When we were apartment camping without much internet or TV reception we went to the movies every weekend. We saw several movies that normally I would have passed until they were on TV. But given the situation we paid the price to get out, sit in chairs other than camping ones, see something other than DVDs and enjoy ourselves. Money Monster was one of those movies.
I always look forward to Bill Bryson’s next book. He’s entertaining and educational. Many of his books I’ve read multiple times and walk away each time having learned something new while laughing. Most consider his best to be A Walk In The Woods (the book not the lame movie). I however favor A Sunburnt Country, about Australia, though The Lightning Bolt Kid was awesome. Actually I can’t name one I don’t consider worth multiple reads. So I snatched up his latest the week it was released. The Road To Dribbling is him revisiting the places of his book Notes From A Small Island. I looked forward to seeing how Bryson fared moving back to Great Britain and visiting places twenty years later. Would he prove what Thomas Wolf did in Look Homeward Angel that you can’t go back, or is England timeless and 20 years didn’t make that much of a difference? (more…)
This summer is yet another summer of sequels and remakes. Now don’t get me wrong, I like many a fangirl look forward to the next episode in some movie sequels. But honestly most would have stood better if left as the awesome first movie they were. As for remakes, I’m at the age now where I’m seeing my childhood shows and movies redone casting the next generation, except Spiderman that gets rebooted what every other year? While some remakes are great fun others pale in comparison. So here’s my take on three from this summer.
This aired some time ago but as we are wont to do we recorded it then and watched it recently. The miniseries is based on a 1950s Arthur C. Clark novel of the same name. I think I read it back in middle school because the kicker in it I remembered. There have been some changes to story the ambassador between Karellen, Overlord Supervisor of Earth wasn’t a farmer but a Senator in the book. I rather like the change to a farmer. The adaptation is very good and has the gut emotional impact of the novel. The question is what if an alien came and made, forced peace on earth – gave us a golden age of no sickness and war. Why can’t we see them at first? What would that do to us in a generation? Would we take it or be suspicious of it? What in the end would be the price? Why would they give us a Golden Age? These are the questions of the novel and the miniseries that do get answers. If you haven’t read or seen it and want to explore these questions with the novel or the very well done miniseries don’t read after the cut and go do so. For under the cut there be spoilers and a discussion of where I felt the miniseries dropped the ball a bit at the end. So if you continue on you are either like me okay with spoilers or you know the twist.
One cold weekend day Mike and I made it to a showing of Leo DiCaprio’s latest Oscar attempt The Revenant. The story is an embellished telling of the Hugh Glass story. They gave him a son and wife that in history didn’t exist. Still the core of the story is real – Hugh was attacked by a bear (no not raped nor was Leo) buried for dead and came after the men that left him. It happened in Spring/Summer not Winter. But oh well, Hollywood has to up the stakes and pull the heartstrings, I get getting inspired by a true story and building upon it. Now to the movie itself. Do I think Leo pinned his Oscar here? (more…)
I just watched this documentary about a tragic incident that had been on the edge of my awareness. I was traveling when the accident occurred saw it on a monitor with news while waiting at an airport gate. I like so many thought ‘oh so horrible’ and went on with my life. You know tragedy like that changes lives but we never really see how. Then I watched this. (more…)
Okay last Tuesday I let slip one of my dirty blogging secrets – I prewrite and schedule posts. Today I’ll explain and air out another little thing you might have picked up on if you’ve been paying attention to my posts. (more…)
The new TV season has begun. Some of my favorite new shows from last year bit the dust, others wait for a new host, others continue onward. But I’m always up to try new ones if they appeal to me. Limitless was one of those this season. I have to admit I did not see the movie but that didn’t limit me from getting the TV show. (more…)
Mary Louise Eklund 