But captain, obey for obey's sake... without questioning... That's something only people like you do.

Watching - The Killing a film by Stanley Kubrick before his big hits. It was actually a very good film noir. Crime doesn't pay in the end.

Pan's Labyrinth - this is going to the top of my most favorite films! I loved it. Beautifully filmed, heart-wrenching sadness, edge-of-the seat tension. LOVED IT!!

Dreamgirls - Well, in the end not a great film, but I was emotionally touched by the story and felt the emphasis on Jennifer Hudson was not as compelling to me. I came away with a new appreciation for Beyonce Knowles however.

For the Love of Benji - The original film to introduce Benji. Cute look back at my youth!

Reading - Drop Dead, Gorgeous! by MaryJanice Davidson.

Second in the "gorgeous" series. Not sure yet about this series.

We watch TV in four separate rooms and IM each other when dinner is ready.

Watching - Rory O'Shea Was Here - (also titled - Inside I'm Dancing) Very good! About two guys who are in wheelchairs for different reasons. I laughed outloud a lot and cried as well. Winner!

St. Martin's Lane (also titled - Sidewalks of London)- from 1938. Starring Vivien Leigh and Charles Laughton. Good! Quality of this video was poor, but the film itself was a good rags to riches story.

RV - Overall a poor movie - bodily functions and all, but I loved that the homeschooling family was the "Good" family!! The quote I used is from this movie, and I think it was the part of the movie that actually was good - the family is not spending time together, and that is the crux of their problems! This is what gave the movie a redeeming spot in my mind.

Reading - Hello, Gorgeous! by MaryJanice Davidson

A different series of hers about a cyborg sorority girl.

Sleeping in the streets and pulling their hair out for someone they never knew!

Watching - The Queen

with Helen Mirren (who you actually forget is just "playing"). I am such an Anglophile that this movie was right up my alley! I guess I would be classified as a monarchist, because I like the old ways of the Queen versus the "newer" love for Diana (BLECH!). Really enjoyed this look at the royals.

Lassie - This was a treat! Stars Peter O'Toole and Samantha Morton. Tears at a part (not for the tenderhearted as both D and I cried) but such a well-made little film and true to the original story.

Shane - rewatch for TCM movie club. Enjoyed and appreciate the intricacies of the story more now that I know the storyline.

I've found two new men to love...their names are Ben and Jerry.

Watching - Several days, several movies!

First, The Departed which was a pretty good one! I loved Leonardo DiCaprio in it, and hated Matt Damon (in a great way). Matt is such a likeable guy, that to hate him was a reflection on how well he did. Violent, shocking but on-the-edge-of-your-seat intensity.



American Madness an early Frank Capra film that I enjoyed. There were moments that I wasn't sure I was going to say that (it was so stressful for me). Walter Huston was almost unrecognizable after being used to him as the crusty, old man in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.



Poseidon which is nominated for one Academy Award this year. It was sad and also shocking. I don't remember the original showing so many dead people. Visually however, it was impressive.

AquaMarine sweet, teeny-bopper type of movie, with a good message at the end. I laughed out-loud at the pre-teen girls actions over the "dreamy" lifeguard. Today's quote comes from this cute film that won't win awards, but is clean and fun to watch.

Monarch of the Glen Series 2 Episode 1 - they have all changed so dramatically in appearance from Series 1! The first episode was a great one and I am dying to watch the rest! Just so beautiful!

I would love to visit the setting!

Reading - Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

The newest Sookie Stackhouse. So far I'm enjoying it and anxious to find out what is going to happen to all the supernaturals this time.

Why don't you pass the time with a game of solitaire?

Watching - A lot in the last few days! From the really, terribly, awfully bad Snakes on a Plane (can I tell you just how horrible this was?!)

To the mediocre Lady in the Water (this could have been so much better!)

To the heart-wrenchingly sad We are Marshall

To the true classic The Manchurian Candidate (of course, the original!). Of course today's quote comes from it! There are several good lines from this film however. Lansbury is superb, and so I honor her with the line that she is the reason for.

Of the four aircraft hijacked that day, United 93 was the only one that did not reach its target. It crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03am

Haven't been able to get on to post - started to and it was unavailable.

Watching - Baran foreign film nominated for Oscar in 2001. Set in Iran. Moving, sweet and sad. Beautiful. Actions speaking louder than words.

United 93 nominated this year for 2 Oscars. Haunting. Powerful. Sad.

Agnes of God - had 3 Oscar nominations in 1986. Well-told and well-acted. Kept me involved.

The Women Prefer the Traditional Monsters

I felt the quote for this post was appropriate since all my reading about vampires! It was said by Martin Landau playing Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood - an EXCELLENT film!


Reading - Undead and Unpopular by Mary Janice Davidson

Actually I was kind of ticked because there was a novella in between it is and Undead and Unreturnable. I went ahead and requested it from the library, because there are new characters who were introduced in the novella, but I didn't wait to read this one. Not the best of the series.

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

This is another "vampire" storyline series. I'd actually forgotten the premise behind it until I started it. It is the 5th in the series, and it's been a couple of years ago that I read the first four.

If You Want to be Understood...Listen

Watching -

The boys and I watched Gridiron Gang in the afternoon. It was "gritty" and I thought a good look into teen boys needs and wants. It was based on a true story, and I felt it was inspiring.




Today's quote comes from the second movie watched.
Dave and I then went to continue our Oscar nominated movie quest - although the announcements are on Tuesday. Tonight it was Babel. I was sad after watching, but it is definitely a thinking person's movie. Very intense. I'll be reflecting on it for a while.



Reading - I like "fluff" reading about as much as I like intense movies! I realized that one of my favorite fluff writers has put out two books since I read her vampire series, so I picked up Undead and Unreturnable by Mary Janice Davidson. It is fun, light-hearted reading while I continue What Was She Thinking.

What *is* a cocktail dress? Something to spill cocktails on.

Watching - Yesterday afternoon I watched Bell, Book and Candle with Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak prior to their filming Vertigo. It was okay, not a great film, but had a very decent cast, including Jack Lemon, who is always wonderful!

Last night, while the boys watched NCIS, I was lucky enough to catch two of my favorites (William Powell and Jean Arthur) in a fun movie from 1936 The Ex-Mrs. Bradford. There were a few moments where I think the movie got confusing because of the number of suspects, but it was a delight to watch these two and the butler, played by Eric Blore. The quote for the day is one of the exchanges between Powell and Arthur that got a chuckle from me, because the delivery was just perfect!

Reading - I finished Marley and Me the other night and it was such a sweet story. It really makes me appreciate my wild puppy/dog of Trixie! I'm now concentrating on What Was She Thinking. I'm also really wanting to get to the library to pick up several holds.

They could be land-rich bankrupt aristocracy without a penny to their name...

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Duchess Sara the Uncanny of Greater Sodbury Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Since I saw the peculiar aristocratic title generator on someone else's blog, I decided it was a good time to reference The Corpse Bride , a fun, little Tim Burton animated film. I definitely fit the "without a penny to their name" part, just not the "land-rich", unfortunately!

This part of my life... this part right here? This is called "happyness."

Watching: Will Smith most likely will be nominated for his performance in this movie. He is able to hit a range of emotions and I forgot I was watching a movie. Excellent performance and again, an eye-opening movie. Homelessness is just around the corner.

Also, finished the first series of Monarch of the Glen. I watched 4 episodes today, and am looking forward to the next series!

Reading: I'm still reading Marley and Me but I also picked up What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller, in preparation for the movie that will probably be getting a couple of Oscar nods.

In America it's bling-bling.

The rest of the quote is "But out here it's bling-bang." Danny Archer (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) captures the essence of what I feel is a true but sad state of life. Americans want more, more, more diamonds, gold, oil. While many Africans are paying in a greater cost than we would be willing to pay - their homes, their families, their lives. This quote comes from what I am watching - Blood Diamond.

I have to say the movie made me very sad. I feel so ignorant of what is happening (or has happened) in the world as a whole. I am making it a point of changing that - I am going to read more newsmagazines, watch more news, pursue a deeper intellectual knowledge of history, check-in online with overseas newspapers and make a daily look at more than one newagency website. I do not know that I can change the world, but I can be less self-involved!

Reading - Marley and Me so far this is a cute book, far from my movie-watching experience (although the author does work for a newspaper).

Don't you want to hear my excuse?

Okay, so I didn't post on Friday. I have good reasons. So today, I quote Bender from The Breakfast Club - the movie that started the Brat Pack, those "wonderkids" of my youth.


But, really, on Friday I was gone from 9:45am until 3:30pm, then had to put away groceries, make and eat dinner, leave again for over an hour and then D wanted to play a geography game online when I got home and I only could think of laying in bed and reading. So, yes, I've already not posted in one of the 365 days. Oh well, I started early - does that count?!





Reading - Marley and Me by John Grogan
So far I am enjoying this. Definitely a change of pace from my reading the last few days.


Watching - Well, the boys are all watching Dallas Cowboys, and I am watching the computer screen as I try to spend some time online.

I'm one stomach flu away from reaching my goal weight

Emily from The Devil Wears Prada is my favorite character in the movie! She is wonderfully played by Emily Blunt.

This is appropriate today, because I've dropped a couple of the 10 pounds I need to lose!!

Watching - Finished The Sound of Music so good!
I love that Daniel watched the whole thing with me too!

Reading - Yes, I am still reading Killing Time I promise I will finish it!

The hills are alive with the ...

Sound of Music!

Which is what we were watching today. Such a good movie!Definitely gets you to sing along. Makes me want to visit Austria and actually see those beautiful hills!

Reading Killing Time, still. It's just not been a page turner yet. I've got to finish so I can move on to my next book!

Oh, and the big thing today... *bucks has my ultimate favorite back on tap - Cinnamon Dolce Latte! I had to have one and yummmm....

We're men, we fight okay? Thats what we do!

Watching - Night at the Museum

Today's title comes from the movie of the day. There are some great moments in this movie and it makes me laugh outloud watching Mickey Rooney! Definitely a keeper!

Being the only female in a house of men, I have seen the reality of this statement, in person more times than I can count! But, it is always over and done when it is over. That is exactly why I love being the only female in the house!

Still reading Killing Time and am reserving opinion until I finish.

May the force be with you

Today I am needing the power of the force! I am attempting to actually lose those pesky 10 pounds I have put on over the last year. It started out gradually - 1 lb that all of a sudden went up to 3 lbs, that went to 5 then 7 and now a full 10. Unbelievable that I allowed it to happen! But, I've been eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, so not so unbelievable that it actually happened. Now I am totally falling in with the resolution bandwagon and adding my "Lose 10 pounds" to the billions of others out there supposedly doing the same....but, I'm actually going to do it!

Watching - We started with parades and football games and are ending with football games. So, for today no movie for me - I've been debating on what I actually want to be the first movie I watch in 2007. I'm under the impression it should be a classic - a true reflection of what types of movie I want to spend my year watching.

Reading - Killing Time by Linda Howard
Finished the other one, so picked this up for a quick read. I'm a little leary, because the reviews on Amazon are pretty negative. It is a "sci-fi" type of book instead of her typical mystery/romance.