Over The Weekend...

It's been a very wet and wild weekend here in Brisbane and down the East Coast of Australia. I went out on Saturday night and totally enjoyed myself at my 25 year class reunion for high school. I thought it would be terrible - seeing I had to go stag - but it wasn't. A lot of people went on their own. We had a great time and I left at around 11pm after catching up with so many of my old friends; who all chatted and caught up with me too.

Then, I woke up on Sunday morning without a voice! Yep, I found it hard to sleep in Saturday night, but I thought I was coming down with a chest infection from the last few weeks of not having early nights. But nope, I had caught something in the last week that's taken my voice from me... and after going to the doctors today, I was told I have a mild case of Laryngitis. I can't go out to any of my social places this week - but I can get my car looked at for new tyres - however, there's no Queen Beez Craft Group and no seeing my folks until my voice is totally back to normal. Most of all, no talking or singing (especially in the car... yeah, I love singing to the music in my car). 

Otherwise, while I had no voice yesterday, and it was a miserable day, so I got in and watched a few movies after making a huge amount of popcorn and grabbing a half-bag of chips that were left over in the pantry. Yep, I got right into watching 'The Matrix' Trilogy - and in between the first and second ones, I made dinner and ate it (which was home made lasagne - which was delicious! I have more to eat tomorrow night). By the time 'The Matrix - Revolutions' was finished, it was around 9:30pm and I had to clean up the kitchen from my cooking and the day.
The rain was still coming down and I didn't want to go outside just to put out the rubbish; so I tied it up ready for today. My throat was really sore and I thought to get up nice and early to get myself to the doctors to find out what the hell was wrong with my voice. Thankfully, Laryngitis is only a virus - and like all virus' will go away on its own. I just have to not talk or sing. Well, that was my weekend. I'm off to have my lunch of Lasagne. Yeah, I know, it was going to be tomorrow night's dinner, but I guess I can make more if I need to. Until my next post, take care, stay safe and remember, I'm always here.

Saturday Night Movie: Drive

Driver is a stunt-driver in Hollywood by day, a mechanic on the weekends and a very quiet neighbour to a hot blond-haired single Mum.  He's quiet and unusual; keeping to himself until he finds he's attracted to her, can't keep his eyes off her, because she's alone.
But he doesn't talk to her, not until he's out shopping one day and finds his car's been broken into and her at her car with its bonnet up.  Driver takes her home and organises to have her car looked at by his work.  He starts to get involved with her, feeling protective of her and her son when she reveals to him that her husband is in prison - as he knows all about it from a life so far ago, it's almost alien to him...

...almost.

But then, one day, her husband comes home.  A party is going in their neighbouring apartment, and all seems well; until her husband is introduced to Driver.  This is when Driver notices that there's more to this guy's story - that he's hunted inside as well as on the outside.
One evening, Driver comes home to find his neighbour's husband beaten up, his son hiding around the corner crying and he asks what happened.  The husband tells him and he considers getting in one more heist to protect the woman he loves and to make sure her husband is never hunted again - as well as to protect their son.  When he talks to her son, he hands him a bullet, telling him that he was told not to lose it.

Well, the whole thing is arranged.  All Driver does is drive the getaway car.  He doesn't do anything else.  The guy organising the whole thing won't pay him - driver doesn't give two tosses - and all that needs to happen is to get it over and done with.

However, Driver trusted the wrong people.
The man organising this thing was working for the Mob, who employs his boss at the garage, who in turns employs Driver. 
So, they all know he's driving the car ... and they know his moves.
What they don't know is that he's a great driver because he's done this before... and knows how to get away from people like them....

...but does he?

'Driver' was a movie on SBS which I happen to flick over to while channel surfing.  When I saw Ron Perlmann's name flick on the screen, I sat down and watched it.  There were only three commercial breaks and I found it a great film, based on a book of the same name by James Sallis.  The reviews of the book are mixed with most people saying it had a great protagonist, however, the film was much better because the plot of the book was paper thin.  The movie was fantastic... I loved it and at the same time was horrified at how far Driver would go to keep only the few steps he needed to keep from being killed.  Totally worth watching... I didn't miss a beat, and didn't want to.

Movie Review... Not Sure If I Should Do This One.

By now, you have all heard about the terrible news of Robin Williams' passing.  I heard about it at my Aunt and Uncle's house while I was visiting them for a few minutes... it was horrible to hear that one of my favourite comedians and actors had been battling with so much in his life and had been going through rehab to work on it all.  And he just couldn't do it anymore...

But the movie I watched - and I'm not sure if I should review - on Saturday night was 'What Dreams May Come'.  This movie is about a man called Chris Nielson, who meets his soulmate in Switzerland and soon after, they get married and live a wonderfully happy life - him a doctor, and her an artist.  They have two gorgeous children, a huge house filled with happiness and love for around fourteen years... until their children are killed in a car accident.  Four quick years later, Chris' death follows from the very same thing.  A year afterwards, his wife kills herself; and the race is on for him to find her in Hell and bring her to place she had created for them both to live after they died together - a place she had painted on a massive canvas.  This place is where he woke up when he decided to walk along the tunnel and to go where his spirit was supposed to go.

However, little did I know that after watching this film this kind of thing would happen to one of the greatest people everyone has loved, laughed with and enjoyed.  There isn't anyone on his planet who doesn't know Robin Williams and his roles in movies, such as this one or 'The Dead Poet's Society', 'Good Morning, Vietnam, 'Mrs. Doubtfire' and most of all, his wonderfully hilarious first role as Mork from Ork in 'Mork and Mindy'... I loved him in that show.  

I'm just kind of numb about the news right now... as though it's not real.  I think it's got to sink in before I know for certain, deep down, he's not here.  This man has been so much a part of my life - and I loved his funniness so much - that this news will take time for me to process.  Until my next post, take care, stay safe and most of all, if you are suffering from depression, please do not stay silent (thinking it will go away), please, please, do go and talk to somebody about it.  It does help.  Until my next post, remember, I'm always here.

Saturday Night at the Movies: 'Mask' and 'Fried Green Tomatoes'

I love watching movies which have a great story and the two movies I put on tonight both had the best stories - one based on a true story, the other based on a novel.

The first movie - 'Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle-Stop Cafe' - is an absolute favourite of mine. With Kathy Bates as a submissive housewife whose husband takes her for granted in it, I find the whole movie charming.  
It's during the weekly visits to his Aunt in a nursing home near Whistle-Stop that she finds out his Aunt Vera (who we never see during the movie) but we know despises her to the point of throwing her out of her room and so she goes to the Day Room to settle in and munch on some candy bars she's got in her handbag.  Here she meets Ninny, Jessica Tandy's character, who tells her all about the Whistle-Stop Cafe, how it came to be, who lived around Whistle-Stop, and the murder which was covered up by everyone to protected one of the most-loved people in town!  But exactly who did the killing was the most surprising of all - and no, I'm not going to ruin that part for you, you'll just have to get the movie out or read the book (for more laughs than you can shake a stick at).

'Mask' is a 1985 film based on the true story of Roy L. Dennis.  It starts off with Roy 'Rocky' Dennis getting himself ready at home in Covina, California to enroll in a new high school.  He's waiting for his Mum to come home to take him; and they're running late.  She arrives home in a sweet, silver Mustang with her latest one night stand and yells at her about getting herself ready; but when her date catches an eyeful of Rocky, he stares at his face, asking: 'Who is...that?' She simply replies: 'He's my son.' and she runs off inside to change to take Rocky to the school to enroll.

The film is based on the true life story of Rocky Dennis and it takes you firstly for a walk through a day of his life of trying to get into an ordinary school, going to the doctors to get his head, face and jaw measured and then to have people tell his Mother he can't go to school here and his life isn't going to be long and other such things.  She honestly doesn't have time for that kind of crap and it shows; and neither does he.  
The one thing that keeps Rocky and his Mum together is their family of The Turks Biker gang; who love him for who he is.  To them, he's one of the family, one of the gang for life and they love him right through.  He's normal, and should live life just like anyone else - because he is just like anyone else.  Rocky proves to his school that he's smart, charming and sweet and you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover by being able to make friends by not letting his looks worry him.  By graduation, he's topped the class and heads off to Summer School to be an C.A at a camp for the blind where he meets Diana, a girl he falls in love with; and she falls for him; but her parents don't like him at all.  
By the end of the Summer, they want to spend more time together but her parents make sure that doesn't happen.  At Rocky's new school, he's starting over again with new people who don't like him because of his appearance, and his best friend, Ben, is moving away permanently. His world is falling apart... so he pools his money he's saved for a big trip around Europe and he buses it out to see Diana (seeing her folks won't pass on messages and he hasn't heard from her since the Summer Camp), claiming his love to her.
It's a sad ending, I'm afraid to say.  Rocky's very rare disease ended up killing him as he slept.  But the night he felt the worse, as he caught his early night, he looked at his map of Europe where he had pushed blue tacks into the cities he wanted to go, and removed them from the map.  He knew he wasn't going to achieve what he wanted to in life as he wasn't going to survive that night.  

Cher, Eric Stolz and Sam Elliott were fantastic in this movie about Roy 'Rocky' L Dennis' life.  It was a touching story about how something can affect your life in one way, can't stop you from living your life completely. Rocky had Craniodiaphyseal Dysplaysia, an extremely rare sclerotic bone disorder.  He was born in California in 1961 and passed away aged 16 in 1978; he was only a month or so away from his 17th birthday.

At the Movies Double: 'Young Guns I & II'

Lincoln County, 1878, Englishman John Tunstall picks up William Bonny off the streets and pulls him out of trouble just in time from being hung, taking him to his place where he's rescued four other young men to work on his farm.  All of them are from different backgrounds and have their own stories; but William Bonny is different, well-educated but very much a young man with very few boundaries.
Tunstall - however - is very much a thorn in the side of the Murphies, who own a majority of the land, stores and areas surrounding Lincoln.  They don't like the way John Tunstall pulls in these young men and how he puts them to work on his farm without question, as he's also a competitor in selling cattle.
One day after the town celebrates New Years Eve, Tunstall is shot by Murphy's men, along with his horse, and all of Tunstall's boys are out to even the score.  However, nobody will go up against Murphy's men as even the judge works for Murphy.  So, John's boys are deputised to serve warrants for Murphy's men and arrest them... however, William and the others have other things in mind and they shoot them instead; becoming outlaws themselves.
Very soon, all five of them become famous with William scoring the name 'Billie the Kid' - as he was under the age of 21 at the time of his fame - and they run riot around the county seeking revenge on the Murphy's for what they did to the man who helped them stay off the streets and out of jail.  They're chased by everyone of authority; and yet hailed heroes by the people of Lincoln and New Mexico.  

In the second film of 'Young Guns II' most the boys have gone their own ways.  Doc Hollywood took off to New York and became a school teacher with his wife (a young Chinese girl he stole from a Murphy man who was in the first film and had used her as payment for a ruined shirt).  Billie 'The Kid' had been living off the land with the rest of the gang killing and stealing for the next year and becoming a right criminal... however the law was catching up with him - and his boys.
Chavez and Doc were picked up quickly by the police and dragged back to Lincoln, and the law there prepared a gallows to hang them. Billie's been on the run for a long time, and has made a few friends, one of them was Pat Garrett - a man who had become a close friend and Billie's conscience - and another was Arkansas Dave Rudabaugh (who keeps on saying that the gang is his when Billie is clearly the leader of it).  When the gang settles in New Mexico for a spell, Pat turns around to Billie and lets him know that he's retiring from being a thief telling him that he's bought the saloon they're resting up in.  He wants to have a decent life with a wife and settle down - Billie hates him for it, but lets him go.  The lawmakers of the land hear of Pat's plans and employ him as the Sheriff of the area, paying him $1,000 to track down Billie the Kid and his gang saying they'd 'pay a thief to track a thief' and it'd be easy.  But is it really?

I found the second film a lot more memorable than the first... but Christian Slater's character was a moron.  It's a little wonder Billie the Kid didn't do away with him in the beginning because of his smart mouth and how it got them into more trouble than they were already in.
But the way it was filmed was great.  In the beginning of the second film, it shows a very old man walking through the desert with a horse, meeting a lawyer on the side of a deserted highway, sitting down and telling him his story of who he was.... it's well done and said to be true.  However, who's to know if it is, seeing in the end credits, it says the man who said he was actually Billie 'the Kid' went before the courts to be pardoned, however he never could be because they didn't believe him, saying that William Bonny was legally dead and they couldn't prove it was really him... that was in the 1960's.  So who was to know if this was true or not.  I'll let you guys make up your own minds.  

A bit of movie trivia:  Jon Bon Jovi was in 'Young Guns II'... as one of the prison inmates.  He was in the back of the group of them in the pit!   

At the Movies: 'What Lies Beneath'

Life between Dr Norman Spenser and his wife Claire is normal.  They are a loving, couple who have just seen their only daughter off to university and Claire has a slight case of 'empty nest' syndrome for a little while... or does she?  They're living in Norman's late-father's house which they inherited and she has turned into a lovely lakeside home with breathtaking views onto the lake, a gorgeous garden with tall, handsome trees towering overhead and great neighbours nearby.
This is until Norman is off at work a lot and Claire is stuck at home alone.  She begins to feel as though she's not alone... with the front door always being ajar, or opening on its own, the stereo turning itself off and on and the computer playing 'Solitaire' when she hasn't even turned it on, Claire has the feeling something just isn't right - especially when the initials on the highest score is MEF... the same initials as her next door neighbour's wife (who has gone missing!).  Claire goes off the deep end pretty soon as she starts spying on the neighbour's husband - and yes, he knows she's doing it - and then creeps out her husband as well.  This is when Norman suggests she goes to see a shrink... which she does just to see if she really is losing her mind.  The shrink listens to her calmly as she tells him that she thinks her house is haunted; and he advises her to 'make contact'.  So, with her friend, Jody, Claire does just that and goes out and buys a talking board from K-Mart.  But nothing happens, so she puts it all down to being an idiot - and feeling like one - and puts everything away.  However, after Jody goes home, the ghost in the house makes more obvious moves to show Claire exactly who she is and why she thinks Claire is in danger, by knocking over a picture frame and revealing an article about a missing girl by the name of Madison Elizabeth Frank - this is where things get really interesting.
Claire starts surfing the net and finds out more than she really wants to about Madison.  Her friend, Jody, had an idea that Norman might have been cheating on her, but didn't know if he was or not.
Everything gets twisted around more when Claire arrives home one day to find Jody had left her a book she had tracked down on Witchcraft and Spells; and Claire tries one out - where she needs a physical part of the Madison, and ends up getting a loch of her hair from her mother by going to visit her to see what Madison actually looked like.  Well, once the spell was cast, and Madison's spirit had a host (which was Claire), things really took on a life of its own.  This pisses off Norman because he knows that Claire is getting close to knowing a secret he doesn't want his wife to know and Madison is out to make things even.  In the end, Norman thinks it's right to take out Claire as well and put an end to this whole thing - but his wife has other ideas in mind; and it includes letting Madison's spirit to spook him out just enough to save her and find her resting place as well.

I love this film.  It's purely made from Hitchcock standards and has me sitting on the edge of my seat each time.  I first saw this movie on the big screen with a now ex-boyfriend; and one of the audience members nearly ruined it for everyone by blurting out what was coming next.  I ended up telling the guy to shut up or get out... he chose the latter.  You just don't wreck a movie like that.  

At the Movies: 'Constantine'

John Constantine is a demon hunter.  He was born with the gift of The Sight - which he considers a curse - and he can see what most cannot.  When he was a teenager, he killed himself and was clinically dead for 2 minutes.  He went to Hell and came back, finding this made his 'gift' worse.  

So, he's trying to buy his way into Heaven - seeing he's now fighting another battle... Lung Cancer.  He's a chain smoker and has terminal cancer, which is becoming worse as the days and weeks progress.  At the same time, his sources advise him of the Blade of Destiny; and that it's been found.  The Blade of Destiny is the spearhead which pierced the side of Christ at his crucifixion.  It was lost for a long time, the spear it was attached to also lost, but the spearhead itself was still intact and a nail of the True Cross has been imbedded into the piece itself and wired in; thus making it a very Holy and powerful piece to possess.  Possessing the Blade of Destiny makes the owner indestructible - and in the wrong hands it can turn the powers of Heaven, Hell and Earth around and make the delicate balance we know and trust into Anarchy.  This would allow demons through from Hell and Angels from Heaven to fight their own battles on Earth; and this is some thing John doesn't want happening.

Then he meets Angela, whose sister has died at the local hospital.  The doctors and police are saying it was a suicide - but she believes it was something else; and she seems to be running into John everywhere... from the hospital to her local church, she wonders if he's following her.  But then, she realises he is the person she needs to track down - and being a cop herself makes that a whole lot easier.  However, once she does, she finds he's a complete arsehole to her and throws her out; not wanting to know her problems... that's until he sees what's following her around - demons.

In between the demons and angels, Satan and the underground clubs where werewolves, vampires and other underworld creatures socialise - and John Constantine and his partner in crime, Chad, introduce us to, we are taken on a huge, incredible rollercoaster ride through Constantine's world, to Hell and back as he fights demons, deals with his own nightmares and dreadful health issues and self-loathing, only to come out the other side with a great feeling of wanting more.


I had never heard of Constantine until my brother introduced the movie to me in 2005 - when 'Supernatural' started its first season and I told him about it.  When I borrowed it from Blockbuster video, I watched it three times, returned it and then bought the Platinum Double Disk Edition... and what an edition!  It has everything on it; from interviews with the directors and producers to deleted scenes to alternate endings!  What a brilliant movie!  I absolutely recommend this film to anyone who loves the supernatural kind of film; and this was the film Keanu Reeves did after he finished 'The Matrix'... so he was still lean and mean after that film to do this one!  

At the Movies: Two John Hughes Classics

Tonight, I picked out two movies that I loved from the 1980's.  They weren't from my index book and I didn't want to have to concentrate on anything major.  So, I chose 'Some Kind of Wonderful' and 'Sixteen Candles'.  Both of these films were written and produced the late, great John Hughes; and had some of Hollywood's 80's Brat Pack in them.  I love these films and do want to collect a few more of them as they're so teenaged, high school-angst-like and I don't think they can ever be remade now as there's just too much technology around.

'Some Kind of Wonderful' is about two friends who are outcasts at school.  One is Watt who is a tomboy.  She's a drummer, wears boxers, has short hair and really doesn't fit into the girly-girl way of life at high school.  Everyone at her school thinks she's into girls; when really she's into her best friend... a guy!  He a nice guy who's a mechanic after school and is saving up to go to university, but is a fantastic artist.  
Watt loves her best friend, but he doesn't know it.  He loves the most popular girl in school, who's going out with a really big jock (who is a dickhead and treats her like dirt).  So, when the most popular girl in school finds her boyfriend cheating on her and dumps him for the ordinary poor guy, everything in Watt's life is turned upside down.  Is it time to tell her best friend how she feels?  Or should she wait until it's almost too late?

The next movie is a funny movie in a stupid kind of way.  'Sixteen Candles' is about a teenager who wakes up on her 16th birthday and her whole family forgets her birthday... all because it's the day before her older sister's wedding.  She waits all day, all afternoon, all night for them to remember; but it's not until it's almost midnight when her Dad finally wakes her up that he tells her that they forgot.
But it's what happens during her birthday that makes her 16th the funniest birthday I've seen on film.  She finds out the most popular guy in school - who isn't that bad, but is going out with a bitch - likes her.  He doesn't know she likes him (and there's a big communication problem throughout the movie).  Then there's a geek who like her and tells everyone they're 'going out' when they're not!  Then, there's a party at to end all parties where a house gets trashed, the most popular girl gets with the geek - and likes it - and the popular guy is told false information about the birthday girl... that she's getting married!  Which she's not, but then, this wouldn't be a John Hughes' film without a few problems with communications, would it?  Anyway, everything turns out in the end happily.  The birthday girl gets her cake... and her wish... and the guy she was wishing for.  But it took a long time to get him and her on the same page - but doesn't that always happen that way?

Yeah, a John Hughes film duet... loved it!  Even when I had to turn off the second film while I waited out a big storm that hit my area for around half an hour... but then it was worth the wait! 

At the Movies: Blade Runner - The Director's Cut

2019 - Deckard is a cop in the special forces unit.  He's a Blade Runner.  He can track down Replicants who have gone rogue; and his type are in great demand.  However, Blade Runners are a dying breed, so Deckard retired before he was killed in the line of duty.
However, his boss has tracked him down and found him in Chinatown, LA enjoying his dinner to tell him that four Replicants have broken free on an off-Earth ship and escaped to live here on Earth - in LA in fact - and he's needed to track them down.

Crap!

So, he begrudgingly starts looking for them by going to the company which started making them in the beginning.  They have made better model Replicants since the Nexus 6 model.  The newer models are harder to spot, more difficult to figure out and are more likely to pass as humans and less violent when they come to the end of their lives - which by the way is only 4 years.  The newer models are given background memories, a mind, feelings and other things the Nexus 6 models never had.

Deckard is struck at the newer model he's encountered... it's not at how hard it was to make her as a Replicant, it was how human she was to begin with.  He has definitely been out of the game too long to realise things have advanced faster than he expected.

During his investigation, he comes across clues as to where the others are.  He finds one working as a stripper, and succeeds in 'retiring' her.  But her other friends, who are watching out for her, hate the fact a Blade Runner is looking for them.  Leon (the Replicant who started the whole investigation by killing the Blade Runner testing him), tries to kill Deckard, and he nearly does when the newer model of Replicant grabs Deckard's gun and shoot Leon, 'retiring' him.
She can't go back to her owner now, not after she's committed a crime like this against her own.  So, she goes home with Deckard.  And this is where it really gets complex!
As the movie progresses, the there's only two Nexus 6 model Replicants left for Deckard to find and 'retire'... and it doesn't take long for him to find them; as there's a report that the creator and the programmer of the Replicants are both found dead at their places of residence.

I love this movie.  It's gritty, fantastically filmed and is based on a short shorty by Philip K Dick... and I could watch it over and over and never get sick of it.  I think it's one of the reasons why I love to write sci-fi and horror as well as read it.  Harrison Ford plays Deckard and is brilliantly cast as the Blade Runner; and it's well worth getting in and watching the Director's Cut as there's a few things that are cut out you'll like - just a few touches that make the film worthwhile.    

At the Movies: 'Before Midnight'

Jessie and Celine are back, this time they're in Southern Greece on a holiday with their twin girls, who were conceived on that one night fling when Jessie was late for his plane in Paris in the last movie!  
So!  Jessie's wife gets pissed off, she divorces him gets their son - Henry - and the movie starts out with Jessie seeing 14 year old Henry off to Chicago at the end of his Summer Holidays.  Things are tense, but he promises to come and see his son's piano rehearsals and soccor game; but Henry says not to because it'll just piss off Mum... jeez, things really aren't looking good, are they?

Celine and him drive back through a winding road from the Kalamata Airport to a little township where they pick up some food at a grocer with their daughters.  On the way, they get back into their usual routine of chatting about things; it's like old times.  You feel as though they're back in Vienna and Paris, and that old zing is there in their relationship.  And soon, we're transported to this gorgeous old villa where they've been staying for the Summer, owned by a writer friend of Jessie.  This place has an orchard, organic vegetable garden, beautiful stone work and gardens where they all hang out, eat and drink and enjoy the shade while talking about life, sex, the past and the future of the human race.  Then, some friends tell Jessie and Celine that the hotel they've reserved was under Jessie's name, and Celine tries to get them out of it; to get back to Paris sooner, but they insist that they need time alone.

This is where the movie turns really tense.  Jessie and Celine are alone for the first time in over 7 years.  They have time alone to be just with each other without worrying about two little adventurer running amok!  They really begin to talk about everything that's been going on in their lives - just like they used to.  However, Celine is feeling old, she doesn't feel great about herself; and when they get to the hotel room, the shit really hits the fan and she lets out her frustrations on Jessie.  All the crap that she's been holding in for the whole time they've been together is being thrown at him, and incredibly, he just sits there and takes it... when any other guy would have walked out leaving her to simmer.

He takes her walking out twice after she screams at him about leaving her alone while he was away on book tours, accusing him of cheating when he 'supposedly broke his phone'... which he never really answered, but then when you think about it, he did.  She storms out, claiming she no longer loves him, leaving him alone with two glasses of untouched red wine, a half-drunk cup of tea and a bed which is not slept in.  

He finds her out at a pier restaurant overlooking a bay near the hotel, sits down and introduces himself as though it's the first time they've met.  She's still pissed off and tells him to go away.  Exactly how he gets her into his good graces again is well-done and very truthful.  

I found this movie wonderfully thought out and well-written.  Both of the characters are well-played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, and I noticed the music that's used in it, was also used in their previous movie 'Before Sunset' but it was given a Greek twist... how cool is that?  I wonder where they'll take us next, and what will happen next?  It's still left up in the air about Jessie's son, their relationship and if they will truly work out to be together for the next one or not.

At the Movies: 'Before Sunset'

It's 2004 and Jessie Wallace is in a bookstore in Paris launching his first book.  He's being interviewed by the press there as he chats to them over an intimate setting of champagne cocktails and hand-held cassette players, when he turns around and spots Celine standing in the corner of the store; in a place where nobody can see her but him.

He was in the middle of saying something, when her presence put him off for a second... just a second.  However, he wrapped up the interview quickly, chatted with her in the corner and asked her out for coffee.  
What goes on after this meeting in the bookstore is a walk through the small Paris side streets to a lovely little coffee shop where Celine and Jessie sit and talk about the past, their lives since they met in Vienna and his book. 
The two finish their coffee and take a walk through a garden on Sale Day, talking about life, loves and marriage and children, all the while keeping an eye on the time - as Jessie has to get to the airport to fly back to New York, back to his family.  They end up at the Sein where they board a boat and chat more; however the more they talk about his book, the more the subject seems to touch a raw nerve on Celine.  Soon, Jessie meets up with his driver and offers to take her home; which she hesitantly accepts.  
Once in the car, things seem to turn from bad to worse, as she totally explodes at Jessie about how horrible life has been for her since Vienna.  She's had failed love affair after failed love affair and nobody has reached the standard of their one and only night together - not their ultimately close, wonderfully fun soulful night together - ever!  To make things worse, she finds out that he's not happy in his marriage; and he knows that his wife isn't happy but doesn't know what to do about it.
Once back at her place, they hang out, drink some tea and relax more; now everything is out in the open.  Celine even plays her guitar for him while her cat curls up on the bed; all the while, Jessie is stalling as he watches her dance to the music playing on the cd player.  Celine turns to him, 'You... are going to miss your plane.' he grins, 'Yeah... I know.' 

I love both 'Before Sunrise' and 'Before Sunset'... and there's a third one called 'Before Midnight' which I have on order and it was made in 2012.  I can't wait to see that one and wonder what it's going to be about, how much further will their affair go in the third film?

At the Movies: 'Before Sunrise'

Jessie and Celine are traveling around Europe on their own private holidays until their lives cross while traveling from Budapest to Vienna by train.  Celine is sitting across a couple who begin arguing and decides to move when they become loud; and she sits across the aisle from Jessie - and American who is on his way home.  As the arguing couple walk past and into the next car, he leans across to Celine and asks if she knew what their argument was about; she tells him she's doesn't speak the language much... and this is where they start to talk.
From here, they move to the lounge car and share a meal until the train reaches Vienna - Jessie's last stop.  He almost get off the train, when he approaches her and explains it's his last night in Europe and he'd love to spend it walking around Vienna with her.  She hesitates, but he reassures her that if he turns out to be a sleaze, she can jump onto the next train to Paris - where she was heading - and he won't be offended.  Fortunately, she says yes, grabs her stuff and they disembark to put their luggage into a locker overnight.  

For the whole movie, they're chatting about their lives, loves, hates and family and friends - as well as themselves.  There's great insightful opinions shared as they walk around the late afternoon of Vienna, across bridges, along the Danube and into clubs, pubs and restaurants where they talk and make eyes at each other and continuously flirt into each other's hearts... all the while knowing they're only going to know each other for twenty-four hours.  

This film is a funny, touching and sweet movie about how two people can connect, no matter where they meet, how different their backgrounds are and what has happened before or will happen after... the question still remains at the end of this movie, though, as Celine and Jessie part at the train station:  will they meet up in 6 months as planned?  Or will they forget and life will go on?  Wait and see when next week, I'll review 'Before Sunset' - part two of this series of movies by these two great actors.

At The Movies: 'Bed of Roses'

Lisa Walker is a high flying business woman working in New York City.  She's in her late 20's living her dream of climbing that ladder in the business world and smashing that invisible glass ceiling... actually, she's made VP of her company!  How brilliant is that?  
While she's in London on a business meeting, she receives a call from her boss to let her know that her father, Stanley Krazney, has passed away.  She's shocked, but not too rattled by it and comes back home to where she finds her goldfish has also died in her absence.  This is the last straw:  Lisa breaks down at the table where her fish is floating on top of the water and starts to cry.
The next day, she's at work... taking calls, ordering people around and making the most of the day.  It's another day and she's making sure she's going to earn her keep!  One of her friends about the office taps on her door and lets her know that there's a deliver down at reception.  Lisa goes down to find the most amazing display of flowers in a gorgeous glass vase she's ever seen in her life sitting there waiting for her.  A man to her left tells her: 'Put 7UP in the water, they last longer.' she signs for them, thanks him and takes them to her office.
Within hours, she's in a meeting with her peers and her boss and, when the meeting is finished, her boss tells her to take the rest of the week off.  He insists upon it, telling her to stay away from work or she's fired.

So, exactly what does an ordinary person do on a Tuesday afternoon?

For a little while, she sits around her home not knowing what to do... until she notices the card that came with the flowers.  It's not written on, or signed by anyone, but the flower shop address is on the back.... she gets an idea.

Before the day is out, Lisa meets Lewis, the man who delivered the flowers.  He's at the New York Library and he tells her that the person who ordered the flowers wanted to stay anonymous.  However, that night, she can't sleep, so Lisa gets up for a glass of water, walks out to her lovely floral display on the table where the fish bowl used to be, and admires it for a moment.  Her eyes wander outside to the street, where she spots Lewis staring up at her window!

The next day, Lisa shows up at Lewis' store an hour before it opens and he does too, to find her waiting there across the road, hiding from him.  He runs across to talk to her and invites her to breakfast, where he admits to being the secret admirer.
From here on in, the movie covers the week of them getting to know each other.  It's sweet, charming, music-filled and wonderful.  The next thing you know, the week's gone and Lisa is back at work and she's also dating Lewis, who has fallen in love with her.  But Lisa is hiding a secret from him... one she doesn't think he can handle as he pushes her to meet his family; and with Christmas around the corner, he has plans of his own, ones where he hopes she says:  Yes. 


I bought this movie when the movie came out.  Christian Slater is my all-time favourite movie star and I've had a huge crush on him since I was around 16 years old.  He hasn't had the best movie career, but he's made some really good gems over the time he has been on the big screen as well as small.  And with this movie based in NYC, it's got a charm of its own.  Well worth a see - especially around Christmas Time.

At the Movies: 'Back to the Future I, II & III'

Marty McFly is a skateboarding high school student a small town in California where he's from a family known for failure.  He's also good friends with Doc Emmett Brown; a known scientist, who is also known for failure.  
However, on October 26th, 1985, Marty arrives at Doc Brown's place and finds it empty.  It's a mess and there's experiments still in progress - and switched on - all over the place.  It's been like this for a week.  Marty is worried something has happened to Doc, and so hangs out for a bit to practice his guitar on the biggest amp you'll ever see!  Well, the amp explodes, throwing Marty across the room and the phone rings... it's Doc.  He wants Marty to meet him at the local shopping mall at 1:15am that night; and oh, don't use the amp, there's something wrong with it.
Marty shows up at the shopping mall on his skateboard to find the place empty... except for a truck and Einstein (Doc's dog; his faithful companion).  In the back of the truck is a Delorian... all tripped out to the max!  Doc Emmett Brown has invented a time machine... and what better way to go than in a cool car like this!
Over the next three movies, this car, Doc Brown and Marty McFly takes us to 1955 where Marty's parents meet - and Marty fixes up their meeting so they're better people, not only in their lives, but in society - and Doc Brown helps him with this too.  Then, they travel into the future to help save Marty and Jennifer's children and make a fine mess!  Marty finds an Antique store where he buys a book on sporting results, and it gets stolen - along with the Delorian - and Biff (his Dad's bully from school) changes everything in the world and the 1985 Marty knew is gone and is corrupt and deadly; especially to his family.  This one is great!  As there's a lot of flash-backs and hilarity.  Then, the third and final chapter of this trilogy is set in the past when Marty receives a letter from Doc after the Delorian is struck by lightning and Marty is stuck in 1955.  He has to go further back in time to 1885 to save Doc from being killed by Biff's Great-Grandfather... woah, this is heavy, right?  Yeah, but it's good fun steampunk, sci-fi, funny entertainment.  In this third movie, Michael J Fox  plays a few characters besides Marty... and in the second one he plays his son and his own daughter... so that's heavy too.  Also in this third on, Doc falls in love with Clara Clayton; who was supposed to die by falling into a ravine but didn't... and then he really hates that infurnal time machine!  So, when we're taken back to 1885, we get to see everyone's families right at the beginning... the McFly's, the Tannan's... and Doc (who isn't really supposed to be there, but then, in those times, who was?).  Marty gets to return home with the ingenius ideas of Doc Brown's inventions and a bit of hijacking of a train engine and 'thinking fourth dimensionally' - which Marty has problems with throughout the trilogy, but gets the hang of at the end, just as he and the Delorian show up in 1985 (the right one this time) right on time for everything to be back to normal.  Marty's family is great, he's got the girl of his dreams, the car of his dreams and ... oh yeah, what's that?  An oncoming train and the door of the Delorian is stuck?  Oh!  This is heavy as hell!

I love this trilogy.  I watched them all in one sitting last night between 6:30 right through to 11:15pm.  And as they always do, they made me laugh!  I don't think this movie can be remade... it's retro, it's steampunk, it's fantastic... it's heavy... it's wonderfully brilliantly made.  And if Hollywood ever remakes it?  Shame on them!

At the Movies: 'A League of Their Own'

Dot and Kit are sisters who live on a farm in 1943.  World War II has broken out and baseball's greats have been drafted to go to war.  This is dreadful for baseball fans across America... what happens if the whole league goes down the toilet and there's nobody to play the game for the next, who know's who many years?
So, the sponsors of the game get together and employ one guy to work on pulling together a few girls from the farming areas of America.  Dot and Kit are just two of them.  And this great movie is the true story of the All American Girls Baseball League. 

I have the special edition dvd of this movie where there's interviews with the actual women who were members of this league - women who are now no longer with us.  The interviews were done in 1987 and put to video tape; then transfered to dvd in 1992.  It's kind of sad to watch knowing they are all gone, with just their memory in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  But do see this movie for the fun, the game, the wonderful togetherness of the teams and of course the sadness of how the war affected them all.

At The Movies: 'A Room With A View'

Lucy Honeychurch is touring around Florence with her older - and supposedly wiser - cousin, Charlotte to expand her experiences, her mind and to be 'a woman of the world' before she is expected to settled down with a man to look after her and marry him.  Things are going wrong at every turn, starting with their room.  It was supposed to be south-facing with a view, but it was north-facing without a view.  So, when George Emerson and his father offer up their room in exchange, Lucy is quick to accept, but her cousin isn't; thinking it's rude.
Introducing Mr Beeb - the pastor to be from their home of Summer Street in the UK - who mediated for them to have the rooms changed over quickly and easily, explaining the mix-up of how things were taken.
After this rather embarrassing evening, the gorgeous morning that follows is something to blot out their worries, and Lucy and her cousin go forth and venture out into the streets of Florence to be tourists.  During their day, they run into people staying at their hotel.  There's Eleanor Lavish - a writer who takes in her surroundings and reproduces it in her books.  There's two elderly sisters who have never married but travel everywhere together around the world.  And then, there's Mr Emerson and his son, George who wander around the lovely churches and squares of Florence.  
However, George is a very quiet, reserved man who is quite taken by Lucy.  It's all in how he looks at her from across the dinner table, how he watches her walk through the church during the day and on the outing a few of them take a few days later when he finally takes Lucy into his arms on a hillside and kisses her, fully, without holding back and intensely that shows Lucy that he wants her.  But Charlotte takes that very bold move of his the wrong way (of course) and rushes Lucy back to England, forcing George to away from the woman he has fallen for completely.
Once back at Summer Street, Lucy is quickly courted by a very unusual man called Cecil.  He starts out being a nice man who appears to be able to care for Lucy... however as time goes by, it's evident that he's unable to show any emotion to her unless they're behind closed doors.  He cringes when people talk, hates humourous music and songs and won't play any sports.  Cecil is basically a man who is nothing more than a lazy person who is living off the money his parents have made, and he refuses to go out and work.
Then, George and his father show up at a villa not far from the local church.  It appears that Cecil met them in London and organised their whole move to Summer Street behind Lucy's back; having no intention of telling her, and Lucy's brother, gets along with George famously.  About a week after the Emerson's settle in, George is invited to play tennis at Lucy's house; and this is where he makes a move on her in front of Cecil - who doesn't seem to even notice he's done it!
Right here is where the lies start.  Lucy lies to George first... then she lies to Cecil (breaking up with him in the process).  Then, when Charlotte comes to visit, Lucy lies to her, then her mother and finally young Lucy lies to the two elderly sisters she met on the trip to Italy.  And nobody sees through her lies - well, the two older ladies do, but then, you'd expect them to.  The only person Lucy has kept on lying to the whole time is herself ... about how much she loves George.  So, exactly what she does next is admit it to herself and everyone around her what they all knew in the first place....

For a 1986 movie based just before World War I, this movie was brilliantly cast.  I love the cinematography and how well done it is.  And talk about opera!  The music in the film is wonderful too! Well, there's my Saturday night at the movies... how was yours?

Saturday Night At the Movies: 'A Knight's Tale'

William Thatcher wanted to be a great person, but being born poor meant he wasn't allowed certain things - certain privileges - that rich people automatically had.  He had to fight harder to get where he wanted and what he wanted in the world.  And so, when his father organised for him to go traveling around with a Knight at the tender age of around 7 years old, William left home to 'change his stars'.  
Twelve years later, William had taken over the riding of his employer's horse, his name and was working under false papers to win Jousting Tornaments around Europe, Paris and London with his rag-tag team of friends.  However, it was the trip home to London that would undo his hard work in the Tornaments; as he had earned himself a reputation, an enemy and the heart of a gorgeous Princess - Joselyn - who he was willing to put everything on the line for to stop being a liar, and earn the Knighthood he so badly wanted. 

I love Heath Ledger.  He's one of the greats who died too soon - aged 27.  And yet, he held his own place in a movie like this in so many ways.  

Australian actors find it hard to make their place in movies that make it big on the silver screen; but Heath Ledger - playing William Thatcher, a peasant from Cheapside, London - really made this movie great.  

At The Movies: Amadeus

I've decided to do something on a regular basis.  Yep, I'm going to have movie night.  I have a massive collection of movies at my disposal.  They're all in an index book in alphabetical order, so why not watch them one by one each Saturday Night?  Sounds good, eh?  And the best thing is that I'll be able to see a different movie each Saturday without any re-runs... without any ad-breaks and in the privacy of my own home.

Yeah, sounds like a good plan to me too.

Tonight, it was 'Amadeus': The Director's Cut.  Yes, there's one.  It was put out when the film hit the 30 year mark, and I snapped it up!  The film was made in 1984 and starred some great people.  The version I have is a 2-disk set and I watched special features too.  This whole movie is almost 3 hours long, is full of sex, love affairs, God, hatred, jealousy and spreading rumours... and all this from one man who carried a hatred for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart so strongly, he had a plan to kill him through making sure he gave him a commission he knew Mozart couldn't finish.  What a film!  I loved the director's cut of this film... it had so much in it, and I don't know why they cut so much of it out; when quite a bit of it didn't make sense once they did.  Okay, Mozart's wife didn't like Salieri, and her dislike of him is evident, but exactly why she hates him so much isn't; not until I saw the director's cut.

This film's music score is fantastic.  I love the music of W.A. Mozart as it just fills me with such joy and love as it cresendos from the lows and takes me on the journey throughout the piece without stopping, without pause, without leaving my side... as though he's taken my hand and led me along a path and is showing me the way to see his music, not just listen to it.  However, using the music as a muse in the film and Prague as the backdrop to fuel the emotions of the whole thing; well, it was fantastic... pure genius.  And it takes me as a viewer on a journey I will never forget.  Even now, I have the music score resonating through my head and it's been over half an hour after I've put the dvd away... it's become it's own ear worm and I don't think I'll forget it tomorrow either.

'Amadeus' has become a classic film in its own right; as it's won 8 Academy Awards.  And if you haven't seen it - in particular the Director's Cut - do go out and rent this dvd.  Even if you're not really into classical music, opera or orchestral music, the story of this man's life will definitely pull you in... and maybe make you a fan of Mozart's.  And I'm not a fan because of movie.  I've been listening to W.A Mozart since I was around 10 years old when my Grandpa first put his music on the radio and I asked who it was, and he told me that Mozart was the best composer in the world.

Over recent years, research has shown that Mozart didn't die from the result of being murdered by Antonio Salieri.  Instead, he died from Strep; which was something that was common in the late 18th Century amongst men under 40.  There's more research to say that he may have had other medical conditions that may have come back on him that he had when he was a child - however that's all something that people across the world have theories about but have yet to be proven or not.  But the more research I do, about Mozart's death and how he died, the more it all seems to go in circles and goes nowhere.  I do have two books about him, and I am determined to read them and find out the full truth about how he lived, worked and died... then I'll come back here and tell you all how it happened - once and for all.  Otherwise, I do recommend enjoying this movie by all means.