I Had An Accident Yesterday, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!! But Not Related To Incontinence! Oh, No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              Girls, it was not enough that we had an earthquake.  As David said yesterday, "What is next? Locusts?"

                                 Honey child had a point.  Because yesterday, while I was out doing errands--some minor food shopping, picking up medications, and dropping books I was not keeping at our local Little Free Library-- something unexpected happened.

                                    I was walking down Ovington Avenue, preparing to go back to our apartment on Ridge Blvd.  Some workers were creating a new sidewalk section, so I had to walk around it.  No problem.  But when I stepped on the curb to go up onto where I could walk, my right foot stopped, and before I could stop it, hands extended, I knew I was in for a fall.  I landed hard on the sidewalk, and stayed there, in a state of shock, unsure what to do next.  I cried out and moaned, but do you think anyone came to help?  No!!!!!!!!!!!  I mean, what happened to compassion??????????????

                                     I debated about calling 911.  But the way I fell, my head did not hit the pavement, thank God.  I was in pain, and not sure if I could move.  I turned to the side, braced myself, and, like Scarlett, pulled myself up.  I could walk, but my palms, and knees were covered in painful, bloody abrasions.  And my left hand was sore.  I can bend it back, but it hurts to do so.

                                      I got home, washed the wounds, and applied antiseptic.  The pain was excruciating.  I took Tylenol, but I am telling you, I needed something stronger.  Like a couple of Sea Breezes.  I was not sure if I would sleep last night, because every time I turned--Ouch!  But I eventually fell asleep and was compensated by pleasant dreams.

                                         But, girls, I ask you what is next?  I can tell you.  Tomorrow we are supposed to go to a screening of "Gone With The Wind," for its 85th Anniversary.  I love seeing it on the big screen.   I expect to have eggs thrown at us and calls of "Racist!" flung at us by protesters, as we go into the theater simply to see a classic film.

                                            And now we are faced with an eclipse.  Well, I have no intention of even participating in it.  I am going to stay in here, and write furiously, or watch TV.  I have had enough!

                                           Are we approaching the Apocalypse?  Because if we are, I have to go shopping at Balenciaga!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

                                            I have to look my best, for the Second Coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             

We Just Had An Earthquake, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                         As soon as I post this, it is wash and go, and I am taking Baby Gojira with me.  At 10;23 this morning, I was sitting here, watching some You Tube stuff, when I felt this shake.  At first, I thought it was the wind, and a tree would come flying in, because we have had some windy days lately.  But then I saw there was no wind; the trees were still.  Then the shaking became greater, and I knew it was an earthquake.  I sat in my chair, stunned.  Nothing was damaged, and it lasted twenty seconds, but it seemed longer.

                        I thought of this sequence--thank God, we didn't live it--from the 1936 MGM film, "San Francisco," which recreates the famous 1906 quake.

                          Its center was at White Horse, NJ, and the scale was 4.8., large for this area.

                           I will keep you informed, girls.  I will post later if I am able.

                           Take care, everyone!

                           

We LOVE Nurse Maggie Lockwood On "Chicago Med!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                         Now, girls, I don't watch the show currently, or have not since the beginning.  I cannot tell you if Marlynne Barrett is still playing Maggie or not.  I have become acquainted with her, and the cast of "Chicago Med," via highlights I often watch on You Tube, and let me tell you, Maggie is a fierce advocate.  I wish more hospitals had a Maggie.

                           My favorite was when a pathological woman hater went on a shooting rampage, injuring April Sexton (Yaya Da Costa) and felling Monique Lawson (Casey Tutton) and Doris (Lorena Diaz).  It is discovered the shooter, named Dennis Mitchell (Ben Lorenz) had been a patient at Gaffney Emergency Center, (named for Mo Gaffney?) being treated for an infection following some plastic surgery he underwent, which he thought would up his game with women.

                             Back then, Monique was his nurse, and asked for a male replacement, because Mitchell made a pass at her, insisting they go out.  Because of this, Monique blames herself for what happened to April in the present time.

                              It is Maggie to the rescue. I love how she throws open a consultation room door, filled with doctors, and says "Out!"  Darlings, those doctors jump so fast you would think they were in the Olympics!  Maggie clearly runs the show at Gaffney, and it is a joy to see Barrett play her.

                                Both she and April talk the friendless Monique out of her depression, insisting they stand by her as colleagues and friends.

                                Maggie steals every scene she is in.  When she says "Baghdad!" to Dr. Charles, (Oliver Platt) Dr, Manning, (Torrey DeVitto) or anyone, she means business!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Maggie is one reason I tune in to these segments.  That, and picking up some great medical terminology, in addition to what I learned from my mother and sister, who were Registered Nurses!

                                     Maggie is the best.  She serves as an inspiration to others!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"The Holdovers" Does Not Hold Up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            Until Cillian Murphy won the Best Actor Oscar for "Oppenheimer," Paul Giamatti was clearly the front runner for the award.  While Dominic Sessa in the Supporting Actor category was being hailed as the greatest film find since, well, since Jennifer Jones, whom I watched yesterday, with the annual screening of "The Song Of Bernadette."

                               Indeed, such a fuss had been made over this film, I just had to see it.  Especially when one of my most astute film friends raved about, saying how it was such a tearjerker, and she cried in certain parts.  Now, girls, as you know, I love a good tearjerker.  But this was not it.

                                  "The Holdovers" benefits from beautiful location shots, and an atmosphere that captures not only academia, but the loneliness of being left behind at holiday time when others have gone home or on other travels.  It is a competently made film, well-acted, written and directed, but does it break any new ground?  Not at all.  With some omissions, this story could have easily been filmed in the late Thirties, with Spencer Tracy and Freddie Bartholomew, with either George Cukor, Victor Fleming, or Sam Wood directing.  There is nothing new here.  Maybe the prostitute scene, which is awfully funny, and the actress playing the role, Melissa McMeeken, has the choicest bit in the entire film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   As for Da 'Vine Joy Randolph, she was fine, but where was Octavia Spencer???????

                                     Alexander Payne and Giamatti have not done anything major since "Sideways," and that was 20 years ago.  Too bad they did not come up with something more original.  Sure, the reveals are touching, and the final scene, with the camera on Giamatti, is straight out of 1939's "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," but how is one supposed to feel?  He is not dying; rather, he was treated unfairly and is going on to an unknown chapter.  I get it, but it was not enough to shed tears over.

                                        The actors playing the Tully parents--Tate Donovan and Gillian Vigman--are the true villains of the piece, engineering the somewhat poignant/tragic ending to the story.  They are no better than the Murdstones in "David Copperfield," and I would not be surprised if the couple were based on this famous literary sibling team.

                                            Which is the central problem.  There are so many familiar tropes in "The Holdovers," it is amazing to me it was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.  What the hell was original about it?

                                              But make up your own minds, darlings!  Those on here know I love heart felt stories--though I refuse EVER to see "Bambi" again!!!!!!!!!--but something was lacking in this film.

                                              "The Holdovers" held my interest, to a point.  But it did not blow me away.

                                                 So few films these days do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Poor Things" Is Quite A Switch, From.......Anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              When David and I watched "Poor Things" several Wednesdays ago, we did not know what to expect.  For myself, I can say my reaction was identical to last year's viewing of "Everything, Everywhere All At Once."  At the end of the film we realized we had loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                So it went with "Poor Things." Let me start by saying I was as surprised as anyone when Emma Stone won the Oscar.  No, I had not seen the film at that point, but I had seen enough of Emma Stone to know I don't like her.  She is too quirky for the parts she has done in the past, and her award for "La La Land" was undeserved, because her dancing was so insecure, I could tell she was wondering throughout if she was getting each step right.

                                  That was then, this is now.  With "Poor Things" I can understand how Emma Stone won her second Oscar.  She finally has a role that fits her quirkiness, so much so I cannot imagine anyone other than she playing the role of Bella Baxter.

                                    I really do not want to spoil the story for viewers, so let me say that it has a "Frankenstein" component, which Stone masters superbly, aided and abetted by her creator played brilliantly by the brilliant Willem Dafoe.  She then runs off with a scoundrel, played by Mark Ruffalo, who introduces her to the world.

                                    But the world of "Poor Things, " created by Holly Waddington's costumes and Shona Heath's and James Price's production design makes the world a Technicolor unreality, as Bella emerges from a child, to, frankly, a nymphomaniac.  The costumes and sets of this film outdo anything I have seen in years, and how director Yorgos Lanthimos brings together elements that could result in a contrived story, but do not is remarkable.  The result is a film so arrestingly visual, with performances to match that the viewer can hardly keep one's eye from the screen.

                                      What an ironic title is "Poor Things," darlings.  For it turns out to be an abundance of riches.

                                           Quirky?  Yes, but don't miss it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"The Werewolf," From 1956, Is Campy, But At Heart It Is A Heartbreaking Film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 Who could have known????????????????

                                  Several weeks ago, before I had my thyroid/ anxiety attack, I was posting on campy horror films I never got a chance to see, and which Svengoolie never shows.  Before getting to this film, let me tell you, I think I have found "Curcuru Beast Of The Amazon, and I look forward to sharing that with you all.

                                    Duncan Marshall wanders mysteriously into a town, confused and worried that something is wrong with him.  Then murders start happening, attributed to a werewolf.  Now, this movie plays fast and loose with the myth--ie; the full moon--because some scenes take place in daylight.  There is a reason for that.

                                      Duncan was a businessman, traveling with colleagues several towns over, when he was in a car accident.  The other two died, but Duncan survived, only to be found by a mad scientist and his assistant, who use a serum to revert man to a primitive state, thus turning Duncan into a werewolf.  And he has no idea why this is happening.

                                         If this sounds familiar, it is because the makers of 1957's "Mark Of The Vampire," which I posted on here last month, seem to have borrowed the plot of this film, but minus the heartbreak.

                                          Duncan's wife, Helen, and son, Chris, find him, and discover what is happening.  There is an especially sad scene where, in his prison cell, they all embrace for the last time, as all know he will eventually become the werewolf, and get killed, which does happen.  I cried real tears over this!  Imagine, a fifth-rate cheapie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               And that is not all that was borrowed for this film.  Columbia made it, and I swear they borrowed the same make-up used on Matt Willis as Andreas Obry, thirteen years before, in "The Return Of The Vampire."  If you don't believe me, take a look at Andreas--

                          Here is Matt Willis as Andreas.  Note the similarities in make-up????????????????

                           "The Werewolf" is disappointing, but its sad family story gives it some substance.  The whole family are victims of scientific predators.  Who get their comeuppance by being killed by what they have created!  Good riddance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             See this on an afternoon with nothing else to do.  It is more engaging than rote Solitaire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome, April!!!!!!!!!!!! May We All Look As Doris In This Poster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         Now, girls, this film was made before Doris Day became a virgin.  That's right, because she did not become a virgin until she made "Pillow Talk," in 1959, with Rock Hudson!  Imagine if we could just become a virgin like Doris.  Hmm..........Consider the possibilities.

                                           T. S. Eliot said April was the cruelest month, and honey child had a point.  At least as far as our family is concerned.  Because there are several death anniversaries starting with the most painful of all, my mother's, which is tomorrow.  Painful because it was my mother, and because I was a young, emotionally immature 24, who was not ready for the world, but was thrust into it, by this event.  Sure, I have come a long way, but I have never forgotten the three-and-a-half years that followed.  Which is how long it took to get over my mother's death.  So, maybe it is a good thing that I have a lab appointment tomorrow.

                                           But really, girls, I want this April to be gay and carefree, just like Doris, pictured above.  A pretty dress and a sexy twirl can do wonders!

                                             Don't let it have you crashing to the floor, though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!