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May 26, 2006
Memorial Day Weekend!
Sure, parades and picnics are fun, and goodness knows no one loves a good time like a Desketeer. However, we wanted our Cirque de Cinema pick to reflect the true meaning of the holiday.
Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868 when flowers were placed on the graves of both Northern and Southern graves at Arlington National. The first state to recognize it as a holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890, all Northern states recognized it but, the South waited until after World War I when the holiday was then changed to one which honored all veteran dead instead of just Civil War dead.
Our movie this week is The Longest Day. This classic from 1962 has a stellar cast which includes John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and Robert Mitchum. The tale of the Normandy invasion is told from all the view points of all the participants. This film is truly a classic.
Thanks to all our Vets and Happy Weekend!
Happy weekend!
Posted by JenniferD at 01:33 PM
May 18, 2006
Cirque de Cinema ponders the following question....
Has there ever been a re-make that was as good as or better than the original?
This one just stumped us, because frankly, most re-makes are about as appealing to us as yesterday's dishwater.
But being Desketeers with inquiring minds we were able to come up with one!
This week's Cirque de Cinema pick is Ocean's Eleven remade in 2001 with a cast that includes George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. Based on the Rat Pack classic from 1960, this comedy uses amazing technology and an equally amazing cast to re-tell the story.
Also, the new cast doesn't have the hung-over dissolution of the original.
Happy Weekend!
Posted by JenniferD at 02:49 PM | Comments (4)
May 11, 2006
It's time for the Mother's Day pick for Cirque De Cinema!
And what else could it be but the 1981 camp classic "Mommie Dearest"?
By now the stories of wire hangers and Bon Ami are legendary, but it is worth another peek. Faye Dunaway gives an over the top portrayal of Joan Crawford who will do anything to stay on top of the Hollywood heap. Including using her adopted children Christina and Christopher as publicity.
My favorite Mommie Moment? It's hard to pick they are all so great but I really do think it has to be the Board Room scene after the death of her husband. Those poor guys had no idea what was comin' down the pike at them!
Happy Mother's Day and Happy Weekend!
Posted by JenniferD at 09:56 AM | Comments (1)
May 04, 2006
Pour me a Cuervo, Pedro! It's Cinco de Mayo!
But first a name change.
There has been some discussion about what to call our movie pick of the week. Should it be Video of the Week? No. Because sometimes it is a DVD and even though I still call CDs "albums" we don't want to confuse. Movie of the Week sounds too much like the free ones offered by the library on Friday nights and we don't want to misrepresent anything.
So, after much deliberation our movie pick of the week will now be known as Cirque de Cinema!
Ok now that that is out of the way, our Cirque de Cinema pick of the week is "Like Water For Chocolate".
Tita, the youngest of three daughters has been relegated to a life of cooking and caring for her aging mother. When she falls in love with a young man, her mother refuses to let her marry. So Tita re-directs her passion into her cooking with interesting results for those who are lucky or perhaps unlucky enough to share her table.
Happy Weekend!
Posted by JenniferD at 11:19 AM
May 02, 2006
"Gardening is, by its very nature, an expression of the triumph of optimism over experience."
When not gardening myself this weekend, I had my nose stuck in "The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden.
William Alexander, along with his wife and two children become the owners of "Big Brown House" somewhere in the Hudson Valley. His dream is a simple one: a kitchen garden with an orchard. Thus begins a parade of characters, that include Superchuck, the groundhog with amazing super powers, a gardener whose resemblance to Christopher Walken is down-right spooky, and Bridget the Garden Architect with the perfect teeth.
Alexander perfectly captures the joys and disappointments of gardening and life as well. This is a fun read and not just for gardeners.
Posted by JenniferD at 10:25 AM