Halloween and movies

One of the things I really love about Halloween time is the availablity of fun horror movies to watch.  Often things like Dracula and various Vincent Price movies (LOVE The Tingler).  Or maybe An American Werewolf in London -- one of my all time favorite movies. 

This weekend was a mix

One was House of Dark Shadows which sort of condenses and reimagines much of the tv show.  I love Dark Shadows and when a LONG time ago the SYFY channel (formerly SCIFI) showed Dark Shadows in its entirety.  I recorded it every day on good ole VHS tapes and watched it all.  So so fun.  That said, it has been ages since I watched the movie.  Wow - what a body count.  Condensing the show show much more of the dark Barnabas Collins rather the conflicted one.

Then I watched Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter.  more fun than I expected.  

And finally, M (the remake - not Fritz Lang's brilliant one).  It was good.  They explained on TNT that they tried to use more modern psychology (1950-ish) for the murdered in an effort to explain the compulsion etc...  BUT the psychology was outdated and didn't make as much sense.  Solid acting and interesting idea to have the mob hunting down the killer etc... but just not as horrifying IMHO as the original.

So almost Halloween now and probably won't have much time to watch any others.  After all, I still need to watch last night's Walking Dead (I lost power for a few hours last night).

But hey - I still love the movies this time of year and have filled up my DVR with a lot of them so I can keep watching...

Terri

Movie Review: Beware the Slenderman

I became aware of this attempted murder case when People Magazine ran an article on it.    Two friends:  Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier  become obsessed with the character which is an internet meme:

Slender_Man

The idea was to photoshop images of the tall, faceless man in photos and create stories.

Apparently these two girls decided it was real and attempted to kill their friend and become followers and live with him in his house in the woods.

So, HBO made a documentary about the TWELVE YEAR OLD defendants and the history of the Slender Man meme.

Beware the Slenderman

Fascinating and very sad.  These girls are quite disturbed and the movie shows how they really are out of touch with reality.  What was heart wrenching though, was the interviews with the parents who really saw no signs of the horrible attack to come and their devastation at the events.

In this age of altered facts and internet memes, one hopes it isn't a sign of more to come and that it is in fact, a learning moment and that more tragedies don't come from the modern day bogeyman.

Terri

Good Morning Blog by Pamela James

Good Monday Morning,


I see it didn't show where I thought I posted the last blog "R.I.P. Jim Lavene Blog. My apology for this and I will fix it later.


This morning I wanted to wish you a good morning.


We are going having rain and the storms will be back this morning. Hopefully I m able to get back on here today and tonight. I am not finished with blog posts.


I am reading Mrs. Jefferies Wins The Prize by Emily Brightwell. I am also reading a Monica Ferris book it's in the other room or I would know the title.  I know it's main topic is about a hoarder whose house has a tree that fell on it.


Last night I read, colored and stitched. Actually I stitched all weekend.


Mother's Day I watched HOLMES this has Laura Linney in it. Very touching.
I watched actually re-watched Holmes & Houdini this is a fun series.
Sunday night: Call The Midwife, Wallander and Elementary.


Back to my Vanilla Carmel Coffee.


Love,
Pam

Documentary Walt Disney

This week I watch a documentary for two nights on Walt Disney. He was a more complicated man than I ever imagined. He never stopped dreaming, trying and he wasn't defeated for long.
He loved his daughters, made his own way and enough was never enough.
One of the things he was passionate about were trains and in the end that is probably what saved him and his sanity more than anything else in this world.
I have to admit it was his brother Roy who saved Walt and the company more than once while Walt left the country after things got heated over his workers wanting a union and picketed to get one. Walt took this so personally and as a personal affront from workers that he never really trusted anyone like a family again who worked for him.
He just couldn't understand why they would want a union.
His humble beginnings had a lot to do with his adulthood. The death of his mother was very sad because Walt and Roy bought their parents a new home for an anniversary. The thing is his mother died of carbon monoxide poisoning and while his father survived. Walt would never ever speak of his mother's death again.
I think it's safe to say Walt had Roy and his daughters, he did have a wife but she was more distant than you would imagine.
Anyway Walt's dreams were his friends and he was a man when told he couldn't do something he said "Watch me", mostly Walt wanted to make a place for families to go to be happy.
Some of his movies were not money makers and failed at the box office but others were wonderfully successful.
What I walked away with is that he wasn't always a happy man but he always no matter what wanted children to be happy for at least a while.
He daughters adored him and while their mother was distant he was the best dad to ever have.
I give this documentary an 8 out of 10. I would love to know Roy's side of things a little more in depth. I also would like to know more about his wife and why she was so distant.
PBS is a wonderful channel....
Pamela

Pam's May movies

​The Movies I watched:

SAVING MR. BANKS

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

MURDER SHE BAKED

SHERLOCK HOLMES

CLUE

WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS

MURDER IN THREE ACTS

THE LADY VANISHES

**************

Watched a lot of tv series:

Midsomer Murders, Murdoch Season 8, Lost In Paradise, Special Victims, Pie In The Sky, The Man Who Lost His Head, Doc Martin, Mary & John, Jack Taylor, Jack Irish, Nero Wolfe (disc 1-3), Three Pines, Vexed, Murder In Suburbia and Lovejoy.

There are more but those are some of the main ones.

Pam

Two Movie Reviews

SAVING MR. BANKS

This movie is such a moving story that it took me by surprise. It's based on the fact that Walt Disney wanted to bring the book MARY POPPINS to life. He promised his daughters he would bring this book to life. It took twenty years to keep that promise.

Pamela L. Travers wrote MARY POPPINS and she wanted anything but this book brought to life on the big screen. The deciding factor to at least hear what Walt Disney had to say was the fact she didn't want to lose her home.

At the least Pamela is difficult an at best she is carrying a lot of memories that cause excess baggage for her and everyone around her.

It is a miracle that this movie was made. It is also a miracle that Pamela L. Travers had a change of viewpoint and heart but not until step by step she had situation proved to her. It was pivotal that Walt Disney visited her at her home.

I give it ******** stars.

Next up: HOLLYWOODLAND and this movie flipped from it's present to the past. It is about the murder/suicide of George Reeves and while the person investigating tries to find the truth this story soon reveals the investigator has much in common with George Reeves.

A very sad movie, a depressing movie and a true side of Hollywood emerges. I really enjoyed the movie but was emotionally exhausted by the time the words the end met my gaze. I give it **********stars.

Pam

Hallmark Mystery Movies

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you had a very nice Mother's Day and are ready for a "Terrific Tuesday.",

My blog today is Hallmark Movies that are based on our cozy mysteries. We do not get the package of channels that I can watch Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, but I was thrilled last month when I could receive them free for a whole month.

Hallmark Movies and Mysteries

I loved the garage sale mysteries, the Aurora Teagarden Series, Charlaine Harris's books are the best and Hallmark didn't lt me down. Before the time ended for me to watch these wonderful cozy series I got to see MURDER SHE BAKED. Based on the Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder Mystery Series by Joanne Fluke.

I have to admit I did not picture the male characters as they were portrayed. I LOVED Hannah's mother and sister. Hannah, was excellent in her part and the setting was nice.

Plot wound up nicely. I am thrilled that cozies are getting their Just Desserts when it comes to movies.

I have to say that the murder she baked series has room to grow. I think it will grow because the seeds are there.

Now for the ratings: Garage Sale Mystery 9 out of 10.

Aurora Teagarden Series: 10 out of 10

Murder She Baked: 7 out of 10.

Keep it cozy,

Pam

Movie Review: Tales of the Grim Sleeper

This is a documentary by Nick Broomfield.  Instead of focusing on the crimes themselves, he focuses on the society and its priorities and values that led the crimes to go on for so many years.

Lonnie Franklin is charged with the murders of 10 women dating back to the 1980s.  They suspect many more. 

One of the things I liked in this film, was an actual ex-prostitute was going along with them and talking to people who probably wouldn't have normally talked to two white guys from the UK.  Some who had survived encounters with Franklin.  Some who on first talking go on and on with the usual, he's a good guy bs that friends always say, but then later tell of things that they knew of (one talks about torture he WITNESSED that he referred to as Lonnie having fun with screwdrivers and women.  Grinning while he said it.  Another one saying that women should not get in a car with Lonnie that they don't get back out.  LAUGHING while saying it.,

It is those moments that make the film more horrifying.  The complete LACK of horror at what was done to those women or that their 'friend' could do such things.

The women talk of crack and what they would do for it and how he exploited it. It isn't always what they say, it is how they say it that conveys the hopelessness of the killing grounds and the disinterest of the media and law enforcement that led him to get away with it for so many years.

The saddest thing is that if his son hadn't been arrested and his DNA put in the system, triggering a familial match, he would probably still be free.

This is not a sensational film about a serial killer, it is a commentary on South LA and the bleakness that let this unfold.

Terri

 
 
 

Movie Review: The Heat

Movie: The HEAT

Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy

Katrina James is an FBI agent who wants a promotion in the worst way. Joyce Nelson is a street cop in a different city but when Katrina has to team up with Joyce a worse thing could happen she could've died. if she wants the promotion she has to learn to play nice with others.

Trouble is Joyce doesn't actually have a nice side. Soon they learn it's a man's world whether you're a good cop with a bad personality or an FBI agent who needs a promotion.

However things heat up with drug dealers, at Joyce's family dinner table, and the dynamite duo may break some rules but they prove there is more than one way to get on each other's nerves and still get the job done.

Joyce thinks Katrina's life is sad and pathetic. Katrina thinks Joyce could use lessons in well just about everything but mostly sensitivity training and fashion advice.

The Heat is funny and Russian Gangsters will wish they were dead when they meet up with these letters of the law. I won't say which letters....

Pam

Movie Review: Rapture-Palooza

2013

Director:

Paul Middleditch

Writer:

Chris Matheson (script)

Stars:

Anna Kendrick, John Francis Daley, Ken Jeong | See full cast and crew »                       

The Rapture has occurred and the non-believers and left on Earth to face trials and tribulations and the AntiChrist! Kendrick and Daley (He is Sweets from Bones - a character I love!) are a young couple caught up in it all.  Dodging flaming rocks falling from the sky, avoiding Wraiths and driving in Blood rain are just part of the new-norm for them.  It is that attitude that makes this movie satisfyingly funny and irreverent.    When The AntiChrist decides he wants her to marry him and have his demon spawn, they come up with a way to kill the AntiChrist and then God gets involved leading to a perfect ending IMHO.  Not for everyone, esp. if you don't care for really silly movies and poking fun at religious themes.  But it IS all in good fun and a nice twist on the current dystopian/post-apocalyptic trends!

Terri

Movie Review - Jack The Giant Slayer

I was really looking forward to this one before it came out.  I thought it would be such fun.

But then I heard pretty bad reviews so I didn't go see it in the theater.  I don't always listen to reviews but, they were enough that I said, wait for cable to myself.

Turns out I am glad I did.  Not that it was BAD, it wasn't...  It just wasn't that great either.

Familiar tale, Jack ends up with magic beans in a trade gone wrong.  Bean ends up in ground and magic beanstalk grows.  This time instead of one giant, there is a land of giants in the clouds.

Then we get an extra fairy tale element:  A Princess to rescue, a brave knight (Ewan MacGregor) to lead the rescue and cute farmboy Jack to save the day.  A great traitor twist (Stanley Tucci)

Not to mention a great director - Bryan Singer.

The elements were there, but...

I didn't work.  It was very very slow and there was NO chemistry between Jack and the Princess.

What should have been a fun romp was a film with great visual effects, some wonderful performances and the rest not so much...

Terri