WTWWYDKWTW: The Long Kiss Goodnight

Definitely in my “Top 20”.   Love, love this movie, love the soundtrack and know both by heart.  

The Long Kiss Goodnight was released in 1996 but I didn’t become acquainted with it until it was running on cable in Tulsa, OK in 1998.  I kept seeing the listing but wasn’t too impressed with the description but one night there was nothing else on so like, I had to watch it.  It started out pretty good was keeping my interest and then the action started and I was like “Damn, wish I would have watched this movie sooner”.

The Long Kiss Goodnight stars Geena Davis and co-stars an actor I will watch anything he is in, Mr. Samuel L. Jackson.  The supporting cast includes character actor Brian Cox, David Morse (one of my favorite roles for him), Craig Bierko (don’t understand why he didn’t do more work), G.D. Spradlin and in a few memorable scenes, Melina Kanakaredes in one of her first roles.  Written by Shane Black, directed by Renny Harlin (married to Geena Davis at the time) and filmed in various locations around Ontario, Canada.  Both Harlin and Jackson have said in interviews that The Long Kiss Goodnight was their favorite movie to work on.

The Long Kiss Goodnight is implausible and action packed and nothing is better than the snappy, witty repertoire and chemistry between Davis and Jackson.  No other way to say it other than Geena Davis is a bad ass in this movie.  Even though their previous film together, Cutthroat Island, was one of the biggest Hollywood flops of all time, director Renny Harlin and Davis make delicious movie magic for me in The Long Kiss Goodnight.  The scenes in the train station are some of my favorite action sequences ever.  

Schoolteacher Samantha Caine (Davis) leads an idyllic life in Honesdale, Pennsylvania until she is injured in a car crash and begins to have flashbacks of a life before the one she has.  For eight years, she has suffered from amnesia but as time passed, the frustration of only being able to remember 8 years of her life seemed to fade until the accident.  Mitch Hennessey (Jackson), a low rent private investigator, stumbles up on evidence that will lead him and Caine on an action packed adventure to solve the mystery of Charly Baltimore.

I love music and it is an integral part of why sometimes I might like one movie more than another and in this case, this is one of those movies.  This soundtrack is definitely in my iTunes rotation.

Woman - Neneh Cherry

Bring It On Home - Otis Redding & Carla Thomas

Stubborn Kind Of Fellow - Marvin Gaye

F.N.T. - Semisonic

Keep This Party Bouncin' - L.a. Ganz

Funny How Time Slips Away - Joe Hinton

Tomorrow Man - Gus

She's Not There - Santana

Next Time You See Me - Jr. Parker

Mannish Boy - Muddy Waters

Many Rivers To Cross - The Tom Tom Club

The Chair - Jars Of Clay

Lady Marmalade - LaBelle

  

If you want to set logic aside and open your mind, maybe you too can escape away on a movie magic carpet ride with The Long Kiss Goodnight.

 

 

 

WTWWYDKWTW: Scrooged

Always a reminder of the brilliant comedic work of Bill Murray. 

My first laughs watching Bill Murray were in 1977 when I started watching Saturday Night Live.  Watching the show was a Saturday night social event with friends gathered together partying.  Music was always a big part of our gatherings but we would always turn it off to watch SNL and Monty Python, which came on right before SNL.  

I have remained a Bill Murray fan since then.  The last thing he was brilliant in was 2012’s Moonrise Kingdom.  A quirky, charming and insightful film.  The only movie of his I don’t like and don’t like a lot, is his remake of The Razors Edge.  The 1946 original is just one of those movies that should never be remade as it is the sacred ground of actor Tyrone Power and the writings of Somerset Maugham.   

Scrooged was released in November 1988 however I didn’t see it until several years later on DVD and it is in my personal “Top 20 Movies”.  It is still funny every time I see it and it is my holiday season film kickoff movie that I watch every year on Thanksgiving Day.  I fondly recall attending Christmas Day celebrations in Tulsa and while feasting on gourmet delights, we watched the trinity of Christmas Movies, The Christmas Story, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Scrooged.

Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol in 1843 and it told the story of the miserly miserable Ebenezer Scrooge and the events that befell him one Christmas season in Victorian era London.  Scrooge is visited by three ghosts that take him on a retrospective of his life and he is forever transformed.     

When I was a kid, Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol was the first version of the story I saw and at the time, it was a bit scary (come on, you know it was if you saw it as a kid).  Literally, I do not think there has been a television show that has not done their take on the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. And I have probably liked every one.  Of course, there have also been numerous theatrical and television movies and will probably be more in the future.  A few of my favorite versions are the original 1938 version, the 1999 Patrick Stewart version and the last one I saw, the 2009 Jim Carey version which I saw at the Dole Cannery Theater in Honolulu.  

Nobody does sleazy charming wisenheimer better than like Bill Murray.  It is comedy gold to see Murray playing Frank Cross, the youngest network executive at IBC and his “Ebenezer Scrooge” experience. Scrooged is irreverent, gut busting funny wrapped up with a tear inducing ending.  The supporting cast is a cornucopia of great comedy performances from Robert Mitchum, John Forsythe, Bobcat Goldthwait, Carol Kane, David Johansen, Alfre Woodard, Karen Allen.  Bill Murray’s brothers, Brian, John & Joel are also in the movie.  Because I grew up seriously, seriously liking Robert Goulet, (my parents listened to his music on vinyl records on their hi-fi stereo) I love the bit about him hawking a Cajun Christmas special.  The movie is directed by Richard Donner whose works includes others films I like such as The Omen, Superman, Lethal Weapon, The Goonies and 16 Blocks. 

The first Christmas I was in Anchorage, three years ago, I was at Barnes and Noble and got a hardback book copy of A Christmas Carol and now read it every year at Christmas.  There is just something quite lovely about holding an actual book in your hand and reading the timeless prose of Charles Dickens.   

My DVD of this movie is the same copy I bought & blogged about on 12/18/09.
http://en.bloguru.com/13princessbeach/query/?search=scrooged&go=

 

WTWWYDKWTW: Somewhere In Time

I did not see this movie when it came out in the theaters in October 1980 (single mom-to-be and not in the mood for romance movies) but from the first time I saw it on VHS several years later, it immediately became one of my favorite movies.  Since becoming a widow in 2000, I have loved it even more as I am waiting for the reunion I will have with the love of my life when my earthly existence is over.    

I realized that watching a movie released 33 years ago might seem dated but almost always, a good story is timeless.  The first thing that struck me was how handsome Christopher Reeve was and if Jane Seymour was one degree more beautiful in this movie, I think it would hurt my eyes.  Christopher Plummer also costars in the movie.  I had always loved the soundtrack which was written by John Barry featuring Rhapsody On A Theme of Pagnini by Sergei Rachmanioff.   As soon as I heard the first few notes, I was even more excited about seeing the movie again.  And I would still like to visit the Grand Hotel (opened in 1887) on Mackinaw Island, Michigan where the movie was filmed. http://www.grandhotel.com/aboutgrandhotel/our-story

The movie was not very well received when it came out but has since gone on to become a cult favorite and has its own fan club and website.  I love it so much that I bought and framed the movie poster. 

This movie was adapted from the book Bid Time Return by *Richard Matheson (02/20/26-06/23/13) who also wrote the screenplay.  Matheson is one of my favorite authors who was also a screenwriter known for his writings in the fantasy, horror and science fiction genre.  Matheson also appeared in a cameo role in the movie during the 1912 timeframe.  He got the idea for the book when he saw a portrait of an actress by the name of Maude Adams hanging in the Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada.  Jean-Pierre Dorleac did the beautiful period costumes for the film and it was directed by Jeannot Szwarc. 

The movie begins in 1972 with young playwright, Richard Collier celebrating after the debut of his first play when an elderly woman presses a pocket watch into his hands with the words “Come back to me”.  Flash forward to eight years later and Richard suffering from writers block decides to drive to the Grand Hotel to see if he can clear his head.  There he sees a photograph in the hotel’s museum of an actress, Elise McKenna and after further research discovers she is the same woman who gave him the pocket watch eight years earlier.   After going to see her former housekeeper, he finds among her belongings a book on time travel written by one of his former professors.  After visiting with the professor he sets out to see if he can travel back in time from 1980 to 1912 and find Elise.

His time travel trip successful, Richard sets out to meet Elise and their subsequent time together is one of my favorite parts of the movie because it is so simple and romantic; two people discovering love.  In a sequence of events, Richard tragically finds himself back in 1980 devastated and heartbroken but they do find their way back to each other.  Some may not like how the movie ended but I think it is a great ending to a timeless love story. 

 

**Authors Note:   

Richard Matheson was a prolific writer who wrote books, short stories and numerous screenplays for television and movies.  Among his works, “What Dreams May Come” adapted for the film “What Dreams May Come” (another one of my fave movies) in 1998, “I Am Legend” which was adapted for the big screen three times; 1954 as “The Last Man on Earth”, 1971 as “The Omega Man” and in 2007 as “I Am Legend”.  “Hell House” which was filmed in 1973 as “The Legend of Hell House”.  “A Stir of Echoes” which was adapted into “Stir of Echoes” in 1999. He also wrote” Steel” which was adapted into the 2011 film “Real Steel”.   

WTWWYDKWTW: The Introduction

The movies I am reviewing for this column are movies I have in my personal DVD and Blu-Ray collection.  The collection I actually brought with me from Seattle to Alaska (I just know there's a future story in this on why with limited space in my SUV, I would include a box of movies).  Some of my movie library I haven’t seen for a while so I will be re-watching everything I review.  I am interested in finding out if I still view them in the same light and still have the same emotions and reactions or is it time to give one away and add something else to my collection.  Meanwhile, I will add to my collection if I happen to run across one that is on my "wish list".    

As you can see by the picture above of one of the shelves of my library, my movies are in alphabetical order however, in order for them to be in alphabetical order in their location where they are stored, the box itself has to be upside down but the name is upright which is the most important thing to keep me from having a OCD meltdown.  Even though I can look outside myself and see how ludicrous this is, it is also why I find it  quite amusing.  

I must have music and movies stored alphabetically as it makes me very anxious to have to look for things.  I can however let go of the alphabetical obsession when it comes to my "real book" library (yes, real books not an eBook) because books come in varying shapes and sizes and for decorating purposes, alphabetical order doesn’t work well.  However, they are grouped together by subject which is a type of organization so I can live with it.    
 

Over the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I was on vacation so actually had things planned to do that involved getting out of my jammies and house.  During that time Anchorage was having a bout of subzero temperatures that made it really too cold for me to be outside.  No, really, it was so bitter cold and that doesn’t seem quite descriptive enough.  Asthma does not react well to really cold weather so I took the weather as my “sign” to reassess my plans and come up with new ones.  And yes, there has to be a plan even if the original plan falls through.  I am flexible but there must be a plan.    

The highlight of the new plan included duraflame fires (no wood; allergies) burning in the fireplace, me on my reclining sofa with multiple faux fur throws, hot beverages and a stack of movies to watch.  Now I just have to sit down and transcribe my notes.     

Now, I am sure you all have your own library of movies as well so maybe if you don’t know what to what to watch when you don’t know what to watch (sending subliminal shameless plug), you can take another look at a film from your own library. 

Here’s to you and your home movie viewing.  May whatever you are watching take you on a movie magic carpet ride.    

 

 

      

 

WTWWYDKWTW: The Creation

Seems like I deal with a lot of acronyms in my life especially when dealing with corporate America. To read a company communique is like looking at some type of hybrid texting language which is LOL to me because I think texting has bastardized the English language. Naturally my solution is to create an acronym for a column I want to write for my blog.

At least a couple of people in my lifetime have asked me my opinion on movies to watch, and that, is all I need to justify writing a movie review (nah, I’m not an egotistical writer) on my blog, Dorothy In The Emerald City at http://dorothyearp.blogspot.com/ or you can follow me on Twitter at Dorothy Earp@DotEarp. Once again, that is Dorothy In The Emerald City at http://dorothyearp.blogspot.com/ or Twitter at Dorothy Earp@DotEarp.

So, what does it mean, this acronym of mine? The acronym was actually created it because the definition is too long for an actual title, therefore these mere 10 letters stand for (can I get more cowbell here, please!)...

WHAT TO WATCH WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WATCH

 I don’t know about you but it is hilarious to me that despite having hundreds of cable channels, tv shows and movies available to me anytime and almost anywhere via the vast expanse of the internet, phone, tablet, computer and probably ways I don’t even know about, that I could or should ever think let alone utter the words “There is nothing to watch”. These words inevitably lead to me mindlessly channel surfing until I am tired and glassy eyed from trying to decide what to redecorate, torn between looking or looking away at reality shows, watching shows I watched 20+ years ago, deciding if I really need that infomercial item and hungry from watching food shows. So, in order for me to not have Channel Surfing Hangovers, I have decided if I don’t have a rental movie or there is nothing to watch on my DVR I am going to watch my way through my DVD collection. Which by the way is in alphabetical order because I find it is much easier to locate what I am looking for if my movies and music are alphabetized.

I was the person who was never going to get a DVD player because I already had a TV and VCR in every room and what looked like hundreds and hundreds of VHS movies. However I soon relented and got a DVD player and on last year’s Black Friday Eve, bought a Blu-Ray player. I decided this time around that I would only by DVD’s and Blu-Ray discs that I really, really like and would watch more than a couple of times so feel I have a pretty good little movie library now.

Now, what kind of movies do I like? Since I have more than one emotion, I enjoy all types of movies and film and different genres can invoke varying emotions in me. The most important thing is that I do feel something whether that something is funny, sad, romantic, thought provoking or motivating.

I saw my first movie at 5 years old the day my brother and I’s adoption with our biological Father’s parents was finalized and the movie was “Mary Poppins”. I thought it was the most magical thing to be in a dark, quiet theater with this huge screen, being enveloped in the atmosphere and like flying on a magic carpet, I was transported back to 1910 London, England. I have loved movies ever since.

So, just in case anyone else out there is prone to Channel Surfing Hangovers or undecided on what movie to watch, I will be reviewing the movies in my collection and if you decide to take my advice and watch something I have recommended, I hope you enjoy it and pass it along to someone you know who might also enjoy it.

Here’s to riding the movie magic carpet with Dorothy In The Emerald City’s WTWWYDKWTW. 

Photo Credit:

DITEC
Anchorage 5th Floor View

Summer 2012

 

**This blog post was originally published on 11/20/13 at 
http://en.bloguru.com/13princessbeach/191496/wtwwydkwtw