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MyMovieTVRomance
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Lovin' all my faves~
<<<---Photo: from A FINE ROMANCE (1981 -1984). Classic Britcom
PERSONAL ENTERTAINMENT PREFERENCES (all top faves in bold):
Type of television = I love TV of all eras. Types of programs I like are: serialized programs (usually dramas or dark thrillers like "Bates Motel" or the original "Dallas"), cozy and classic mystery and crime shows (like "Columbo" "Murder, She Wrote", and "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour"), mini-series, made-for-TV-movies, and televised plays (especially when they are big-time television events, like "Peter Pan Live"!), classic variety shows (like "Carol Burnett"), vintage talk-shows (like Dinah Shore, Carson, Donahue, Joan Rivers, etc---the fun showbiz-themed ones), vintage game-shows (like the 1980s-1990s "Love Connection"), heartwarming family shows (like "Punky Brewster"), some children's shows and cartoons I grew up with, and occasional cooking shows and home and garden programs. But, as much as I love all these different types of TV from all the different eras, it is sitcoms and comedic shows (especially favorite Britcoms and cozy British comedy) which I tend to love the most.
Type of film = Romantic, sexy, understated, erotic, happy, sweet, uplifting, poetic, mysterious, thrilling, dark, suspenseful, fantastical, warm, fun---Chic[k]-flicks... Lover of all cinema, i.e. "World cinema"---especially European, Australian, and North American cinema---but enjoy films from elsewhere occasionally too. As long as films are romances (especially lesbian romances), musicals, comedies, fantasies, family films, teen films, dramas, FILMS ABOUT TEACHERS AND FILMS ABOUT NUNS (they often inspire and invigorate me), art films, animation (especially the really artsy ones), suspense/thrillers, mysteries, epics, or horror--or a combination thereof--and as long as I like the style, story, and cast---I'll most likely like the film. I am also a fan of some documentary films and shorts. But, the look and musical score/soundtrack is essential to my enjoyment of anything I watch, no matter what the genre. The more visually stunning the film, the better---and the more likable the soundtrack/score, the more I'll adore it. Love films showing lifestyles of the rich and glamorous, lush suburbs, scenery, homes, affluence, domestic settings... I like films that excite me, arouse me, seduce me, fill my mind with wonder, warm my heart, play into my fantasies of a comfortable existence, and/or otherwise make me feel good---about something---even if it's just the clothes the characters are wearing or the places they go!
A look at 1 of my favorite movies =
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHlLXejIh78
Authors/book-to-screen adaptations = George Bernard Shaw, Roald Dahl, the Grimm brothers, Hans Christian Andersen, Ayn Rand, Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, Françoise Sagan, Shakespeare, films based on religious texts, biographies, exposés, classic children's stories, fairy-tales, and fantasies
Directors/Producers = Olivier Assayas, Otto Preminger, Frank Borzage, Judy Craymer, Ryan Murphy, Blake Edwards, Billy Wilder, Frank Capra, Juacqes Demy, Tim Burton, Douglas Sirk, Ross Hunter, Michael Powell & Emeric Pressbuerger a.k.a. The Archers, Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, Preston Sturgess, Alfred Hitchcock, Nora Ephron, Nancy Meyers, Garry Marshall, Penny Marshall, John Hughs, Harold Ramis, Woody Allen, Robert Altman
Actresses = From film: Jean Arthur, Maggie Smith (because her films are like the movie-equivalents to Classical and "easy listening" radio stations), Judi Dench, Jean Seberg, Julie Walters, Juliette Binoche, Kristen Scott Thomas, Kristen Stewart, Isabella Rossellini, Amy Schumer, Glenn Close, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Andie MacDowell, Carrie Fisher, Natasha Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Emma Thompson, Julianne Moore, Mia Farrow, Mia Wasikowska, Jennifer Lawrence, Brittany Murphy Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Cate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Faye Dunaway, Jessica Lange, Diane Keaton, Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis, Annette Bening, Dakota Johnson, Renee Zellweger, Kirsten Dunst, Lindsay Lohan, Penelope Cruz, Helena Bonham-Carter, Imelda Staunton, Celia Imrie, Christne Baranski, Tilda Swinton, Meg Ryan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Drew Barrymore, Lily Tomlin Barbra Streisand, Julie Andrews, Charlotte Rampling, Elena Anaya, Gwen Verdon, Rosemary Clooney, Mary Martin, Doris Day, Deanna Durbin, Deborah Kerr, Ingrid Bergman, Greer Garson, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Wood, Catherine Deneuve, Grace Kelly, Lauren Bacall, Gloria Grahame, Shelley Winters, Anne Bancroft, Eva Green, Jane Fonda, Ruth Gordon, Carol Channing, Cloris Leachman, Cybil Shepherd, Judith Light, Whoopie Goldberg, Whitney Houston, Cher, Lana Turner, Sandra Dee, , Shirley Temple, Hayley Mills, Debbie Reynolds, Goldie Hawn, Kyra Sedgwick, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis, and Rosalind Russell , cause their films mostly exemplify what I tend to like in genres, cast, etc. From TV--NOTE an asterisk designates a TV actress I also love in movies: *Vera Farmiga (maybe the best actress working in TV today), *Judi Dench, *Ellen Degeneres, Betty White, Bea Arthur, *Angela Lansbury, *Lucille Ball (my first ever favorite who will always have a place in my heart), Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, *Jane Horrocks, *Julia Sawalha, *Joannna Lumley, *Catherine Tate, Tracey Ullman, Victoria Wood, *Juliet Mills, Melissa Joan Hart, and *Vivian Vance (the best TV co-star EVER!)
Actors = From film: (in no particular order) Fred Astaire (cause he's ultra-likable and starred in some of the most upbeat, memorable films), Dudley Moore, Cary Grant, Herbert Marshall, David Niven, Gene Kelly, Tom Cruise, Micheal Douglas, James Mason, Maurice Chevalier, Henry Fonda, Warren Beatty, Rock Hudson, Charles Boyer, Robert Taylor, Danny Kaye, Robert Preston, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Tom Bosley, David Tomlinson, Dean Jones, Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray, Woody Allen, Tim Currey, Tim Allen, George Burns, Richard Gere, Tom Selleck, Charles Gordon, Chevy Chase, Eddie Redmayne, Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, Gene Wilder, Rex Harrison, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Michael Cain, Sr. Ian McKellen, Jim Carrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robin Williams, Danny DeVito, John Travolta, Bill Macy, Micheal Keaton, Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Bob Hoskins, Rowan Atkinson, Martin Freeman, Jimmy Stewart, Steve Martin, Leslie Nielson, Clark Gable, Richard Burton, Alec Baldwin, Peirce Brosnan, Russell Brand, and Ricardo Montalban, for the same reasons as the actresses. From TV--NOTE an asterisk designates a TV actor I also love in movies: *Dick Van Dyke, *Ted Danson, *Richard Mulligan, Gale Gordon, and Freddie Highmore
Music/Musicians = Victoria Wood, Nellie Mckay, Bea Arthur, Jill Sobule, Dido, Donna Williams, Laleh Pourkarim, Lily Allen, Regina Spektor, Lorde, Feist, Ashlee Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, Hillary Duff, P!nk, Miley Cyrus, Joan Jett (and her bands), Suzi Quatro, Shakira, Alanis Morissette, Melissa Etheridge, Rod Stewart, Lita Ford, Cher, Britney Spears, Tracey Ullman, ABBA, Spice Girls, B*Witched, Black-Eyed Peas, Destiny's Child, The Cranberries, The Pretenders (Chrissie Hynde), The Go-Go's (and Jane Wiedlin particularly), Blondie (Debbie Harry), Nirvana, Grace Slick (and her bands), Dionne Warwick, Petula Clark, Pearl Bailey, Helen Reddy, Dolly Parton, Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Fred Astaire, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Durante, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Rogers & Hammerstein, Julie Andrews, Jeannine Deckers a.k.a. "Soeur Sourire" a.k.a. The Singing Nun, Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, Burl Ives, Cat Stevens, Randy Newman, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Micheal Jackson, James Blunt, Farshid Amin, Arian Band, Pop of all eras (including "Traditional Pop" like Doris Day and Bobby Darin, among others, as-well as modern Pop--including all types and sub-genres), Dance/Club music, Middle-of-the-road music (MOR music), Easy listening, Lounge/Cocktail music of the swinging 1950s and 60s, Holiday/Christmas classics, Rock, Alternative, Folk, Standards, smooth Jazz, Classical, Muzak (i.e. elevator music/soft instrumentals/"beautiful music"), songs and scores from my favorite movies and TV programs (such as theme-songs), Singer-Songwriter, Showtunes, and occasional Opera, New Age, and World music.
Miscellaneous celeb/entertainer faves = Richard Simmons, Ruby Wax, Martha Stewart, Joan Rivers, Zsa Zsa Gabor
Celebs I'd trade heart/mind/life/existence with = Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French (especially these two!), Victoria Wood (especially her as well---she was BRILLIANT!), Dido Armstrong, Dolly Parton, Emma Thompson, Dinah Shore, Mary Martin (and I'd have a life-long love affair with Jean Arthur), Carol Channing, Carol Burnett, Betty White, Julie Andrews, Judi Dench, Shirley Temple, Isabella Rossellini, Ginger Rogers
Astrological/Numerological love-matches = those among my faves that I would supposedly get along best with:
Gwen Verdon, Faye Dunaway, Deborah Kerr, Lucille Ball, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Betty White, George Clooney, Cary Grant, Henry Fonda, James Mason, Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford
Okay, I admit-- I'm rather in-love with most of the above-listed actors, actresses, musicians, movies, and shows. So, not only would I like to be many of them, but I'd like to marry them as-well, haha! At least I get to live vicariously through them, each and every time I hear or see them on the screen, which is nice.
Yes, I definitely find that relating myself to favorite movies, music, and television tends to make the "real world" a bit more bearable. It may seem a trifle silly, but to quote some words of wisdom I once read from a fellow IMDb enthusiast, "Whatever brings comfort & positivity to your worldview, more power to it." And that, in a nutshell, is why I'm here :-)
Ratings
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An error has ocurred. Please try againFYI: Also included are TV movie-series' that feel more like a mini-series' than a movie-franchise.
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Reviews
The Idea of You (2024)
Don't throw love away because of other people's ideas of you!
Take the 2023 Jennifer Lopez film Marry Me, mix it with the 1999 Julia Roberts film Notting Hill, and you get this movie basically.
Good for what it is. But, why do people have to go and make things so complicated, in the words of Avril Lavigne?
This movie was pleasant, but also frustrating because the female character was too hung up on her age and what other people thought. Meanwhile, she had a literal Prince charming they're waiting for her, time and time again. All that precious time wasted, worrying over nothing.
If anything, this movie demonstrates why people shouldn't let anything get in the way of true love, how silly it is to do so.
Miller's Girl (2024)
Beautiful and Savage at the same time. Melodrama at its best!
I'm only 23 minutes in, and already this is a new favorite!
Everything from the narration, to the color, to the music, the cultural references, and the actors and actresses! This film is like a delicacy for the senses! It is poetry! I love it!!
Jenna Ortega is definitely one of my favorite stars of this era. Anytime I see her, I know it's going to be something I like! I'm just lucky that way - because I would like her even if I didn't like the movies, but as luck would have it, the people I like tend to be in movies I like as well. Thank God! What a joy!
Every time I see Jenna Ortega, I think the new Elena Anaya. They look so much alike, they could play mother and daughter! Love them both - so beautiful! And so is this movie! Will update further, once I see the rest of it. But for now, 10 out of 10 stars!
Update:
Well, that took a turn! Without giving any spoilers, I will just say that it isn't quite the demure, sweet little piece of poetry that I saw it as at first. Nonetheless, it's still such a good movie, I must keep the rating the way it is.
Side note:
This is another film to add to my Joan / Alice connections collection, because out of the blue, there's a character named Alice in this film, and she is seeing shortly after the poet Joan Didion is mentioned. And with this being a kind of a love story, I like that connection very much!
Swung (2015)
It's trying to tell me something!
Not really anything special, except for the fact that it stars Elena Anaya, who I really like. Otherwise, this seems like an excuse to make a p**** without making a p****. Not that I mind, but it just didn't do much for me.
That being said, her name was Alice in the movie, which is my name. And in the first few minutes of the movie, Alice mentions Joan - her neighbor from across the way. This movie also includes the name of my sister, as if to reinforce the connection being personal to me. So yes, this is a yet another entry into my Joan/Alice connections collection! In that way, I guess this movie is pretty special.
On another note, Elena must have a connection with the name Alice herself, because she was featured in the TV show Jett a couple of years after this movie was made, where she played the nanny to Jett's daughter, Alice. And everything comes full circle!
And now that I think about it even more, no wonder the connections are there. My girl Joan Jett would just love the eroticism that these characters strive for.
Anna May Wong: In Her Own Words (2013)
Made in a very cinematic, interesting way! Not boring!
This was so well made, I'm surprised at how low rated it is. It was very innovative in the way that it had somebody acting as Anna May Wong telling her story, in the real Anna May's words. It really brought her to life, as though she was still here.
In addition to this, there is footage of the actual Anna May throughout her career interspersed into this documentary, along with live commentary from people who knew her, as well as those who have studied her.
This documentary was short, less than 60 minutes long, but jam packed with everything that will have you feel like you knew her by the end. Well done!
Side note:
The actress who plays Anna May Wong in this film kept reminding me of Joan Jett! Something about her eyes, and the shape of her mouth. The way that she moved her eyes and mouth, it reminds me of my Joanie. Joan is not even Asian, she's caucasian, but sometimes she does have an Asian look about her. That being said, even Whoopi Goldberg has also reminded me of Joan at some points. Everywhere I look, I see her face, to quote one of Joan Jett's own songs!
Put another way, I definitely am drawn to the actress that plays Anna May Wong in this lovely documentary. Anything that can remind me of my girl Joanie, I'm happy with. And it's a revelation, to see that what I love about Joan transcends the races - every ethnicity, every sort of person, if they are anything like my girl at all, I will spot it. I love you, Joanie! 😘💞
Oh, and I just remembered - I was thinking about my girl the minute that the person playing Anna May mentioned being a fatalist, because that's the exact word Joan used during one of her interviews, when she was asked whether she was a pragmatist or a fatalist, i believe. She said that she was mainly a fatalist. And she's one of the only people I had ever heard use that word to refer to themselves, until now. Like I said, if there's anything about something that is anything like my girl, I will spot it! And this documentary is probably one that she would like too!
New York Minute (2004)
A movie about a rocker chick and her sister, yet they don't make reference to Joan Jett?!
This was a lot of fun! Hard to understand why it was the Olsen twins last movie, because they did so well, one would think they would want to do more. But, at least they went out on a bang with their acting careers!
I kept waiting for a Joan Jett reference, or at least a Joan Jett sighting in a CD collection or something, but it didn't come. However, there was plenty of rock and roll talk, and mention of her friend Iggy Pop, and the inclusion of Blondie, who are friends of hers. So, the whole movie made me just think about her and about how she should have been mentioned at least!
This film features the band simple plan actually in concert, which also made me think of Joan Jett, because in 2018 they met each other. What a missed opportunity, not to at least have my girl make a cameo in this film!
Anyway, what a great teen comedy caper! Very enjoyable! My favorite part was the scene in the bling bling place haha! Recommended for anyone who likes light-hearted fun.
Bonus points for the fact that it was set in my girl Joan jett's home place of Nassau county! Again, she was all over this film, without actually being in it. It's another reason why I like it! It was also a little bit of an Alice in Wonderland vib at the beginning, which was cool. So, the Alice/Joan connections continue.
Love & Death (2023)
Elizabeth Olsen keeps being in things that I love!
At first I kind of looked down my nose that this version of the true life case of Candy Montgomery brought to the screen, because I felt that it was a poor imitation of the Hulu series called Candy. I didn't like how different Elizabeth Olsen looked to the actual Candy Montgomery compared to Jessica Biel and how the Hulu series felt very much more authentic. But now that some time has passed, I have come back to this series to finish it, and I'm beginning to love it on its own merits.
This series has a wonderful opening sequence, a great theme song, fabulous direction, beautiful visuals, and yes Elizabeth Olsen looks nothing like candy montgomery, but that's okay. Because she is eye candy, and when I'm watching something, I want a little eye candy! This whole series is eye candy.
The Hulu series is a darker take, therefore more realistic. This series is lighter and has more of a wholesome, if that's possible, tone to it. Elizabeth Olsen plays candy in a more lovable way. I loved Jessica Biel as candy, but I think the reason I didn't appreciate this one as much before is because of the fact that I was still thinking about the other one - I was too distracted by it to appreciate this.
My advice to anyone who wants to watch this show is to space out the viewing of the Hulu series versus this one, if you plan to see both of them. Because if you don't space them out you are probably going to like the one you see first the best, and then you might not appreciate the second one. They're both good, just in different ways.
Rest in peace Betty Gore. And Candy, I'm sorry things escalated to that point.
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Nice to see a horror movie with so much decency.
What I like about the horror movies of The conjuring universe is that they are filled with people of immense kindness and decency. That's why I miss them when they are not on the screen. In this particular case, with this movie, there was not enough Vera Farmiga in this one, and not enough Ed and Lorraine Warren sweetness.
Yes, this is part of a horror movie franchise, but unlike most horror movie franchises, the Ed and Lorraine Warren universe is full of sweetness and faith, and meaning. It's not just all gruesome is like most horror. And this one is no exception, it did have a lot of sweetness. But just not enough of my favorite characters from the franchise.
I liked it, but it's probably my least favorite of the Annabelle series. The first one, simply titled Annabelle, is the best - in a very Rosemary's Baby kind of way.
Flo's Discipline (1912)
Florence Lawrence- the first movie star, and this is my first time seeing her!
Okay, so it is a 14 minute little silent movie, but it featured the first movie star - Florence lawrence. It's a cinematic crime that i, a cinema buff, had never heard of her until just yesterday, while listening to the audiobook TCM'S Forgotten Stars.
While watching this, I couldn't help but marvel at the fact that back in those days, people not only got a movie show, but they got a concert too. Two treats in one! Because remember, either it would be a piano player or it would be a full orchestra sometime, right below the screen - playing music, to punctuate the scenes.
Yes, we have talking pictures now. But at what cost? Now, if we want to see a concert, we have to go and see a concert. Back then, we could just see one without making any extra effort. They didn't know how good they had it!
But you know, now that I think about it, we can still do that, because remember that 2011 movie - the artist - that was a silent movie? It had music. It was done up as a tribute to silent film. Well, if we want the full silent film experience, people watching that movie should have been treated to not the music fused to the film, but to a live orchestra playing the music while they're watching the film. If we want to bring back something, let's bring back that every once in awhile! How cool would that be?!
Sunday in New York (1963)
My sister, Eileen - for the 1960s!
Started at the halfway point, and I'm finally going to watch it all the way through for the second time. I've watched it several times all the way up to the 40 minute point, and haven't been able to make it past that for whatever reason, whether it's bad timing or that I was too tired that night. But today, I just decided not to start it from the beginning and started where I keep leaving off. It's a very good movie. I like it much more this time than before. And I even liked it before.
It's much more modern and edgy than most romantic comedies of the early 60s, because they literally talk about sex in a frank way. The dialogue is pretty modern. But, it still has a wholesomeness and charm that only movies from the 1960s on back had.
Jane Fonda's great in this film, but reminding me that she's even more beautiful as an older woman. She's one of those people that aged like fine wine. I'm finding myself more and more fond of her.
The man who played her brother, not sure of his name, is very much my type when it comes to men. He reminds me of Robert Preston and James Garner rolled into one. A very handsome, likable guy.
Other thoughts:
What was with the water looking so swampy during the rowboat scene? Usually, I'm used to the water looking beautiful and silver, or beautiful and blue. But this water even looks a little dirty. Very unusual, for a movie of that type to feature a scene that doesn't look pristinely beautiful.
Also, Jane Fonda kept reminding me of someone in this movie, and then it dawned on me - Miley Cyrus! :-) was an actress in the 1960s, she would be Jane fonda. They look like they are definitely related. The biggest difference is that Miley has a very horse, different kind of voice. Speaking of voice, I've just realized that Jane Fonda sounds like a cross between Elizabeth Montgomery and Sandy Dennis- while looking like a cross between Sandy Dennis and Miley cyrus.
Also, in this movie Jane Fonda plays a woman named Eileen. It may be because there's a movie called Eileen that I love, it may be because Eileen is the name of one of my favorite people from YouTube, or it may be something else, but for whatever reason, I think Eileen might be my favorite female name! So, of course that adds to my affection for this film.
I don't know if it's because I recently found out Joan Jett is a fan of Jane fonda, and Joan Jett is my girl. So maybe that's why I'm growing in my fondness for fonda, but I definitely like her a lot more than I used to! I think I'll watch Harry sundown next, as far as her movies go.
This Is Me... Now: A Love Story (2024)
If you don't like this, you're not a romantic!
Jennifer Lopez just basically made a movie about my life philosophy. I guess she was bound to know, since she's been living in my head rent free ever since I realized we are basically soul sisters, bonded by that thing called romanticism.
There are very few genuine romantics in the world these days, it seems. I think it might even be fair to say that there have always been fairly few romantics in the world. Most people are pragmatists and cynics. And most people don't seem to respect the intricacies of a relationship the way a romantic does. I like this, because Jennifer and I are practically twins in this way. She is a genuine romantic like me, and watching this felt as though someone scooped up a bit of my soul, and put it on screen.
I'm so happy that Jennifer exists in this world to show us that true love is real, that the world doesn't have to be just a dog eat dog, cynical place. And that romantic love is to be valued. And on a personal note, I relate to waking up to my own destiny, realizing that the universe does have my best interest at heart. In fact, as I was watching this, I received some signs of my own - in the form of comments popping up on my phone from a stranger who is connected to my love.
I love the cameos by various celebrities too, especially Jane Fonda, whom I have been watching a bit of lately. So that was quite the synchronicity! The idea that astrological signs are out there truly guiding us, the idea that forces beyond our knowledge are wishing us well and wanting the best for us, it's just so fabulous!
This is basically one big music video, with dialogue dispersed in between the songs. It's not perfect, and some of the dancing is dorky, but anything that restores or inspires faith in people, faith in goodness, faith in happiness, faith in destiny - that's for me!
Lily for President? (1982)
Jane Wagner, you did it again! One of my favorite writers has written one of my favorite tv specials!
One of the best times I've ever had watching a TV special! Jane Wagner, you are a genius of a writer! The way you see the world, your brain is beautiful! And so is your taste in women - because your wife, Lily Tomlin, was so very pretty in this!
Some random thoughts:
I think they were inspired by meet John Doe and Mr Smith goes to Washington with this special. It was very clear in the way Lily was dressing. Also, Lily has a beautiful , such sweet voice!
Also, I just happened to remember this on the same day that I just happened to go early voting, which was 2/15/2024! I didn't put two and two together until after I voted. It was not planned that I would be watching this on voting day, but how appropriate! So, because of that, this special will always have a special place in my heart! Synchronicity, baby!
Bonus points for the fact that the mock-up character of Agnes angst and the manic depressives is still one of the best bands I've ever seen - even though it's just a spoof. That song, which was supposed to be a spoof, is as good as anything that hardcore punk rock has ever put out! As I said, the writer, Jane Wagner, she's a genius!
Call Me Kate (2023)
Full of joy and spirit! Watching this is transformative, it takes your way to a better place in time.
Oh, to live the life of the bourgeoisie back in the days of glamor gone by. Her life seems so fun, I'm up until her brother's death. I'm not all the way done with the documentary yet, but it makes me want to live in her era of you so badly! I've always liked that era, but to live it as well and freely as she did, while still having the sophisticated lure of the glamor of the time is so perfect! Just perfection!
I'm not even a huge Hepburn fan, but there's something infectiously joyful about the way this documentary has been made, so that we pick up on Kate's own Joy of life. And it makes me very happy. If you want to be happy, and feel like you are taking a trip to a more glamorous and classy time, all without being stuck up, all while being down to earth, watch this documentary!
The Wonderful World of Disney: Annie (1999)
Enjoyable remake. A slightly different take on the story, set at Christmas time.
I remember seeing this before, years ago - but I don't think I ever watched the whole thing. This time I did. It's very good, but it lacks the campy charm of the original. That being said, this cast is superb, but I do miss Carol Burnett. I think that's the part I missed the most. Carol Burnett's Miss Hannigan is the signature Miss Hannigan, and she at least ended up having a redemption ark, unlike in this version.
There are a few differences here, such as the fact that Daddy Warbucks in this one doesn't have the cantankerous nature of Daddy Warbucks in the original. He's much more smooth, right from the start. This is also a shorter version, there are a few things that might have been cut, such as the guy with the turbine in the original. He's not even in this one. But this version does have some things the other one doesn't have - such as a Christmas setting, and a couple of songs that are not in the original.
All in all, it's close in quality to the original, but still not quite up to it. But whether somebody prefers this one over the original we'll just have to do with how much they enjoy Carol Burnett, I think.
Annie (1982)
For fans of cartoons and movies, everyone will find something to like in this one!
A little cartoony for an old fashioned musical, but I guess that's to be expected since it's based on a comic strip. I really like it though. I used to have an Annie poster on my bedroom wall!
These days, my favorite part of it is Carol Burnett as Miss Hannigan. And I just love how ultimately, she proved herself to have some good inside. I won't spoil it for others who haven't seen the movie, but I will just say it was my favorite part.
Another thing about Carol in this movie, she's super sexy when she kisses the radio haha! And I'm not even kidding. I just love how in touch with her feminine wiles she is. And even though she plays a boozing, bitter orphanage marm, I ultimately sympathized with her. Like, I thought that a lot of times, the kids caused her to be the grouch she was, by constantly laughing at her and mocking her. Sometimes I felt like if they would just be nice to her, it could change her.
Anyways, Carol Burnett is Miss Hannigan was especially sexy during certain scenes, and I loved her bedroom! Got to love that rags trying for riches 1930s aesthetic!
My other favorite part of this movie was the dog! Oh my gosh, what a perfect dog!!
If you like cartoons and Disney musicals, you will like this movie, even if you don't like traditional movie musicals. Because as I say, this has the feeling of a live-action cartoon for much of the time. But even if you aren't a fan of animated films, you will like this for its 1930s aesthetic and it's great stars.
No wonder I had the poster on my wall when I was a kid! This is a good movie!! And absence makes the heart grow fonder, because I think I like it more now than I did before!
That Funny Feeling (1965)
The funny feeling that there's a higher power at work here!
Amazingly, 2 days ago, to be exact, the name Joan Howell popped up on the phone. I wasn't even typing anybody's name. She popped up as a suggested contact. So I looked the name up, and then this movie showed up in search results.
Come to find out, Joan Howell is someone my brother-in-law works with. But naturally, given what I just discovered in search, I have to watch this movie again! I didn't even remember that her name was Joan!
Another Joan synchronicity to add to my Joan journal. So fitting, considering how the film opens, with a word on all the planets in our galaxy, and how everything moves together in some kind of order. It's got me to thinking - out of all the people in all the world, isn't it amazing that Joan Howell popped up as a suggested contact?!
There are no coincidences, only Godwinks!
Good movie, by the way! It's exactly the kind of 1960s rom-com I adore, with the perfect look and everything. As I said in another review for another Sandra Day film, there is something very special about the look of a 60s rom-com. And I don't just mean in terms of fashion, but in terms of the look of the film stock itself. There's something very distinct about it.
Relatedly, anyone who wants to see kind of a remake of this film, I would recommend the Jennifer Lopez movie Maid in Manhattan (2002). It's not an official remake, but there are definite parallels enough to where it feels like this movie totally influenced that one.
Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding! (1967)
A keen example of how quickly times changed from the earlier part of the decade.
Well, they sure were naughty!
This movie was a little too much like today to please my old fashioned heart, but it was very good. And there were three or four excellent songs in this film.
Positively amazing how drastically the mores depicted on screen changed between the early 1960s to the mid-to-late 1960s. It's almost a different era altogether, in just two or three years. Incredible!
Sandra Dee, as always, is adorable. But my favorite in this one was Celeste Holme as her mother, who was just a great big ball of energy! I always get jazzed by that vib. It's very Leo rising.
Also of note is George Hamilton, who I first laid eyes on I think in the movie Casper Meets Wendy from 1998. He played a dashing, if sinister old man in that movie. So it was interesting seeing him as a young man here. I also saw him in the movie Love at First Bite, another Halloween style film - when he was more or less becoming middle-aged. So, again, interesting to see him more at the start of his career in a more traditional role.
On a more technical note, I must say that there is something very beautiful about the way romantic comedies of the 1960s looked. It's something about the color saturation of the film. It has a distinctly 1960s feeling to it, as opposed to 1950s or even 1970s. It's very much its own thing. And very beautiful.
Good, lighthearted fair. Recommended for fans of the romcom genre.
Quiz Lady (2023)
For TV geeks everywhere!
One of the most enjoyable movies I've ever seen, so one of the best - as it's just thoroughly satisfying and deserving of all the stars!
This is going to sound silly, let's be honest, you probably already think I'm silly for saying this is one of the best movies I've ever seen, since it's a silly movie. But why must silly movies get less respect? But to make this even sillier, I will admit that I avoided this movie for a while because I thought that it was going to turn out to be a drama. I thought somebody was going to die of some disease, or that someone was deathly ill. Don't ask me why I thought that, but I did. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised to find out that that wasn't the vibe of this film at all!
There are a couple of serious threads running through the film, but for the most part is a lighthearted romp that will have you laughing and feeling good. And for any fan of movies and tv, you will see yourself represented in this film, as the lead character lets her geek flag fly. And not just the lead character, but the beautiful Holland Taylor turns out to also be a TV geek in the film! I mean, this film deserves an extra star just for having Holland in it! She doesn't get enough parts in movies, and just seeing her is a joy. She's like the American Maggie Smith, except we Americans don't seem to appreciate our older actresses the way the Brits do. So, I'm glad just anytime I can see her. And she ended up being a hoot here.
Look out for Paul Reubens AKA Pee-wee Herman's last appearance on a movie as well.
This film is just a delight!
Genie (2023)
Deserves a higher rating than what it has here! Maybe the best Christmas movie of 2023.
I'm finding Melissa McCarthy to be a real turn-on! Especially when she's styled right, she is definitely a crush of mine. I feel so warm and cozy about her. And this movie itself is so warm and cozy. The best Christmas movie of 2023? Maybe so!
Fun fact:
When I first saw the trailer for this film, I said to myself it seems like we're making a return to the fun tone of 1980s / 1990s movies. Well, it turns out, there's a reason for that - this is a remake of a 1990s movie! And in fact, the same person who made the first movie is the same person responsible for this one. So, you're not really missing anything by not watching the original. The writer of the original said that he never felt like it was fleshed out to his liking, so he wanted to redo it. And now he got the chance. Dreams do come true, and wishes sometimes our granted. That's what this movie is all about, and everything comes full circle! :-)
Manna from Heaven (2002)
This movie itself feels like a gift from God!
Got about halfway through last time, before I fell asleep because my schedule is like that. Sleep just has a way of creeping up on me or staying away. But this night, I'm going to finish it! However, I'm starting from the beginning again. Because movies are just more fun that way. I'll let you know what I think when it's over...
So far, so good! Not exactly what it's been sold as, but the cast is solid, and it's cute for a very low budget film.
UPDATE:
Had to change the rating from 8 to 9 Stars, which translates to 4 and 1/2 stars out of 5, on this site, because the ending just was so perfect! There was a lot of heart in this movie, even though certain moments did take us out of the Capra mode that it was going for, into the crude modern day times. However, ultimately, this movie is one of tremendous goodness. And what I love about it, is it has that goodness without being overly heavy-handed or saccharine. So, it's a new favorite of mine!
Watching the commentary version of the movie, on the dvd, really fills in some of the gaps of the viewers understanding and it heightened my appreciation of the film even more. It turns out, the movie is full of sweetness and Magic the likes of which are not typically in a modern day film. The cast is also very good, filled with respected and iconic people, such as Shirley Jones of The Partridge Family, Wendie Malick of Hot in Cleveland, and Cloris leachman of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. It's a movie about good deeds, but it's also a movie about love. Even romantic love has a spot in this movie - both older and younger love is portrayed. And I adore the fact that it's upbeat in nature. It's a movie that shows that life doesn't have to be so serious to be good or meaningful. Faith can be something to lighten our load, and not heavy our hearts.
It made me feel good in the end. Good in a way that I feel like made me a better person. This movie feels like it represents me, the way I think and feel. We all have those movies that feel personal to us. This is one of them for me.
Recommended for anyone who likes uplifting movies about fate and faith. Also this is a true ensemble film in the Robert Altman sense. My favorite storyline was Wendie Malick- whom I just find so attractive - and her relationship with the detective. It wasn't even that fleshed out, but it had me in my feelings. It made me feel romantic, but in a happy-go-lucky kind of way. It's the kind of love that would give me a spring in my step, instead of not being able to eat or sleep. This whole movie is the kind of movie that gives me a spring in my step!
For the Love of George (2018)
So much potential. Could have been so much better!
Watching this film now, and not 2 minutes into the opening credits, and there's a JJ credited as line producer! Wow!! That's like the fifth Joan Jett connection I've gotten today, with every single movie I'm watching having a Joan or JJ in the movie or in the credits. I am just blown away!
Okay, now back to the movie!
UPDATE:
Okay, rating this is going to be difficult, because I didn't exactly like it. But yet, it's the kind of movie I like. How's that for a mind twister?!
It's my kind of film, when my kind of film isn't done to my standards. So, I guess to say that I don't like it is not exactly honest, but nor would it be honest to say that I was pleased by how it ultimately shaped up. Not the kind of uplifting film that I was hoping for. In fact, for me at least, a bit of a downer.
The Marriage Fool (1998)
Carol Burnett truly shines, and Walter Matthau is so touching in this tinder, uplifting senior citizen romance!
Haven't finished this yet, but already know I'm going to love it! A little over 15 minutes in, and I'm loving it more every minute.
And another note, Walter Matthau has one of those faces that makes me want to cry - not in a bad way, but he just looks so lovable, yet so sad. I just want to hug him! I just want him to have someone to hug.
Already, I can tell you that this has me up in my feelings about the melancholy of age, losing people due to old age, and living alone due to losing everyone because of all age. It's just sad. But never fear, because I know that soon, Carol Burnett will enter the picture, and all will be well! Anything starring Carol Burnett and Walter Matthau I know we'll have a pot of gold at the rainbow's end.
Will update once I've seen the whole thing.
On another note, this site needs to start adding a timestamp to the movie logs, so that the exact moment a movie is logged is preserved. Because sometimes, there is great significance to the timing. And sometimes, we only find that out later through looking it over. Get on it, Letterboxd! You'll make a lot of people happy.
UPDATE:
Just finished the movie, and I must say dash one of my favorite first time watches in recent memory. And I don't think I've ever liked Carol Burnett more in my life! This may be the best part she's ever played! Just wow!! I would marry her! What a charming character!
This movie made me realize how good it is to paint walls different colors too, on a slightly eccentric note. I thought at the beginning of the film how grab everything looked. I should have known Carol would fix all of that! So in love with her character! And Walter Matthau was just adorable!
The perfect senior citizen romance film, for anyone who likes whirlwind romance! And let's be real, when you're kids of that age, is there any other kind?! Not if you're lucky!
Side note: just as the end credits began to roll, the first name that pops up is Joan Barnett! Notice how the first name is Joan, and the second name ends with ett- like Jett, without the j. Filing this under Joan Jett signs from the universe. My second Joan movie of the day!
After All These Years (2013)
A quality Hallmark movie - lots of fun with one of my favorite actresses!
This is a great, light comedy mystery. It's like a G-rated Double Jeopardy (1999)- a film which so happens to be the first of its sort I ever enjoyed. So I think of it often and this definitely reminded me of that.
So, now that you have a feel for what the movie is like, I can get into my fangirl mode and just go on about how cute the star is! Wendie Malick- there's just something about her! I mean, I'm not head over heels, but I do adore her! I especially liked the scene in the movie where she was wearing that black wig. Because she reminded me of someone else I adore, someone who seems to be leading my life in a way, and that someone is Joan Jett. So, this is another film that I can add to my journal of films that remind me of Joanie. My Joanie! 😊
I was already thinking of Joan when I saw Wendie in that black wig, and she bore a striking resemblance to the way Joaniei looked back in 1991/1992, and the way Joanie looked in a black wig, in her 2000 episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. So, imagine what a pleasant surprise it was when moments later, Wendie's character goes on the run, and a message is put out for her arrest, describing her as a woman with not just black hair, but * jet* black hair! My own Joan Jett siren bells were going off strong by then! But it didn't take long for yet another Joan Jett sign to come through.
Moments after a message was put out for her arrest, describing her as the woman with the jet black hair, Wendie seeks help from her friend JJ- a nickname a lot of Joanie's friends call her. By this point, I told myself all that's left now, is for there to be a Joan in this movie! And I wasn't disappointed!
A couple of minutes after getting help from her friend JJ, Wendie's character finds out that her love interest from the past - played by actor Greg Harrison, who happens to share my last name -is married to a woman named Joan! Harrison, married to a woman named Joan strikes me as a very good omen for myself, if you know what I mean.
This movie also connects to another Joan Jett related movie, The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), which featured a character named Gregory Larkin, who was originally supposed to be played by Harrison Ford. With Larkin being Joan's surname at birth, and Harrison being mine, naturally I made the connection. But with this movie, the connection got even deeper, with the casting of Gregory Harrison being married to a Joan, because Gregory is the character's name in that other movie, and Harrison was who he was originally meant to be played by. This film tied it all together even tighter, and reiterated the connection between Joan and me even more! To top it all off, before even realizing all of this, I just so happened to post about The Mirror Has Two Faces today on my Twitter / x! So, this realization is intense indeed!
Anyway, Wendie's character finds out that Harrison's character's wife, Joan, may have some information she needs to clear her name. By this point, I was convinced that whoever wrote this story and or made this movie had to have been a Joan Jett fan! And being the Joan Jett lover that I am, it makes me hold this film in even higher estimation.
I saw this movie years ago, back when it was new. Nothing really stood out to me then. But, after watching the movie Manna from Heaven (2002) some days ago, which is a movie about following signs from God, also featuring Malick in a very prominent role, I decided to go back and rewatch this, because my old crush on Malick was definitely being rekindled. And now I know why. It's because now was the time to revisit this old movie, because now I know Joan. I'm always getting signs about Joan!
Thank you God, for these signs, the synchronicities which are like Manna from heaven to Me, because I start to see the deeper meaning behind it all. How beautiful.
I do recommend this movie! Especially if you are a Wendie Malick fan, and if you're a Joan Jett fan too, then even better!
The Marriage-Go-Round (1961)
I rarely seen sex comedy of the 1960s that it's worth seeing.
A pretty rarely seen 1960s sex comedy, if the view count on Letterboxd does any indication. I didn't love it, but I liked it a lot, just for being a rom-com of its time. There's something relaxing and carefree about movies of this sort from the 1960s - especially the early 1960s. That being said, this one didn't full me over like The Facts of Life (1960), but they do make a great double feature.
Julie Newmar was gorgeous in a very Anita Ekberg kind of way, and I was very pleased with her performance. But I kept thinking about To Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar - the 1990s comedy that had little to do with her, but the title does stay in one's mind.
Julie Newmar played a Swede in this movie. I don't know if she's actually a Swede though. Either she is, or she studied her accent from Greta Garbo movies. All Swedes sound like Greta Garbo to me. At least, when they are at their most Swedish.
The real standout star of the film though, was the house. Wow, they don't make them like that anymore! The layout and everything, so distinctly 1950s / 1960s. In other words, just beautiful!
The Facts of Life (1960)
The old movies did scandal so sweetly!
Maybe it's because I've left her alone for a while, and absence makes the heart grow fonder. Whatever the reason, I definitely enjoyed this movie much more than the first couple of times I watched it. Wow, I mean it invigorated me, I feel so refreshed after watching it!
I've come to the conclusion that I actually prefer watching old favorites over and over again more than I do watching something I've never seen before. I think it's because after a while, we are set in our ways as people. Everything we actually really love, we fall into that as children and teenagers. After that, everything pals in comparison to What we Loved before. I'm definitely finding that to be true, revisiting movies that I loved growing up.
I'm so blessed that I was raised on old movies, and they were even old back then. I was raised on TCM and AMC and Nick at Nite, and I think it's giving me a better outlook on the world. Those movies and shows were less cynical, more sincere, gentler, just plain old nicer. Take this film for instance - a movie about adultery. But it's made in such a way that you love everyone involved, and you can feel empathy for each character.
This movie is all at once sexy, sweet, sad, wholesome, and scandalous! It may be wrong, but I found myself rooting for the characters that Lucy and Bob were playing! They were so romantic, and I felt their Joy. But I also felt the reservations. This was made so well! Definitely one of the best from the sex comedy era that I think was unofficially kicked off by Doris Day and Rock Hudson in Pillow Talk. And that's a great one - and they're a great pair, but I prefer Lucy and Bob! :-)
Love this movie. One of my favorites.
Moonstruck (1987)
The old people steal the show! Love Olympia Dukakis!!
Not my favorite rom-com, but it's a rom-com, so still better than most things. Plus, it's on the favorites list of so many people I know, so I decided to give it another watch...
Must say, it's so much better on a second watch! I know I didn't like it much the first time compared to other romantic comedies, but this time the scenery and the music really stood out to me. Also, I loved the older people in the movie especially. Olympia Dukakis and that professor at the dinner table in the restaurant was probably my favorite scene in the whole movie. How poetic! And when he walks her home, it's just so sweet. I really relate to that guy. He made so much sense. Plus, he was adorable. I'm going to have to look his name up!!
I also liked that this movie was set around the Christmas time. And the musical scoring of the film, plus Dean Martin's song Just lights up the whole thing.
My mind are complaint of the movie is just that it can be a little acerbic for my taste. It can be a little rough. But, there's more that I like about it than I don't. So, it's now going on my list of great romantic comedies :-)
Have to pump up my rating from six stars to eight.
Oh, what a difference a second chance makes! Both in the film itself, and for the film itself!