Friday, July 4, 2014

MOVIE WEEKEND: MOVIE, MOVIE, MOVIE, AND MOVIE, AND MAYBE ANOTHER MOVIE

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

Please forgive my absence. My tummy has been quite unhappy, but I believe I have recovered enough so you won't catch whatever I had. Just don't get too close to your screen while reading this post.

Since it's a holiday weekend, I'm going to name some movies I've seen on Netflix Screaming of late. These movies are also available on DVD. Instead of giving you a full review of each movie, I'll give you a brief synopsis, and then award X number of pickles to the movie. If you've been hanging around here long enough, you'll know that pickles disgust me. Thus, if a movie has zero pickles, then it's a super-great movie. If a movie has pickles, then watch out. The more pickles, the worse the movie.

And I really don't wanna hear about how many movies I watch.

BRAVE MISS WORLD (2013) This documentary is about Linor Abargil of Israel who was raped a few weeks before being crowned Miss World. She goes after the guy and says that women who are raped shouldn't need to hide their faces when they go to court because they didn't do anything wrong. ***Pickles

JFK: THE SMOKING GUN (2013) This documentary is another dumb re-hash of conspiracy theories about the assassination of President Kennedy. I don't remember much about it. I won't give it as many pickles as it probably deserves because I confess I did not watch the entire movie, which is very unusual for me. ****************************************************Pickles

DEAR MR. WATTERSON (2013) This documentary (Yeah, I know I watch a lot of documentaries; so does Favorite Young Man -- you wanna make something of it? He's probably taller than you are, better looking, and smarter [description of FYM's superiority does not apply to Middle Child or The Hurricane]) is about how many people still love the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, and also about artist Bill Watterson's refusal to become a public persona and turn Calvin and Hobbes into a multi-million dollar marketing machine. So those car stickers of Calvin peeing on things? You know I hate those, right? Those are not authorized.   Pickles  Just in case you're confused, no asterisks can be seen before the word "Pickles" because I liked this movie so much that I don't associate it with pickles in any way, shape or form.

 DEREK Season Two (2012) British TV series created by Ricky Gervais, who plays Derek, a sweet-natured guy who is maybe on the slow side, but is very quick when it comes to caring about other human beings. He works in a nursing home. I'm up to episode three. I watched the first season and really liked it, too. **Pickles

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK Season Two (2014) What can be better than women in prison? Willy Dunne Wooters and I loved the first season, and we loved the second season even more, especially the last six episodes. Pickles

AN UNREAL DREAM: THE MICHAEL MORTON STORY (2013) This documentary is about a man named Michael Morton, duh, who was convicted of killing his young wife in front of their son, when he was a toddler. I won't tell you how many years he was in prison before The Innocence Project became involved. Barry Scheck, I love you.  Pickles

BOMB GIRLS (2012) I like this Canadian series about women, and a few men, who work in a munitions plant during World War II. I've watched five out of 18 episodes. ****Pickles

20 FEET FROM STARDOM (2013) This film about backup singers won the 2014 Academy Award for Best Documentary.  Pickles

BROADWAY IDIOT (2013) This documentary is about turning Green Day's album American Idiot into a stage production, which ended up on Broadway. Before going to Broadway, it premiered in Berkeley, where The Hurricane saw it and met Billy Joe Armstrong's mom and Billie Joe Armstrong's son. She loved the show and said the set was amazing. I love Green Day. I love American Idiot. I love this film.  Pickles

ROBOT & FRANK (2012) Frank (Frank Langella) has increasing memory problems as he ages. His son gives him a robot to take care of him. WDW and I thought this movie sucked big time. ********************************************************************Pickles

COMPLIANCE (2012) This weird movie is based on a true story, which makes it even more disturbing. It has to do with a fast food restaurant and an employee who is questioned about a theft by the manager. ***********************************************Pickles

IT'S A DISASTER (2012) Willy Dunne Wooters and I think this movie is hilarious in its own quirky way. Four couples are in a house for their regular get-together when they learn the world has become toxic and they can't go outside. How are they going to spend their time together? What about the people who are late for the party?  Pickles

THE FAT BOY CHRONICLES (2010) I'm having a hard time remembering much about this movie other than the fact WDW and I hated it. It's about a kid who is overweight and decides to get in shape. It seemed as if it had been made to show to Sunday School classes, so you might actually want to let your kids watch it while you take a nap. ************************************************************************************************************************************Pickles

If this post doesn't give you any ideas about stuff to watch this weekend, then I cannot help you. That's all there is to it. The decision to let your kids watch something––or not––is yours.

I want to make sure you all noticed that a whole big bunch of people begged Target to create a policy against open carry and Target pretty much said "Eff off," but the day after I said I AM BOYCOTTING TARGET, then they asked their shoppers to please leave their guns at home. My head is so big I'm surprised I can get it through the door. And I do not have delusions of grandiosity.

Well, all righty then.

Fishducky sent me the following:


Of course it's a painting of Willy Dunne Wooters. Don't be ridicurous, as Franklin says.

Our BULLY FOR YOU guest postess on Monday will be Linda of PRACTICAL PARSIMONY.

I haven't forgotten that I need to tell you the story about the refrigerator, and I have an award to accept from Shecky Shady. 

All in good time.


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

38 comments:

  1. I won't take the pickle rating system personally.
    It's a Disaster is GREAT! I loved it so much. Also Orange is the New Black, also spectacular. What they do with characterization on that show is astounding. The only flaw, in my estimation, is Jason Biggs's's's character. Nothing against him, but that character annoys my to no end.
    Seriously, this anti-pickle animosity cannot stand. I feel bullied by your rating system! Maybe I'll write a Bully For You post about it.

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    1. I can't stand pickles, but I never said anything about pickleopes. I love a good pickleope. You can still write a BULLY FOR YOU post if it will make you happy. We love It's A Disaster, especially the people who arrive late. On OITNB, I feel as if there isn't any there there with Larry and Polly. WDW, however, likes Larry.

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  2. Well... I do like the new pickle rating system. The tummy upset, not so much. Here's hoping you're feeling much better now. WE are riding out the rain.

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    1. We had a brief t-storm this afternoon. Pretty much typical Florida weather. Is your rain a tropical storm? Those suck.

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  3. You should have turned the picture around so everyone could see what's on her canvas!!

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    1. No way. I keep that man's naked body all to myself.

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  4. I've been wanting to see Broadway Idiot ever since I heard about it. Green Day's American Idiot album is what got me into rock music, closely followed by My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade album that I heard one week later.

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    1. I adore Billy Joe Armstrong. Part of the movie is about him playing the lead in the show for a few weeks after it goes to Broadway.

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  5. Shecky Shady hesitates to call you a picklepuss, dear Janie, but he noticed you've been having a bad day and hopes you didn't resort to taking the 5th on the 4th.

    (BA-DUM-BUMP)

    Dear friend, I'm still in shock after learning that you and WDW bailed out of Fargo after the first episode. Mrs. S and I will be watching the 10th episode finale tonight. We don't agree very often but we agree about Fargo, giving it two very enthusiastic thumbs up as one of the best miniseries we've ever seen.

    As you might expect, I want to see the Twenty Feet From Stardom documentary. My current post features Phil Spector and his hard working girl group session singers Darlene Love and the Bossoms (Fanita James and Jean King) and I have upcoming posts about Cissy Houston, Merry Clayton, Mable John, Jean Thomas, Toni Wine and many other backing vocalists who helped create the hits that became the soundtrack of our youth. Thanks for letting me know about 20 Feet!

    Have a safe and happy evening and please get well soon, dear friend!

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    1. Sadly, I don't have a fifth of anything. WDW and I didn't even finish watching the first episode of Fargo because we thought it was so bad. Now I wonder if we gave up too easily. Twenty Feet From Stardom is excellent and part of it is about Darlene Love. Phil Spector treated her horribly. I also have a problem with something you wrote: "the soundtrack of OUR youth." I am 33. Based on your photo, I think you're older than 33. Never mind that my kids are 34 and almost 28.

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  6. I just love dressing in silk and feathers when I'm painting.

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    1. That is so cool because I've always imagined you in silk and feathers.

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  7. Great list! I'm always looking for good things to watch on Netflix. I tried Orange is the New Black. I liked the first season and the first episode of the second season, but they lost me with the second episode. I don't really care about many of those people--just Piper. Perhaps the story goes back to her eventually, but I have to feel like I care about characters to get to know their stories, but I realized without Piper in the jail with them, it's just a story about a bunch of women in jail.

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    1. Piper goes back to her usual jail, but quite a bit of time during the second season is spent on the back stories of a variety of women in the prison. I loved getting to know them better.

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  8. Speaking of delusions, I mentioned that I don't go to church and then my power is knocked for four days and counting.

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    1. I admitted that I don't go to church, and I still have electricity. Why is yours out? Storms? Human error? Squirrels? Act of God? I promise you that you are not responsible for the lack of power . . . unless you're the one who threw that body on the main power line. How many people are without power? I saw something on CNN a couple of days ago about a whole big bunch of people without power, but I don't remember how many or where they live. I couldn't stay in my house more than an hour or so without electricity. It would be unbearable. The boys and I would be knocking on Willy Dunne Wooters' door or heading to a hotel, preferably one with a pool so we can work on their backstroke skills. Harper will be able to take the lifeguarding class soon, but Franklin just wants to doggie paddle.

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  9. Susie,
    Do you think God just realized you did not go to church?

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    1. God paid no attention to Susie until she dared to make that announcement.

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  10. Orange is the new black is one of my favorite shows :)
    And I'd like to get a painting like that! LoL.

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    1. Me, too. I haven't seen you in a long time. I hope you're okay.

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  11. Our rain was a Cat 1 (or 2 maybe?) that passed out to sea, leaving us with the NW bands of rain. Tony stuck his head in the attic to find a new leak in the roof... but the plus side is that the storm seems to have taken all the humidity with it. It's 88 and GORGEOUS today.

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    1. I'd love to get rid of the humidity for a while, but I don't want to go through a big storm to be able to do it. Sorry about your leak.

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  12. Ok I watch a lot of documentaries as well love them most of the movies I have not heard of except "Robot and Frank" that one I have heard of but still haven't seen it I don't watch a lot of movies

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    1. I love documentaries, but Willy Dunne Wooters isn't interested in them.

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  13. The ones I have seen of these (quite a few) I agree with you. I have several of these in my queue. The ones I don't have--well, you hated so I won't add--LOL! As you know, I watch a lot of documentaries, too. ;)

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    1. I watched a documentary yesterday that I really liked. It's called The Good Son. It's about Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini. I have no interest in boxing, but it was so good. It's about family relationships against the backdrop of boxing.

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    2. Oh, and that "Robot and Frank" one was terrible! I made the mistake of watching that one, too--LOL!

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    3. I started to watch the "Boom Boom" one and couldn't get into it. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood.

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    4. It was tough to get through Robot and Frank. I kept expecting it to get better. It took me about 15 - 20 minutes to get interested in Boom Boom.

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  14. ROBOT & FRANK should've been called ROBOT & PRANK. Enough said. Back to work.

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    1. But was the prank what Frank had the robot do, or was it a prank that such a bad movie was ever released?

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  15. I most certainly did notice the timing of the Target thing! Go you! Not only have I not seen most of those, I have not even heard of them...I really ought to move the rock I apparently live under!

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    1. No, dear, I'm the one who lives under a rock. That's why I'm so aware of movies that other people don't notice. I sit, or lie, under my rock and watch movies. I'm anti-social.

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    2. I wonder whom I should take on next. You know, I really hate Wal-Mart. Shall I bring them down? No, I think, not but only because I know someone very kind and generous who owns Wal-Mart stock.

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  16. Reading your comments (as well as your fine post - thanks for the input). When I lived in Youngstown, my next door neighbor was Boom Boom Mancini's godparents. Ray was a great guy. I've got an autographed picture of Ray addressed to my oldest son - I thought that was sweet.

    The very last scene of the the last episode of Season 2 OITNB is heartbreaking, to me. I like that they went a little deeper with the backstory of "Crazy Eyes."

    We love the documentaries. "Blackfish" was the weekend favorite. Not in a "yay, I'm happy now" way, but a "wow...never realized" sort of way.

    Huggin' yer neck, Janie J.
    Cherdo
    www.cherdoontheflipside.com

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    1. I have Blackfish in my list. I'm kind of afraid to watch it. Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" is a sad story. Every time she hits herself in the head, it hurts my heart. I remembered Boom Boom's name from years ago, but didn't realize he killed someone in the ring. What a burden. He seems such a gregarious, loving guy. I'm huggin' your neck right back and if you're wearing the new shoes, I swear I don't smell a thing.

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  17. I haven't seen any of these except Orange. And I love Orange. Netflix has some tremendously awesome originals. Second season of Hemlock Grove starts later this week (it's a very graphic horror-type show...not for everyone), and I just started watching House of Cards. But now I have to get back to work. Poop.

    -andi

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    1. We watched the first episode of House of Cards and I was so upset about the dog that I couldn't watch more episodes. WDW and I love our Orange. We hate the long waits between seasons. You need to quit your job and stay at home to watch movies. We could watch the same movie at the same time and talk about it, kind of like Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal watching Casablanca in When Harry Met Sally.

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Got your panties in a bunch? Dig 'em out, get comfortable, and let's chat.