing out strange clichés. Eek! I was surprised to see that the actress, who I really enjoyed in Masterpiece Theater's production of "Persuasion" (except her distracting hairstyle which poked out her ears and gave her a "mouse-like" aura), had won a Golden Globe award for this character. But I guess it might be a monumental task to play someone this annoying without all the other actors in the piece turning on her and finding her bloody body in an alley somewhere. What did the cute social worker see in her? She didn't utter a normal sentence even with him. Yuck! Of course the whole family was annoying - from the married sister who wouldn't allow the poor hubby to play Playstation to the younger sister who, although seemingly doing well in college (but maybe not), appeared catatonic through the rest of her life. Yikes! What were the parents of this family like? Was there something bad in the water in their neighborhood while the children were growing up? The roommate was normal and seemed to have a high tolerance for Poppy. And everything about their interactions made me hate myself because I know I would have either kicked her out or moved out after maybe the first month of being roommates. I can do without movies that make me hate myself.
It was touching the way Poppy related to the bully in her classroom. But, what about the poor children who had been pummeled by him? And the scene with the bum? I think he was added just to add a little suspense this boring film. I kept fast-forwarding hoping to get to something more realistic, would see one little bit that might have been interesting, and then had to rewind to see what I might have missed - all for naught.
Are all of England's streets so narrow? No wonder the driving instructor was a bit off his nut to begin with.
I would have given it zero stars if I could have.
The only interesting part was the Flamenco dancing.
It was touching the way Poppy related to the bully in her classroom. But, what about the poor children who had been pummeled by him? And the scene with the bum? I think he was added just to add a little suspense this boring film. I kept fast-forwarding hoping to get to something more realistic, would see one little bit that might have been interesting, and then had to rewind to see what I might have missed - all for naught.
Are all of England's streets so narrow? No wonder the driving instructor was a bit off his nut to begin with.
I would have given it zero stars if I could have.
The only interesting part was the Flamenco dancing.
The Forsyte Saga
(2002–2003)
Damian Lewis is Fantastic! Gina McKee was terribly miscast
6 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
What makes this whole series so compelling is the power of Damian Lewis. When he is on the screen, which luckily is most of the time, you just want to watch. Even when he is sneering and abominable, you can't take your eyes off him. Rupert Graves (young Jolyon) is more handsome and his character is much more likable. But it is Damian Lewis's performance that makes this miniseries worth watching. It is too bad they horribly miscast the part of Irene with Gina McKee. Do casting directors ever bother to even glimpse at the books they are making into movies? In the novel, Irene is blonde with dark eyes. She is delicate and enchanting. While McKee is certainly not unattractive, nothing about her is delicate. She is simply too formidable a personality to portray a lovely young thing at the mercy of, first her stepmother, then Soames, then saved from poverty by Old Jolyon, then from loneliness by young Jolyon. She is supposed to be a young teenager in the opening. It is way too difficult to "un-age" a middle-aged actress. Sorry, the whole Gina McKee thing ruined it for me. Damian Lewis revived it fortunately. I am still trying to dissect how he played Soames so sympathetically. I found myself wishing that Irene would just see how much he does love her, even though I knew he was a creepy stalker! Lewis is an amazing actor! Check him out in "Band of Brothers" -- you'd think he was American! (On a side note: That whole series (BofB) is an amazing tribute to the real men of Easy company who fought in WWII, don't miss it.) As for "The Forsyte Saga", although this one is good, I highly recommend the original BBC miniseries from the 1960's. It is very long, in black & white, and not as elaborately produced, but every minute is worth it! Meanwhile, I will be looking for Damian Lewis in future projects.
My Name Is Earl
(2005–2009)
Hilarious! Don't miss it! Truly MUST SEE!
3 October 2005
Wow! It's been a long time since I actually had a show on TV to look forward to watching this much! I barely watch TV anymore and, actually, get a lot more done in my life because of this! But now, we have Earl! It's great - I actually laugh out loud several times per episode! Admittedly - Earl reminds me of my own brother (although my brother is not a thief - but he does cheat at Euchre - you know you do Tom - so zip it!) and some other kooky members of my own family. But the writing and acting is fantastic. I just can't get enough! Don't let the fact that it is about rednecks throw you! They are FUNNY! And the scripts are clever and much more than you would expect. The whole "Karma" theme works and I love seeing the predicaments they get into. Earl's ex-wife is over-the-top and no one of course wants her to get her hands on Earl's lottery winnings! I wish it was an hour long every week! Plus it is nice that Bravo shows it again on Thursdays nights - if you miss it on Tuesdays, check out Bravo.
Hullabaloo
(1965–1966)
I Love Love Love watching these performances!
23 March 2004
I was 7 in 1965 but already totally into the music scene. It feels like I am going back once again to my happy childhood when I watch this DVD Hullabaloo Vols. 1-4. I am hoping to get my hands on the other 2 DVDs -- volumes 5-8 and 9-12. Hullabaloo wasn't as sophisticated as many music shows I also watched around this time and later (such as Solid Gold, American Bandstand, Soul Train, Don Kirschner's Rock Concert, and Midnight Special), but Hullabaloo still entertains! The writers WERE a bit corny and a lot of unnecessary hamming it up was thrown in between musical segments. But, this was the mid-1960's don't forget. For example, there's some klunky comedic play between Jerry Lewis (the telethon guy) and his son Gary Lewis (of the Playboys) I personally can do without. But that's the beauty of DVD - just press that "16x speed up" button on your remote!
Of particular interest are the British bands which were featured on segments from London hosted by Brian Epstein. Brian doesn't really do much, just kind of sways to the music and looks appreciative. But I especially love those British bands! It's a real treat to see Denny Laine of the original Moody Blues' lineup singing, one of my all-time favorite songs, "Go Now". This performance is included in the special features section of the DVD, so one might miss it. I'm pretty sure it is also included in the VHS version on volume one. I, of course, loved a lot of the music by the subsequent assemblage of the Moody Blues without Denny Laine. But never any as much as the song he wrote, "Go Now". He also went on to other fame in Wings. I still find I like HIS Wings' songs better than Paul McCartney's! I would buy this DVD for that one Denny Laine performance alone!
Another segment on the show was called "Tops of the Pops" where that episode's guests would sing shortened versions of 5 (other performers') top-rated songs of that time period. Even then, I always cringed when listening to these covers, however brief they were! I laugh to see that I still cringe at hearing them! They're fun to watch though, or skip ahead through them if you must!
Other great performances I like to watch over and over are The Mamas and the Papas singing "California Dreamin'", Marvin Gaye singing "Ain't That Peculiar" and Barry McGuire singing "Eve of Destruction", along with many, many others. You get more of your money's worth when you buy the DVD as you get 7 complete episodes, plus 18 bonus individual performances on a double-sided DVD. If you get the videos they each only have one episode.
Warning!: Your kids might freak out when they see the black and white episodes on the TV screen as my two little boys did! They thought they'd somehow get blamed for breaking the TV! Now they can't believe how deprived my childhood was! TV without color, imagine that!
Additional Warning!!!: You might throw your back out trying to outdo the Hullabaloo go-go dancers doing all the crazy dances we used to do! No wonder I was so skinny back then -- that dancing was a REAL aerobic workout! I'll just skip the mini skirt and go-go boots this time around though!
Of particular interest are the British bands which were featured on segments from London hosted by Brian Epstein. Brian doesn't really do much, just kind of sways to the music and looks appreciative. But I especially love those British bands! It's a real treat to see Denny Laine of the original Moody Blues' lineup singing, one of my all-time favorite songs, "Go Now". This performance is included in the special features section of the DVD, so one might miss it. I'm pretty sure it is also included in the VHS version on volume one. I, of course, loved a lot of the music by the subsequent assemblage of the Moody Blues without Denny Laine. But never any as much as the song he wrote, "Go Now". He also went on to other fame in Wings. I still find I like HIS Wings' songs better than Paul McCartney's! I would buy this DVD for that one Denny Laine performance alone!
Another segment on the show was called "Tops of the Pops" where that episode's guests would sing shortened versions of 5 (other performers') top-rated songs of that time period. Even then, I always cringed when listening to these covers, however brief they were! I laugh to see that I still cringe at hearing them! They're fun to watch though, or skip ahead through them if you must!
Other great performances I like to watch over and over are The Mamas and the Papas singing "California Dreamin'", Marvin Gaye singing "Ain't That Peculiar" and Barry McGuire singing "Eve of Destruction", along with many, many others. You get more of your money's worth when you buy the DVD as you get 7 complete episodes, plus 18 bonus individual performances on a double-sided DVD. If you get the videos they each only have one episode.
Warning!: Your kids might freak out when they see the black and white episodes on the TV screen as my two little boys did! They thought they'd somehow get blamed for breaking the TV! Now they can't believe how deprived my childhood was! TV without color, imagine that!
Additional Warning!!!: You might throw your back out trying to outdo the Hullabaloo go-go dancers doing all the crazy dances we used to do! No wonder I was so skinny back then -- that dancing was a REAL aerobic workout! I'll just skip the mini skirt and go-go boots this time around though!
Inspiring film, not just for civil rights, but for all of us who face adversity and manage to hold our heads up high
4 February 2004
I happened to see this movie in my son's second grade classroom when I was volunteering as a parent helper. The film and Ruby Bridges herself are truly inspiring, more poignant and heartwrenching because I know it is a true story, and that this year-long incident actually happened within my lifetime. The script doesn't seem to take liberties with reality and sticks to the truth as I understand it.
Wars against injustice are fought one battle at a time. And this movie really brings home the story in such a powerfully understated way that children, and adults alike, are able to appreciate and relate to Ruby's unrelenting bravery. As a result, we are perhaps better prepared to search for and find a bit of bravery in ourselves to rise up whenever we get the chance. The movie is well done and it was refreshing to see that it wasn't overacted or overdirected. The story alone is enough that it doesn't require the usual sprucing up by Hollywood.
To another reviewer who found it "yawn" provoking I would only say, sorry there were no car crashes, bloody scenes, knife wielding maniacs, naked ladies, or otherwise thrilling happenings gratuitously added in to try to hold the interest of viewers such as himself. There was only an angry mob of white, so-called Christians threatening and poised to attack a SIX YEAR OLD LITTLE GIRL. Perhaps he doesn't understand that this is a true story. This means IT REALLY HAPPENED. To me, the bravery of one small first grader is more exciting to learn about than all of the fictional Terminators/Arnolds, Rambos, Dirty Harry's, etc., etc., combined.
This type of movie and, in particular this specific movie, is the perfect venue for parents and children to watch together and then share and discuss other real-life events they have encountered dealing with man's inhumanity to man. We take it for granted that anyone can walk up to any lunch counter and order a coke, or drink from any drinking fountain, or sit in any open seat on any bus, or walk into his or her designated electorate polling place unhampered, or enjoy countless other privileges which we can take for granted now; while, just 44 short years ago, persons of certain skin colors or ethnicities could not without great personal risk.
The movie itself is quite long and his teacher showed it in two 45 minute segments including several discussion pauses while viewing. I really have to thank my son's teacher for sharing this movie with her class and myself, and for providing the excellent education he is receiving. The children's book by Robert Coles (the real-life psychiatrist who is portrayed by Kevin Pollak in the film) is also highly recommended reading for children.
My son was also delighted to see that some of the music in the film was composed by Patrice Rushen who sings his favorite song, "Forget Me Nots."
To another reviewer I would like to ask, if there are a dozen better movies on this topic, could I see a copy of that list? They must be spectacular!
Wars against injustice are fought one battle at a time. And this movie really brings home the story in such a powerfully understated way that children, and adults alike, are able to appreciate and relate to Ruby's unrelenting bravery. As a result, we are perhaps better prepared to search for and find a bit of bravery in ourselves to rise up whenever we get the chance. The movie is well done and it was refreshing to see that it wasn't overacted or overdirected. The story alone is enough that it doesn't require the usual sprucing up by Hollywood.
To another reviewer who found it "yawn" provoking I would only say, sorry there were no car crashes, bloody scenes, knife wielding maniacs, naked ladies, or otherwise thrilling happenings gratuitously added in to try to hold the interest of viewers such as himself. There was only an angry mob of white, so-called Christians threatening and poised to attack a SIX YEAR OLD LITTLE GIRL. Perhaps he doesn't understand that this is a true story. This means IT REALLY HAPPENED. To me, the bravery of one small first grader is more exciting to learn about than all of the fictional Terminators/Arnolds, Rambos, Dirty Harry's, etc., etc., combined.
This type of movie and, in particular this specific movie, is the perfect venue for parents and children to watch together and then share and discuss other real-life events they have encountered dealing with man's inhumanity to man. We take it for granted that anyone can walk up to any lunch counter and order a coke, or drink from any drinking fountain, or sit in any open seat on any bus, or walk into his or her designated electorate polling place unhampered, or enjoy countless other privileges which we can take for granted now; while, just 44 short years ago, persons of certain skin colors or ethnicities could not without great personal risk.
The movie itself is quite long and his teacher showed it in two 45 minute segments including several discussion pauses while viewing. I really have to thank my son's teacher for sharing this movie with her class and myself, and for providing the excellent education he is receiving. The children's book by Robert Coles (the real-life psychiatrist who is portrayed by Kevin Pollak in the film) is also highly recommended reading for children.
My son was also delighted to see that some of the music in the film was composed by Patrice Rushen who sings his favorite song, "Forget Me Nots."
To another reviewer I would like to ask, if there are a dozen better movies on this topic, could I see a copy of that list? They must be spectacular!
Tell Your Friends