Movie Monday 12/27/21

It’s been a while. I’ve been mostly watching Hallmark Christmas movies lately, but I did make time for a few regular movies.

The Last Letter from Your Lover - Felicity Jones plays a journalist tasked with writing an article about the editor of the paper who has recently died. While doing research, she finds a misplaced love letter that starts her down the path of finding out more about the lovers and their story. The film goes back and forth in time between the 1960s and the present day. Shailene Woodley, Callum Turner, Joe Alwyn, and Nabhaan Rizwan, among others, are in the cast. It was good.

AKA Jane Roe - Norma McCorvey consented to interviews prior to her death in which she explains how she went from pro-choice to pro-life and back again. It was interesting.

Belfast - Kenneth Branagh wrote this semi autobiography about life in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the late 1960s, when The Troubles began. Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judy Dench, Ciarán Hinds and Jude Hill star in this film. It’s very good.

King Richard - The film tells the story about how the father of Venus and Serena Williams had a strict plan he followed to make them championship professional tennis players. Jamie Foxx plays Richard Williams. I really liked it.

Being the Ricardos - Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem star in this film, playing the iconic pair - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. In one week in the life of the couple, we watch them put out many fires that threaten their professional lives and their marriage. It was very good!!

Good Binges:

Dopesick on Hulu

The White Lotus on HBOmax

MK out.

Book Chat - 12/9/2021

I’ve been busy decking the halls, but I’ve done a little reading. 

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

Three families get together for a barbecue and something bad happens. The story unfolds slowly as it goes back and forth in time. It was interesting because the story is also told by different points of view. It was good.

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tocarczuk

An astrologer and animal enthusiast tries to help the police solve some recent murders in a small Polish village. She is convinced that the deaths were perpetrated by animals for revenge, as all the people found dead are hunters. The police consider her theories the ramblings of a crazy, old woman. I liked it.  

MK out.

Book Chat - 11/11/2021

 I present the latest suggestions:

Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney 

To say that this book is about a college student who has an affair with a married man would be reductive, but that’s a good description on first glance. There’s much more to the story, and while it took a minute to get used to the writing style, I ended up really liking the book.

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

Two brothers in search of a fresh start, plus two fugitives with their own agendas, set off on a cross-country escapade. The story is very character driven, and the characters are superbly written. Loved it!

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

This book is another story that tells about the WPA’s  program of packhorse libraries during the depression. It was very good.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 11/8/2021

I went to a movie theater for the first time in almost two years. I was so looking forward to seeing Spencer, a film about Princess Diana, starring Kristen Stewart. The film opened Friday. I’ve never thought that Kristen Stewart is a particularly gifted actress, but I was willing to go with it. Additionally, I thought her being cast as Princess Diana was quite a stretch. Still, I was game. The fact that there were only five couples in the theater, the Husb and me included, should have been a clue. For sure, the fact that two of the couples left before the movie ended (and well before the final act) was a big one. The film tells a fictionalized story of Princess Diana spending Christmas at Sandringham and deciding to end her marriage. It was not a flattering story. Critics have allegedly started touting Oscar buzz for Stewart. At the beginning of the film, she accurately captured many of Princess Diana’s mannerisms and way of speaking. As the film went on, she gradually morphed into Bella Swan. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I am disappointed.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 11/1/2021

Hello out there! Here’s a recent watch:

Jodi Foster and Shailene Woodley star in The Mauritanian. It’s based on a true story about a suspected 9/11 terrorist who was detained for many years at Guantanamo Bay.

Something to binge:

Nine Perfect Strangers - Hulu - kinda weird

On the Verge - Netflix

Back to Life - (Season 2) - Showtime On Demand

The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin - HBO Max

Maid - Netflix

MK out.

Movie Monday - 10/11/2021

Another week is behind us. While the dash has been busy, I made myself watch some movies.

The Starling with Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dows and Kevin Kline is about a couple that suffered a terrible tragedy. Each deal with the situation in a different way and it causes them to become somewhat estranged. It was so good.

I watched French Exit on the flight home recently, using earphones issued by the flight attendant (long story). The sound quality wasn’t great and I might have missed some of the ennui because I wasn’t overly impressed with this film. Michelle Pfeiffer plays a widow who has run through her money. She sells everything she can and heads to Paris with her grown son. 

Good Binges:

Ted Lasso Season 2 - Apple+

MK out.

Book Chat - 10/7/2021

Here are two books you all might like:

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel

Based on historical events, a young woman who was kidnapped as a toddler and raised in the forest uses her skills to help a band of people on the run from Hitler’s atrocities. I loved it.

If You Must Know by Jamie Beck

Two sisters with little in common are forced to confront long held beliefs when catastrophe enters their lives. It was good.

MK out.

Book Chat - 9/23/2021

The theme for this week is congenital abnormalities.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

Sam Hill was born with red eyes. Going to a Catholic church and school was no easy feat when one’s affliction brings Satan to the minds of others. Only his mother thinks that Sam is destined to do great things. Sam is not so sure. I really enjoyed this book.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

A young librarian, who happens to be one of the Blue People of Kentucky, spends her days delivering books to poor people in her community. We learn that she was born with a condition that basically robs her tissues of oxygen. While the good people of town (and some of her patrons until they get to know her) are less than neighborly towards her, she goes above and beyond to help those on her route. It was really good.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 9/20/2021

 Another week is behind us. While the dash has been busy, I made myself watch some movies.

Edie is finally a widow after caring for her husband for many years. Thirty years prior, he wouldn’t let her go on a climbing trip with her father in the Scottish Highlands. Now that he’s gone, Edie’s daughter wants to put her in assisted living, but Edie is thinking about going on that trip. It was good.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco, a partially autobiographical story, was written by Jimmie Fails. He also stars in the film which is about a young man trying to take back the house in which he grew up. It was alright.

Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan star Ammonite. Mary Anning (Winslet) and Charlotte Murchison (Ronan) were real people. Anning was a famous paleontologist and Murchison was a geologist back in the day. The two did become lifelong friends. Where Hollywood comes in - Anning was a fossil-hunter, Murchison was not a geologist. The two have an affair when Murchison’s husband practically forced her to stay with Anning to recuperate from a terrible loss. It was pretty good.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 9/13/2021

I didn’t watch seven, but I did get to see a few movies this week.

Another Round is set in Denmark with English subtitles. Four teachers are bored with life; so, they set out to see if keeping their blood alcohol content constant would improve conditions. It was smartly acted. Mass Mikkelsen stars in this cute dramedy. I liked it very much!

Kid 90 is a documentary comprising videos that Soleil Moon Frye filmed over the majority of her young life. One thing I noticed while watching is that quite a few of her friends died. How sad. It was interesting.

Judi Dench stars in Red Joan and it’s based on a true story. She plays a widow who one day finds herself being arrested for treason by the British Secret Service. Great performances and great cast. It was good.

The documentary Misha and the Wolves is about a woman who was a hidden child during the Holocaust. She took it on herself to find her parents; so, she set off on foot through many miles of forests. She recounts that a pack of wolves protected her. She wrote a memoir that was so popular that a movie was made. Was it real, or was it Memorex? It’s a fascinating film.

Something to binge

The Chair - Netflix

MK out.

Book Chat - 9/9/2021

To switch things up a bit, I read something besides a beach read.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Nella is the only Black person at a publishing house until Hazel is hired. The two become fast friends until Hazel becomes the favored employee and Nella starts getting threatening notes. It was very good.

MK out.

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.

Book Chat - 7/29:2021

I’m back with some selections I think most will enjoy:

Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived The Tennessee Children’s Home Society by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate

I know I told y’all about Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. It was a novel based on the scandal of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. It was about children were taken from their birth parents by nefarious means and sold/adopted out. After she wrote the book, the author started hearing from people who were affected by the operation in real life. She and her friend, Julie Christie record the accounts and it led to this book.

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

The book is about a girl who has to go settle her grandmother’s estate, thinking it would be a quick task. However, the will stipulates that she must run her grandmother’s cafe for sixty days after which, she can decide about its disposition. It’s a cute romantic comedy with a some magic mixed in. If you like Hallmark movies, you will like this book.

The Magic of Found Objects by Maddie Dawson

Two life-long friends, who’ve been unlucky in love, decide to get married. They are both in their mid-thirties and tired of the New York dating scene. They think that skipping the fireworks part of the relationship and settling down to the comfortable part will be a piece of cake because they know each other so well. Very cute!

MK out.

WIP Wednesday - 7/28/2021

It’s been a while since I’ve shown you all my latest project. 

I’m working on another Elwood. It makes such a darling grumpy old man sweater for a little one. 

I’m using scraps of Cascade 220 Superwash from other projects.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 7/26/2021

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, starring Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo is a very silly, little movie about two Midwestern women who go off on an adventure. It was funny, but again, silly. It hit a spot. 

 

Amy Adams stars in The Woman in the Window, adapted from the novel of the same name. An agoraphobic women witnesses a crime committed across the street at her neighbors’ house, but the neighbors deny anything happened. Were her eyes deceiving her? It was good.

Echo in the Canyon is a documentary about the music scene in the mid-1960s. It was very interesting. I learned some things and gained an appreciation for some groups like The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and even, The Beach Boys. It’s hosted by Jakob Dylan (who looks and sounds like his daddy, Bob). I enjoyed it.

Good Binges:

Mare of Easttown (HBOmax)

The Kominsky Method (Netflix)

Younger (Hulu)

Hacks (HBOMax)

Virgin River (Netflix)

That’s all I got. 

MK out.

Book Chat - 7/8/2021

Since I’ve been on vacay, I’ve been able to read more than usual.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles 

This novel is based on the true story of the librarians of the American Library in Paris during World War II. They sent care packages of books to soldiers, and would bring books to their Jewish patrons when they were forbidden to come in to the library. 

The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar

The book examines the relationship between a psychologist and her patient.

Rage by Bob Woodward

Woodward returns to document the Trump Administration’s management of the Coronavirus pandemic.

MK out.

P.S. I remembered that this week marks my 14th Blogiversary. It all started with this post.

Book Chat - 6/24/2021

Even if y’all didn’t know, I’ve read quite a few books over the last many weeks.

Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton                               In her second book, Doyle shares about her marriage to Craig Melton. It’s more chronological than the first book. It is full of many inspirational pearls. 

Untamed by Glennon Doyle 

In this third book, Doyle writes about her meeting and then subsequent marriage to Abby Waumbach. 

The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn

An agoraphobic woman spends her days drinking, watching old movies and spying on her neighbors. Things go south when she sees something she shouldn't have.

The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak tells the stories of an Armenian American girl, a Turkish girl, their families and a secret connected to the Armenian genocide.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

This novel is about an apothecary who lived in 1700s London, making poisons for women to use against the oppressive men in their lives AND about  a present day woman who finds a clue to solving the mystery of the Apothecary Murders of long ago.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Set during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the story follows a family trying to survive at all costs. 

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

A family starts to fall apart after the death of one of the children.

In The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth the more responsible twin has spent her life protecting the other from their psycho mother. The book examines lies that bind. 

Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory is about a family with different psychic abilities. 

All were very good. Spoonbenders was fun.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 6/21/2021

People! I have many movies on the “to watch” list, but as I was mentioning to friends recently, I haven’t been feeling “it.” You name it, and I’m not doing it.

I did rewatch Pieces of April the other day. This film may have been the first time I noticed Katie Holmes. I like her. She’s a pretty good actress. Patricia Clarkson, one of my all time faves stars in this film too, and she was really good, as usual. I liked it the first time and I liked it this time. It’s about the black sheep hosting her somewhat estranged family for Thanksgiving. The story is sweet and the characters are awesome. 

MK out.

Movie Monday - 6/7/2021

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams is a silly but cute parody of the real Eurovision Song Contest. The pair played a couple of musicians chosen by default (you’ll see why) to represent Iceland in the contestInterestingly, the film's opening was supposed to coincide with Eurovision Song Contest 2020 that was cancelled due to Covid-19. I liked it!

In Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always, a teen and her cousin travel to NYC to terminate an unintended pregnancy. Sydney Flanigan and Talia Ryder star. It was good.

Kodachrome tells the story of a son (Jason Sudeikis) and his estranged father (Ed Harris) who finally get together after a long time. The dad is quite ill, but wants his son to drive him to Dwayne’s Photo in Parsons, Kansas. It’s the last shop in the country that develops Kodachrome film and the dad has some rolls that he’d like to have developed. Elizabeth Olsen also stars. It was pretty good.

Binge Suggestions:

The Woman and the Dale (HBOMax)

Allen v. Farrow (HBOMax) 

Shrill - the 3rd and final season (Hulu) 

MK out.

FO Friday 5/28/2021

Part of the reason I’ve been incommunicado lately is that I’ve been a little busy the last few weeks. I made 21 things in just under three weeks:

MK out.

FO Friday - 4/30/2021

It’s finished!

I used Berroco Remix Light in purple to make Derecho, by Allison Green. I did a slight modification with the shaping instructions. I also modified the sleeves a bit. If you wanna see the details, go here. Sorry for the silly face.

MK out.

FO Friday - 4/23/2021

I am almost finished with my top that I've been knitting for over a month. Y'all - I've been busy sewing! So, no knitting FOs. I have finished watching all the films that were nominated for Academy Awards in the five top categories. 

I don't think I'm going to pick my "want to wins" this year. I just don't have the bandwidth. I will say though, I’m really impressed with the nominations this year - especially for Best Picture.

The United States vs. Billie Holiday is a biopic based on the book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs by Johann Hari. It's about Billie Holiday being targeted by the government, mostly because of her song Strange Fruit. The song is a description of some racist practices in America's southern states. Andra Day delivers a very good performance.

I only watched the Borat film because Maria Bakalova was nominated for Actress in a Supporting Role. The movie was silly overall, but it had a few funny moments. Maria did a nice job.

I loved Promising Young Woman. Carey Mulligan plays a young woman out for revenge for the rape of her best friend. It was a delicious role. Carey Mulligan was so good.  The film was quite entertaining. 

If you were confused watching The Father, then the makers succeeded in presenting how having dementia might feel to the person who has it. Olivia Coleman plays a daughter trying to find a caretaker for her father. Anthony Hopkins was phenomenal playing the title role. It was a good movie.

Ok, I lied - I think Minari should win Best Picture, even though Nomadland won the Golden Globes, the Spirit Awards, and the BAFTA - (plus more). Minari did win the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, but I think it's so good that it deserves to be crowned best overall. It's about a South Korean family who came to the US in the 1980s, chasing the American dream. The film is loosely based on the life of the writer/director Lee Isaac Chung. 

The show is this Sunday! Happy viewing! 

FO Friday - 3/6/2021

 I finished this beautiful sweater:

Pattern: Silver White Winters by Mary Annarella

Yarn: West 7th Wool Yarn Hunters Sock in Apple Seed and Madelinetosh Impression in Fatal Attraction

Comments: Mary’s patterns are always clearly written and fun to knit. West 7th is my LYS and they started dyeing their own house line in fabulous colors. It’s really nice and of course, red is my default choice. I can’t wait to wear it, but it may not be until next year.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 3/1/2021

It’s a new month, Y’all! What do you plan to accomplish this month? I’m hoping to watch tons of movies. I think I’m off to a good start.

I Care A Lot is about a woman who defrauds old people, by being named as their guardian. She gets help from an unethical physician and an unsuspecting judge. She gets more than she bargained for with her latest mark. Rosemund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Dianne Wiest, Alicia Witt and others star in this film. It was good.

Based on a true story, The Trial of the Chicago Seven covers the arrest and trial of a group of anti Vietnam War factions who came to Chicago to protest during the Democratic National Convention in 1968. Many big names star in this film, including Sasha Barron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Michael Keaton, Mark Rylance, Frank Langella and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It was very good.

Set five years after the Civil War, News of the World, features Tom Hanks as a former Confederate officer now traveling around Texas reading news stories to crowds for ten cents a person. He encounters a 10-yr-old girl who had been taken by the Kiowa Indians years prior. She is now to return to her biological aunt and uncle, and the job falls to the captain. Together, they navigate the treacherous terrain. It was really good.

Kristen Bell and Kelsey Grammer star in Like Father. Rachel is a busy, young executive who gets dumped on her wedding day. Unbeknownst to her at the time, her estranged father had come to her wedding. Later that night, he goes to her apartment to offer some moral (and liquid) support. In her drunken state, Rachel ends up asking him to join her on what would have been her honeymoon cruise. It was cute.

MK out.

Book Chat - 2/25/2021

I've decreased my reading goal for this year to 24. Fifty is very doable, but I haven't been traveling as much...

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Nora has just lost her job and her cat in the very same day. She wants to end it all, but ends up in a special library that allows one to try out different lives. Have you ever wondered about what would happen if one decision in life was changed? How would the resulting chain of events unfold? It was very good.

Heartless by William Boyd

A daughter finds out her mother is really Russian and was a British spy in World War II. Can she help her evade demons from her past? It was good.

MK out.

WIP Wednesday- 2/24/2021

I'm still not finished with this sweater:

I'm also a little stalled on this hat:

The main reason the knitting is on a back burner is because I've been sewing:

Island Baby has a market coming up.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 2/22/2021

Last week was a banner week for movie watching. Texas experienced a once-every-thirty-years ice storm, courtesy of an Arctic blast. Many people lost power and water - some still don't have it restored, even though it got up to 70 today. We were among the fortunate. I don't drive on that stuff, plus nothing was open; so, I had the chance to catch some flicks.

In the 1960s, Bill O'Neal is recruited by the FBI to gather information about Chicago's Black Panthers leader, Fred Hampton, in exchange for not being charged with car theft and impersonating an officer. Judas and the Black Messiah tells the story. Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Dominique Fishback and Jesse Plemons star in this film. The acting was great. It's based on true facts. It was very good.

Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto star in The Little Things. Washington plays a seasoned detective, dogged by a crime he could never solve, who joins forces with a young detective (Malek) on the hunt for a serial killer. Jared Leto delivers a strong performance as their number one suspect in the case. It was pretty good.

In Malcolm and Marie, Zendaya and John David Washington play a couple. He's a filmmaker and she's his girlfriend who has acted in the past. They come home after the premiere of his latest film and spend the night arguing. They take turns having a meltdown. The acting is great, but I got tired of the back and forth. The film is shot in black and white, which was kind of cool. Overall, it was alright.

After Emilia Clarke hung up her mother of dragons cape, she starred in Last Christmas, a little rom-com about a girl who works in a year-round Christmas shop. In her off hours, she attends auditions for singing jobs and she tries to get her stuff together. She meets a mysterious guy who inspires her to be better. Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and Emma Thompson also star. It was cute.

I'd been waiting for Nomadland to be released on a streaming platform for many weeks.  Frances McDormand plays Fern, a woman who has lost everything when the only real employer in her town closed. She sells off possessions to buy a van and hits the road, taking seasonal jobs when she can. She meets people in similar circumstances along the way. Some people who live this lifestyle played factionalized characters of themselves. It was really, really good.

MK out.

WIP Wednesday 2/17/2021

I’m finally on Sleeve Island with this sweater. 

It’s taking a long time because I’ve been busy sewing for the biz. I’m also doing one sleeve at a time because I’m already carrying two balls of yarn. Four would do me in.

If this sweater were finished, I could wear it during the Icecopalypse we are currently experiencing. Oh well.

MK out.

Movie Monday - 2/15/2021

Movies! And more!

One Night in Miami depicted a fictional night where Malcom X, Cassius Clay, James Brown and Sam Cooke got together. Each a legend in his field, the men examined how they could contribute to the fight for civil rights. It was good.

Pete Davidson helped write and starred in The King of States Island. Apparently, it was semi-autobiographical. Davidson plays Scott, a high school dropout, whose fireman dad died in a hotel fire when Scott was a young boy. He's now 24 and still living at home, with no real career options. His mother (played by Marisa Tomei) starts dating a fireman, and Scott doesn't like it. Y'all, it was surprisingly good. I really liked it...a lot.

I've recently binged Firefly Lane with Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke - a 10-episode Netflix original series. Best friends since they were fourteen, the episodes chronicle Kate and Tully’s adventures into adulthood. The show is adapted from the novel of the same name by Kristin Hannah. I have not read the novel, but I know the series deviates from the book somewhat. I don’t know if I will read the book. It ended on a cliffhanger. I hope the story continues. It was so good.

MK out.

Start Something Sunday - 2/14/2021

No, I’m not finished with my current sweater, but a hat pattern is calling me. (Hat for Joy on Ravelry.)

It’s the perfect day to sit inside and make.

Happy Valentine’s Day everybody!

MK out.

WIP Wednesday 2/3/2021

I’m still working on my sweater and hope to be on sleeve island soon. It’s further along than pictured:

It’s a nice pattern and I’m enjoying making it, but I don’t know when I will be able to wear it. Winter in Cowtown isn’t all that cold. Because of Covid, I won’t be making a trip to cold country this year. On the bright side, I will be ready for next year. That means I’m ahead!

MK out.

Movie Monday - 2/1/2021

Hey, hey! This week, I talk about two films with Oscar buzz and one I've been meaning to see for a little while.

In The Assistant, Julia Garner stars as a new college grad in her first job. She is an assistant to an entertainment company's mogul and witnesses a culture of sexual harassment and questionable behavior. The film documents one day in her work life. I would never want that job. Garner was excellent. The was good.

Vanessa Kirby stars as Martha, an excited expectant mother, who elects to have a home birth in Pieces of a Woman. Things go terribly wrong, and we follow how each partner deals with their grief. Ellen Burnstyn stars as Martha's mother, who is out for justice. It was really good.

The latest iteration of Emma does not disappoint. Anya Taylor-Joy plays the matchmaking title character, Emma Woodhouse. Josh O'Conner, Bill Nighy and the incomparable Miranda Hart round out my list of favorites from the cast. I loved it.

 

Limited series that I've recently binged:

Pretend It's a City - in which Fran Lebowitz shares her thoughts on living in NYC

Hollywood - a guilty pleasure - silly, naughty, campy

MK out.

 

Movie Monday - 1/25/2021

I watched a film I've been wanting to watch for a few years called Wonderstruck. There's a girl in 1927 and a boy in 1977 who each are searching for something different in their lives. The movie alternates between the two stories. Both are deaf for different reasons, and each one's footsteps follow the same path. Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams star. It was good.

Mank loosely follows Herman Mankiewicz’s journey to write the screenplay for Citizen Kane. (And he did win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.) It was entertaining. I looked up all the main players and the film gets some things out of order, but quite a bit of the stuff really happened. Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins and others starred in the movie. It was very good.

The latest sweater is moving right along.

MK out.

 

Movie Monday - 1/18/2021

I found some movie watching time last week.

In the dramedy, Let Them All Talk, a powerhouse cast (Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen and Dianne Wiest) was assembled to tell the story of three friends trying to reconnect since their last physical meeting of many years prior. Apparently, much of the dialogue was improvised by the actors and it was dang good. Streep plays an acclaimed author traveling to England to receive an award. She brings along her two longtime friends and her nephew. They take the Queen Mary 2, as she won’t fly. It was cute.

Dreamland is set in Depression-era Texas. The teenaged step-son of a police deputy craves adventure. He sets out to help find a bank robber rumored to be in the area. What he thinks he finds is his ticket to Mexico, the place from which he received the only communication from his biological father after the man abandoned him and his family. Margot Robbie, Travis Fimmel, Finn Cole, Garrett Hedlund, Kerry Condon and Darby Camp star in this film. It was pretty good.

In the psychological thriller, Greta, a young waitress finds a handbag on the subway and returns it to the owner. The two become friendly and things go well, until they don't.  Isabelle Huppert, Chloë Grace Moretz, Maika Monroe, Cole Feore, and Stephen Rae are the actors in this film and all do a great job in their roles. It was good.

Hopefully, more next week...

MK out.