Top Five Fridays: Epic Movies

What makes an epic film epic? Epic film is a style of film-making with large scale, sweeping scope and spectacle, often transporting the viewer to other settings. As Roger Ebert and others have noted, the usage of the term has shifted over time, sometimes designating a film genre and at other times simply synonymous with big budget film-making. Like epics in the classical literary sense it is often focused on a heroic character. (from wikipedia.org)

How did I finally decide on which epic films were my favorite? If it’s so good I have to see it every time it’s on then it’s on my list. There are several epic movies I’ve seen once and one time was good enough for me. But trying to narrow my choices down to just five is proving to be harder than originally anticipated. Without further ado, here is my list, in order from when they were released on the big screen:

Land of the Pharaohs (1955)

King of Kings (1961)

Barabbas (1961)

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Gladiator (2000)

Just a few more…

Spartacus (1960)

Apocalypto (2006)

300 (2006)

Original Article

Top Five Friday: Fred & Ginger Dances

There has never been, nor will there ever be, a dance team that will come close to that of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. If you’ve never seen any of the 9 movies they’ve done together, then I hope watching clips of routines they’ve done together below will give you pause to want to do so. While it is true Fred Astaire is not known for his singing, he makes up for it in his ability to dance alone but especially in the way he partners with Ginger Rogers. I don’t recall her ever dancing with such grace and ease as she did with him. They were made for each other. Watching them dance is like watching love-birds making love. They embody everything it takes to make a relationship work. Trust, patience, compromise, fluidity, ease, and above all strength in each other.

Never Gonna Dance

Cheek to Cheek

“Pick Yourself Up” Swing Time

“They All Laughed” Shall We Dance (1937)

“Waltz in Swing Time” Swing Time

One More…

“Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” Shall We Dance (1937)

Original Article

Top Five Friday: Favorite Musicals Ever

Restricting myself to listing just 5 of any one topic is not easy. Especially when the topic happens to be musicals. If you were to look at my collection of DVD’s I believe you would find musicals at the top along with epic movies coming in at a close second. It is for this reason that I hope you understand when I provide the usual Five and add one or two more after that? Also, instead of giving a brief reason for my choices under each one I will be sharing one of my favorite songs. Hopefully in doing that it will give you cause to watch one of them.

Summer Stock (1950)

Newsies (1992)

Royal Wedding (1951)

1776 (1972)

Rags to Riches (1987)

Just One More…

Victor/Victoria (1982)

Original Article

Top Five Fridays: Disney Movies of All Time (Animal Edition)

Starting with Snow White and ending with The Princess Frog, they sure don’t make them like they used to. Now I realize Walt Disney Pictures have made several animated and real people movies but to make my choices smaller I’ve decided to just pick from their animated movies collection. But to make my list even smaller than that I’m only going to choose movies that feature talking animals as the main characters. Could I be more picky or what!? On another Friday I’ll do my TFF Disney Songs! But, without further ado, I present to you, my Top Five Disney Movies:

1. The Rescuers (1977)

2. Robin Hood (1973)

3. Lion King 1 1/2 (2004)

4. The Aristocats (1970)

5. The Jungle Book (1967)

What are your favorite Walt Disney Picture animated movies where talking animals are the main characters?

Original Article

Top Five Fridays: Bette Davis Movies

I can think of no greater actress than Bette Davis. She easily conveyed every emotional range imaginable on screen; from romance & comedy in “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” to insanity in “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”

You name it she’s done it and shared it with us, her loyal fans, for decades! It is because of her incomparable  talents that I’m also including her as the first on my long list of “The Greats,” a series I’m putting together, where every week a famous person, place, or thing, will be highlighted.

And although she was nominated for 10 times, only winning her first two noms, I feel she should have won so much more. Of the five I’m choosing to mention to you now, only two of them was she nominated for, neither of which were winners for her. I find it’s the movies these actors are less known for that I find to be their best performance. Enjoy!

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)

Bette Davis is not known for her romances. She is even lesser known for her comedy. But these acting abilities are not lost on her! She rises to the occasion with the help of Monty Woolley (Sheridan Whiteside) and Richard Travis (Bert Jefferson). Throw in the other acting genius of Ann Sheridan, Jimmy Durante, Billie Burke and Mary Wickes, and you’ve got yourself an amazing cast just waiting to make you laugh and cry and feel great! This movie has the perfect balance of wit, seriousness, and laugh out loud comedy you could ever ask for. If you’ve never seen it, you should, and be glad I’ve introduced you to the lighter and brighter side that is the many faces of Bette Davis.

Watch on the Rhine (1943)

As serious topics go, this one ranks highest, for me, for Bette Davis movies. It takes place during the heightened time of WWII when a lot of “underground” work was done and people were really terrified for their lives. There were a lot of popular movies set around this time period that caused this movie to fall low on the list of WWII movies but this one will forever rank in my top 3. This movie has an amazing monologue delivered by Bette Davis that will always be burned in my mind. Yet another example of how great she is.

Deception (1946)

How Bette Davis was not nominated, nor did she win for this movie I’ll never know?! Then to have two amazing actors like Paul Henreid and Claude Rains who were both in Casablanca also, made this movie one I could not stop watching. She plays a woman who loves one man but is in awe of another who also loves her and won’t let her go. The movie can still appeal to women as well as to men, which is what makes it so good.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Easily on of her best and well known movies she’s ever done. She used her age and her eyes to invoke such an image of insanity that one cannot easily forget. She played the role of psychotic sister so well you almost feel sorry for her as well as being scared to death of her. It’s the stereotype of what people assumed happens to the mind of child prodigy’s who grew up and no longer had the fan-base they used to. Her sister, played by Joan Crawford, is just as amazing in the role she plays of a helpless cripple who truly loves her sister even though she knows she’s insane. At the prime of their life and they both are and still able to deliver performances no less than perfection.

All About Eve (1950)

Bette Davis received an Oscar nomination for this movie but lost out to Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday. Do I disagree with this choice having seen Born Yesterday? Not really. Honestly, Bette Davis should have been the Meryl Streep of today. What I mean by that is she should have not only been nominated for every movie she was in, but she should also have won them all as well! That’s not to say the other nominees weren’t just as deserving, especially Gloria Swanson for Sunset Blvd.! But there’s nothing that can be done. The choice was made and yet again, Bette Davis is without a trophy. I guess she can be a good example for why being nominated is just as honorable as winning? Especially after seeing her in this movie! She plays vixen all too well! She plays a famous stage actress who is getting a little long in the tooth and is slowly being replaced by a younger model both on stage and off. At first her lover, friends, and management think she is overreacting about the whole situation until Eve’s (Anne Baxter) true colors are revealed. That’s when it REALLY starts to get good! Be prepared to be left on the edge of your seat, rooting for Bette the entire time, with this movie.

Just One More…

Pocketful of Miracles (1961)

Bette Davis could not have been a better choice to play Apple Annie alongside Glenn Ford as Dave the Dude. In short, this movie is about Apple Annie, whose daughter (Ann-Margret) she was able to send away to a prestigious school, is coming home to introduce her fiancé and his father to her mother! Well, her daughter doesn’t know that her mother barely makes ends meet by selling apples. In comes Dave the Dude, a well-to-do gangster who believes Apple Annie’s apples bring him luck, without them, nothing goes right. In order to increase the territory he owns he must keep the luck of the apples alive by doing this one good deed for Apple Annie: turning her into a lady. All the while Joy Boy (my favorite character played by Peter Falk) is trying to set his boss straight and get him to forget about those dumb apples. It’s a comedy, it’s a romance, and it’s an all-around feel good movie the whole family will love!

What movie helped you to discover Bette Davis? Which Bette Davis movies are your favorite?

Original Article

Top Five "Fall TV Shows"

Top Five Friday

Topic: New This Fall Season (2012-2013)

Out of the dozen Pilot shows the main networks (CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, & The CW) have chosen to preview this Fall to get a large audience rating, thereby extending their contract to complete its first season and get signed on for future seasons. Here is a list of new shows I will be watching and hope they last beyond a few shows this Fall.

- Elementary (CBS, Thursdays @ 10pm)



Synopsis: A modern take on the cases of Sherlock Holmes, with the detective now living in New York City.
Created By: Rob Doherty
Starring: Jonny Lee Miller (Sherlock) & Lucy Liu (Joan Watson)

When it comes to the different Sherlock Holmes portrayals my all time favorite is Jeremy Brett. I know some old school followers of Arthur Conan Doyle's peculiar, yet famed, detective like Basil Rathbone. For the 21st Century there are currently two such depictions of Sherlock Holmes. The first is Robert Downey Jr. having starred in two blockbuster movies with Jude Law by his side as his most trusted companion. The other is the BBC's version of a modern day Sherlock portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch which my mother and I have mixed feelings about.

What I love about this series is the fact that Watson will be played by a woman. And not just ANY woman but Lucy Liu whom I absolutely adore. To round out this already amazing sounding show, it will take place in NYC. What can be better than that? I try to always support shows that film in NYC because that brings much needed revenue to this city that never sleeps. It is elementary my dear Watson...

- 666 Park Avenue (ABC, Sundays @ 10pm)



Synopsis: If you could make one wish, what would it be? And what would you do to get it? At 666 Park Avenue, all of your dreams and burning desires can come true: wealth, sex, love, power, even revenge. But just be careful what you wish for, because the price you pay... could be your soul. Welcome to The Drake, the premiere apartment building on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Owned by the mysterious Gavin Doran (Terry O'Quinn - Lost) and his sexy wife Olivia (Vanessa Williams - Desperate Housewives), The Drake is home to dozens of residents who are unaware they're living in the dark embrace of supernatural forces. They think their dreams are all coming true, only to find they've been lured into making, what feels like, a deal with the Devil.
Created By: David Wilcox
Starring: Terry O'Quinn & Vanessa Williams

No matter what, every cast member from the hit cult series Lost will appear on a television show, either starring or otherwise. So many of them have gotten some great gigs. Hawaii 5-0 and Person of Interest to name just a couple. This show is no exception with two powerhouse actors at the helm. I'm sure this show will try to make the young couple the stars of the show but when you have Terry and Vanessa on the show it's a cinch to determine who will be stealing the show! This is definitely a power couple of evil tendencies I will love to watch every Sunday night. What a way to start the work week! ::wink wink::

- Arrow (The CW, Wednesdays @ 8pm)



Synopsis: After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he's become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow - a vigilante – to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be - flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle - while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness. However, Laurel's father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver's own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on – and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine.
Created By: Greg Berlanti & Marc Guggenheim
Starring: Stephen Amell (Green Arrow)

I'm not really a fan of superhero's. I don't know why but I never latched on to the fascination from youth. I never watched the cartoon shows and although I did see every Christopher Reeves as Superman movie, every Batman portrayal from Michael Keaton to Christian Bale, and all the Spiderman movies, none of them did I truly love. Except maybe the first few Batman movies with Michael Keaton. If I had to choose a fantastical fairytale of heroics I could possibly get behind it's the story of Robin Hood.

I have doubts this show will find a place for itself amongst the other great shows (I'm not listing) coming out this Fall, but I don't watch anything on The CW anymore and I want to give it another try. Maybe they aren't as amateurish as I've found them to be in the past.

- Nashville (ABC, Wednesdays @ 10pm)



Synopsis: A fading Nashville superstar is forced to team up with a teen sensation or face the loss of her tour and promotion of her latest records.
Created By: Callie Khouri
Starring: Hayden Panettiere

I loved Hayden in Heroes and if they didn't bring in that damned circus I believe that show could easily have lasted 3-4 more seasons! But due to the writers strike that caused them to have to use different writers the show went all to hell in a hand basket and thus left the GORGEOUS Hayden Panettiere without a show of her own. All that has finally changed! Can she sing is my question? Honestly, I could care less. It takes place in Nashville, home of my all time favorite genre of music! Who could ask for anything more? Besides the fact that Reba also has an all new show coming out this year also (which I may be watching starting in November) I think this year will be filled to the brim with good quality country shows! Oh and can I say THANK GOD GCB was cancelled?

- Last Resort (ABC, Thursdays @ 8pm)



Synopsis: 500 feet beneath the ocean's surface, the U.S. ballistic missile submarine Colorado receives their orders. Over a radio channel, designed only to be used if their homeland has been wiped out, they're told to fire nuclear weapons at Pakistan. Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) demands confirmation of the orders only to be unceremoniously relieved of duty by the White House. XO Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) finds himself suddenly in charge of the submarine and facing the same difficult decision. When he also refuses to fire without confirmation of the orders, the Colorado is targeted, fired upon, and hit. The submarine and its crew find themselves crippled on the ocean floor, declared rogue enemies of their own country. Now, with nowhere left to turn, Chaplin and Kendal take the sub on the run and bring the men and women of the Colorado to an exotic island. Here they will find refuge, romance, and a chance at a new life, even as they try to clear their names and get home.
Created By: Shawn Ryan & Karl Gajdusek
Starring: Scott Speedman

If I'm being totally honest (and I always try to be) when I chose this show as my 5th choice it was luck of the draw. I wanted to pick a show not based on who's in it or what it's about. But after I read the synopsis I'm totally psyched for this show! It sounds like it "could" be a hit if they do it right! It doesn't hurt that Scott Speedman is in it either since I loved him in Felicity. He was always pretty good in that VERY creepy movie The Strangers.

Happy tv watching!