Farewell Tony Curtis, film legend.

My mother used to say the name "Tony Curtis" with a dreamy look in her eye. Today we say goodbye to a film legend, the most notable of his movies being "Some Like It Hot" which very well may have been one of the inspirations behind the unmemorable TV sitcom, "Bosom Buddies."  Sure, Curtis and Lemmon needed some makeup tips from RuPaul but it remains a true classic and it was the first movie I thought of when I heard the news this morning. Tony Curtis was married 6 times, most notably to Janet Leigh with whom he had daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis, and was linked romantically to Natalie Wood and Marilyn Monroe. Not only will he be remembered for his films but also for a very colorful life
He wrote two Autobiograpies American Prince: A Memoir and Tony Curtis: The Autobiography  and made about 100 films. His penchant for comedy and his not for the prudish autobiographies will cement his place in Hollywood and in pop culture.

	Beachhead	2005
Reflections of Evil	2002
The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man	1999
Play It to the Bone	1999
Star Games	1998
Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball	1997
Not with My Wife, You Don't!	1996
The Immortals	1995
The Mummy Lives	1995
Naked in New York	1994
Center of the Web	1992
Christmas in Connecticut	1992
Hollywood Babylon	1992
Prime Target	1991
Lobster Man From Mars	1990
Midnight	1989
The Last of Philip Banter	1986
Mafia Princess	1986
Club Life	1985
Insignificance	1985
Brainwaves	1982
Sex on the Run	1981
Title Shot	1981
Little Miss Marker	1980
The Mirror Crack'd	1980
The Amorous Mis-Adventures of Casanova	1978
The Bad News Bears Go to Japan	1978
The Manitou	1978
Sextette	1978
Vegas	1978
The Last Tycoon	1977
Lepke	1975
The Count of Monte Cristo	1974
Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?	1970
Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies	1969
The Boston Strangler	1968
Arrivederci, Baby!	1966
Boeing Boeing	1965
The Great Race	1965
Paris When It Sizzles	1964
Sex and the Single Girl	1964
40 Pounds of Trouble	1963
Captain Newman, M.D.	1963
The List of Adrian Messenger	1963
Taras Bulba	1962
The Great Impostor	1961
Spartacus	1960
Operation Petticoat	1959
Some Like It Hot	1959
The Defiant Ones	1958
Kings Go Forth	1958
The Perfect Furlough	1958
The Vikings	1958
Sweet Smell of Success	1957
Trapeze	1956
Black Shield of Falworth	1954
Houdini	1953
Son of Ali Baba	1952
Francis the Talking Mule	1950
Winchester '73	1950
Johnny Stool Pigeon	1949

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Banned Book Week: Sept 25-Oct 2

According to the American Library Association "Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment.  Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States."

Some of the books on the banned book list will surprise you and some may not. I am an enthusiastic believer in the first amendment and find even the political correct movement to be a direct violation of the right of the individual to express themselves. As a child, I often heard the phrase, "sticks and stones may break your bones but names will never hurt you." I do not agree with this assessment. To command the language is power as illustrated by the differences in courts of law between speech and "Hate" speech. George Orwell in his book Nineteen Eighty-Four , illustrates this with "Newspeak," a language that eliminates articles such as "The" or "and" but also any word that offends or evokes emotions. Below is a list of ten of the most challenged books of the decade of 2000-2009.

Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7)

The Chocolate War (Readers Circle)
Of Mice and Men
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
The Catcher in the Rye
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
To Kill a Mockingbird (slipcased edition)
The Kite Runner
Junie B. Jones's First Boxed Set Ever! (Books 1-4)
A Wrinkle in Time

The full list is located here
Celebrate banned book week by indulging in forbidden fruit and celebrating the right to free speech.

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Gone Baby Gone: Ben Afflecks pre "The Town" directorial debut

Right now, I am reading a classic: Sophie's Choice (Modern Library)
and a modern novel: The Memory Keeper's Daughter: A Novel
Thoughts on those when I finish.

Ben Affleck's movie, "The Town," has received critical raves. His directorial debut, "Gone Baby Gone," is little known but well reviewed and worth a look. The setting for the scene is Boston, a locale Affleck seems to know well and it stars his younger brother, Casey, as officer Patrick Kenzie who reluctantly takes on investigating the disappearance of a 4 year old girl, Amanda, from her apartment. Michelle Monaghan plays Patrick's partner, Angie. If there are any weak spots in this film, it lies with the underdeveloped, not sure what the point of this character is, presence of his partner. Amanda's mother, Helene, played by Amy Ryan, is an alcoholic and drug addict, whose priorities do not lie with her child but cries on cue when in the midst of cameras. The wonderful, Morgan Freeman, plays Captain Jack Doyle, the man that is overseeing the investigation who takes a particular interest in finding the child after experiencing the loss of his own. I had often chosen movies to see based solely on the Morgan Freeman test. If he's in it, it's probably a pretty good movie. Though he has chosen a few clunkers, "Glory", "Million Dollar Baby" and the eerie "Seven" were superb and he is top rate in this film too. The winding path to the truth takes us to the underbelly and ugliness underlying the landscape, characters that will sicken you, and contains a few twists, wrong turns and red herrings but when the truth is revealed, it will be discussed and debated as the concepts of right and wrong are muddled and fall in the shades of gray. Before attending the movie "The Town," see "Gone Baby Gone."

The story is based on a novel by "Mystic River" writer, David Lahane. "Gone Baby Gone" and other David Lahane works available below or in my stores:
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A Fish Called Wanda: Yes, this is an old movie but TIMELESS!

It was 1988. I was a college student and was dating a Monty Python fan, no..fanatic! Whereas, I found Python funny, I was not as enamored with it as he was and when asked to go see "A Fish Called Wanda", I did so kicking and screaming. I was never so happy to be proved wrong. This was the first movie where I literally saw movie patrons fall out of their seats buckling with laughter, myself included. I believe this was also the first movie that I ever saw where I spent so much time laughing, I never finished even half my popcorn. Now that is a true testament.
After a bank robbery gone bad leads to the arrest of George, the main perpetrator, the surrounding characters, Wanda (Jamie Lee Curtis), Otto (Kevin Kline) and Ken (Michael Palin), connive and back stab each other to make off with the loot. Archie Leach (John Cleese), is George's barrister. Wanda uses herself as bait to seduce Archie into revealing where George stashed the loot before his arrest. Embedded in this seemingly simple plot are perfectly timed jokes, well woven subplots, unforgettable characters and great performances most notably by Kevin Kline who really demonstrates how brilliantly adept he is as an actor. After proving himself in Sophie's Choice in a dramatic role, he is also absolutely superb in a comedic one. In these dark, economic times, dusting off "A Fish Called Wanda" will brighten your day. Classic in any sense of the word and enthusiastically recommended.


You can purchase "A Fish Called Wanda" at my DVD store or a the link below!

Oprah Book Club Selection : Fall on Your Knees by Anne-marie MacDonald

I'll preface by saying that this is not the kind of book I would have ever chosen for myself to read. I bought a box of books recommended by the Oprah Book Club and read them slowly. "Fall on Your Knees" is not a book for a casual day on the beach. It is not light reading and it is not for those looking for happy endings. The book chronicles the life of a family: James Piper and his four daughters, Kathleen, Frances, Mercedes and Lily. Once one acclimates to the writing style, short, precise, carefully chosen words that refuse to reveal too much, this book is as difficult to read as it is difficult to put down. The location is Cape Briton, Nova Scotia. James, after having married a child Lebanese bride, is suddenly father to Kathleen, red haired and firey with the voice of an angel who is ultimately sent to school in New York, comes home pregnant and dies giving birth to twins. Frances, the firebrand, who defies traditional rules, defies her father with her every breath. Mercedes, the devout Catholic, sweeps her family's dysfunction under the rug and protects the family secrets. Lily, the innocent daughter of Kathleen, is adopted as the fourth sister to hide Kathleen's shame, and ultimately seeks redemption and uncovers the truth, a truth that will not be revealed until  the very end. There is everything in this book, sex, rock and roll, Jazz, lies, truth, anger, love, forbidden love, passion, repression, bliss, hate, disappointment, and ultimately forgiveness.
I loved this book and would recommend it to seasoned readers and those who love books that defy convention, tackle forbidden subjects and can handle a rather uncomfortable reading experience. The themes of secrets and burial run throughout the novel but underneath these themes run the themes of redemption and truth and the concept of family and the complex relationships that run within them. Each sisters place is well defined within the family and though the sisters are as different as night and day, the thread that ties them together is never severed
Fall On Your Knees (Oprah's Book Club)




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Lady Gaga, the VMA 2010 awards, MP3's available from the winners..

I've never known quite what to think about Lady Gaga. As a middle aged woman who was a child of the 70's and grew up on Rock n' Roll, I guess I just don't "get it." As a Rock n' Roll enthusiast who suffered through Madonna, Lady Gaga seems to me to no more than a repeat, a mulligan of Madonnas over the top-ness through the 80's and early 90's. Articles mention Gaga, I'm guessing this is not her real name, graduated from NYU with a degree in Art and that her shows are a real live display of some perverted idea of Andy Warhol, emphasizing exaggerated sexuality and violence, complete with a new version of Madonna's pointed boob dress that created it's own mega twitter. It's hard to dispute that part of Lady Gaga's appeal is that we wonder how far she can go, how unexpected can she be. It's not a bad marketing plan actually. This middle aged Rock n' Roll fan will admit she has some talent as an entertainer but I'm not so sure her "Alejandro" video is true art and if it is, it's art I have censored my six year old from watching. It did not stop her from donning her meat dress and winning big at the VMA's this past weekend so I'm featuring today, the singles and the artists that won this weekend. And while PETA beats on Lady Gaga, you can still enjoy her music. Me, I'm happy as a musical ludite.

Remember my portals for books and DVD's. Thank you for looking !
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Stand up to cancer !

Tonight "Stand up to Cancer" will be broadcast on most major networks.  Last year, Stand up to Cancer raised over 750 million for cancer research, the lions share going to breast, prostate and colon cancer research. While we have made such great strides towards eliminating some forms, we are seriously lacking in funding others and some of us with cancer have no treatment options at all. I have Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor, a form of Sarcoma that accounts for only 100 diagnosis yearly. My treatments have all been experimental. As this cancer is so rare, no one saw a need to develop a treatment. MPNST and other forms of Sarcoma are considered Childhood Cancers as they attack the soft tissues and bones primarily in children and young adults. 20% of all Childhood Cancer diagnosis are Sarcomas, yet last year Stand Up to Cancer gave literally nothing to researching childhood cancers. This year, 46 mommas have banded together to plead for the case to fund childhood cancer. I know of and know personally 1/4 of these women. They have shaved their heads for St. Baldricks Foundation and have traveled many miles to be at "Stand UP to Cancer" this year so that they can bring awareness and present the case to fund research for Sarcoma and all the other childhood cancers that result in the deaths of 3000 children yearly. 5000 of the 10,000 patients diagnosed with any form of Sarcoma will die. If the cancer recurs, there is no second line of defense. I wish them well and if you're watching "Stand up to Cancer" tonight, keep an eye out for these phenomenal women and ask yourself "What if it were my child?" 46 mommas for the 46 children diagnosed daily....

 

Halloween!

Sadly, Summer is leaving us and it's time to start thinking about Fall and decorating for one of the favorite kid holidays, Halloween. Though I'm not one to dress up and ornately decorate the house in spiderwebs and witches, I do love a good ghost story, preferably true ones and I love the barrage of movies that highlight the paranormal that come out this time of the year. I will contend that "The Exorcist" is the most horrifying movie I have ever seen. I watched the edited version on TV when I was 12 and I didn't sleep for 3 nights. 5 years later, I read the book and my imagination, being extremely powerful...All I can say is, do not read "The Exorcist" while babysitting on a dark and stormy night.   Below is just a sampling of the Halloween books, DVD's and decorations available, without the scary price.  Search the large inventory for Halloween costumes as well. As always, thank you for looking! Your business is greatly appreciated. Remember September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I support Pediatric Cancer research and will donate a portion of all sales to stamp out pediatric cancer. Gold Ribbons for the kids!

Remember September...

Gold ribbons for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Every year, 12,500 children are diagnosed with a form of childhood cancer. Sarcoma, the form of cancer I have, accounts for 20% of all childhood cancer diagnosis. The parents and families affected by cancer have their worlds turned upside down, spend days, even months in the hospital watching one of the people they love the most suffer through seemingly endless treatments, pain, and frustrations that most people will never see. Please check out these childhood cancer items. I support childhood cancer research.  A donation to pediatric cancer research will be made for all merchandise sold this month in my stores.

"Children with cancer are like candles in the wind who accept the possibility that they are in danger of being extinguished by a gust of wind from nowhere and yet, they flicker and dance to remain alive, their brilliance challenges the darkness and dazzles those of us who watch their light."

Get your Harry On!

With the first part of Deathly Hallows scheduled to be released around Thanksgiving, there is still time to watch all the movies........


or read the books.

Toy Story 3 will be released November 2. This movie would make a GREAT Christmas gift. Pre-order on regular DVD and Blu-Ray.

EVERYTHING Twilight

In all honesty, Twilight is not my favorite. In the battle between "Team Harry Potter" and "Team Bella Swann," I'm squarely in the Potter camp.  But, my daughter LOVES it. As I live with a snotty teenage girl, reading about one didn't give me hours of enjoyment but as "Twilight" was the only book she ever read without me having to force her to....here it is. All products below can be ordered by clicking the item as it appears in the slide show. Books and DVD's can be bought individually in my stores. :)

Reader recommended...

Of course I haven't read any of these but I am reading something at the moment in my spare time which is nil. These are current (as opposed to classic) books that have been recommended by friends and family members. Enjoy!

Despicable Me, Toy Story 3, and How to Train Your Dragon... OH MY!

In a year when Hollywood seems to be lacking creativity, spark, decent writing and interesting characters, we find a few gems good for the whole the family. Despicable Me, though not groundbreaking, held the interest of my ADHD child. This is NO easy feat as I've given her numerous admonishments in the past for being a king size pest in a theater. Yet, she SAT through this and  laughed. As a mom who has failed at numerous ventures to keep my child occupied, I was well pleased. The movie chronicles the foibles of the villian Gru who wants to steal the moon and wow the world with a not to be outdone heist of a life time. He designs a shrink ray and attempts to build a rocket but is unable to obtain funding from the Bank of Evil. Moreover, his lovely plans stand to be foiled by a young upstart villian called "Vector" who steals his shrink ray and hides it away in his version of the Fortress of Solitude. Not to be outdone, Gru adopts three orphans to unwittingly help him steal back the shrink ray. One can guess what happens next but this is a good family film that will keep the little ones engrossed but captivate the big ones too. 

I am a Toy Story fanatic and though I'm old, I think I looked forward to the release of Toy Story 3 more than my kids and insisted on seeing this in 3D. Though I don't regret paying extra for the glasses, it didn't add anything to the movie which would have been equally good in comic book form. Andy is now 17 years old and on his way to college. The Toys, now reduced in number, have been banished to the toy box for all these years but now, a week before Andy leaves, mom gives him a box and tells him to either donate to the local day care center or take the toys to the attic. Through a mix up, the toys wind up in a box on their way to the center but Woody, who has taken an oath to be there for Andy whenever he needs them, manages to find his way out and finds himself in the care of a day care resident named Bonnie. Though he is loved there,  Woody embarks on a journey to the day care center to rescue the others so they can find their way back to Andy's room. And there I will stop. For those that haven't seen this film, the end made me cry. I loved all the movies in this series and this one does not disappoint. Pixar once again wows us with good writing, a good solid story, and enough adult humor to keep us big ones entertained. I enthusiastically recommend this film.

"How to Train your Dragon", chronicles the story of Hiccup, a skinny nerdy type viking with a bad ass dad. Dad is head dragon slayer on their little island and Hiccup is a wannabe who devises a weapon to take down a dragon and takes down the nastiest most dastardly dragon out there, the Night Fury. Though in a position to slay the dragon and show his bad ass dad that he is worth his weight as a dragon hunter, he can't do it and a friendship between viking and dragon develops secretly. There are many good scenes in this drama. Hiccup eventually proves himself but not necessarily in the way his dad would like. Go out of the box thinking!! A fun movie..highly recommended and it isn't a "boy" movie as my 6 year old called it. Good for all ages!
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In honor of the release of the movie this weekend.

Funniest Summer Reading!

Everyone needs a few laughs!

What I read on my Summer vacation

So, I skipped the trendy books like "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" on my recent few days away to the beach though it is on my "to read" list and chose a little known novel that has the distinction of being the Wal-Mart read of the month. "The Last Child", a novel by John Hart, made it's way into my shopping cart and ultimately into my beach bag. This is not a traditional novel to bring to the beach but as I'm not a traditional person, I gave it a go and read it on the sand in the sunshine. The novel chronicles young Johnny's search for his missing twin, Alyssa Merrimon, who was snatched in broad daylight one year before. His mother is now emotionally absent, a victim of a bad relationship, booze and drugs. His father seemingly abandoned the family and Johnny's search is not only for his missing sister but for the reinstatement of family. On his bicycle, he pedals through the streets of town, to it's darkest corners as he faces evil and learns that people are not always what they seem to be and circumstances are never black and white. The cop assigned to the case and still haunted by it, watches over Johnny. 

"The Last Child", though not great literature, is a good read and it took me all of 24 hours to finish it. It twists. It turns and Hart does a good job of tying all his loose ends but, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment at the way that the loose ends were tied together and the conclusion was not quite the thrill that I had hoped for. Nevertheless, it's a great light reading, easy to get into, not too deep, and good fare for vacation reading, commuter train reading, sitting in the Dr's office waiting reading and everywhere else.

Crazy Sexy Cancer

In February 2003, Kris Carr was diagnosed with a rare cancer called epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, a form of Sarcoma. Instead of falling into a deep dark depression, Kris grabbed her camera and chronicled her journey of how a Bud girl became a "canser cowgirl."  I'm going to admit to a little bias. Kris and I have something in common. She and I both have sarcoma. When I stumbled upon her story, I was in a deep dark depression and her story filled me with hope. Kris made some very big nutritional changes, added a sprinkling of the spiritual and developed an  attitude, baby! Now, 7 years later, she is living with though not cured of, stage 4 sarcoma. 

Cancer is a word that fills people with fear. Beating cancer means not only beating the disease but beating the fear and that is what I got most from this book. How do I take my power back from a disease that is all encompassing?- By finding what I can control and learning to accept what I can't. By all intents and purposes, a scientific study shows that people with a positive attitude towards their battle with cancer do better than those who don't. Kris's DVD and complementary book, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips, illustrate this to a tee. This book will appeal to mainly to younger women in the 20-40's age range as I'm not sure many women over 60 would relate to being called a cancer babe but hey, to each his own. We all look for inspiration and hope in trying times. Kris's story certainly is that inspiration. To purchase the DVD, click the link below or visit my STORE 
Get the Kindle version here. 
Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips (Crazy Sexy)

"There is no frigate like a book,"  penned Emily Dickinson long before the first silent film, The Great Train Robbery, was produced. With the advent of the first film, two classes of people were born:  People who prefer to read and people who prefer to skip the book and see the movie. There of those of us who do both of course, but there is always an inclination towards one or the other. I come from a long line of readers. My mother taught English to high school students. My aunt majored in English. I majored in English. My brother teaches English. My sister majored in English and as can be expected, my own children prefer to skip the book and see the movie. When I was a child, my mother read to me often until I learned to read and then I was never without a book. My brother, though he teaches English, loves film. In this time of economic uncertainty, I decided to open web businesses that cater to those who love the art of the pen and those that love the art of film. My DVD and Book stores offer all the latest and greatest and all the oldie moldies. I welcome every and all book or movie recommendations, guest critiques and musings.