Thursday, March 28, 2024

Thursday Film Picks-Cold As Ice

 


I’m slowly getting better…slowly. I hope to be back to work today and I hope I can last through the day. I am on antibiotics now and now must get my strength back. Yesterday, was which one won the Oscar, which was nominated and which got nadda, well, the truly awful Pimp song won. Dolly Parton’s song was nominated and the one I would have voted for, from Brokeback Mountain, wasn’t even nominated.

These 3 gals that star in 3 great films were forces to be reckoned with both on screen and off. I chose 3 films where these gals are not the nicest, well 2 of them are horrible and one becomes cold after being mistreated by the men she loves. So let’s start things going…

1. THE LITTLE FOXES-1941


Bette Davis knew how to chew the scenery and she does it well in this film from the Broadway play that starred Tallulah Bankhead. She comes from a family of schemers who want to be even richer and people, in their orbit, who disintegrate just because they are affiliated with this miserable family. Davis plays Regina, a once beautiful, but now, stretched, pale bitch who schemes to get her husband’s riches. Her sickly, but good, husband, played by Herbert Marshall,  and their sweet daughter, played by Theresa Wright, love each other making Regina even more jealous. I really think Bette Davis deserved an Oscar for this role ( granted I can’t recall who was up this year). She played one cold cucumber in this drama. 

2. DOUBLE INDEMNITY-1944


Barbara Stanwyck seems to be the only one to make that blond wig look good:). Fred MacMurray plays an insurance salesman who sees the anklet on Stanwyck’s leg and is ready to murder for her. They become lovers and figure out a scheme to kill her husband and collect the insurance money. The way Barbara knows how to finangle her sexy ways onto the hapless nut tells you that she has done this before. She should have won an Oscar for this role because she acted this role so well that you believe Phyllis through and through. It’s an excellent film noir and Billy Wilder, the director, loved this actress who claimed that he had a daydream that Stanwyck came to the door, that Billy knocked at, wearing an apron, high heels…and nothing else.

3. THE HEIRESS-1949


Olivia DeHavilland won the Oscar for this great performance as a plain Jane heiress, who seems scared of her own shadow and when you meet her father, you understand why. He is cold and has an almost intense dislike for his daughter for not being everything his late wife was. She only wants her father’s love but she can’t do anything right. At a party, an almost beautiful man, played by an almost beautiful man, Montgomery Clift, sees Olivia and decides to woo her much to her disbelief and happiness. Her dad thinks the man is only into her money but she vehemently refuses that notion and finally seems to stand up to her dad. She decides to run away with him but will she be stood up or will her happiness prevail?  This is an excellent character study, well rounded on all fronts. 

Barbara Stanwyck was beloved by not just the actors and directors but all the camera crew, grips and people behind the scenes because she liked..preferred to be with them between takes. The sets were always nicer when she was starring in a picture.

Bette Davis, a Warners contract player, had had enough of these 7 year contracts where the actors had to take whatever crap the studio gave them and if they balked, they were placed on suspension which would be tacked onto their 7 yrs. This could mean that the actor would be stuck with that studio forever. Bette Davis balked at the crap she was given and took Warner Bros to court to cancel these contracts but she failed and it stood. Olivia DeHavilland, who was good friends with Davis, about a decade later took Warners to court and, this time, won! It’s now called the DeHavilland law…gutsy ladies for sure.

Oh, and here is one more gutsy lady


You are right Alex, She deserves to be here.

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Which One Won the Oscar 2005

 


Over at Monday Music Moves Me their theme are songs where you misheard the lyrics. There are tons that I have misheard and, now, can’t remember. I forgot to do this last week so I’m having this event now. Let’s see if you can guess which song won the Oscar, which was nominated and which got diddly.

1. TRAVELLIN’ THRU’ SUNF BY DOLLY PARTON


This song comes from the film, “TransAmerica” and it truly belong to the film. 

2. IT’S HARD OUT HERE FOR A PIMP SUNG. BY THREE 6 MILE


I hate rap….this one’s no different but it caused a stir this Oscar year from the film, “Hustle and Flow”.  

3.  A LOVE THAT WILL NEVER GROW OLD SUNG BY EMMYLOU HARRIS


I love this song and this movie which is such a touching love story starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as 2 cowboys who fall in love in an unforgiving time and place. 

I wrote short and sweet…I am very sick with ears, nose, throat and lung infection. I’ve been home for 2 days and not sure how I will be tomorrow. I haven’t been sick like this since before Covid. Thankfully, it is not Covid but it still sucks. I’m on antibiotics now.  Hope all of you are safe and well.

So…which one do you think won, which was nominated and which one got nadda. I think that Pimp one qualify with the Music theme because I never understand the lyrics.

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Thursday Film Picks: Strong Women

 


It’s Women’s History Month and  I decided to choose 3 movies about strong women. I could choose a lot more but I’m choosing  3 films that came into my head right away and here they are…

1. PAT AND MIKE-1952


This stars the great pairing ( on and off screen) of Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy and was Hepburn’s favourite film with Tracy. She plays Pat, a woman who can play, just about, any sport and excel and surpass most men, not just women. The one problem is her jerk fiancĂ©e  who makes her doubt herself and screw up. Enter Mike and his co-hort who are a bit seedy but see something in Pat and hope to make some dough. They actually underestimate who they have in Pat but Mike realizes how important she is, in more ways than one. My favourite scene is when she takes on and bests the hoodlums who come to rough up Mike..it’s hilarious. This film has some real life  sports legends including the great Babe Didrikson who excelled in anything she put her mind to. Just so you know Katherine Hepburn’s mom was part of the suffragette movement and a young Kate was privy to all the issues of equality during that time.

2. NORMA RAE-1979


Sally Field was known as the Flying Nun, Burt Reynolds’ girlfriend and Sybil ( an excellent TV movie about a multiple personality which garnered Field critical raves). Nobody expected cute, button-nosed Field to carry a film about a woman who tries to rally the employees to bring basic rights to their workplace. Field delivered a great performance, winning an Oscar as Norma Rae who fights her employers and persevering despite personal costs. It’s well acted, well written and worth a watch.

3. SUFFRAGETTE-2015


Obviously, this is about this movement in the early part of the 20th century in England where many women fought for equality and their right to vote. Many were arrested, beaten, and spat upon, even by other women, all for their right to vote. This film stars Carey Mulligan as a, at first, reluctant woman who attends these rallies and soon becomes enthralled with all it stands for much to the detriment of her husband. She loses her job, her home and child because she is fighting for what she believes in. Helena Bonham Carter co-stars and is always great. It brings in some real life episodes like Emily Davison who ended up walking in front of the King's horse, in full gallop during a horse race and dying from her wounds. To this day it is speculated whether she meant to commit suicide or if she thought she could avoid being hit by the horse while she  tried to protest. This film could be better but it is still quite well done and well acted.

What films can you think of?

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Women Are Strong

 


I got this idea from reading Anabel’s blog, the Glasgow Gallivanter with her travels around her  neck of the woods and beyond and has been speaking about the Suffragettes and their movement. These women were brave since they were not just belittled, but beaten and jailed all because they..we wanted the right to vote and be considered equal. We are still fighting this but, we have made headway and I thought of 3 songs…well, 2 songs and one major kick ass woman. It’s freebie week over at Monday Music Moves Me hosted by the wonderful Cathy at Curious as a Cathy. Check out all the eclectic tastes people have when it comes to music. What I love is that music is what brings people together. Let’s get going…

1. SISTERS ARE DOIN’ IT FOR THEMSELVES SUNG BY ANNIE LENNOX AND ARETHA FRANKLIN-1985


This is the first song that came into my head. I love this song, love Annie Lennox and love Aretha Franklin. It was written by the Eurythmics team of Annie Lennox and David Stewart and it’s one of my favourites.

2. MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE SUNG BY MARIAN ANDERSON-1939


I hope this video shows her singing this song because I can’t view it when in my blog. This brave, brave woman was denied singing at Washington Constitutional Hall by the racist daughters of the American Revolution because she was black. She was a contralto who sang so beautifully but was not given the basic right to sing at the Hall because of her skin colour so Eleanor Roosevelt( one woman I truly admire) took her name out of that Daughter’s thing and set Marian up to sing in front of the Lincoln Memorial where  over 75,000 people, of many colours came to see her sing. I think Marian is one brave lady and one amazing singer.

3. SISTER SUFFRAGETTE SUNG BY GLYNIS JOHNS-1964


This was sung by Glynis, Hermione Badderly and Reta Shaw but I just love Glynis who just passed away a couple of months ago at 100 years old. She played the wife of  George, a banker and strict husband and dad to the 2 kids who will soon be cared for by Mary Poppins. In the film she is all for women’s rights and she sings this song with the other 2 ladies and I always liked it.

Oops, I usually do my which one won the Oscar song…completely forgot so I will do that next week.


Monday, March 18, 2024

A Couple of Easy Cards..Sorta Easy

 


Simon Says-Add a Bit o'Green

Stamping Sensations- Spring

I found this fun and easy to do. I took distress inks and pressed them on a craft mat, watered it down and then pressed down my stamp. I stamped it onto white cardstock and it gave it a nice whispy look. This stamp is about 19 years old and I need to use it more. I stamped the sentiment in multi green dye ink and heat embossed it in turquoise sparkle. I placed it onto green cardstock, added the sticker border  and a bit of bling.


Butterfly Challenge- 3D decoupage, die cuts, colours in daffodil, dark green, Damson blue

Double D Challenge- 1st signs of spring


4 Seasons- daffodils from the mood board


Dream Valley- die cuts or punches

I like the mood boards and this was an easy card because I used the decoupage set and just pieced everything together. It was a bit finicky with trying to cut up the pop up dots to fit on the small pieces to create the 3D effect. I added the sentiment, the glitter in gold and, finally, die cut butterflies that I cut out from blue remnant pieces I had from my colouring escapades.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Best Oscar Score-1966

 


Did anyone watch the Oscars this past Sunday? Obviously, I did and found it very entertaining. I enjoyed Jimmy Kimmel, I enjoyed the Ken song where you could see that Ryan Gosling enjoyed himself and some of the speeches were great ( not the people who, deservedly, won Godzilla, that speech was horrid because he couldn’t read the acceptance speech). The fashions were, well, many just seem stupid and the after party get ups were created by hookers are us. Some were gross and so, so classless. 

Anyway, this time I am choosing the year 1966 and went with best score and this was when one still had Best Original Score and Best musical score Adaptation but I’m just doing Score this time around. I am choosing the one I think should have won, the one that did win and one that was nominated. Let me know what you think or if you would have chosen something completely different.

1. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY BY ENNIO MORRICONE


Believe it or not, this was not even nominated and I choose this score as the score that should have won. Ennio Morricone was in his best form here with almost every piece of music iconic. I love this theme but my favourite is the gold theme when Eli Wallach  is running through the cemetery trying to find the plot where the gold is buried. This is, to me, the one that should have won.

2. BORN FREE BY JOHN BARRY


I do love this music and it resonates with me because of the meaning of the song and, I am glad it won but Ennio should have taken it. That being said, I am glad it won.

3. HAWAII BY ELMER BERNSTEIN


This was a sweeping epic that stars Julie Andrews, Richard Harris and Max Von Sydow but, I find it a slog of a film to be honest. I haven’t watched it in years so maybe I should give it another go but…maybe later. I don’t mind the soundtrack which was composed by Elmer Bernstein.

So, do you agree with me or would you choose another soundtrack or do you agree with the Oscar pick?

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Story of Love

 This week, over at Monday Music Moves Me, the theme was submitted by John at The Sound Of One Hand Typing. Create a love story using top 40 music from Valentine’s Day of any year and I chose 1960…I think…the last one is from 1959 and not Valentine’s but it was a top hit. 


Selling Bosch products, door to door was not Ruth's idea of making it rich, but it did afford her the luxury of being on the road. She sold her restaurant, in Toronto, because she was not making any money from it. She drove to Welland, which, she thought, was the crumb de la crumb...blechh. Ruth parked her car, took out the Bosch stuff and started to knock on doors. One door opened and a very tall man stood in front of her. She was quite taken by his strength but also his kind eyes. She gave him the spiel and he quickly declined but offered her a cup of coffee. Ruth hesitated but his eyes made her feel safe and she accepted his offer. She truly felt that I Only Have Eyes For You.



Ruth, a young lady of 31, met her dream man, Frank, 46, and she knew he was the one but for one big problem...her current, deadbeat, abusive husband. The deadbeat would swat her, steal from her and disrupt her life. She took it, until one fateful morning, when she was cutting up tomatoes in her restaurant on Queen St. The brute woke up and got angry for waking him up by her cutting up the tomatoes, so he tossed the table with the tomatoes onto the floor. Ruth was livid as she was soon to open up her restaurant. She looked at him and, with the big knife in hand, she started for him. He started to cower and then he ran! Ruth, knife in hand, chased the jerk down Queen St. Stopping when his long underwear bottoms fell undone and his Lily white ass was bare as he continued down the street. Ruth leaned up against the building laughing and crying at the same time. She now realized how to control this coward. The rat came back, but she told him she slept with the knife and, when making his coffee, she would place rat poison in front of him making him sweat. Thankfully, he left and she sold the restaurant but now had to tell Frank about her marriage and was worried how he would take it.  She always smiled when Mack The Knife came on the radio even though she claimed she never liked the song.



Ruth told Frank all about the deadbeat and he listened to her travails with this nutjob. He looked at her and said, " Don't worry, Ruth, I shall always be by your side, through thick and thin. We are meant to be together so put your head on my shoulder, and I will protect you."



It took over 2 years to finally be rid of her ex. Frank paid the lawyers and, to be rid of him, paid the deadbeat’s lawyers to. 3 days after the divorce, they married and never looked back. They had 2 children, a boy and a girl, started a sawmill business and, even though they argued, their love was true. One day, while they reminisced, they thought of a song that made them both laugh...all Ruth yelled was "Alvin" and Frank started to chuckle. That dumb song made them smile and hold each other with happiness in their eyes. 


Only these 2 would fondly recall this song. This is for my parents.