Movie Monday - 8/30/2021

The dash was busy last week and this week is looking similar.

Surely, you’ve heard of Bob Ross. He was the artist on The Joy of Painting, a show that ran on PBS back in the day. Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed is a documentary that tells a little about Ross’s life. It also tells about his afterlife. Although Ross set it up that the rights to his name would stay with his family, his business partners ended up with it, as well as the thousands of paintings he did in the show. It was interesting from the nostalgia viewpoint, but it didn’t really draw a dramatic conclusion. 

MK out.

Book Chat - 8/27/2021

I’m on another trip and I have the opportunity to read. I am currently at the beach; so, these books are apropos. Both are set in coastal settings.

The Land of Mango Sunsets by Dorothea Benton Frank

Miriam’s world is falling apart. She feels a return to the low country of South Carolina is in order to get things back on track. The book is a cute beach read, but I didn’t like it as much as I did Frank’s other book that I read recently. The plot development was a bit plodding.

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

Years ago, Lily Dane suffered a heartbreak, but life goes on. As they do every summer, she and her family head to their place on the coast of Rhode Island to escape the heat of New York City. This summer, her former best friend shows up too, with her new husband, aka Lily’s former fiancé. It was good.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 8/23/2021

Just when I set a goal, the outside forces impede my path. I’ve only gotten to watch one movie in the last week.

Sophia Loren stars in The Life Ahead, another adaption of the novel The Life Before Us. She plays Madame Rosa, a retired prostitute who now earns a little money by babysitting the children of other prostitutes. Through circumstances, her physician brings a recently orphaned child to her in the hopes that she would provide a structured, yet motherly environment for him. Madame Rosa reluctantly agrees. Soon, the secrets of both in the arrangement come to light. It was good.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 8/16/2021

I have so many movies I want to watch. I wonder what would happen if I set a goal to watch one movie a day. I realize that I may sometimes be too busy, or be on vacation, but I think it’s a worthy goal. 

Bill Nighy stars in Sometimes Always Never about a family estranged over a game of Scrabble. It was cute.

The documentary That Summer is about my favorite mother-daughter duo, Big and Little Edie Beale. It seems that a couple of years before the documentary film, Grey Gardens by Albert and David Mayles, Lee Radziwill wanted to document her family history with the help of Peter Beard. Part of that involved interviewing the famous pair. Footage from her project became this documentary. Lee soon scrapped the endeavor, but the Mayles brothers were so charmed that they decided to take on the Beales all on their own. I too was charmed.

Some Kind of Heaven is a documentary about The Villages. It’s a ginormous retirement community located in Florida. Some people liken it to Disneyland, but for seniors. The film follows around a few of the residents whose lives aren’t as wonderful as the promotional material depicts. They are quirky! I enjoyed watching.

And in another film (though fictional) about retirement communities, Poms was hilarious! Diane Keaton plays a rather introverted woman who moves to a senior community. She isn’t comfortable joining in any of the clubs or activities, until her neighbor convinces her that they should start a cheerleading squad. Jacki Weaver, Rhea Perlman, Pam Grier and Celia Westin also star. I loved it.

Binge worthy:

My Unorthodox Life (HBOMax)

Back to Life (Hulu)

MK out.

Book Chat - 8/12/2021

My goal is to read 24 books in 2021. So far, I’ve read 25!

By Invitation Only by Dorothea Benton Frank

Fred comes from South Carolina farming stock. Shelby’s family are movers and shakers in Chicago. Shelby’s mother is acting as if she is the bride. Can these two families come together? Cute book.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Linus Baker works for DICOMY, aka the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. As a case worker, he visits the different orphanages where they are housed to investigate incidences, or to examine the general living conditions. One day, he is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and sent off to investigate one particular orphanage that is classified level four - only the people that need to know about it, know about it. The story reminded me a bit of the Harry Potter series. I really enjoyed reading it.

MK out.

Book Chat - 8/5/2021

I’m still in vacay mode.

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

Lucy has a complicated relationship with her mother-in-law Diana. When Diana turns up dead, things really heat up. Great read!

Leave the World Behind by Roman Alam

The novel deals with answering who and what can you trust in the face of adversity. As I was reading the book, I wasn’t particularly enjoying the story. I kept reading because I wanted to know what was going on. I need my answers, after all. The very last chapter brought it all home, but I still feel cheated in some way.

  

Paper Doll Lina by Robin Lucas

Lina is in an abusive marriage, but she doesn’t necessarily realize it. She knows she’s not really happy, but it takes a stranger to open her eyes. It was good.

MK out.