Book Club

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Friday Filter: My DVR Listings

Hello my name is Stephanie, and I am a T.V. addict.

Seriously.

I have a problem.

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I watch A LOT of T.V. When I look at this I wonder how we have a life outside of it, but we do I promise.

Here is my daily line up and some quick thoughts about the current season so far.

Sundays

  • Once Upon a Time- This is one of my favorite shows, and the first few episodes haven’t disappointed me. I am loving the fact that Emma and Hook are finally getting their chance. Has anyone else noticed though that while everyone else in Storybrooke wears clothes of today except Hook? He is still wearing his pirate get up while everyone else changes. Anyway, I love the creativity and how they layer all the fairy tales.
  • Walking Dead-I couldn’t watch half of the season premiere because it was too gory. I am glad that the group is back together. But where is Beth? Carol is whooping up on folks. Love seeing a strong female lead, but she can be scary at her determination to save her troupe. I have heard through interviews that this season is absurd, and they are almost to the point that they couldn’t air the content because it was so ridiculous. Even though it is gory, I am SUCKED IN. Also I don’t think the dude with the “cure” is going to live.

Mondays

  • Dancing with the Stars- I don’t know how they do it, but every year they seem to get more competitive. I feel that this group is pretty even with the contestants right now, well except Michael and Chong. I go back and forth on how I feel about Juliane being a permanant judge. She isn’t as bad as I thought, but I still am not sure about the change. I think it also screws Bruno over a lot because they run out of time before they get to his critiques. I am rooting for Alfonso! I also like Janelle, Lea, Jonathan, and Bethany. I have dreams that this blog goes viral so that I could be a star and be asked to be Derek’s partner like Bethany’s video blog status. A girl can dream right?
  • Castle- MY FAVORITE! It will be interesting to see how this memory loss unfolds. I have no guesses. But that is why I love this show. The mystery keeps me coming back, as does the humor and wit.
  • Jane the Virgin- To be honest, I only started watching this because the female lead was a guest on Ellen, and I fell in love with her. It is pretty charming.

Tuesdays

  • Awkward- Still stupid high school drama. Really I am there to see Tamara and her crazy fast talking. I just love her. It is a 20 minute show of ridiculousness, and I love it. It will be interesting to see if they choose to go past this season since they are all seniors. Rarely does a high school based theme carry over to college. (Can anyone say Glee train wreck?)
  • Forever- This is a new show this year. It is a mystery show which is no wonder why I like it. The main character however cannot die. He works at the NYC morgue to study death and hopefully find out why he has immortality. All while solving cases with the NYPD. Perfect. I enjoy this twist, and I am interested to see how he keeps his secret. Although is there a cop based drama that is not in NYC?
  • New Girl-While I am sad that Nick and Jess are no longer together, I understand why it had to happen. You don’t want to jump the shark to soon with the highlighted relationships. Winston is my favorite character though. I just can’t get enough of him!
  • About a Boy- Another 30 minute comedy that I love. I think the boy is a genius. He steals the show every week. The things that he and his mother (Minnie Driver) do are beyond ridiculous but so fun. This show will have you laughing the whole time!

Wednesdays

  • Nashville- I love this drama, plus it is fun living right up the road from Nashville. It is really odd though when the news comes on right after. Sometimes I forget that it isn’t the show. I am a Rayna and Deacon fan, so I am going to be really upset if this wedding with Luke goes through. I am loving that Derek Hough is guest starring in some episodes along side Hayden’s character. Also you can totally tell that she is pregnant in real life.

Thursdays

  • The Biggest Loser- This is a great reality show. I think it is great to give these people another chance and some focus to get their life back on the healthy track. They really do get results. There isn’t a whole lot of drama between the contestants which is nice. I hate when they have that. This Comeback Canyon with Bob is genius too! I love the twist it provides to the show. Also, I want Jen to be my trainer. She is gorgeous!
  • Grey’s Anatomy- I am over this show. I am only staying with it because I have watched from the first season. I mean really, Meredith has another unknown sibling?
  • Scandal- I am still on the fence of how I feel about this show this season. It is kind of all over the place. I am team Jake though. Olivia needs to stay away from Fitz. With the Gladiators all over DC now, it has definitely made things interesting. My only hesitation is because the story lines are so nuts sometimes.
  • How to Get Away With Murder- I have no idea what is going on half the time with this show, which is why I watch it every week. That and Dean from Harry Potter being one of the main characters. A lot of mystery shows follow the cops, so I like that this is following law students. It definitely adds another layer to the story which is fun to watch. Plus who doesn’t love the firecracker of Viola Davis?
  • Parenthood- I cannot believe this is the last season! I love the family emphasis on this show. Why some of the things are definitely over done for ratings, for the most part they keep things fairly realistic in the emotion department. I love the cast too; the acting is spot on. I don’ t think there is an episode that I haven’t cried though.
  • Bones- I started watching this show on Netflix this summer, and it is possibly one of my favorite shows now. I LOVE Temperance. Her relationship with Sealy is just the bee’s knees. This is another murder mystery show, go figure that I like it. I love the twist of following the science and anthropology behind each case. And it is a funny show, and smart. I am guaranteed a laugh each episode. I am still in shock at the loss of Sweets. I bawled when I realized he was really gone, but I am happy that he (John Francis Daley) is pursuing another dream of his. If you aren’t watching this, you should be.

Every Day

  • Ellen- Full of laughs every day. Hopefully someday I can be on her show. I entered every military/pregnant contest last year…

Not On Right Now

  • Bachelor- I am so excited Chris is the Bachelor. Whoop whoop Iowa love!
  • Switched at Birth- It will be interesting to see how they do the college storyline. And maybe they will mention something about the Royals!
  • Pretty Little Liars- I don’t trust Ally.
  • Chasing Life- This is a cute little show about a woman in her twenties who gets cancer and how she and her family deal with it. I don’t think cancer is cute, btw, but this show is. But that is to be expected for ABCFamily.
  • Hart of Dixie- I need some Southernness in my life! And I still believe that Zoe needs to be with Wade.
  • So You Think You Can Dance- I loved that Ricky won this last season!

Do you watch this much TV? Do we watch the same shows? Any other shows that you think are great?

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Friday Filter: Movies Recently

I am still trying to take advantage of our cable package especially since going to the movies is something of the past and far future right now. We have been able to get through quite a few since George has been born.

There isn’t much else you can do during 8 feedings a day…

Plus it’s nice to have a pantry of snacks and being able to pause to go to the bathroom.

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Enjoy my quick thoughts.

1. Zero Dark Thirty– This film is based on the missions to find Osama Bin Laden after the attacks on September 11th. It is a harrowing depiction of the man hunt and is not for the faint of heart. We really enjoyed the movie and felt that they did a good job with what is known about the events. I believe this was also a breakout role for Jessica Chastain. She did justice to the main character. Definitely a must watch!

2. The Normal Heart– This was a made for TV movie. It was so good. I laughed and I cried. I felt anger and disappointment. This movie is a play adaptation starring Mark Ruffalo (love him) who is a playing a gay activist in the early 1980s. It tells the story of the rise of the HIV/AIDS crisis specifically in New York. Ruffalo’s character starts an advocacy group to try to get better medical care and attention to this issue. It shows how quickly things escalated with the disease and spread, and how so many were trying to understand why no one (in power positions) cared about all those that were dying. This was an era where being gay was widely viewed as a sickness in itself. This was a heart-wrenching movie. One because it shows how far we have come as far as acceptance and advocacy goes, but also saddening to see some of the issues that are still around today as if nothing changed. Another must watch! (There are a lot of big name actors in this too! Julia Roberts, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons…)

3. The Internship– This was a kitchy comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. The two friends lost their jobs and embark on a journey to be the new interns at Google. The whole film follows their antics to keep up in the Google world. It had some funny moments, but it was not the best movie. I felt like they were trying to use the mojo of Wedding Crashers, but they missed the mark. I love them both and I am glad I watched it, but I won’t watch it again.

4. American Hustle– This movie got so much hype last year. It had a high billed cast:  Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, and Christian Bale. It was about two con artist who were used by the FBI to run a sting operation to bring corrupt politicians down. As I said, this movie got a lot of hype and award nods. The acting was good, and the design was good. However, I just couldn’t get into it. I just don’t see what was so great about the movie. So I am probably alone on not appreciating this movie…

5. Monsters University– This movie was adorable. It is the prequel to Monsters Inc. It tells the story of how Mike and Sulley met in college. It is unbelievable what they can do with computer animation now. UNREAL. You don’t have to be a kid to watch this. Great fun watch.

6. Veronica Mars- I loved the TV show Veronica Mars. I was so excited to hear that they were making a movie from the Kickstarter campaign. Who doesn’t love a little Kristen Bell action? Anyway, this movie is set a few years after the series finale. Veronica comes back to her hometown to help her old beau free his name. It was just as good as the series-quippy mystery solvers. Just delightful. I also loved the cameo appearance of Dax (Bell’s husband).

7. Brave– This is another Pixar film that was cute. I enjoyed the turn that the main character isn’t so much a damsel in distress as many movies were as I was growing up. Merida defies family traditions, but in doing so she enacted a curse on her mother. The movie follows Merida’s transformation and realization about family love. I am kind of excited having a kid just for the sake of having a reason to watch kids movies again.

8. Frozen– I know I am way behind the Frozen craze, but I finally got there. Another cute kid’s movie. While I think it was good, there is still a lot of room for growth to beat out Beauty and the Beast. Also I watched it with my niece who knows all the words. ALL THE WORDS. The movie is about two sisters who had grown apart due to ice magic and how they come back to each other. Olaf, the snowman really steals the show. I am really glad that I watched this before Once Upon A Time came on so I knew the plot line.

9. The Heat– Um talk about a dynamic duo Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCartney! This comedy was about an FBI agent who is working with a local police officer to bring down a drug lord. They are both stuck in their ways but they are forced to work together by their higher ups. They were a great pairing. I may be biased though because Sandra is my favorite actress so there is rarely something of hers that I don’t like. I loved it for pure comedic relief.

10. Lee Daniels’ The Butler-This film is a historical drama. It follows a White House butler through several administrations. Throughout it you see how segregation changes and the impact and evolution of the civil rights movement. I really enjoyed this movie. It was smart and fascinating to watch. I enjoyed the historical context, and the screenplay was great. There are a lot of big name people in this one too. I highly recommend this one!

11. Argo– This was Ben Affleck’s breakout film into directing. He really hit the mark on this one. This film is about the rescue mission of six diplomats during the Iran hostage crises in 1979-1981. The CIA mission was to use a fake film to be a guise to get these ix people out of Tehran under the radar during a time when people were being captured for knowing an American. This was a really good film, and rightly so since it won Best Picture at the Oscars. It did raise some similarities for me to what is going on in Iraq now as far as the direst. I think we often live under a rock as Americans and have no idea how bad things are in other nations. This is also another high recommend!

Friday Filters offer a review that are my own opinions. I was not contacted by anyone associated with these works or compensated for my review. My review has not been influenced by anything other than my love for entertainment and art.

Have you seen any of these movies? Do you share my views or did you feel something different?

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Friday Filter: A Year in the Blue

I was given access to this documentary as compensation for my review. All the thoughts are my own.

I was contacted by Passion River Films to take a look at a new documentary they have available.

“A Year in the Blue” is a film following a few cadets during their first year at the Air Force Academy in Colorado.

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When I was told documentary, I was pretty much sold. When I saw that it was related to the military, I definitely knew I would find it interesting.

This film portrays the difficulties and triumphs of entering the Air Force Academy. It runs you briefly through the obstacles that each person must face to enter among the ranks in this particular branch.

They show you pieces of basic, when they choose their majors, how invested they are in their studies, and why being part of the Air Force is important to them. You witnessed struggles they faced as they were tested. You were able to experience the emotional toll that occurred throughout the process. You saw how pride and passion carried them through it all.

I liked being able to see glimpses of traditions at the school from the Ring Dance to the sporting events. I found this interesting to see on the film after hearing some of these events from my friend, Janelle’s, perspective of watching her husband go through these very things.

What I liked most about the film was the interview structure. They would show group interaction, but then they would interview individuals so you got to actually hear their emotions and see their reactions first hand. They also interviewed alumni, which I thought was a pretty neat way to show continuity and longevity of the lessons learned and the take away from the program. Most of you know that I love a good personal story!

Since most of my “military” experience is with the Army, I enjoyed learning more about the Air Force. They do things WAY different than the Army. I think what I found to be most intriguing about the film was being able to compare it to what I have seen in the Army and how vastly different the experiences are, but ultimately that these men and women are in it for the same reasons that Army folk are.

I really do appreciate all that our Armed Forces do, no matter what their training and experiences look like. Each branch has their own way of doing things, but they all give a lot of themselves and their families as a sacrifice to our nation.

I would highly recommend this film. It is an easy watch and gives you some great insight!

If you would like to view the film, it is now available for public viewing. There are a few ways you can get a hold of it. You can purchase the documentary on the public website at www.passionriver.com and various retail stores like Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or CD Universe.

Have you ever visited the Air Force Academy in Colorado?

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Friday Filter: A Tribute To Robin Williams

Robin Williams was a huge player in my childhood. He played roles in movies that my brother and I would watch on repeat.

This week millions of us were saddened by his death. It is tragic that a man that brought smiles to so many was suffering so much.

It brings to mind that you never really know the trials that a person faces so always be kind.

To honor his life, I thought I would just share my favorite movies in his vast repertoire.

Robin Williams movies

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He was the voice of Genie in the Aladdin series. This was a house favorite, and we knew all the words. Never had a friend like me.

He made me wonder if any of our board games would come alive when watching Jumanji. What would it be like to live amongst wild animals?

In Dead Poets Society, he inspired me in my teaching endeavors. Every day is another day to come alive and be something.

We all need to remember to have a child like spirit and enjoy life as he learned in Hook. And who doesn’t love screaming “RUFIOOOO?”

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My all time favorites are Mrs. Doubtfire and Patch Adams.

I don’t think I really have words to express how I love these movies.

Mrs. Doubtfire came out when I was in elementary school, and I felt like I could relate so much since my parents were divorced. His antics in the movie were like a hug and always brought a smile to my face. My favorite scene has got to be the cake face mask.

Patch Adams is a fantastic film also showing me how laughter and positivity can do wonders for the soul. My favorite scene is when he makes himself into a clown using medical equipment for the kids.

The way that he acted reached deep inside our hearts. He was brilliant. His flare is something that cannot be matched.

I am sad that he couldn’t be healed by the laughter, and I hope that his family finds peace at this time.

What were your favorite Robin Williams films? Do we share any?

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Friday Filter: Movies Recently

First of all thank you to everyone for the kind words yesterday (and in days past). As I look to our future, it is very comforting to have all that support around us!

Anyhoo, Tom and I have been trying to make the most of our cable package so we have been recording a lot of movies instead of going out to them.

These are just some quick thoughts on the films we watched so far.

1. We’re the Millers– This comedy stars Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis. It follows this eclectic group who try smuggling drugs across the border disguised as a loving family in an RV. They are not actual family; they all just happened to need something from each other when the idea was posed by Jason’s character. The whole movie is a slew of comedy stints and raunchy jokes. For what it was it wasn’t a bad movie. It was funny, but I probably won’t take the time to watch it again.

2. Captain Phillips– This is a film that is based on true events. Tom Hanks portrays Captain Phillips who commanded a cargo ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates. This movie was gripping from the first few seconds. The acting was spot on. They showed the way the crew worked together to provide distractions until military help was able to respond. It showed the immense courage that Captain Phillips had to keep the pirates from completing their mission. This was a great film, and both Tom and I enjoyed it. It deserved the Oscar nods it received, although I am surprised Tom Hanks didn’t at least get a nomination for Best Actor.

3. Gravity– This was another Oscar buzz film. This one starred Sandra Bullock (who is my favorite actress). Sandy was an astronaut who was the lone survivor of a disaster in space where their shuttle was destroyed. It went through all the emotions she went through as she accepted her fate and how she was going to possibly re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. There is a definite reason that this film was awarded the Oscar for Cinematography, Directing, Sound Mixing, and Sound Editing, and Film Editing. Some of the moments were just crushing as we waited for the next movement. Absolutely breathtaking. I will say that for me it resembled the movie Cast Away just a little bit.

4. Schindler’s List– I have never sat down and watched this film until now. I know, I know, and I call myself a history major. This film tells the story of Oskar Schindler and how he helped save the lives of thousands of Jews during WWII. He started out as a business man intent on creating his success via “slave” labor. He started seeing that as he was profiting people were dying. So he decided to do something about it and used his business sense as a weapon to save some lives. This film is a masterpiece. It was carefully constructed to depict the harsh realities of the Holocaust. It is very harrowing. It is a must see for everyone. It’s no wonder it won 7 Academy Awards of the 12 that it was nominated for (including Best Picture).

I have also been making my way through the Harry Potter franchise again. I only have the last one to re-watch. Say hello to my Saturday! So good!

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Have you seen any of these movies?

Friday Filters offer a review that are my own opinions. I was not contacted by anyone associated with these works or compensated for my review. My review has not been influenced by anything other than my love for entertainment and art.