The show is tonight. Forgive me for my lack of zeal this year. There's been too much on my mind and my plate. In the last twelve days, I've seen seven movies. There is one more I haven't seen (Elle), but it just opened and I didn't have a chance to go see it. I think I will be able to watch tonight's awards ceremony just fine.
Captain Fantastic - A guy who has been raising his kids in the wilderness starts to question if he has been doing the right thing. Viggo Mortensen plays the dad and he's been nominated for Best Actor. Frank Langella and Kathryn Hahn also star. It was good.
Loving - This film is about the true story of the 1967 Supreme Court decision that struck down the validity of laws prohibiting interracial marriage. Ruth Negga stars as Mildred Loving and has been nominated for Best Actress. Joel Edgarton and Michael Shannon also star. It was good.
Arrival - Amy Adams (I heart her!) stars as a linguistic professor hired to help communicate with the inhabitants of one of twelve spaceships that touched down on Earth. Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker also star. The film has been nominated for Best Picture. I really liked this movie.
Moonlight - This follows the story of a boy who grows up in a dysfunctional home. Mahershala Ali (nominated for Best Supporting Actor), Naomie Harris (nominated for Best
Supporting Actress) and Janelle Monae star in this film. It was nominated for Best Picture. I really liked this movie.
Nocturnal Animals - Amy Adams (Yes, her again) plays an art gallery owner. Her ex-husband sends her a manuscript to read and then to discuss at dinner when he comes into town. It's quite the novel. There are lots of good actors in this one - Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon (nominated for Best Supporting Actor), Isla Fisher, Armie Hammer, Laura Linney and Micheal Sheen. It was intense.
Hacksaw Ridge - This film is based on the true story of Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector, who served as a medic in WWII. In the Battle of Okinawa, he singlehandedly saved the lives of most of his regiment who had been left for dead when the company had to retreat. Andrew Garfield (nominated for Best Actor), Rachel Griffiths and Vince Vaughn star in this film. It is really graphic and serves to remind us all that war is bad. The film has been nominated for Best Picture.
Jackie - Natalie Portman has been nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of Jackie Kennedy in the hours and days following the assassination of JFK. Peter Saarsgard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup and John Hurt also star in this film. It was good.
My feeling is that Best Picture is between La La Land and Moonlight. I like Meryl Streep for Best Actress. Casey Affleck is my pick for Best Actor. Viola Davis is my pick for Best Supporting Actress and I like Mahershala Ali for Best Supporting Actor.
MK out.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Monday, February 13, 2017
Movie Monday - 2/13/2017
In the last week, I was able to watch three Oscar nominated films.
In Hidden Figures, based on a non-fiction book by the same name, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae play mathematicians integral to the early US space program. We haven't heard about them before now, probably because they were African American and women. The action centers around John Glenn's mission that made him the first US astronaut to orbit the Earth. Kevin Costner and Jim Parsons also star. The acting was superb. I really liked it.
Lion is also based on a book called A Long Way Home. It's the true story of Saroo, a 5-year-old boy, who fell asleep on a train that took him almost 1000 miles away from his home village in India. He spent some time surviving on the streets until authorities placed him in a state orphanage. Ultimately, an agency places him with an Australian couple who adopt him. When he gets older, he searches for his birth mother. Dev Patel plays the adult Saroo, amd Sunny Pawar, who played the 5-year-old is a real charmer. Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman and David Wenham also star. It was very good.
I thought Fences had the feel of a stage play. There were only a handful of actors, limited sets and it was mostly dialogue driven. I did a little research and discovered that the film is adapted from an award-winning play of the same name. Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) is a refuse collector. He has a great sense of duty to provide for his family, but he is no angel. Rose (Viola Davis) is his long suffering wife. Troy's choices and prejudices impact his marriage and his relationships with his two boys. It was alright.
Three more down, a gajillion more to go...
MK out.
In Hidden Figures, based on a non-fiction book by the same name, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae play mathematicians integral to the early US space program. We haven't heard about them before now, probably because they were African American and women. The action centers around John Glenn's mission that made him the first US astronaut to orbit the Earth. Kevin Costner and Jim Parsons also star. The acting was superb. I really liked it.
Lion is also based on a book called A Long Way Home. It's the true story of Saroo, a 5-year-old boy, who fell asleep on a train that took him almost 1000 miles away from his home village in India. He spent some time surviving on the streets until authorities placed him in a state orphanage. Ultimately, an agency places him with an Australian couple who adopt him. When he gets older, he searches for his birth mother. Dev Patel plays the adult Saroo, amd Sunny Pawar, who played the 5-year-old is a real charmer. Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman and David Wenham also star. It was very good.
I thought Fences had the feel of a stage play. There were only a handful of actors, limited sets and it was mostly dialogue driven. I did a little research and discovered that the film is adapted from an award-winning play of the same name. Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) is a refuse collector. He has a great sense of duty to provide for his family, but he is no angel. Rose (Viola Davis) is his long suffering wife. Troy's choices and prejudices impact his marriage and his relationships with his two boys. It was alright.
Three more down, a gajillion more to go...
MK out.
Friday, February 10, 2017
FO Friday - 2/10/2017
The February Socks are done!!!
Pattern: Mrs. Weasley's Family Socks by A Homespun House
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight in ST-2
Comments: OMG! Y'all! I just love knitting with STR. It's so round and squishy! The pattern was easy and fun. And I'm so excited that I finished these socks already. I've got another pair for my boxosoxkal, and they count for several other KALs.
So, what's next for the Merry Karma? Well, there's still the two other projects in the rotation and a strong desire to cast on another pair of socks, as well as a Loopy Academy project. I've got all the yarn I need to make all three projects.
Hmmm.....
MK out.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Movie Monday - 2/6/2017
I still need to get my booty out to the movie houses. The Oscars are looming!!!
This past week, I watched Hell or High Water on DVD. It's about two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) who start robbing banks to raise money to save the family ranch from foreclosure. Jeff Bridges plays the lawman after them. He's been nominated for Best Supporting Actor and the film was nominated for Best Picture. I thought both were weak nominations, but what do I know? It was good, but...
Cafe Society is a cute Woody Allen film about a guy from New York (Jesse Eisenberg) who heads out to California hoping that his bigwig talent agent uncle (Steve Carell) can hook him up with a job. Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively and Parker Posey also star in this movie. There's romance, there's comedy, there's heartache...I really liked it.
MK out.
This past week, I watched Hell or High Water on DVD. It's about two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) who start robbing banks to raise money to save the family ranch from foreclosure. Jeff Bridges plays the lawman after them. He's been nominated for Best Supporting Actor and the film was nominated for Best Picture. I thought both were weak nominations, but what do I know? It was good, but...
Cafe Society is a cute Woody Allen film about a guy from New York (Jesse Eisenberg) who heads out to California hoping that his bigwig talent agent uncle (Steve Carell) can hook him up with a job. Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively and Parker Posey also star in this movie. There's romance, there's comedy, there's heartache...I really liked it.
MK out.
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Show Off Saturday - 2/4/2017
Today seems like a good day to show a couple of recently finished projects.
Pattern: Find Your Fade Shawl by Andrea Mowry
Yarn: Verdant Gryphon Bugga! in Devil's Flower Mantis, Love Bug Jr., Purple Sea Urchin and Peacock Butterfly.
Comments: This pattern has taken the knitting world by storm. One can use a few colors or many colors. I liked how the VG Valentine's Bon Bons from 2012 played together in a gradient-like manner and since I am ever in a cold sheeping state, I thought they'd make a lovely Fade. There are so many beautiful Fades out there, but I have to say that I really liked mine. I think it's exactly as I pictured it.
And although I purposely made mine a little smaller, it's plenty big.
Pattern: Welted Cowl by Jane Richmond
Yarn: Belfast Mini-Mills Ltd. Merino/Quiviut in Natural
Comment: I've been looking for the perfect project for this lovely blend of merino and quiviut. When the Grocery Girls announced a KAL called the BFF KAL, I jumped right in. The link may not work for you if you don't have a Ravelry account. Anyway, I loved knitting with this yarn. It's so soft!
Y'all have a great Super Bowl Sunday!
MK out.
Y'all have a great Super Bowl Sunday!
MK out.
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Welcome to My Cray Cray
It's a new month, and with it comes new challenges. Loopy Academy was announced yesterday and a new Monthly Mixer was announced Tuesday. A new month also means a new sock. I ordered yarn for the Loopy Academy projects and decided I would not continue the fabric portion because I've got too much on my plate.
The sock and the monthly mixer have been started. I finished my Find Your Fade Tuesday. It's currently blocking.
In case you haven't been able to keep up, all these words mean that I have eight WIPs.
The sock and the monthly mixer have been started. I finished my Find Your Fade Tuesday. It's currently blocking.
In case you haven't been able to keep up, all these words mean that I have eight WIPs.
EIGHT.
Again.
I started the year with five, but all that shiny yarn in the vault just keeps mocking me.
I'm ok with starting new projects - I mean, it's a fact of my life - but I'm going back to concentrating on three projects at a time and one of them has to be one of the WIPs that brought in the new year with me.
Here's the current rotation sitting all together in their project bags.
Yes, there are five bags - because one project is about to be an FO - and I'm not really sure why that other one jumped in the chair, but whatever.
I thought I would show you the new mixer project.
It's going to be a scarf. The black yarn is for the lace edging that will be knitted and applied after the main body of the scarf is complete.
And here are the socks.
I pulled a skein out of the precious vault. It's Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock in ST-2 that I picked up at the first Sock Summit in 2009. I'm making Mrs. Weasley's Family Socks for the #boxosocks KAL and the Harry Potter KAL on the Inside Number 23 podcast, plus a few other KALs for which they apply. The pattern is subtle, and maybe too subtle for this yarn, but that's okay.
And here's a sneak peak:
I hope it's dry enough tomorrow for FO Friday.
MK out.
Here's the current rotation sitting all together in their project bags.
Yes, there are five bags - because one project is about to be an FO - and I'm not really sure why that other one jumped in the chair, but whatever.
I thought I would show you the new mixer project.
It's going to be a scarf. The black yarn is for the lace edging that will be knitted and applied after the main body of the scarf is complete.
And here are the socks.
I pulled a skein out of the precious vault. It's Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock in ST-2 that I picked up at the first Sock Summit in 2009. I'm making Mrs. Weasley's Family Socks for the #boxosocks KAL and the Harry Potter KAL on the Inside Number 23 podcast, plus a few other KALs for which they apply. The pattern is subtle, and maybe too subtle for this yarn, but that's okay.
And here's a sneak peak:
I hope it's dry enough tomorrow for FO Friday.
MK out.
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