Riverdale

 Graffitti at the Hope Gallery also known as Graffitti park, but the location is no longer in downtown Austin.

 When the series first aired, I think I watched one of two episodes because Luke Perry was associated with it. Because it was on the CW it's not a channel that I watch frequently and since it comes on opposite the NBC line up I forget that it's on. I recently checked out a few episodes and sort of gotten hooked. I decided to see if the library had the series so I could start from the beginning. I have no idea what season is on televison, but eventually I will catch up. It's very interesting. It reminds me of Beverly Hills 90210 and Gossip Girl. It pays tribute to various films, books and tv shows. I wasn't sure of the time frame as the fashions looked like something from the 50's and 60's as an homage to the comic strip. The characters do have cell phones and computers. The story lines are condicative of what is going on today. 

There were a few surprises in the cast including Robin Givens as the mayor of Riverdale, Skeet Ulrich as leader of the Serpents and Jughead's dad. Molly Ringwald plays Archie's mom. Mark Consuelo is in the second season as Veronica's dad. I'm curious to see how they handle Luke Perry's absence.

The surprises keep popping up. The focus isn't just on the kids. The parents are harboring just as many secrets.

Like most series by the third season new writers come on board and they don't always check to see remember what certain characters did. Riverdale is no exception. It's still quite interesting and entertaining. You can see how television has evolved and what they can get away with these days. LOL.

The Waiting List

 Bullet Train - I didn't really have any expectations with the film, in fact I had forgotten about it. That's what I like about going to the library because as I am going through the drawers looking for movies to watch, I see something of interest or that was on my list. The film started off rather slow and then it escalated sort of like a train. The film stars Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Bad Bunny, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Zazie Beetz, Joey King, Channing Tatum, Andrew Koji and Sandra Bullock. There is a cameo by Ryan Reynolds. The story revolves around several criminals, a brief case and revenge. There are funny moments, lots of blood and incredible visual effects. There are several flashback moments to tie in the characters and once you get used to that you will enjoy the film.

I was trying to see all of the Oscar nominated films before the Oscars, but I wasn't able to do that. I was on the waiting list with the library for several films and movies. When I signed up for The Black Panther Wakanda Forever I was number 48. I don't remember exactly how many copies were in the library's inventory, but I finally picked it up Saturday 4-22-23.

Later in the week I will watch, Everything, Everywhere all at Once.

There are still other films I am waiting to be ready for pick up, but I have a lot of movie watching to keep me busy.

The Black Panther Wakanda Forever - I was hoping the film would be as good as the first one and I was impressed. The tribute to Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther was very interesting and appropriate. It is very sad and it makes one reflect on what really happened outside of the movie. Everyone was wondering how the movie would go on and they did quite well so that it makes sense. I had forgotten that it was called Black Panther Wakanda Forever because there is no Black Panther. The special effects are really great. We are introduced to some new characters in an underwater world. The film does keep you guessing as you are not sure where the story is going. I will add it to my collection, but for me the one thing that I had an issue with is the sister becoming The Black Panther. I knew it was going to happen, but I was expecting when she put on the suit she would be larger. Other than that things were good. I especially liked the introduction of T'Challa's son. This film does leave the door open for anyone putting on the suit. So maybe in a few years T'Challa's son will dawn the suit and there will be a war.  There are a few surprises in the film with Julia Louise Dryefus and Michael B Jordan reprising his role from the first film. I thought perhaps he would have tried to dawn the suit. When Winston Duke's character M'Baku said he had a challenge I thought he might even try for the title, but that wasn't the case. Anyone of the warrior women could have probably worn the suit, but it added to the story to have Letitia Wright's character Shuri wear it. Wakanda Forever stars, Letitia Wright, Lupito Nyong'o, Danai Guirira, Angela Basset, Martin Freeman, Tenoch Huerta, Dominique and Michaela Coel, Florence Kashuma and Mabel Cadena. It definetly was a great watch and it is different that most of the other marvel movies. The characters are not cartoonish. The story and writing is very strong. I thought Letitia Wright could have been nominated for an Oscar for her performance.

Thanks for stopping by; do come back again and keep an open mind.

Oscar Sunday

 

My favorite Oscar poster.

I will watch some of the awards, but there will be another program on that I watch.

Friday I watched Top Gun Maverick which was pretty much the same story. Introducing a new group of characters. The scene with the Iceman and Maverick was sad. Then his character dies.

Saturday I watched The Fabelmans. I didn't have any expectations, I was just trying to see all of the nominated movies, but there were a lot of people waiting to see them as well through the library.

The Fabelmans is better than Elvis, Elvis is better than Top Gun Maverick . Just have to wait and see how things turn out.

Unless you see every film and movie you can't say if one deserved the Oscar over another. They all have moments. The Fabelmans was a movie I could really relate to. It was very entertaining, but I would have liked a different ending. 

Today I am watching Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat. I have seen it a few times. It's really an interesting film. Having gone through a disaster it resonates some realistic moments.

The stories surrounding the film are fascinating. I enjoy watching the special features on the DVDs.

I am also going to watch Misery.

Thanks for stopping by. Do come back again as I continue my quest to watch the nominated movies.

2023 Movies

 

I keep a list of the movies that I watch since I do so many... Between the library, Prime and my own collection I try to watch at least one movie a day. It was more than that before I started working again. The challenge now is trying to remember what the movies were about. Some stand out and others not so much. I am going to work my way backwards according to the slips from the library and see what I can remember and give a rating and you can judge for yourself. I don't like giving away stories or saying something is bad, but I will say if something is really good. I love films and movies in general. It takes a lot of work to get a project done let alone trying to get distribution. There are many movies that never see the light of day for many reasons. I keep hoping with the Internet things would pop up and then again maybe its best they stay hidden.

 Actor David Tennant

The Guilt Trip stars Seth Rogen and Barbra Striesand, I had seen part of it on television and I decided to see if the library had it since there were some things bleeped out on tv. Sometimes actors just want to work together so they put a project together that sounds good and reads good on paper, but then doesn't always work out. I guess I was expecting it to be funnier. It is an interesting movie and depending on the connection you had with your parents you can definitely relate to the story. Its worth a look.

Nowhere Boy is the story of John Lennon and how the Quarreymen eventually became the Beatles, but the movie doesn't take us that far because it is about John Lennon's up bringing. If you love any of the Beatles you will love this move. The only Beattle we don't get to see if Ringo Starr.

Beast stars Idris Elba, who just seems to be everywhere these days. There had been a lot of people that wanted him to play Bond, but I just feel they can just turn The Take into a franchise and just keep it original. Daniel Craig made Bond rogue and that's Idris' character in The Take. It's full of excitement, but back to the Beast. I was recommending this to someone and it's like Cujo, but better. Idris Elba has to protect his girls and a friend from a lion. The scenes are so realistic. I am hoping the DVD has some special features to explain how they pulled off the sequences. I have seen it twice and now I will watch it a third time since I had put the DVD on hold with the library and had forgotten. It's rare that I watch a movie 3 times is such a short period of time. If you are a fan of Idris Elba I highly recommend the film and that you check out The Take.

The Following is one of the scariest series I had ever seen. It stars Kevin Bacon as an FBI agent trying to put an escaped serial killer back behind bars. Some of the sequences when the series first aired were actually happening. I always worry about how people process what they are seeing, but if a person doesn't know they have a mental health issue they don't really think they are doing anything wrong. I watched all 3 seasons. When it was on television I didn't see every episode probably because of the work schedule or there was something else I was watching and since it was on FOX I don't always remember. If you are a fan of Kevin Bacon you will enjoy the series. If you like psychological thrillers this will keep you interested.

The Mountain Between US, this is part love story, part survival story as Idris Elba stars opposite Kate Winslet. Every actor wants a chance to shine and doing a film or movie with minimal characters allows them to show just how good of an actor they are. I think Tom Hanks did it best in Castaway and James Franco pulled it off in 127 Hours and Leonardo DeCaprio in The Revenant. In The Mountain Between Us Idris and Kate must work together to survive the elements and whatever else comes there way in hopes that they will be rescued after the plane they are on, with Beau Bridges at the wheel crashes. If you love stories of people against the odds or people falling in love, this is definitely the film for you. The camera shots are really great and there are some action moments.

The Power of The Dog, after a comment supposedly made my Sam Elliot I wanted to see the movie for myself, but first I decided I would read the book by Thomas Savage. This book is supposed to be award winning, etc. I wonder sometimes if there is something wrong when I don't see what everyone else sees. I found the book boring. Maybe it was my moof, but I normally read before I go to bed. Perhaps now that I am older I need to try a different approach. When the DVD was ready at the library I just decided to go for it and see if it would be different. The movie is no different. The cinematography is excellent with a lot of wide angle shots, but the characters all who are flawed don't say much. It's all in their demeanor and the way the look at each other. I love many of the actors in the movie and so that made it watchable. It's rare that I will turn something off or walk out of a movie theater. Benedict Cumberbatch, Kristen Dunst, and Jesse Plemons who is her real life husband play opposite each other as husband and wife and Benedict is his smart over masculine brother, who may or may not be hiding a secret. I am curious now to go back and read the book just to see how it deals with certain things. If you like Jane Campion this is different for her as the men are the main focus and the women are in the background. She exploits the men somewhat, but its in a normal way as men would bath and frolic in the lakes and rivers. Kodi-Smith McPhee the tall actor who has been in the industry since age nine gives an interesting performance, but his androgynous features add to that.

Elvis also features Kodi along side rising star Austin Butler who channels Elvis very well, but it is Tom Hanks' performance that really makes the movie. I have talked about this before. It's a long one, but I will watch it again.

Des is a series starring Dr. Who star David Tennant as a serial killer. If you like David Tennant, you will enjoy seeing him in this. Is definitely different then his other roles.

Thanks for stopping by and do come back again as I list more from my viewing experiences. Remember to keep an open mind.

Films and Movies 2023

 I continue to watch films and movies and I am trying to watch as many of the Oscar nominated films and movies before the awards. There will be several that I won't see only because I would like to see them on the big screen. Black Panther Wakanda Forever and Avatar, The Way of Water are two of them. I watched Elvis because it had done well at the Golden Globes. I wasn't sure about it when I first started watching. Tom Hanks is rather creepy as the Colonel, but it is as much a story of the Colonel as it is of Elvis. I am not a fan of films or movies that have narration, but it was getting better as the movie progressed. I am not sure if Tom Hanks is nominated for an Oscar, but he should be. The influences of Elvis are very interesting. I am not a big fan of Elvis, but his music was played in the house, and I did see some of his movies. The actress who plays Rosetta Tharpe has a powerhouse of a voice and this is her first movie. The only thing I don't like with Baz Luhrmann his is incorporation of hip hop music. With the exception of Mouline Rouge, it just doesn't work for me when you are doing a period piece. Other than that, the movie is quite entertaining.

Austin Butler embodies Elvis as does Tom Hanks as Colonel Peters. Alton Mason gives a great performance as Little Richard, I felt there could have been a better job done with the hair. Perhaps they didn't think black people would check out this movie. Kelvin Harrison, Jr plays B.B. King, Gary Clark, Jr is Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup"and Shonkra Dukureh plays Big Momma Thorton. For me it was just as important to see the things that were happening and the influences and those that encouraged Elvis to be himself. It's worth a look.

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind and do come back again.

Movies before the end of the year

 

I wanted to make an entry here just to what it is all about, my love of films and movies.

The Boy Behind The Door, It was the title that got me to pick up this DVD, but it should have been titled something else. I love horror and scary movies and I watch them throughout the year, but October is when I focus primarily on horror movies. I am always looking for something new, but I also want to watch something interesting. I don't like them to be too silly. The movie The Boy Behind The Door stars Lonnie Chevis and Ezra Dewey, but we see more of Lonnie and this kid really carries this story. It's very interesting. If you don't know the name you may recognize the face from This Is Us. He played a young Randall at the age of around 10 -12.

Once a year, usually on New Years Eve I will watch The Poseidon Adventure. It's been a tradition to make this the last movie of the year, but this year I watched the film last night. The reason is because a few weeks ago I found a copy of The Towering Inferno with a lot of special features. I added it to my collection and I wondered if there might have been a similar DVD on The Poseidon Adventure. I found out there was, but the price was too high so I decided to check out the copy from the Library.  I have been obsessed I guess you could say with the film since the first time I saw it. The name Irwin Allen for me had become a go to for disaster films. What I liked about The Poseidon Adventure was that I got to see actors I really didn't know much about. I had seen  Ernest Borgnine and I may have seen Stella Stevens in something, but this film introduced me to Shelly Winters. Up until now I never knew she gained weight for the film. I always enjoy hearing the back story and other stories that happened on the set. Most DVDs have special features, but not all. So A few weekends ago I spent just watching the little documentaries about working with Irwin Allen and things that were done on the set. I also liked hearing about the technique which was innovative at the time to create the visual effects. Because Pamela Sue Martin was in The Poseidon Adventure I watched Dynasty because she was the only name I recognized at the time. Later I would see films that starred Shelly Winters and see just how much of a sex symbol she really was. (Soon I will be watching King of the Gypsies).

I am still trying to remember if I saw The Poseidon Adventure on the Big Screen the first time or was it on Television? I had written about this before, I was working on a book report and I remember the movie coming on TV and I ended up doing the Book Report on that and many years later when I reread the book I was totally off the mark. The movie is not totally like the book. There are some crucial points in the book that do not appear in the movie.

There have been several remakes and even a sequel, but none of them really touch on the total story of the book. It's very intense and in some parts disturbing.

Soon I will be watching The Towering Inferno and all of its special features.

I also finally finished watching the 3rd Season of WestWorld. It took me a while because I really just couldn't get into it. I must say the 3rd season is better than the first two. I love movies about technology and the future, but it just took a long time and didn't always keep my interest as the same story was told several times in different areas of the park. It's also called WestWorld, but it could have easily been called Fantasy World. It was good to see Aaron Paul, but my reason for watching the series was also because of the casting of Thandie Newton and Jeffrey Wright. Everyone else was just a treat.

I watched the Upside with Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston and I really recommend this movie for anyone that has been a caregiver or is currently a caregiver. It's funny, it's sad and it's a great story which is actually based on a true story. I've become a fan of Bryan Cranston because of Breaking Bad and I've seen Kevin Hart in Jumanji and I really liked his performance.

I watched Hostile with Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Wes Studi and Timothee Chalamet in a small role. It's quite intense as a solder is asked to protect an Indian and his family who have been imprisoned and are being let go to return to the land that is rightfully theirs. The soldier is not happy with this, but in fear of losing his pension he gives in. Along the way they learn to trust each other. This is loosely based on a true story. If you love historic movies, this would be one to catch and it will make you think.

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind and do come back again.

One entry 3 blogs again.

 A mural from Barton Springs Road near the Parmer Events Center.

 I am watching an episode of Making the Cut, I believe this is season 3. I wasn't sure how much of the season I would get on Prime. Last time I only got 3 episodes, but I am not sure if it's always been that a new episode posts on Friday. I enjoy fashion, it started at a young age. My mother and both of my grandmothers sewed. But I had heard a story that my mother was sewing one day and the needle went through her finger and that thought just stayed with me so I never really learned to use a machine. I can do things by hand, but it's not the same. Rafael Chaouiche had a similar thing happen to him and it just brought back those memories. Luckily having the support of my family my dad's mother ended up sewing two of my designs from a modified Willi Wear pattern.

There are several designers that I really like. Yannik Zamboni from Switzerland, Curtis Cassell, Rafael Chaouiche is from Brazil, Jeanette Limas lives in Pennsylvania and Markantoine Lynch Boisvert. Fashion like art now, is all about the story. If the artist has a great story people are more interested in investing in the artist. Of course you still want to make a good investment. Of all of the designers that I have had in my closet, Willi Wear by Willi Smith is my all time favorite. I had a closet of many of his pieces. It meant a lot knowing there was a black designer that designed mens clothing. I wanted to design clothes for men that was more ready to wear. I am glad I had the experience. Because I do some many things that I can incorporate my art into what I do on many different levels. Jeremy Scott makes me laugh, he is one of the judges on Making The Cut. Nicole Richie has some quirky lines. Seems like she has her own language she is creating. Sort of like Turner on Big Brother. I like watching several episodes Making the Cut without a break. Not sure I will bringe the entire season, but as I type this I continue to watch. I do need to get to the library to return a book. Normally I would go on Sunday, since I usually do stuff around the house on Saturday so I don't have to deal with traffic since things open later now, but the book is too large to go into the slot. 

I hate that stores are having a hard time getting employees and it's causing a shift in hours for stores like Dollar Tree. I don't go there as often, but still I like to go when the store first opens and now they open at noon which I don't find convenient. I don't like being in a store with a lot of people. Even before the pandemic I was that way. It was great when I didn't work 40 hours a week because I could go to the store when most people were working and pretty much have the store to myself. LOL.

I am still on the fence about retiring. I can't predict the future, but I don't want to work for something and may not utilize it. There is just so much I have to plan out with the house and maintaining the financial aspect of my life if I do retire. I can still work off and on to stay busy and if I need some extra cash. That's when I was happiest and that's what it's all about.

In the world of my film and movie watching there has been quite an assortment. From Rockaway about two brothers plotting to kill their abusive father to Samaritan with Sylvester Stallone. There are different movies I like with Sylvester Stallone, but there is something about the Rambo movies that I really like. I saw Rambo: Last Stand was just interesting to see all of the action stars to continue to bring the characters to life that I grew up on. As you age you don't have to change, but you have to know your bodies limits which is what I am learning as I get older. Samaritan was very interesting as Stallone as a superhero trying to stay in hiding because he is actually a villain, but he befriends a young boy. It definitely has some interesting moments.

I tried to watch Deadpool, but I must have been really tired. I will try again. It has some moments. 

I had ordered The Swarm from the library to watch and I decided to watch it last night. As I had mentioned in a previous post, disaster movies are something I really enjoy, but toward the end of the 70's they started to seem a bit over the top. It was great to see actors like Cicely Tyson in The Concorde as part of the air plane series, but it wasn't as exciting as Airport '75 or Airport '77. The Swarm is packed with stars and it just seems like they are adlibing their way through the movie. It was good to see stars that I remembered like Fred McMurray from My 3 Sons and Olivia DeHavilland from The Heiress, Henry Fonda, Ben Johnson, Richard Widmark, Jose Ferrer, Slim Pickens, Patty Duke Astin, Lee Grant, Katherine Ross, Michael Caine, Bradford Dillman and Richard Chamberlain. Based on scientific evidence the movie is about a swarm of African killer bees that manage to make their way to the US congregating on a small town. Irwin Allen was the master of the disaster film and I really liked the series Land of the Giants growing up. It was one of the first series with a black actor in a lead role.

Thanks for stopping by; keep and open mind and do come back again.

A mural from Barton Springs Road across from the Parmer Event Center.