One winter morning a little boy named James wakes up to find that everything outside has turned snow-white. Overjoyed, James rushes downstairs and into the garden, where he begins to build a snowman. James sleeps fitfully, and at midnight he … Continue reading
So the time has come to start watching Christmas movies. I have a small selection of DVDs that I keep tucked away just for this time of year. Mostly I watch them on my own as my husband is not … Continue reading
Sunday 12th June 2011 Day 4 of our first ever family holiday We woke up to a wonderful sunny morning. My heart almost leapt out of my chest as I realised that today would be a day of days at … Continue reading
Hello
I am on holiday right now and I am not supposed to be posting but I was just commenting on Metal Mummy’s blog when I decided that this week’s Meme cannot be sat out.
When I saw the chosen topic of 80s movies I immediately thought of The Lost Boys but this has already taken by our hostess so when commenting on the awesomeness of this movie it got me to thinking of two more 80s movies that I loved.
Weren’t 80s movies great? SO many classics now that I begin to think … Short Circuit, Flight of the Navigator, Space Camp, Adventures in Babysitting, Gremlins, The Money Pit, Big, Splash, K9, Heathers … the list goes on and on.
I want to talk about 3 movies though two are linked.
The first is The Goonies starring a very young Sean Astin who of course went on to star as Sam the Brace in Lord of the Rings. The Goonies was a teen adventure movie starring Chunk and Sloth! How can you forgte characters such as these. They are on the hunt for treasure to save their house from being demolished and turned into a country club. A great teen adventure story created by Steven Spielberg. Alongside Sean Astin stars Corey Feldman. I loved Corey Feldman in the 80s, much prefered him to his blonde counterpart Corey Haim. In this comedy adventure he was very funny and so young! Corey Feldman is also of course in The Lost Boys. Such a great movie, see how I can’t stop mentioning it here.
The second and third films that I want to bring to your attention this Meme are Young Guns I and II. What great brat pack movies they were! Emilio Estevez and Kiefer Sutherland being the real stars of the show. Kiefer as Doc and Emilio as Billy the Kid, both very funny with a certain sexiness that a good male lead should command, especially in a brat pack film. The second film had the added bonuses of Balthazar Getty and Christian Slater in the cast and a brilliant soundtrack by Jon Bon Jovi who I adored at the time.
“I’m going down in a blaze of glory …”
There are some great lines in the second film too
“Hello Bob … Goodbye Bob”
“Yoo Hoo, gonna make you famous!”
Judge Bristol: ” …and there be hanged by the neck till he be dead, dead, dead. Now, do you have anything to say, young man?”
William H. Bonney: “Yes I do, your Honour. You can go to hell, hell, hell.”
Such great memories of classic movies. They make me miss my wee sis so much as we used to watch these over and over together and how we laughed!! Love you wee sis x
Metal Mummy, thank you for giving us such a great theme. I am off to buy some DVDs for an 80s movie night x
This week Hannah has asked us to share our favourite chick flicks for her weekly Movie Meme.
For me it has to be a film that I have mentioned on the blog before, Mystic Pizza.
This 1988 film, set in a pizza restaurant, stars a very young Julia Roberts who is one of my favourite actresses. I love her in My Best Friend’s Wedding which is another great chick flick by the way.
This film is an 80s girly film that I watched with my younger sister. It is a film that I bought again in 2009 to watch during my two week wait when doing IVF. It is a movie about three teenage girls coming of age.
It is a romantic comedy with some very endearing characters that tug at your heart strings.
My favourite character is Kat who is played by Annabeth Gish. In my last post about this film I said that she was also in Space Camp but in fact she isn’t, that is Lea Thompson (oops) but what she is in is The West Wing, where she plays the presidents eldest daughter.
I like Kat because she is the good daughter who falls in love with someone that she shouldn’t. Annabeth plays the part very well and you really feel for her as you know that the relationship she so craves can never work.
The actresses playing the sisters and friend in the movie really work well together and make this film complete.
There was also one memorable line said by a very young, little known actor called Matt Damon!!!
I think this film was a springboard for him and Roberts and Gish who have all gone on to be big stars, but for me this is an honest, heartwarming portrayal of being a teenage girl and trying to please everyone in your life whilst also being true to yourself.
A great feel good movie about being a girl!
Why not hop on over to Metal Mummy’s to share a chick flick of your own?
This week the theme is Favourite Actors.
For me it has to be Brad Pitt. I think he is wonderful. He is a great actor who can be funny, charming, endearing, odd and always always astoundingly handsome!
One of my all time favourite films is A River Runs Through It, starring Brad at what I think was his most gorgeous.
When Brad and Jennifer Aniston were together I thought they were a fabulous couple and I was so sad that he ended up with Angelia Jolie. A bad day for the girl next door!!
My favourite Brad films include Legends of the Fall where he plays brooding brother Tristan, who is in love with his brother’s wife and 12 Monkeys where he plays weird wonderfully in my opinion.
I love him in the Oceans films looking suave and being cheeky and he makes me laugh in Mr and Mrs Smith.
Sleepers is another of my favourite films and he is fantastic in this. It is an emotional story so very well told by all the actors involved including the lovely Brad.
Meet Joe Black was an easy to watch movie with Brad at his loveliest!
And Fight Club was just fabulous showcasing Pitt as fierce and at his best!
He made me laugh in Snatch and smile in The Mexican. He made me swoon in Troy, a film that I really did enjoy.
I have to say actually that I have enjoyed all of Brad’s films even the dismal Cool World all those years ago.
And who can forget Thelma and Louise? Well actually I can, I have defintiely seen the film but I do not remember that scene!
But I do love a bit of Brad, and he is my favourite actor, followed closely by Mr Depp and Christian Slater. Heathers was a wonderful film!
Who is your favourite actor? Are you willing to share? Hop on over to Metal Mummy to see who takes your fancy?
When I was just a little girl,
I asked my mother,
What will I be?
Will I be pretty?
Will I be rich?
Here’s what she said to me …
From an early age I dreamed of being; never being any one set thing but each thing related to words. And now when I think about those childhood ambitions many of them remain the same to this day. I would still like to be an actress, a journalist, an English and Drama teacher. Added now to my list are the White House Press Secretary and my one childhood pipe dream, a professional ice skater, like my childhood heroine Katarina Witt.
So here in more detail are the things I would most like to be when I grow up.
Ice Skater
When I was younger I lived in Germany and I used to love watching ice skating on television. My favourite skater was Katarina Witt. She was a hugely successful skater and was jut gorgeous to watch. I loved her grace, her elegance, her costumes!! I loved watching her colour and creativity and sparkle on the screen. I used to dream of being just like her. In reality when I went ice skating as a child I had to hang on to the sides of the rink so as not to fall over. An ice dancer I was never going to be!
Actress
I tried so hard to make this dream come true. I was in every possible school production, I studied GCSE Drama and A Level Theatre Studies, I joined local drama groups and when we moved to areas that did not have a drama group then from as young as 9 I woud start one. Drama was and is my thing! I would have given anything to be a professional actress. When I was a child I was desperate to join Anna Scher Theatre School. I worshipped her and wrote her letters. I am fairly sure that she replied too. I also went through a phase of wanting to go to The Italia Conti Academy, none of this was possible as by this time we were living in Germany. I wrote to the BBC too and asked if I could be an extra. I also told the BBC about a book I liked that should be made into a TV series and I even offered to play the leading role myself. I was desperate! As I got older I realised that I needed to make the best of my amateur experiences as a professional role was probably not ever going to be mine.
Writer / Journalist
I tried hard to achieve this goal too. I was editor of our class magazine at school as a pupil and also ran the school newspaper as a teacher. At university I wrote short pieces for the TES and had an interview for ATL. In my late teens I had an interview for a job as a local news reader on BFBS Radio in Germany. They were very impressed with me at the interview but I was too young for the role. I loved the interview though, choosing what news needed to be given the highest priority and makng headlones and reading them out over the air. Such a great experience, I would have loved that job! Now as a blogger I am developing my writing skills and I also write articles about Zu3D for my fiance. I would like to write a book one day. I have been writing stories and poems for as long as I can remember. It is something that I find very easy, something that I love to do. Perhaps an educational children’s book will be in the offing one day.
English and Drama Teacher
I am half way to this one already as a primary teacher and literacy subject leader but when my own children go to school I would like to work as a secondary school English teacher. I want to be like Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society. That is my dream job. That is the dream I am going to strive to achieve next and I cannot wait!!
White House Press Secretary
This is my fantasy dream job after becoming a little obsessed with The West Wing. I think I could be a good Press Secretary, I would love to give it a try!! I love the patriotism and passion in The West Wing. I am not American but The West Wing makes me want to serve at the pleasure of the President. Of President Bartlett anyway!
So there you have it, what I would be, if I could be, should I ever ever grow up.
Please hop on over to Manana Mama who is hosting this week’s listography to explore other people’s hopes, dreams and fantasies.
I love Christmas, and Christmas would not be Christmas without snuggling up under a blanket with the ones you love to watch Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life. It is such a magical festive film and a firm family favourite. I love it. It makes me feel all warm inside, and for me does not work digitally remastered in colour. It has to be, as it is meant to be, in black and white.
James Stewart and Donna Reed form a formidable team in this festive fantasy. I always find myself singing ‘Buffalo Girl Won’t You Come Out Tonight’ long after the film is over. I love that song and that moment in the film. Just beautiful! George volunteers to lasso the moon for Mary. A lovely love story!
The most famous moment and quote from the film is near the end as the family are reunited by the Christmas tree.
“Every Time a Bell Rings, an Angel Gets Its Wings”
This is a feel good comedy drama about hopes and dreams and love, families and friendships. It is about loyalty and faith. It is about Christmas, and it features the song that marks the end and beginning of every year, Auld Lang Syne.
One for the family to start the festivities and to make you want to snuggle up close to the ones that you love.
A beauty in black and white.
Why not hop on over to Metal Mummy’s blog to share your favourite black and white movie?
This week I am joining Metal Mummy in her Movie MeMe. She has asked us what is our film of the 21st century, our film of the decade?
For me, there can only be one!
There are a few 21st century films that I have enjoyed but for me none come close to The Lord of the Rings as I mentioned in my Listography post last week.
My favourite of all the films, to David’s dismay, is The Fellowship of the Ring. I know that it has the least action and the least effects but it tells the story so well and introduces each of the characters in detail. I think that the film is so well cast and the actors really complement each other particularly those playing Frodo and Sam. This is a tale of friendship, of courage, of determination and strength, of loyalty, of love.
This is a film with it all. Magic, humour, romance, intrigue and great one liners! I love the script, the language from the book is just beautiful. The sets and scenery are breathtaking and the music tells a story all of its own whilst perfectly blending with the words and actions.
I am not a great film buff or reviewer. I do not watch a lot of television or many movies but I do read a lot of books and for me what makes a great film is where the translation from the page to the screen is true and meaningfuk. It has to work on a personal level for me and this film really does.
And being a Mummy of premature twins, this film of the 21st century provides the best quote of all time:
Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.
Why not pop over to Metal Mummy’s Movie MeMe for some passionate beautifully written movie recommendations. Popcorn at the ready!
