days of nuwanda

Did you know?

...that Jacob refers to Chris Brown's song "Forever" as the wedding song? and it's his fave song?

...when I talk to myself, it's usually in a British accent?

...that MGD 64 is actually pretty good for 64 calories?

...that toasted pumpkin seeds are a good snack? Hubby soaked them in salt water and then roasted them slowly on Sunday, and I like them way more than I thought I would. Yum!

...that a lightsaber is your best defense against a dragon? Just ask Jacob. I got a 30-minute speech on it over dinner the other night. The boy could be an attorney, the way he goes on and on explaining and proving his points. His arguments are usually quite logical, which obviously comes from his mother's side of the genetic code.

...that my new fave actor is Laurence Fox from Masterpiece Mystery's Inspector Lewis series? He has been in several period pieces as well, including Becoming Jane (which surprised me by being fairly good). He has this great, memorable voice, and is up there with Ciaran Hinds for me.

...that the Cranberries are back together for a 2009-10 tour? Dolores O'Riordan has a new album out, and it's so-so.

Goats!

I know nothing about this movie, other than I almost fell over laughing when I saw the preview on tv last night. Where is my old friend Eric when I need him? GOATS!

More movie reviews

I took Hubby to see the new Star Trek movie a few weeks ago (on our anniversary getaway weekend). He's the trekkie, so he was more critical of the movie (most notably, the timeline which they really changed from the original story) BUT for someone like me who took it as a stand-alone movie, it was really good! Surprisingly good! I recommend it. The guy who plays Sylar on Heroes is very good in his role as Spock. I'm guessing there will be sequels.

We also watched Journey to the Center of the Earth last weekend w/ the kids, and I knew it would be ridiculous and I would have to suspend reality big time (just like all Brendan Frasier movies) but this one was just DUMB. The acting was cheesy, and there were several goofs in the story. Brendan was really good in the first Mummy movie, but pretty much everything else is such a stretch for me, I cannot enjoy it. Now the kids, on the other hand, LOVED the movie, and perhaps they are more able to accept the cheesy factor. So it's a pretty fair kids movie, minus the few references to "millions of years ago dinosaurs did this and that."

And I was devastated to find out that a couple of my readers did not care for Australia after I recommended it, but I've forgiven you and moved on! HA! Movies are definitely about personal taste, and I guess we can't agree on everything. I had a conversation w/ a friend the other day about how I can quote half of What About Bob?...and she scowled and said, "I never could stand that movie. It's so dumb!" Oh well, another friend crossed off the list, separated by a movie. :)

So readers, what is your fave movie of all time? Leave a comment...or two or three. It's hard to name just one, isn't it?

Good movies

If you haven't seen the movie Australia, I recommend that you rent it! It was a wee bit longer than I typically like (over 2 1/2 hours), but it was worth it. An excellent story. Sappy but not too sappy, full of action, and believable characters. I'm ready to watch it again. Very, very good!

I also recently watched Mrs. Brown, a story of depressed Queen Victoria after her husband died and her friendship w/ a man who changed her life. Very interesting. Mel, have you seen this? I love Judi Dench in any role, and this is a good one.

How will original Trekkies take to the new Star Trek movie?

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

#4 coming soon!

To get you psyched for the newest Indiana Jones movie--the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull--here's an art piece by Jacob. I think it's an exceptional likeness, don't you? And this from the kid who's never seen the movies, isn't really sure who Indiana Jones really he is, and only knows of him from movie previews and commercials for the Wii Lego Indiana Jones game. It's funny how little boys are drawn to characters just by the fact that they carry a gun, wear a cool hat and look like a hero--something engrained in their genes. Oh son, we have so much to teach you!!! And wait--he also carries a whip and people eat monkey brains and there are gigantic BUGS!!! Perhaps in a couple years you'll be ready to watch the movies. Ok, not the pulling-the-guy's-heart-out-of-his-chest-scene for a few years beyond that. For now we eagerly anticipate the Lego game, coming in June!

P.S. Mel & Lisa, do you remember us watching Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom and my Dad coming up behind us and scaring us/tickling us during the gigantic bug scene??? I still get the creepy-crawlies thinking about it! lol!

Best movie ending ever *updated*

I've probably said this before, but if you haven't seen the movie North & South, you simply MUST stop whatever you are doing this moment and go out and rent it...no, just go out and BUY it! It's that good. (Now just to avoid any confusion, this is the 2004 BBC film based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell about the social divide in England, NOT the American Civil War story w/ the same name.) My sister gave it to me for my birthday last year, and I watch it every couple of months. This week I watched it b/c I was feeling sappy while Hubby was out of town, and it did not disappoint to both make me cry and thrill me. I have concluded that this movie has THE BEST ENDING of any movie in all of time! I watch it over and over. You have to see it to understand the chemistry. Mr. Thonrton goes to Helston to find Margaret, and she goes to Milton to find him, and they miss each other...until they meet at the train station. And wow, the looks exchanged between them, the way his face softens when he sees her ("You'll never guess where I've been." or did he say, "You might guess where I've been"??? I can't tell!!!), the way he says, "Coming home w/ me?" and then the kiss. It's quite a long kiss for a period drama, but come on, you know we all wanted more kissing in Pride & Prejudice!!! :)

***Jacob just came into my office and said, "You're not watching that again, are you?" heehee, it's just so good.

My pc saga

Sorry no pictures of my munchkins this week. I am having more pc problems, which is an unending tale for me this year. Hubby rebuilt mine a few weeks ago, and things were ok for a while, but it was a temporary fix w/ a slower system that kept getting bogged down. So then he swapped and gave me his pc (which he never uses since he got his new totally awesome work laptop) and suddenly it too is locking up. And when I say locking up, I mean it took 20 minutes to open a program. 20 minutes! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? It has to be me. It must be my desk and my aura on my side of the office that is messing up everything electronic. There is no other explanation. So here I am on my old pc at hubby's desk (I'm afraid to sit at my own desk now), w/o access to any of my old files yet (Hubby has been traveling some this week and hasn't had time to restore them) blogging and checking email. And now guess what? My camera is acting up! I take pics but when I upload them, they disappear. I don't know if it's a USB cable problem or a camera problem or just a ME problem. So no pics to share. Only boring words. :)

The good news is that my work schedule has not been demanding, and I haven't needed my pc to be on the ball for anything time-sensitive or critical. If it takes 5 minutes to open a spreadsheet, that's ok; I've got 5 minutes. :) I've also had more time to play w/ the kids and w/ our neighbor kids who have dropped by several times. I've had real crochet time too, which is nice. If this electronic hiatus continues, you might see my entire family in crocheted sweaters, caps, socks...heck, everything! Mel and Lisa, what color doilies would you like? Or what about the doily-collars w/ pearls Mrs. Jenkins used to make for everyone (and Mom made us wear!)? Send me your requests! :)

Fortunately my tv is still working, and this weekend when I was home w/ pinkeye-Grace, I watched another BBC movie, Daniel Deronda. It was a neat story of identity and love and was very different from other period pieces like this. It ends much as you would expect, but the journey is worth it. I enjoyed it and recommend it.

The Lakehouse

If you haven't seen the movie The Lakehouse, you are truly missing out on a wonderful romance. My friend and my sis both recommended it, but I was skeptical. Romances are not my thing. So for me to say it was worth watching is really saying something. I usually cringe my way thru sappy movies, but this is different.

The storyline is a bit insane, and for the first few minutes, my brain was rattled, and I kept yelling, "That's impossible!" (I have issues w/ belief suspension!) And quite frankly, this movie made me M.A.D. Beccause it was difficult to get, difficult to imagine how it could end well, difficult just to watch! But as the story unfolds, you start to get it and you're sucked into this strange world of the impossible romance. And when it ends, when your eyes are filled w/ tears, it's all worth it. Keanu Reeves & Sandra Bullock are both outstanding. And I'm dying to watch it again! This one gets a 5 out of 5, 2 thumbs up, and whatever other good ratings I could give. Kudos to filmakers who make truly unique movies that stick w/ you long after the movie is over. It's rare anymore.

Lady in the Water

Hubby and I saw this movie last night (an early birthday present for him), and I recommend it but only if you liked M. Night Shyamalan's other movies (Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village). His movies are just not for everyone. And this one is the weirdest of all his movies, so you have to have that Shyamalan appetite to get into it. This guy is definitely a genuis storyteller. You remember his movies long after you leave the theatre, whether you liked it or not. And usually you want to see it again to be sure you captured it all, b/c you can't get everything the first time. I did like Lady in the Water--it was just very odd and again, not what I expected. If you're a fan, you know Shyamalan casts himself in small roles in each of his films, but this time he surprised us w/ a prominent role.

And Paul Giamatti, who I've seen in small roles in several movies, was a great lead. Outstanding performance from him. Either Shyamalan is a great director who pulls great performances out of his actors, OR he just knows how to select the perfect actor for perfect roles.