Tag Archives: movies

Movies on Monday

Posted on November 8, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I just took another dose of pain medication and said, “I’d better make my blog post, in case I fall asleep.”

“Write about the wonderful day you had with your husband,” suggested my husband.

“I was going to,” I told him.  “I was going to call it, ‘Movies on Monday.'” And so I will, unless I think of something better before it’s time to hit Publish.  I don’t really expect to, because, you know, pain medication.

We started with a rather obscure title we purchased at New York Connection in Utica recently, Rehearsal for Murder.  Two of our favorite things: theatre and murder.  It featured Robert Preston, Lynn Redgraves, Patrick Macnee, Jeff Goldblum and William Daniels.  However, what really sold us was that it was written by Richard Levinson and William Link, the geniuses behind Columbo.

It turns out it was Made For TV.  Nowhere on the package does it admit this, but one can tell, if noway else by how it fades to black at the end of certain scenes, the better to head off to a commercial break.  On the other hand, Columbo was a television show, and we love that.  Rehearsal for Murder is worth a watch.  I won’t tell you any of the plot, in case it ever comes your way.  I didn’t include a spoiler alert.

The next movie I put in was Isle of the Dead, on a Horror Double Feature DVD that was sent to me some time ago by my friend Rachel.  Boris Karloff, there could be no possible objection.  I may have written about it before (too lazy and/or doped up to check).  After it was over, I put the cable back on and looked at Snapped (what else?) while Steven took Spunky for a walk.

Now we are watching Malice, an old favorite of ours with plenty of twists and turns.  Steven had given me a choice between that one and A Perfect Murder with Gwyneth Paltrow, but I thought it had been longer since we had seen Malice.  It was partway into the movie that we remembered that Paltrow has a small part in it.  We both thought that was kind of cool.  And the night is young; we may get to another murder — uh, I mean movie — before we’re done.  Happy Monday, everyone.

 

1 Comment

Posted in humor, personal and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Wussy Post about Cheesy Coming Attractions

Posted on November 3, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m afraid it’s Wuss-out Wednesday.  Never mind why.  It just is.  However, due to  my perhaps unhealthy obsession with publishing a post every day, I will attempt to think of something that will entertain.

Halloween continues at Mohawk Valley Girl’s house. For one reason,  Steven has had no chance as yet to take down our decorations.  What, me take down the decorations?  I don’t want to take down the decorations!  I want to make Santa hats for the ghosts and witches.

More to the point, I have many Halloween movies I have not yet watched, or at least not watched this season.  I bet there are even some I have not written blog posts about.  You know how  I love to write blog posts about cheesy horror movies (and if you did not know I’m telling you now:  I love to write blog posts about cheesy movies) .  I have several movies awaiting me on my DVR, some previously viewed and/or written about, some not. Additionally, I purchased a new DVD last night while on our bat and skull mission.

We found Attack of the Killer B’s in the $5 bin at K-mart.  It is a 10 movie collection.  Some of the movies I have on other collections:  The Brain that Wouldn’t Die, The Killer Shrews, Eegah!  Some look vaguely familiar.  I may have DVRd them from TCM or something.  But a few are definitely new to me.  I coyly suggested Steven buy me the movie for my birthday.  He said, “If you want that DVD, we can buy it.”

So we did.  And this is my blog post about it.  I guess it’s kind of a  lame post for a Wednesday night, even one of the Wuss-out variety.  No matter.  It’s over 200 words and I’m hitting publish.  I hope to see you all on Non-Sequitur Thursday as well as for future posts when I write about  such movies as Teenagers from Outer Space or Invasion of the Bee Girls.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in blogging, humor, personal, Wuss Out Wednesday and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Monster Movie Monday

Posted on October 11, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Steven and I took today off too, to recover from our wild Vermont weekend, so today will be kind of a lame weekend sort of post.  We spent the morning having adventures, but that was a long time ago and I’m too tired to write about them.  When we returned home, we decided to watch monster movies, so I’m going to write a little bit about them.

I thought some classic Halloween viewing would be nice, so we put in Frankenstein, the one directed by James Whale in 1931.  Then we quite naturally watched The Bride of Frankenstein, 1935 , also directed be Whale. I wanted to watch another Boris Karloff movie after that, but first I had to fix us something to eat.  Then I had to make a salad and chop some vegetables for my lunch tomorrow, when I go back to work.

It would be nice, I suppose, for me to make some commentary about these movies.  Something intelligent or insightful or at least witty.  Would it be too monstrous to me not to?  I suppose it would.  Steven is searching for another Karloff movie, now that we’re done with dinner.  I think there are a couple in one of our Horror collections.

Full disclosure:  I think I am coming down with something.  Perhaps it is my allergies acting up again.  Perhaps I just partied too heartily in Vermont.  You know how debauched Vermont can be.  And you know what a huge baby I can be when I am not feeling one hundred percent healthy.  Well, we did have a few adventures today in Utica, so perhaps I can write about them in the coming week.  In the meantime, Steven has put in The Terror, which I wrote about in a previous post.  Click on the title if you’d like to read it.  And Happy Monday.

4 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Witch to Forehead Sunday

Posted on October 10, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Nobody should be surprised that this is Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  We are back home from our Vermont adventures, and I am tired.  Could I be getting old?  SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!  Well, of course it is so.  You get old or you die young.  Those are the choices.  Anyways, I got tired when I was younger, too.  The best thing to do is to relax myself today and have some more adventures tomorrow.

I find that some excellent things to do on a gloomy, tired Wrist to Forehead Sunday are read cheap fiction, watch true crime shows and watch movies.  I am indulging in all three. I purchased several Agatha Christie novels at a used book sale in Arlington, VT on Friday.  I read one on Saturday.  I am reading another one today.  While I read and Steven Facebooked (one of my favorite verbs), we looked at a few episodes of Snapped.  Now while I blog (another silly verb), we are watching The Curse of the Blair Witch, the cable documentary that was made to promote The Blair Witch Project, which movie we shall probably watch next.

I particularly wanted to watch these features this weekend, because it is Columbus Day weekend, which I believe is when the movie takes place.  It is definitely October, because there are Halloween decorations up in some of the places they film.  It must be a long weekend, because of the number of nights they camp before they get lost and are staying extra, unintended nights.  Perhaps the dates are actually stated in the movie, and I am quite foolish for feelings so pleased with myself for my deductions (I read a lot of Agatha Christie, but I’m no Miss Marple) (if you do not get that reference, I am sorry for your lack of reading some very enjoyable books) (then again, to each his own, as the old lady aid when she kissed the cow).

Where was I?  Ah yes, that movie about the movie about the Blair Witch.  I know it is not respected by some, but it is one of my favorite Halloween movies.  I enjoy the alternate narrative technique, although it has since been copycatted quite a bit (I’ll be damned, my computer thinks “copycatted” is a word; I thought I just now verbed the noun) (but apparently “verbed” is not a word).  It suits my mood today to watch a foolish movie I have seen many times before.  Maybe tomorrow I can watch something really cheesy to write about.

In the meantime, Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in blogging, humor, personal, Wrist to Forehead Sunday and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Halloween Bonafides on Wrist to Forehead Sunday

Posted on September 26, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I let another movie run while I make my Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  We usually watch True Crime television on Sunday, notably episode after episode of Snapped, but it is autumn, and that means it is time for Halloween movies!  Of course, I like horror movies all year long, particularly the cheesy variety, but there is an especial feeling of comfort in watching them as the weather begins to turn cool, as it did today.

We began our movie watching with Return of the Body Snatchers, which is not cheesy but something of a classic.  Mostly I like the classic cars.  It is a selling point to me in an old movie when the characters do a lot of driving.  I like to have a connection between the movies I watch, so we are now looking at House of Wax.  The connection is that both movies feature Carolyn Jones, most famous for portraying Morticia Adams.

Our other potential choice was The Birds, because of bit parts in both movies played by that guy that was on The Dick Van Dyke Show.  Steven had to look up his name for this blog post:  Richard Deacon.  I never would have remembered that, if I ever knew it to begin with (I am not at all sure I did).  I felt Wax was a better movie to go with, because an actor famous for Morticia clearly has better Halloween bonafides than one who played some random guy opposite Dick Van Dyke (YES, I love Dick Van Dyke, no he is not a Halloween guy, shut up).

I would really like to write some more posts about cheesy horror movies.  We have watched a couple, but I just can’t seem to put pen to paper about them.  I’ll have to work on that.  In the meantime, I sit here, poised with one wrist to my forehead, watching what we’re watching and lamenting my lack of a better blog post. You would think I would be used to it by now.  Never mind.  The largest room in the world is the room for improvement.  That gives me plenty of space to maneuver.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Wrist to Forehead Sunday and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Wrist to Virginia Woolf

Posted on September 19, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I knew it would be Wrist to Forehead Sunday; I just didn’t know how long I would put off making the post.  This weekend was going to be SO productive, writing-wise!  I guess next weekend I will plan on getting nothing done and see if the opposite thing happens with that.

I couldn’t even have one of my favorite Severed Head Sundays, because Steven wanted to watch Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in respect for recently deceased playwright Edward Albee.  I could have no possible objection.  I love Edward Albee.  I had a great directing experience once directing The American Dream, which of course he wrote.  My greatest dream role has always been Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  I still think I could play the hell out of that part.  Perhaps I flatter myself, but who would disillusion me?  At least, I suppose somebody might try, but I will not believe them.

It is really a very good movie.  Some people have problems with places where it departs from the play script, but you’ll have that with a screen adaptation.  I have never seen the play on stage, although I have read it numerous times.  I think it is time for me to read it again.  It would be a good idea for me to read more plays, since I am currently working on writing a couple. If I keep reading plays, I can internalize the form, as they say.

In the meantime, I need to publish at least 200 words to feel I am still writing a blog.  When I realized I had not done so yet, I said, “Crap!  I haven’t make my blog post!”  Steven said, “Don’t make one today.  Everyone will be saying, ‘Where’s Cindy?’ ”  But I could not let today be the day I did such a thing.  So I pulled out the laptop and started typing.  And look, I am over 300 words.  I call that respectable.  Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Wrist to Forehead Sunday and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Middle-aged Musings on a Not Real Monday

Posted on September 6, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Happy Labor Day, everybody!  I am still feeling a giddy, feet-shuffling delight that I have a three-day weekend.  Many years of retail, army then retail rendered me quite jaded regarding Monday (and other day) holidays.  I have had Labor Day off since 2011 and it still feels wonderful to me.

Oh, I KNOW other people will never get Monday holidays off, most notably police, firemen, medical workers and other important folks.  Also those of less gratifying work such as retail and fast-food (at least, I was never particularly gratified by working in these fields; perhaps others feel differently).  Why do I feel guilty about being so happy about having a three-day weekend?  I have worked plenty of Monday holidays!  Many people other than me have Monday holidays and other days off that I don’t have.  I suppose I am more susceptible to guilt.  Perhaps it would benefit me to stop taking so seriously what other people say.

I guess I am not letting the guilt take away all my pleasure in my unusual Monday off.  I ran this morning (after first having coffee; I meant to write a blog post about it, oops). Steven,who, quite surprisingly, has today off (he worked the weekend), fixed a lovely breakfast.  We have been watching movies since about noon. It has been a MARVELOUS day.  If only I had written a blog post earlier and, you know,written a better blog post, my life would be perfect.

However, one publishes what one can.  We’ll call this a Monday Middle-aged Musings and drive on.

 

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, Middle-aged Musings Monday, personal and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Dinner Before Movie

Posted on September 4, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a quick cooking post.  Never mind why; I’ve had kind of a stupid day, but I will not burden my readers with that right now (no promises for the future).

Steven suggested sending out for food, but I REALLY wanted to cook something.  But something not too long and involved, because I was hungry and it was already late.  We had some bacon (somebody gave Steven a coupon).  I suggested bacon and eggs.  We did not have much bread for toast.  Oh dear.  I was not up for a run to the store.  I looked in the refrigerator for inspiration.  I saw some hot dog buns.   And grape tomatoes. Well!

“I’ll cook some bacon, toast a couple of hot dog buns, cook eggs with broken yokes and make sammiches,” I said.  “With tomatoes.”

Steven readily agreed.  He even helped me keep an eye on the bacon while it cooked.  Why does bacon take so damn long to cook, anyways?  I put mayonnaise on the buns when they were toasted.  I love mayonnaise.

Our BET (Bacon, Egg, Tomato) Sammiches were delicious. And I was SO pleased with myself that we did not send out for food.  Of course I love to support the local economy and we have some delightful restaurants that deliver. However, sometimes one must save money and consume fewer calories (bacon and mayonnaise notwithstanding).

Now we are on the movie-viewing portion of our evening.  We are going to watch Young Frankenstein.  We would have watched it soon anyways, as a favorite Halloween movie.  Sadly, we watch it tonight in tribute to the recently departed Gene Wilder.  What a comic genius. Really, not a bad end to my Saturday.  Hope to see you all on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in cooking, humor, personal and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Scattered Saturday Blog Postte

Posted on August 21, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Earlier today I had thought to write a post beginning, “We interrupt these Mohawk Valley adventures to make a Scattered Saturday post…”  But I was continuing my adventures so was afraid the post would be incomplete.  So I continued my scattered gyrations and now interrupt the wine drinking portion of the evening to make my post.

Just kidding.  I’m not interrupting my wine drinking; Steven just brought me another glass.  To anybody who objects to such alcohol-related activities, sorry.  This is the way I roll.

Steven has a rare weekend off, and we slept in this morning to nearly 6:30.  I wasn’t even going to run (which I have not been doing in any case; more about that in the next Running Commentary post) but reconsidered after two cups of coffee.  I took a short run, then a good shower, put on a cute outfit and called my mother.  Then I wrote some postcards.  I have been dreadfully remiss about my postcard writing in recent weeks.  I finally wrote some last Sunday so was happy to be doing so again today.

Eventually, Steven and I made it out the door to get some breakfast.  I was quite hungry.  We first stopped by the post office (to mail the post cards) and the ATM to get some cash, then it was on to Ilion.  I wanted to eat at Farm House Restuarant, right across from The Medicine Shoppe (I always have to dash over to Facebook to check if it’s “Shop” or “Shoppe”), where I had a couple of prescriptions to pick up.  Can you believe Farm House was closed today only?  So it was.  We drove on to Frankfort for a great meal at The Knight Spot (here’s a point to ponder next Lame Post Friday: why is it always “Spot” and not “Spotte”?).

From there we went to Hummel’s Office Plus (“Plusse”?) to purchase a birthday present and card for a friend.  Their Halloween stuff was out already. Yay!  We love Halloween!  There are several things I may stop back and purchase.  What’s a few more Halloween decorations among friends?  They nicely wrapped the present for us, so we had something really nice looking to give our friend.

We put in an appearance at the party, enjoying a little coffee and short visit with our friend, then went on to New Hartford, where we wanted to catch Florence Foster Jenkins, starring one of my favorites, Meryl Streep.  We got there early so stopped in at Uno Pizzeria and Grill (Steven thought it was “Grille” not “Grill”, but I checked on Facebook and it’s “Grill”) for a drink.  We were so pleased by the service and ambience that we came back for snacks after the movie.

The movie, by the way, is WONDERFUL.  Meryl Streep is such a goddess. Hugh Grant and Simon Helberg are quite delightful as well.  I don’t usually do good movie reviews (preferring to stick with the cheesy variety), but I may reconsider the policy.

I believe that bring us up to the present moment.  We are back home, enjoying a little more wine and deciding between sitting on the deck and popping a movie into the DVD.  Or looking for a true crime show on cable television.  After all, anything can happen on Scattered Saturday (“Saturdayye”?).

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Scattered Saturday and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

How About Edward G. Robinson?

Posted on March 16, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I don’t want to say I’m feeling old (at least, no older than I actually am) (in dog years) (just kidding!), but recently I have felt somewhat… dated.

It started at the read-through for Leading Ladies.  I told one of the actors who will portray a man dressed as a woman that when he was a woman, I wanted Rosalind Russell.

“He doesn’t know who Rosalind Russell is,” Steven told me.

What’s this?  A drama person who hasn’t seen Auntie Mame?  Say it ain’t so!  Of course it is so.  Luckily the actor understood what I wanted from the gesture I made when I said it.  However, I felt a point had been made about generations and different frames of reference.

I don’t want to telegraph any jokes, in case this is read by people who might come see the play (Come see the play!), but there is a reference to a Marlon Brando imitation.  I thought to myself,  “I’ll have to tell the actor involved that it is not Marlon Brando in The Godfather but Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire or On The Waterfront.”  Then I remembered that The Godfather was in the ’70s, not a recent movie this young person was likely to have seen.  (Full disclosure:  I haven’t seen The Godfather either; I just know Marlon Brando was in it and he was a lot older than he was in the other two movies.)

Anyways, I don’t know why it’s a Marlon Brando imitation anyways.  I think James Cagney or Humphrey Bogart would be better.  And I don’t mean James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy or Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (yes, I’ve seen both those movies).

Yes, I can direct a play without resorting to references to old movies.  And, no, I did not see these movies first run at the theatre.  Any other questions?

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, theater and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →