Barbie, Wonka, and Holdovers

What do they all have in common? Barbie, Wonka, and Holdovers are all one name movies. They were also really bad movies. My husband and I are always in the minority. Whenever everyone likes a movie - or it is hyped to be absolutely wonderful and in the top ten of the year - we hate it. And when we really like a movie, it gets little attention. Perhaps it’s because we just prefer British actors and British films and series. When we went to visit our family over Christmas we thought it would be nice to see Barbie because of all of the hype. I loved Barbie and had several of them - including a car that I trained my parakeet to ride on the steering wheel. But the movie was just awful. Then we went to an actual theater to see Wonka. We haven’t been to a theater since before the pandemic. The atmosphere was most annoying, the quality of the film was terrible and almost grainy compared to TV watching these days. Neither my husband nor I are in to Willy Wonka - so it meant little to us. I think our kids and twenty year old grandson connected to it for sentimental reasons. They actually met Gene Wilder and there is a photo of our grandson sitting on his lap. At least there were a couple of heartfelt moments. When we returned home we thought we should see the Holdovers last night with Paul Giamatti. We like him, and this was another movie that got so much hype. We even got a subscription to Peacock rather than pay to rent it. And for the third time we just didn’t get the noise around this film. It was just terrible and predictable - and long. So I don’t think we will be going to another theater in the near future. It’s really disappointing because we love movies and they are a big part of our lives. We have come to the conclusion that it must be us. 

CNN Golden Age Movies and John Wayne

We really tried to watch the CNN special about the movies. But it just wasn’t done very well. What could have been a great review of motion pictures turned in to a boring mess. In spite of that I really wanted to watch the segment about the golden age. Of course there was a segment about John Wayne. I think we saw every movie he ever made. One of my colleagues from the Midwest does a great walking imitation of John Wayne. Every time I see a mention of John Wayne on TV I take a photo and send it to him - just so he knows we are thinking about him. This time was no exception - except this time a movie was sent via text of the famous saunter. Immediately I always get a response. It’s funny the things that remind us of our friends and colleagues and it’s a good excuse to send a note. We have kept in touch since we moved thirteen years ago to DC. We also had a Beavis and Butthead connection but that’s a longer story. (Photos are taken from the CNN special.)

Three Billboards at Regal Cinema in Alexandria

It was an ugly, cold, rainy day yesterday. We decided to go to the movies - something we have done only once in the twelve years since we moved to DC. That’s a far cry from the almost every weekend movie going in the Midwest - mainly to the Oriental Theater to see independent films. For whatever reason we just stopped going - probably because it’s so much more convenient to sit on the couch in front of our big LG TV screen. I don’t need a crowd to enjoy the movie experience, although my husband has a different perspective. So we went to regal cinema in Alexandria. It looked the same as most movie theaters did all those years ago. We didn’t buy tickets beforehand as we weren’t expecting huge crowds or long lines. If it was something we did routinely, I definitely would. After passing by by the concession stand we walked to screen 12. We were the only two people there - so much for having a “movie experience.” After awhile a few more people wandered in - maybe 15 at the most. There were so many ads and previews it seemed like eternity waiting for the show to start. So we watched Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Neither one of us was impressed. Everything seemed so stale and ancient. I suppose it was something to do on a cold and rainy afternoon. But the way I see it would be better to just buy the movie on tv for $15 rather than spend $22 at the matinee - or wait a while long ne’er and rent it for $6. I’d like to preserve my nostalgic memories of going to the movies when it was the only option!

Novels in to Films Program by Mike Canning

It's been a while since we last went to a program at the Library of Congress. We were on an extended road trip and I received an email about upcoming events while traveling. This one looked interesting on a topic that both my husband and I like - just about anything to do with movies. And we just so happened to see a film about the life of Mary Pickford this week, and the event was to be presented in the Pickford Theater on the floor of the library where I worked for ten years. After lunch we walked over to see "Novels in to Films" by Mike Canning, who is a film critic and writes for the Hill Rag, among other things. The venue was filled by the time the event started, and the speaker was entertaining. He showed clips of movies and the difference between reading about the novel and watching it on the big screen. Several of the books he discussed are in the new exhibit in the Jefferson building about "America Reads." Of course, my husband has read and seen just about all, if not all, of the material he discussed; I, on the other hand, saw two of the films and hadn't read any of the books. By the end, we both enjoyed the presentation, and the subject matter. There will be another event in November keeping with the theme of novels and movies. This one will be about the Great Gatsby. We are looking forward to it.

El Rancho Hotel in Gallop New Mexico

There were several signs along the way reminding us we had to stop by and see the El Rancho Hotel on Route 66 in Gallop New Mexico. So many of my favorite movie stars from days gone by stayed there during filming. It actually was everything we thought it would be. It was very dark and very western! Along the walls of the second floor was a gallery of sorts with signed photographs of just about anyone you ever heard of. We didn't spend but ten minutes walking about. It was well worth the stop! 

A. Scott Berg - Samuel Goldwyn - From Books to Movies - at the Library of Congress National Book Festival

My friend and past colleague sent me a picture of Tom Brokaw from the Library of Congress National Book Festival yesterday afternoon. She always volunteers to be event staff ever since I've known her. The event moved to the convention center from the Mall a couple years ago, and we didn't think we would go this year because we do prefer the mall, but weren't very enthusiastic for whatever reason. It used to be a two day event, but it is now one long day. So I checked the schedule on line and remembered there was an interesting program around 8 PM. So around 7:15 we jumped in the car and drove down to the convention center. Believe it or not we parked right across the street - paid parking ended at 6:30. We walked across the street, picked up our 2015 Book Festival bag, and took the escalator up to the third floor ballroom where there was already a long line snaking around the corner. Sometimes the last minute plans are the best. We so enjoyed the program that A. Scott Berg presented! He told the story of Samuel Goldwyn and Hollywood, sharing clips of some of our favorite movies and actors - like Gary Cooper and Bette Davis. He's written several biographies and spent some time telling us about his interactions with Katherine Hepburn over several years. It's amazing the number of notable people he knew or interviewed. The next segment about books to movies was completely de energizing, so we left. We rather liked attending the festival in the evening rather than during the day with all the hoopla and kids events. It was definitely a change of pace, and well worth the trip - especially if you like old movies!