The Viewing Files: 365 Movies in 365 Days - Week Seventeen

Oldie movies rule once again.  

I seem to be constantly switching between watching more newish movies for a week or two and then going back to ones like these from the 40s and 50s and yet still no sign of Gone With The Wind or Casablanca.  

Trust me, I will, eventually, get round to watching those two.  I also definitely need to make some time to watch some foreign language films.  Because 17 weeks in and I still haven't watched a single one.  Big fail right there.

Still my To Be Watched viewing list is slowly going down so I'm looking at that as a positive at least. 

That Touch of Mink
Starring: Cary Grant and Doris Day
Original release: 1962
Synopsis:  A rich businessman crosses paths with a woman who is saving herself for marriage.  A battle of wits and seduction ensures.

Pure fluff.  Like soaking in a long hot bubble bath while sipping champagne (I wish).  But you get my meaning.

Cary is as always suave and charming and Doris is ditsy and virginal.  Pretty much the standard formula for any romance movie back in the day and another one I enjoyed.

Johnny Belinda
Starring: Jane Wyman (Mrs Ronald Reagan before Nancy got her mitts into him_
Original release: 1948
Synopsis:  A small town doctor helps a deaf-mute girl learn to communicate with the outside world.

There's a rape scene.  Okay it's only hinted at and cuts off before you see anything but you and I both know what happens, which is amazing considering this was made in 1948.

A little bit sappy at the very end but up until then it's a pretty good movie.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 
Starring: John Wayne and James Stewart
Original release: 1962
Synopsis:  A senator, who became famous for killing a notorious outlaw, returns for the funeral of an old friend.

One of those movies that everyone seems to rave about but which I thought was pretty meh.

Long and really kind of boring.  I seriously don't get the fuss. 
Gilda 
Starring: Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth
Original release: 1946
Synopsis:  A small-time gambler hired to work in a Buenos Aires casino learns that his ex-lover is married to his employer.

Hair flips.  Need I say anything more, except that Rita does them really well and there several in this movie.  In fact her hair was kind of amazing throughout, though I'm fairly certain it required sleeping in a ton of curlers so probably not a look I'll ever try.

Her clothes are also pretty awesome too.

Oh and the movie isn't too bad either.

The Letter

Starring: Bette Davis
Original release: 1940
Synopsis:  After a woman shoots a man to death, a letter she wrote raises suspicions.

Bette Davis certainly gave good eyebrow as well as being able to deliver lines like this in such a deadpan way.

 Utter perfection just for this a lone.

Now Voyager
Starring: Bette Davis
Original release: 1942
Synopsis:  A woman suffers a nervous breakdown and an oppressive mother before being freed by the love of a man she meets on a cruise.

Over the top melodrama and yet still kind of awesome.  Only Bette could make a movie like this and get away with it.

All The Audiobooks

I have a confession.

I have a serious weakness for audio books.  

I know.  It seems like such a nerdy old lady thing to like but trust me they are so good.  Like seriously good.  And if you're anything like me once you start you will become addicted to them in no time.

Even better the BBC produce such a wonderful variety that you can never run out of something to listen to.  From comedies to crime to dramas to fantasy there is something for everyone.

What this means for me unfortunately is that my audio book collection has become somewhat huge and even a little bit out of control.  Thank God for removal hard-drives is all I can say. 

Charles Paris Mysteries

I *adore* Bill Nighy.  So when I found out that he stars in a series of radio dramas as an alcoholic, womanising actor who seems to constantly stumble across dead bodies where ever he goes I just had to give them a try.

And Oh My God I am so glad I did as these are just awesome.

Play snippet

Cabin Pressure

Benedict Cumberbatch.  Need I say anything more.

Well okay then.

It's also hilariously funny.  Like drink snorting out of your nose funny and all set in the world of a 1 plane airline and it's crew.

Play episode

Clare in the Community

Meet Clare.  

An annoying control freak social worker who always thinks she right.  Naturally her life both professionally and privately is a complete and utter disaster.  Not that she would ever admit to it.

Wonderfully starring Sally Phillips who does these kind of roles so well.

Play snippet

Hut 33

They're meant to decoding the Germans code instead they spend most of their time trying to one up each other in a battle of wits and words.  

Who said the Germans were the only enemy.

Play episode

The Infinite Monkey Cage

Actually a series of podcasts.  But why quibble.   I love this either way.  A show that makes science interesting and understandable and also funny.

Hosted by comedian Robin Ince and physicist Brian Cox (he of the Large Hadron Collider fame) and a range of famous guests.

Play an episode

Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully

Earth has been invaded.  Or at least a very small portion of it has been.  And while most of the locals are happy to live under their new overlords, one woman is determined that the human race won't knuckle under quite so easily.

Alien invasion has never looked so good.

Play snippet

My First Planet

A small band of intrepid explorers and scientists are the first colonists to be sent into outer space.  

One would expect everything to go smoothly.

One would be wrong.

Play snippet

Rudy's Rare Records

Lenny Henry stars as a classical music lover who goes who help his father out in his second hand record store.

Fathers and sons are meant to get along... aren't they?  Then again they've never meet Rudy and his reggae loving father.

Play episode

The Castle

Modern day meets Medieval Era in this wonderful send up.  Featuring a rock playing harpist, a macho knight who hasn't got a clue and a father whose even more clueless.

Neverwhere  

Amazingly good with one of the best cast.  Ever.  Then again I'm probably biased as I adore not only James McAvoy - who seriously needs to do more radio plays- but Natalie Dormer, Benedict Cumberbatch and Anthony Head.  Pretty much my dream cast.

The story is also pretty good.

Okay. It's really really good.

Love it times infinity.

Play Snippet

The Viewing Files: 365 Movies in 365 Days - Week Sixteen

Another week, another lot of movies.  Pretty much my motto in life at the moment.  That and pink and glitter is where it's at and chocolate is the answer to everything. 

This weeks list is mish mash of recent releases. 

The Equalizer 2
Starring: Denzel Washington
Original release: 2018
Synopsis:  Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, but how far will he go when that is someone he loves? 

An Other Half pick.  Guys must have their action movies.  Which meant I ended up watching it also.  Surprisingly though the movie wasn't too bad. Mostly because Denzel can make anything look good.

Free State of Jones
Starring: Matthew McConaughey
Original release: 2016
Synopsis:  A disillusioned Confederate army deserter returns to Mississippi and leads a militia of fellow deserters and women in an uprising against the corrupt local Confederate government. 

Another pick by Other Half.  And one that I ended up liking.  A story of prejudice and race and the fight to be free.
The Spy Who Dumped Me
Starring: Mila Kunis and Sam Heughan
Original release: 2018
Synopsis:  Audrey and Morgan are best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy. 

What can I say.  I felt the need for something light and funny and landed on this.  

Not quite as bad as it seems but no where near good as it could have been.  Really I only watched this for Sam.  Because yes Outlander brought me here.  

As for the rest I probably could have given this movie a miss. 

Mary Shelley
Starring: Elle Fanning and Douglas Booth
Original release: 2017
Synopsis:  The love affair between poet Percy Shelley and 18 year old Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, which resulted in Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein. 

I've always had a bit of weakness for historical dramas so naturally I had to watch this.  Interesting look at two famous people and how their relationship was actually pretty unhealthy.  Personally I think Mary should have run a mile or at the very least had her way with him and then dump his cheating ass and make off with a life of her own.

Frozen in Love
Starring: Some Americans I recognise from TV but don't know where
Original release: 2018
Synopsis:  Bad boy hockey player Adam and struggling book-store owner Mary must work together to help rehabilitate each other's image. Their mutual animosity, and attraction, sees them struggle to achieve their goal. 

Yeah I know, another Hallmark romance movie.  I may have a problem.  Even worse I still have more to watch.

This one at least had a book store in it.

Woman Walks Ahead 
Starring: Jessica Chastain
Original release: 2017
Synopsis:  A portrait painter from 1890s Brooklyn, travels to Dakota to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull and becomes embroiled in the Lakota peoples' struggle over the rights to their land. 

Brutal and beautiful, the story who longs to break free and finds a kindred spirit in Sitting Bull.

Despite bearing almost no resemblance to the real story I still enjoyed this movie.

Treat it as being totally fictional.

Falling For Christmas
Starring: And more Americans
Original release: 2016
Synopsis:  An injured figure skater is sent to the mountains to recover from an injury. Once there, she meets an ex-hockey player and his young daughter and begins to realise that something is missing from her life. 

Hallmark again.  I did say I had more to watch.

Completely sappy.

Book Talk: Reality Bites

As I mentioned way back in January I really wanted to up my reading of non-fiction this year in an attempt to break out a little from my usual go to reads of crime, chick lit and YA.  And no knitting books do not count.

Finding non-fiction titles that would appeal to me has been a little bit of a challenge but luckily I let my fingers do the walking and courtesy of various book sites I have, so far, managed to find some really interesting and quirky reads.

Trust me.  Blurbs really do matter.  Especially if you want me to pick up your book. That and covers.  Boring covers will usually signal a boring read.  At least to me.

So here's a quick look at what's been grabbing my attention over the last few months.

White Like Her: My Family's Story of Race and Racial Passing by Gail Lukasik

Imagine finding out your Mother's biggest secret.  And imagine that this secret changes the whole way you view yourself and your family.  This is the story of how one woman discovers the secrets of her family and how race isn't always as obvious as we might think.

A fascinating read.

Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble by Dan Lyons

Start up companies.  A world of tech savvy young people, office politics and constant parties.  Enter Dan Lyons, a 50 years old journalist who takes up a position in the marketing department of one of these high flying companies.

Working in an office really can be hell.

Totally relatable in a "this is my life too".  

Loved it.

 

Why Mummy Drinks by Gill Sims 

Okay, I can't relate to this at all but Oh My God this is funny.  The trials and tribulations of a a mum who really doesn't want to be a mum and remains totally bewildered by the whole thing.  Solution?  Booze, swearing and a ton of chaos.

 

$2.00 a Day: Living On Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn Edin

Poverty has many faces.

A shocking look at life in America where for many it's a day to day struggle to make ends meet never mind getting ahead. 

Really makes you think.

Confessions of a Carb Queen by Susan Blech

Susan Blech speaks candidly about fat sex, eating binges, the lies you tell others, and the lies you tell yourself as she takes drastic measures to lose weight after her doctor tells her she could suffer a stroke at any moment.

My European Family: The First 54,000 Years by Karin Bojs

A wonderfully fascinating story of humans, genetics and DNA told through the story of one woman's DNA.

Totally got hooked on this book.  

And I can't wait to have my own DNA tested now.

Eat Like a Gilmore: The Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of Gilmore Girls by Kristi Carlson

Totally my kind of book.  

Now I just need someone to make me every recipe in this book while I wait for the sequel to come out.  Because yes there is a sequel.

The Wellness Project: A Hedonist's Guide to Making Healthier Choices by Phoebe Lapine

Sick and tired of being sick and tired Phoebe Lapine decides to go on a 12 month pilgrim to get healthy, working her way through various issues.  Follow her as she eliminates caffeine and sugar, switches to all natural beauty products and a realm of other options on the path to good health.

Beyond Bullets: Creative Journaling Ideas to Customize Your Personal Productivity System by Megan Rutell

I don't even keep a journal and yet I totally want to do this.  I just need to learn how to draw and write neatly.  Something I'm pretty much hopeless at.  

I really need to stop reading books like this.

The Viewing Films: 365 Movies in 365 Days - Week Fifteen

I ended up on a major romance binge with this week's viewing.  With all the gardening I've been doing I needed something light and fluffy to end the day with and romance films are my go to jam for when feel good goodness is needed.

The perfect way to end a busy day... that and some  afghans cookies and a Chai tea vanilla latte and I'm all set.

The Wedding Date
Starring: Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney
Original release: 2005
Synopsis:  Kate hires a male escort to pose as her boyfriend at her sister's wedding.

Okay.  I'll admit it.  Sometimes I find this actress just a wee bit annoying with her hyper style kind of performance that she usually does in Will and Grace but this time round it was toned down quite a bit so she came across as a sad and lonely woman who had never really gotta over being dumped by her ex.

The ex by the way was a complete doofus and totally not worth pining over.  Luckily Suave and sexy Dermot Mulroney comes along...

On another note how she could forgive her sister for what she did I'll never understand.  Personally I would have decked her.  

But maybe that's just me.

 

Love On The Air
Starring: People I've never heard of
Original release: 2015
Synopsis:  When a radio host gets dumped by her boyfriend on-air she finds herself doing a joint radio show with a guy who just gets on her nerves.

This was actually really good.  Helped by having two leads who had total chemistry and by leaving the sappiness that Hallmark usually have in their movies behind.

One I will be adding to my romance keep list. 

 

Christmas Getaway
Starring: People I've never heard of
Original release: 2017
Synopsis:  A travel writer takes a Christmas vacation, but finds herself double-booked with a widower, his mother, and his daughter at the holiday site. 

I'm a sucker for a Christmas movie so I kind of liked this one even though it was filled with sentimental sap.

Book Club
Starring: Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton,Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen.
Original release: 2018
Synopsis:  Four lifelong friends have their lives forever changed after reading 50 Shades of Grey in their monthly book club.

Meant to be funny but actually not. 

The only story I kind of liked was Candice Bergen's.  And now I feel the need to watch Murphy Brown. 

A Novel Romance
Starring: Amy Acker
Original release: 2015
Synopsis:  A best-selling romance novelist moves to Portland and unknowingly falls in love with his biggest critic. 

Yeah this was totally me.

Romance, chemistry and books.  Sigh.  Utter heaven.  And another one I will be adding to my keep list.

Still Life
Starring: British people
Original release: 2013
Synopsis:  A council case worker looks for the relatives of those found dead and alone.

God this was depressing.  Like seriously I-want-to-put-my-head-in-the-oven depressing.

A lonely man leads a lonely life dealing with dead people who are just as alone as he is.  And no it doesn't get any better.  Because just when you think he might have found some future happiness they kill him off.   And then yes he too is buried with no one attending his funeral.

Like what the heck?  

Were they intentionally trying to make people watching this depressed/

And yeah I know - Spoiler Alert.    Sorry.  Not sorry. 

 

Adult Life Skills
Starring: The new Doctor Who
Original release: 2016
Synopsis:  Anna is approaching 30 and living in a garden shed in her Mother's backyard.

Not quite a depressing as the previous movie but still close. Or maybe I had just had my quota from the above movie. 

Summer Love
Starring: The guy from Haven
Original release: 2016
Synopsis:  A widow mom gets an internship at a tech company and draws the attention of two very different men. 

Not the best movie but I needed this after watching the previous two movies.  Silly but watchable... just.

Set It Up 
Starring: Some Americans
Original release: 2018
Synopsis:  Two corporate assistants hatch a plan to match-make their bosses. 

Cute, funny and actually pretty good.

Which means I've now got 3 movies to add to my permanent watching list.