Movies, Mom & Me

1. Who's watched:  G
2. Mentions:  none
3. Commentary:  I almost forgot about entering this DVD because its more or less permanent place is right by the DVD player. MFS sent this to me maybe two months ago, so, it's one of those post-Mom DVDs. I'm not sure whether she thought it was time for me to laugh, again, but that's what this DVD accomplished. I've watched it three times since she sent it. I've watched ALL the special features on this disc. I've looked up his show, Important Things (which is right now in repeat, but I still watch it, I need to be reminded of his attitude) on cable. I've watched episodes of that. This is one of my favorite types of humor: Droll, bizarre, outrageously unassuming, ridiculous...I LOVE this guy's take on the world, which, by the way, extends to his website (which is also VERY unassuming...there's almost nothing there and he appears white on white...hilarious in itself. His "music", his drawing, his skits, love 'em. This is one of the kinds of humor with which I was raised in my family. Watching Demetri Marin feels like coming home. And Laughing.

Labels: comedy, satire

# posted by gail @ 07:18    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  I don't care why critics think it's a great movie...I just love it. Every single moment of it; especially the dancing and singing in the rain and the dance sequences with Reynolds, Kelly and O'Connor. LOVE watching O'Connor and Kelly together. They both looked like they just "[Had]'ta Dance"! Mom loved this movie, too. The only reason we didn't own it before last year is that it showed on TCM so much that it seemed as though we didn't need to own it...until I ran across a copy of it on the cheap and decided it was time. Also, I consider this movie film art because of the way dance was translated to the screen.

Labels: comedy, dance, film-art, musical, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 16:08    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  none
3. Commentary:  This was one of the last Christmas movies we purchased before Mom's death. I'd often wanted a copy of it because Mom had fond, though vague, memories of it. The version we purchased included the black-and-white and color editions. Although there are several b&w movies I'd refuse to watch in color, It's a Wonderful Life, for instance, or High Noon (yee gads, what a horrible idea, High Noon in color), the usual Tracy/Hepburn movies, Miracle on 34th Street (the original one), I have to say, I like this one in color better than the b&w version, although, in it's favor, that's the version we watched first. I gave Mom a choice and she chose color first. This edition contains a special feature which documents the colorization process. Once I understood how it's done, the idea didn't seem quite so disgusting. But, I still want my Now, Voyager in black & white.

Labels: Christmas, comedy, dance, musical, romance

# posted by gail @ 15:15    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  none
3. Commentary:  This collection includes: Free and Easy; Spite Marriage; The Cameraman. Mom actually got bored with these movies during the first one we watched; I'm not sure which one that was. I however, was blown away by Buster Keaton and didn't much care whether or not I liked any of the stories (I didn't particularly care for the story behind Spite Marriage); I was much too engaged by Keaton's look and technique. I'd have to say, though, if pushed, that my favorite is The Cameraman. Although I'm not usually a fan of silent film parody, watching the romance in this movie reminded me of some of the silly incidents that boys in our neighborhood displayed when they were smitten with one or another of us sisters or our girlfriends.

Labels: collection, comedy, silent

# posted by gail @ 10:48    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  This is not my favorite movie of the series but Mom seems to like it more than the original, so I purchased a copy for our Christmas sub-collection. I think what she likes is the focus on Mrs. Clause. If it had been possible, she probably would have married Santa Claus, back when she was a fertile, marriage-inclined woman.

Labels: Christmas, comedy, fantasy, kids, mom-favorite

# posted by gail @ 12:15    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  We first saw this some years ago. Both of us were charmed by it, so it has become one of those movies that I search for on television every year around Christmas time. I finally decided, this year, it was time to add it to our collection.

Labels: Christmas, comedy, fantasy, kids, mom-favorite

# posted by gail @ 12:09    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  This is yet another one of those movies that I expected would have been mentioned several times in the journals, since, for years, every time I notice it on TV I cue it for both of us. Although I've gotten to the place with it that I pay attention to maybe about a third of it, the rest has gotten a bit tiresome for me, Mom remains riveted to it every time it plays. Aside from it being one of her beloved gender bender movies, she loves the story and is quite fond of the relationship between the father and the kids. I've been trying to find a decent widescreen DVD copy of it for ages. Finally, this fall, one was released and I snapped it up. It arrived about a week before this review is being published. Mom has watched it twice, with rapt attention, since it arrived. This was definitely a must have for our collection.

Labels: comedy, gender-bender, mom-favorite

# posted by gail @ 12:01    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  I think Mom considers this a type of gender bender movie. It's one of her favorites, one of those that, when ever it played on television previous to us buying it, I'd cue it, knowing that Mom would love it, yet again. I like it. There are certain scenes, in this movie, like the dance direction scene, the initial diva-trauma scene and the reminscing dance scene between Val's mother and father that I never get tired of watching. I saw the original La Cage aux folles many, many years ago, enjoyed that movie, and have no problem with the existence of both, although I tend to consider them different movies. For some reason, though, certain scenes in this movie grate on me and, when Mom wants to watch it, I find it a good time to catch up on chores or my journals.

Labels: comedy, gender-bender, mom-favorite

# posted by gail @ 13:13    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  Although the story is pleasant enough and I enjoy the romantic comedy no matter how many times I see it, this movie is a hallmark for me because I lived in Seattle when it was being filmed, saw it during its first run in Seattle and watch it more for its ability to transport me back to Seattle than anything else. Mom enjoys the story.

Labels: comedy, me-favorite, romance

# posted by gail @ 16:57    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Mom surprised herself by liking this film. Now maybe I can work up the courage to try Annie Hall on her.

Labels: comedy, romance

# posted by gail @ 02:32    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
3. Commentary:  This is one of both of our's long time favorites. Even with the series at hand, if we're channel surfing and discover an episode we watch it. We will definitely be collecting all the seasons, even the much maligned (and much deserving of being maligned) last season.

Labels: comedy, satire, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 02:27    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
3. Commentary:  All time favorite for both of us. Right up there with My Best Friend's Wedding.

Labels: comedy, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 02:23    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  Mom has to be in the right mood for this movie. Watching the movie always puts me in the right mood. Penny Marshall is a sentimental genius.

Labels: comedy, fantasy

# posted by gail @ 02:16    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  We both adore this movie. I've rented it a couple of times, so finally decided it was time to buy it. Mom has an attraction to movies about people who aren't prepared to handle babies but have to, anyway. I like Diane Keaton.

Labels: comedy, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 02:14    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  This show has "an incident" to recommend it: See the one "Mention". I have to admit, there is something addictive about this show. And, despite the active argument in which several critics are indulging, this show wasn't so innocent as all that. It still isn't. I'm pissed that they recorded a new cover of the theme. I miss the brightness of the old arrangement and the final chord.
     We'll probably collect more of this show's seasons.

Labels: buddy, comedy, mom-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 07:20    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  I have fond memories of Mom and me watching this movie. Mom does not. That's okay, though. Despite her lack of time acuity, she has a peculiar ability to grasp this movie and delight in it's circularity. But, she never remembers seeing it. Which, I suppose, is a plus.

Labels: comedy, fantasy, mystery

# posted by gail @ 22:56    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  When we are in the mood to be perfectly delighted, we watch this movie. I've even gone out of my way to rent it when I think we need a shot of what it offers. It worked for us last night when we watched it.

Labels: buddy, comedy, romance, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 10:36    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2* *3*
3. Commentary:  We are hypnotized by this series, as well. I know; we should get out, more. But, what a way to go.

Labels: comedy, kids, shared-favorite, TV

# posted by gail @ 02:00    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  Watching this movie is pure delight for my mother. Although she appreciates children's or 'family' musicals, considers them, "very nice", her preference is for adult musicals. Recently, when we were watching a Broadway retrospective on PBS, she mentioned, while "Sweeney Todd" was being reviewed, that she thought she'd "enjoy that one".
       My mother is a big fan of cross dressing and love/gender complications in movies. Add Julie Andrews, Robert Preston and James Garner and my mother will buy a ring side seat.

Labels: comedy, gender-bender, mom-favorite, musical, period

# posted by gail @ 01:53    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  Both my mother and I tend to forget, between watchings of these movies, how riveting they are. Typically, we watch one of these movies when we want to watch something and have absolutely no idea what we want to watch. It's hard to pick a favorite; these are four of Chaplin's greatest, but juging from her reaction, I think Mom's favorite is probably Modern Times, she loves the man-in-the-cogs scene and never fails to say, "I wonder how they did that?!?", and mine is The Great Dictator, for too many reasons to mention.

Labels: collection, comedy, satire, shared-favorite, silent

# posted by gail @ 20:31    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is the least played of the three Hepburn/Tracy movies we have, but this is not to say it is not well played.
     This movie is a part of the Tracy/Hepburn Collection.

Labels: collection, comedy, mom-favorite, romance, tracy-hepburn

# posted by gail @ 19:08    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G, not as often as you might think.
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  We've only owned this movie since this last holiday season and only watched it once, I think. I am oddly attracted to it. I think my mother is, too. I think, unlike It's a Wonderful Life, which we are apt to watch in the middle of the summer, this will remain a holiday movie.

Labels: Christmas, comedy, mom-favorite

# posted by gail @ 15:02    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G, many times
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  Okay, I don't know whether to be ashamed or not to say that I not only love this movie, I am in love with it. It has the ability to both soothe and encourage me. So, we watch it a lot. I know my mother enjoys it and sticks with it every time. I don't know if she has the same kind of gut reactions to it that I do. Fairly recently, toward the end of the holiday season, I watched this movie on dvd in the evening with Mom then turned right around and watched the entire movie again on cable. My mother did not stay up for the cable viewing.

Labels: Christmas, comedy, me-favorite, romance

# posted by gail @ 15:00    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is one of my favorite romantic comedies. There isn't anything about it I don't like. When I purchased the movie, though, for some reason I thought my mother wouldn't like it, so I planned my first "owned" viewing while she napped. She awoke and joined me during the scene in which "the big French Oaf" assents to play an original composition on the piano for dinner guests he's just met. After the scene she asked if we could start the movie again.
       I remember once, after watching the movie, Mom said, "Isn't it interesting how such a bad ending can make you feel so good?!?"
       I remember responding that, yeah, I'd never thought about it but, at the end of this story, you have absolute confidence that their love triumphed, and will continue to triumph.
       At one other watching, Mom sat back satisfied at the end and said, "I remember seeing that movie when I was teaching. It came out about the time those Hepburn/Tracy movies came out."
       In case you're wondering, I did not disavow her of this notion. It is a great compliment to this movie that my mother considers it in the same category as the Hepburn/Tracy romantic comedies.

Labels: comedy, romance, shared-favorite, weir

# posted by gail @ 08:31    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is a recent purchase. I'd seen it before, my mother had not. I had a hunch, when I saw it on sale, that my mother would like it and enjoy seeing it more than once. We've only seen it once but I think I'm right. We may not watch it as much as Love Actually, which is more entertaining each time one sees it and is in the same vein. I think, having seen this one twice, it isn't, especially when Love Actually is handy.

Labels: comedy, romance

# posted by gail @ 23:16    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  None
3. Commentary:  This is one (of the many) that Mom never has any recollection of watching, yet we watch it a lot, usually during a cold, stormy afternoon/evening binge of this movie and The American President, of which she has a somewhat better memory. She likes feeling hopeful about what's best in the U.S., so do I, and both of these movies help, while the love stories provide comedy relief.
       As a footnote, may I add that I am a West Wing freak; my mother is not, but she tolerates me. No, we have not bought any collections of West Wing episodes [11/2/08: I was given the entire series for Christmas a few years ago by a friend of mine; see first link above]. I have forbidden myself to do so. When, for instance, would I watch them? I watch little enough of what we have, and then, usually, only peripherally, now. It's been a hard lesson to learn that if only I like it, my indulgences in it will be few and far between. I'm okay with this; it's just been a hard learning.

Labels: comedy, political, presidential, shared-favorite

# posted by gail @ 23:13    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1*
3. Commentary:  Although we haven't watched this in awhile, we've watched it more than once. It is one I know will keep Mom occupied from beginning to end when she doesn't want to do anything else but wants to remain awake, I'm able to share in movie moments with her, since the movie has a far number of satisfying moments, and this is important. It is, for my mother, primarily a "woman's movie" in the old tradition: Women sharing the deep secrets of womanhood; comedy and triumph at the expense of the men, who are clueless; in the end, the men are proud of their women but remain clueless, the women are proud of themselves and remain a closed society to the men, and the children, if there are any, remain clueless but promising. A film of old and treasured sensitibilities.

Labels: comedy, mom-favorite

# posted by gail @ 23:11    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched:  M & G
2. Mentions:  *1* *2*
3. Commentary:  I think Mom goes into deep revereie over this movie. Over the first few weeks after we purchased and first watched it, she watched this movie very frequently. I think I've memorized quite a bit of it. She likes the older version with Myrna Loy and Yours, Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda, too, as much if not more than the others, because Lucille Ball becomes a Navy wife, which my mother was, for awhile. I can never remember a time when my mother hasn't said, "I would have loved to have a dozen kids. We would have, if we could have afforded them."
       Forgive my momentary reverie, but, isn't it interesting that in a rich country people wonder if they can afford to have lots of children, whereas in a poor country people wonder if they can afford not to have lots of kids.

Labels: comedy, mom-favorite

# posted by gail @ 23:10    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched: Was recently given to me as a gift by someone who thought I'd love it; finally watched over a year after we received it
2. Mentions: None
3. Commentary: I trust the person's judgment who gave it to me, but I haven't yet seen it. I'm trying to watch it alone and prepare myself before I spring it on Mom. Update: We both finally watched this movie when we had nothing better to do one rainy Sunday afternoon. I think I enjoyed it more than Mom, I was charmed, but she stayed with it, despite the French-with-English-subtitles, and smiled broadly at many of the inventions. It's become one of my favorites. I love the fable atmosphere, the cartoon-like directing and filming, the inventiveness of the character, and especially love that the characterizations are not nearly as simple as one would expect from a broadly drawn canvas. On my second watching, a few days after our first watching, I paid no attention to the subtitles and simply let myself float with the screen. Absolutely magical.

Labels: comedy, dream, me-favorite

# posted by gail @ 09:36    0 comments    email......this post

1. Who's watched: M & G
2. Mentions: *1*
3. Commentary: One of our all time favorites. "Hel-lo Amanda..." need I sing more?
     This movie is a part of the Tracy/Hepburn Collection.

Labels: collection, comedy, shared-favorite, tracy-hepburn

# posted by gail @ 09:34    0 comments    email......this post