May the 4th Be With You!

Happy Star Wars Day!

Items featured in this post were discovered on Etsy--click images for more info and to shop.

Alice in Wonderland

I am looking forward to viewing the newest creation by Tim Burton--maybe this weekend if I can brave the crowds. In the meantime, I'm enjoying all the handmade items on Etsy inspired by this classic fantasy story. Click the images for more info and to purchase.



Have a WONDER-filled weekend, readers!

The 39 Steps

What do you get when you mix a mystery, a thriller, some high intrique, a dash of romance, a few crafty spies, a handful of nefarious Germans, locate them in Great Britain on the eve of WWI circa 1914, and throw in an oubliette? The 39 Steps, of course.



The original version of this film (1935) was shot in black and white, and directed by the infamous Alfred Hitchcock himself. There's been a number of remakes, including a spoof version on Broadway, and now the 1998 Masterpiece Collection version. We watched it on PBS on Sunday night and enjoyed it very much. If you like period films, I'd recommend it for an evening of entertainment.





The ending brings a poignant twist--I won't spoil it for you but to say that it's quite a surprise!



« synopsis/reviews »

Twilight: New Moon ~ 11.20.09

Lambast me if you must, I know it's a 'love story' but the grit in the book was sorely missing from the movie version of Twilight. Looks like it's back!

All the Twihards have already seen this, I am sure...but I just found it today. Okay, yes, I do believe the first film was rather crappy (hello, Bella is not a vegetarian...and that's just one flaw) but this. This. Looks. Amazing. So glad the franchise has changed forces and brought in 1) a male director and 2) much more focus on special effects and the supernatural storyline versus the angst and mush. Twilight, Reloaded!

Two more months to wait...

Yes, my margins have cropped the player a bit. To view this trailer in it's full size visit HERE.

Beauty for your Tuesday ~ Mary's Magic

The Secret Garden is truly a beautiful film, and this remix and video clip just reminded me today. And, in case you've never heard it, the original soundtrack from this movie is also quite wonderful. Please pause my playlist in the right margin to enjoy this short clip.

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Like this clip? Find more magic by Pogo HERE.

Architecture: The Twilight House aka Hoke House

Fans of the book and movie, Twilight, or just lovers of modern architecture should agree that the house used in the movie is quite the masterpiece. But did you know that this is an actual home here in my humble hometown of Portland, Oregon? It is the real life residence of the Hoke family. Skylab Architecture and architect Jeff Koval designed the home. Jeff talks about the house in an interview here.

Thanks to RianRae Interiors for the original posting here.

YouTube Fave: Where the Wild Things Are

Is anyone else looking forward to this movie? I admit, I didn't even know about it until today (we don't go to the theater much). I DO remember the book by Maurice Sendak, and this trailer sure looks promising for the film. Immediately brought to my mind the whimsical work of Jim Henson, Frank Oz and George Lucas back in 1986 ala Labyrinth!

Who could forget David Bowie as Jareth, the Goblin King?!

Good People: Sandra Bullock

Every so often I take a peek at those "featured" links on the Yahoo! home page. You know, the ones about celebrities. Usually I just pass on the celebrity fodder but today they featured Sandra Bullock so I went ahead and read the (partial) InStyle interview.



I think I would like a friend like her. She's around my age, we both married in our late 30s, she likes herself the way she is, she admits her imperfections, and she likes to eat well and stay healthy. I enjoy her film work, respect her honesty, she seems strong but still feminine, and I gotta admit, I love her laugh!

Go, Sandra!




Photography credit: Jenny Gage & Tom Betterton, InStyle, 2009

Old People Movies

I have a bit of an old soul in me.

I am thankful to have grown up with parents who had an affinity for classic movies. My mom, especially, liked the classics and we watched so many of the original Hollywood legends from the days when they still seemed to be flawless. There are very few actors today that I truly admire for the skill of their craft. I love the actors/actresses who can become so much in character that you truly believe they are their character. The quality of acting that doesn't leave room for the thought, "Oh, that's so-&-so", foremost in my mind throughout a film.

Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Glenn Close, Tom Hanks, Al Pacino...these are some that come to mind.

My mom, especially, liked the classics and we'd watch them so many times. A handful came to be known as our "Old People Movies", not so much because they were the type that older people would watch but because they often featured older actors in leading roles. Here are three clips from three of our all time favorites...all based on plays, two Old People movies, one fun 70's romantic comedy, and all three are wonderful.

Enjoy!

Top to Bottom:

1977 - Neil Simon's, The Goodbye Girl starring Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason and Quinn Cummings. (Note: don't bother with the 2004 TV remake--it's not even close to the original.)

The ending song by David Gates (former lead singer of Bread) always makes me smile!

1987 - David Berry's, The Whales of August starring Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Vincent Price and Ann Sothern.

1981 - Ernest Thompson's, On Golden Pond starring Katherine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, Doug McKeon, and Dabney Coleman. I recommend the unedited version (some mild cuss words that didn't offend me or detract from the story). The soundtrack by Dave Grusin is sublime especially the title theme.