I love The Italian Job, for so man reasons, not the least of which is it's use of my beloved Mini Cooper! In fact both this version of the film, and the original, paid tribute to the coolest car ever! But both movies are rather excellent suspense movies! The have different feels, but the same general story, both are the heists of a lifetime, with some romance along the way! I give it 5 popcorn buckets. Now... go watch it! In fact go watch them both if you can find them! The two make a great double feature!
Who was the mysterious, Deep Throat? Well, now we all know it was, Mark Felt, former, Deputy Associate Director of the FBI, but in 1973, things were a little bit more, well, mysterious! We didn't even know when this funny, what-if, movie came out, who, Deep Throat, was. We didn't learn his identity until much later, when Felt revealed himself to be the source of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's Washington Post articles exposing the crimes of the Nixon White administration. Watergate was quite the smear on American politics, Nixon betrayed the trust of American's who supported him. It took a long time for some to recover from it. Fast forward and here were are! The Nixon era makes current American politics seem... quaint. But perhaps one day we will all laugh about the times we are currently living in. Time does heal all wounds, and it also wounds all heels, so there's that. I hope so, and watching comedies that bring what was possible, into what could be, works for me! I love funny movies about politics, but this movie is more than funny, it's got heart, and you'll feel patriotic just watching it! Well, that might be a bit of an overstatement, but you'll cheer for Betsey and Arlean, and doesn't that feel good?
This movie comes with a pretty delicious recipe for, Hello Dolly bars, also known as, 7 Layer bars or Magic Cookie bars. Here is the recipe, minus the little extra "magic" provided by Betsey's brother, Larry. Although I like Larry's variation too!
Hello Dolly Bars
Searched and sourced from AI Assistant
1/2 cup ( 1 stick ) of butter, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 14oz can Sweetened condensed milk
Set oven to 350 degrees.
Put the butter inside your 13x9 inch baking pan,
and let melt in the oven or microwave.
Mix the graham crackers and press into the melted butter to form a base.
Sprinkle the Chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, chopped nuts,
and coconut evenly over the crust layer.
Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the top layers,
so it sinks into the layers.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Note:
You can substitute chopped dried fruit such as apricots or cherries, for the coconut.
And now, a little music from the era... some of my very favorite songs from the early 1970's.
Tillson: Mr Meyers, can you tell us the basic theme of Oedipus?
Moose Meyers: Uh... yeah. That's the guy who had something wrong with his eyes. Yeah. He had eye problems.
Tillson: Miss Knight, perhaps you can help Mr. Meyers with the theme of the Oedipus legend.
Mirriam Knight: Easy. A guy can't kiss his mother and get away it.
~Mirriam Knight ( Stockard Channing)
Once in a while I get lucky, and a truly fabulous film from my childhood becomes available, and this is one of those movies folks! I love to share movies that stood out for me as a kid, to share a bit more about myself, and let me tell you, this movie left an impression! The, Girl Most Likely Too...,, was originally featured on the, ABC Movie Of The Week, in 1973, and it still holds up to all the elements that made it a great film, all the way back then! Stockard Channing and Ed Asner lead the cast, with a few familiar faces from back in the day like, Annette O'Toole, Larry Wilcox, Dennis Dugan and Fred Grandy!
I had already loved Ed Answer for years, but this movie made me a Stockard Channing fan for life! It's a great movie if you've ever contemplated seeking revenge on someone, and while I know the whole revenge thing is getting pretty old right about now, this movie manages all the ironic humor it can find, while reminding us to not take it all too seriously! It delivers all the luscious guilty pleasure as good as any beach read! My inner psycho applauded this film when I was 11 years old, and I never forgot it. Today, I could live vicariously through it, and be quite happy!
Now click on through the link, and go have some fun!
Note: This is Stockard Channing's first credited screen role!
"We fuck each other all the time, without even realizing it. We fuck every living thing on the planet over and over and think it will be fine because we use paper straws and order free-range chicken. And the sick thing is, I think deep down we know we're not fooling anyone."
~Amanda Sanford ( Julia Roberts )
Leave The World Behind
From the book, Leave The World Behind
By Rumaan Alam
"Well, when I couldn't fall back asleep thus morning, I came over here. To watch thr sunrise. And I saw all these people starting their day with such tenacity. Such verve. All in an effort... make something of themselves. Make something of the world. I felt so lucky to be a part of that. But then I remembered... what the world is really like. And I came to a more accurate realization. I fucking hate people."
~Amanda Sandford ( Julia Roberts )
Leave The World Behind
Do you ever wake up one day, and think to yourself, I can't take one more day of humanity? I know I do, often. Like the character of Amanda, I have, at times, become weary of of being around people in 2026! Things are so selfish and scary. The glee and glow, for some Americans, comes not from living the American dream, but rather the thought that we would all be better off if a nice little civil war would take place, to save America from... us. This movie addresses one such path towards the end of the world, through frightening means.
Strange happenings. Coincidences. Conspiracy theories and a sudden lack of connection to the outside world, and it's affect on an America used to being plugged in all the time! It all leads to the feeling of being on the outside looking in, all while feeling all to aware that life has gotten very, very, real when you weren't looking. The collection of eerie moments in this film are terrific, one such involved the arrival of an large container ship, on the shore of a pristine beach! Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawk are perfect as a couple who are almost polar opposites, but who used those differences to apply critical thinking to their new circumstances. Two different perspectives is a good thing!
But soon, it turns out to be about more then just them trying to figure it all out! Is it danger calling, help calling, or is it something eerily different?
I don't want to give it all away, so go watch the movie! There is a cool tie-in to the television show, Friends, so here is a little music that fits very well with the movie!
This film was not a hit movie, and for the life of me I don't know why? It only made $750, 012 on it's worldwide opening, and it did open to limited distribution, so I suppose when a film has that much working against it's hopeless. But despite all that, this movie is anything but hopeless! Juliane Moore, plays, Evelyn Ryan, a real life mid-century American housewife, who mostly carried her family, 10 children, by winning contests, after her husband, played by Woody Harrelson, was injured in an accident. Right now it's rent only, but if you a looking a movie about creativity and resilience, then choose this one. It will stay with you!
Which is as crazy as believing stuffed animals are gold."
~Robbie (Elizabeth Banks)
The Beanie Bubble
Did you collect Beanie Babies? I did, kinda. How can one "kinda" collect something? Well, here's the thing, I bought them mostly for my niece, and for my mother. In my niece's case, it was an incentive to keep getting those A's, but with my mother, well, she was in the early stages of Alzheimer's, and she liked having the little animals around. Her cats enjoyed them too. Now, about me, I have always loved stuffed animals, my insane collection goes all the way back to a stuffed turtle my brother sent me from Viet Nam. It was a green and lite blue turtle about 14 inches wide, and it remained on my bed until I got married. I eventually placed my friend, Timmy, in my cedar chest where he remains to this day.
But this movie isn't about sentimental collecting of adorable stuffed animals. This movie isn't really about the toys or the crazed customers who bought them, The movie is about the business of building a company, which sold fairly cheap little toys to mostly crazy ladies, and which carried a corporate crazy all it's own. Inspired by true events, we get to see the manipulations and backstabbing that built the brand, Ty. So, pop some popcorn, sit back, cuddle your favorite Beanie Baby, and enjoy the ride.
Personally, my favorite Beanie Baby was the Princess Diana bear, sigh, which I haven't seen in years. If you were lucky enough to find the bear with the misspellings, well, there's one going for $50,000 on eBay. I wasn't that lucky, I got the reissued one, but I loved her all the same.
I am pretty sure everyone on the planet has seen, Dirty Dancing, but if you haven't, it's the ultimate rom-com, which always makes me sob my eyes out. And for those reasons I won't recap the plot, I will just say, Patrick Swayze was amazing. What a performer, be it dancing, singing, or being impressive as an actor. My two favorite Swayze films are Dirty Dancing, and Too Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar. Jerry Orbach, another lost favorite actor of mine, delivers a heartbreaking turn as the perfect father, who expected perfection from his eldest daughter, Baby.
Baby: "Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scare of walking out of this room, and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you."
Trivia: "Hula Hana" was co-written by actress, Julia Brucker, who played Baby's sister, Lisa Housman, and choreographer, Kenny Ortega.
Watch the movie, and just try to get the song, I've Had The Time Of My Life, out of your head!
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply gives you courage."
~Lao Tzu
Love on top of the Empire State Building. Not quite Sleepless in Seattle, but I think it works for them! My husband proposed to me on a carnival ride in Santa Cruz. It was romantic. It was fun. But I suppose it's all in the eye of the beholder. Was this a stunt? Of course! Was it a guy who just wanted to propose like very few have ever done? Sure! Did it cost the fine tax payers of New York City a good bit of change? You bet! But what a cool thing to have tax dollars go to. However, I sincerely hope no one else tries this ever again. These people know what they are doing, they are the daredevils featured in the documentary, Skywalkers: A Love Story. I haven't seen this documentary yet, but I probably will this weekend. It like the idea of living your dreams with someone. I was lucky enough to. I mean, love conquers all. For this couple, love was in the air. Love means never having to say you're sorry. Whatever you call it, it was love, in a New York minute.
Watch the video above, read all about it here, and enjoy all the love and misdemeanors from the rooftop!
The title of the movie tells the whole story. This is a fun, elegant, twisty little mystery with Anna Kendrick as a pretty, cool YouTube mom, who has her own successful vlog, and carries a deep secret! And Blake Lively is a cold brash career woman, who not only brings just the right bitchiness to her character of Emily that you find yourself applauding her strength, but you she carries her own secret, and let me tell you, it's a whopper! This film has a sequel, a Prime original, Another Simple Favor, and let me tell you, it might be an even wilder ride then the first one!
Watch them together if you can.
The first movie will leave you wondering what came next!
"Let the river run, let all the dreamers wake the nation,
come the new Jerusalem."
The opening credits to, Working Girl, was filmed on a clear morning, in the city of Manhattan, as the sun rose above the Statue of Liberty, and the World Trade Center. Carly Simon sings it's theme, Let The River Run, and we see all those folks arriving to work in lower Manhattan. Wall Street, The World Trade Center stick in my mind, and give me chills when I think about how that must have been like on 9/11. Folks arriving at work to face another day of challenges. It's a strangely beautiful opening, but there is that bit of surreal that definitely reminds you about how life can change in the blink of an eye.
That aside, Working Girl, is a terrific movie, that reminds you that hard work, being able to adapt and take chances can pay off. Whether you are one of those folks who gets up early, heads to work at the crack of dawn, or an old lady like me, who is still finding ways to face every day, that lesson still applies. Hard work pays. Going out on that limb pays. I love Tess McGill's tenacity. I love her wit. And I love that she can stand up for herself, and that when she sets boundaries, she means it! Tess paid her dues, she endures one "sleazoid" boss after another, and being looked down on as a secretary, as she works her way up the ladder in the world of corporations and finance.
Sigourney Weaver is delightfully nasty as, Katherine Parker, and Harrison Ford is the too good to be true, Jack Trainer. Joan Cusack is fantastic as Cyn, Tess's best friend, who gives Tess the best advice she'll ever get, and Alec Baldwin is perfect as Tess's one thought boyfriend, Mick. This is another movie with a superior cast including, Olympia Dukakis, Oliver Platt, Nora Dunn, and Kevin Spacey as a sleazoid friend of her sleazoid boss, Lutz, and yet another potentially new sleazoid boss, which is perfect casting because, you know, doing sleazoid is what Spacey does best! If you look close, during Tess's birthday party scenes, you will spot David Duchovny in his first movie!
This film came out in 1988, so I can't believe you haven't seen it, but if you haven't I don't want to give to much of the story away. Watch it. You'll enjoy it.
Amelia: Do you know what Napoleon gave Josephine as a wedding present? It was a gold locket. And on the inside he made an inscription, 'Destiny'.
Amelia ( Catherine Zeta-Jones)
The Terminal
2004
The Terminal, was another film I had never seen before, but the other night I did, and it was just what I needed, a story with heart, humor and love that made me believe that the world can still be a good place to live in. Tom Hanks makes those kinds of movies! I mean, have you ever walked out of one of his films hating his guts? So what the HELL with folks on the right throwing shade, or out right accusing him of deeply awful conspiracy theories? He was even bashed for, he and his wife, donating antibodies during the Covid-19 crisis. The republicans determination to hate anyone on the left who is willing to help in times of trouble, are exactly what leads to the kind of discouragement that causes me to run to movies, like this one, for the relief and clarity it gives me.
The movie is directed by Steven Spielberg, and features, Stanly Tucci, and Catherine-Zeta Jones. I have always loved Steven Spielberg films, but it's the movies he's made that featured reality that I always appreciated the most. The Color Purple, Catch Me If You Can, The Post, there are so many great ones, I can't name them all! I remember completely pissing off a friend of mine, years ago, when she mentioned that Spielberg was her favorite director. I shared (I shouldn't have shared ) that I wasn't that impressed with him anymore because I felt his movies had become mostly cookie cutter sci-fi! Well, BOOM! A causal observation, had just given birth to my having NO taste in movies or directors! In fact I didn't understand art of any kind! LOL. Eventually her odd anger wore off, and we didn't discuss films ever again. Shrug. Life.
I haven't seen my old friend in a long time. I am not sure if it was the great Spielberg debate, or if, as happens in life, we simply drifted apart, like characters from a really good Spielberg movie. But as I watched, The Terminal, I wondered to myself how she would have felt about this amazing, heartfelt story. There's zero sci-fi involved, but it is a Steven Spielberg film that delivers all the observations of life, with none of the negativity, because even the "villains" in the film come from a place the audience can understand and accept without the urge to see them ran over by a bus. I'll take that over all the pearl clutching and hand ringing that seems to permeate life in 2026.
How about a spy story that will make you laugh, as much as it horrifies you? Well, I will say one thing for this Coen brothers film, it will do just that. And as outlandish has as it is, it's also completely believable. It's Washington D.C. after all! And we all know how the nation's capitol seems to be right now. We have a FEMA official who thinks he can teleport to almost any Waffle House of his choice. A Health and Human Services Secretary who has been known to swim in raw sewage, and snort cocaine off a toilet seat. Then there's Trump, need I say more? When you consider all these losers, the losers in the movie seem perfectly normal. The twists and turns are hysterical! The Coen brothers flair for ironic humor can't be beat!
Just watch it... and laugh. You need it!
Be sure to look for a particularly funny and surreal scene, where
George Clooney sings, My Eyes Adored You, while showering.
"You're not anybody in America unless you're on TV! On TV is where we learn about who we really are. Because what's the point of doing anything worthwhile, if nobody's watching? And if people are watching, it makes you a better person."
Suzanne Stone always wanted to be famous. One day she achieved that goal, but it didn't come without the pain of others. I love this movie for it's dark humor, but I always remember that it was inspired by true events, the murder of Gregory Smart, carried out by a student in her class. Just in case you haven't heard the details of what took place, it happened in the early 90's, I am hesitant to give too many details away. I am saying just jump into it, so you can take in the full shocking twists and turns of events. The movie is available right now on Netflix. Watch it, and then tell me what you think about it.
By the way, there is another film about Pamela Smart, Murder in New Hampshire: The Pamela Smart Story, which is available on YouTube. It stars Helen Hunt as Pamela, and while it was great, in fact I highly recommend it, I am a little sad that there wasn't more about Gregory in either film. But Pamela does finally find the fame she was looking for, but as you know, fame fades, and her case, what she will be remembered for the most, is her conviction for conspiracy to commit murder.
I saw this movie when it came out in 1978, and instantly wanted to paint my room green and yellow! And I eventually did! I just fell in love with the bright, enthusiastic and happy disposition, which wasn't a lot different from the personality of the movie's main character, Gloria Mundy. The movie is funny, it's mildly suspenseful and It's got a wonderful cast of characters, including a snake named, Esme, to keep your mind reeling! And you gotta love the cast including, Mr. San Francisco, Cyril Magnin, as the Pope, and San Francisco as itself! My beautiful home, has never been more beautiful! Well, I am partial, so that's probably not true, because any time I get a glance of the city by the bay, my heart sings. I miss home so much, but I will see her again soon, but for now, Foul Play, will hold me over. Watch it! Chevy Chase is hysterical, and Brian Dennehy brings the serious moments.
I have such good memories of watching this movie! Like the time my mother and I watched it on an old black and white tv, really late, on a hot as HELL night, when we couldn't sleep. We laughed so hard our sides hurt, and let me tell you, we slept pretty well that night! That's what this marvelous movie will do for you, make you laugh! It has a fabulous cast, including Madeline Kahn in her film debut! Slapstick humor, right and left, starting at Mr. Larrabee's party and continuing on until it all comes to rest in the San Francisco Bay! Things are rough right now, so watch this great movie and give yourself a couple hours away from whatever ails you! A little piece of advice though, if you ever find yourself in an airport, carrying a plaid carryon bag, keep it close to you, because otherwise hilarity might just ensue!
Imagine six days and seven nights on a fabulous tropical island, sounds like a dream come true, doesn't it? Although I would probably rather spend my vacation birding in Central Park, or shopping in London, I could see how it would be an amazing idea, especially if you're vacationing in winter, but good ideas can go horribly wrong. That's what this film is all about. Good ideas, bad ideas, and the love and strength to survive your choices along the way. You never know when fate will line things up, there are so many random moments in life, the worst idea can turn out to be just what you needed, and the perfect moments can sometimes fall spectacularly flat. Anne Heche and Harrison Ford are terrific, and they bring the adventure and romance!
Watch it! It's a pretty good time! It's a rom com worth curling up with!
