Random Returns!

I am returning to random thoughts once again this month with these ditties for your reading pleasure.  Feel free to share with friends.

I am so used to speaking into my phone so that I don’t have to type that now when I leave someone a voice mail message, I find myself speaking the punctuation into the message.  Period.Do you ever have so many things going on at once that you dial the phone and hear it ringing but you realize that you don’t remember who you are calling?  Say it isn’t just me, please!

I would like it noted for my permanent record that, according to my dermatologist, I have “fabulous” skin.  I guess she doesn’t see the wrinkles and bags that I see!

I would also like it to be noted that I am told that I have excellent veins and that I don’t even flinch when the nurse takes blood. 

How is it that we can be UNDER the weather but never OVER the weather?

Here is a new pet peeve: I hate it when the doctor’s office calls but the caller uses a cell phone that is not identified as the practice, so you don’t know the identity of the caller.  When that happens, I don’t answer the phone and am likely to miss an important call.  If I do answer, the call is usually from someone trying to sell me a lower interest credit card or solar panels.

What do you do with that first piece of bread in a packaged loaf?  It is called the heel, and I know you could eat it, but it only matches up with the heel at the end of the loaf, so you can’t use it in a sandwich without removing all of the slices in between.  I think of it as the “protector” of the rest of the loaf, the piece most likely to get stale before the rest of the loaf.

Why bother to iron?  The only time my ironed clothes look good is immediately after I iron them, when they are hanging in the closet.  When I put them on, they almost immediately look like I slept in them.  And it never looks like it was a calm and restful night, either!

I’m at the point in life that when someone tells me a story about the things we did in high school, I don’t remember being there.  Not in the story, but in high school!

Somebody, please, remind me NOT to buy skin cream with cocoa butter in it.  Every time I apply it to the scars on my shoulder, I smell chocolate.  And I use so little at one time that I will be tortured by this jar for YEARS!

Do you live with someone whose annoying habits drive you crazy? You know, like leaving the drawers and cabinet doors open in the kitchen, leaving shoes on the floor and letting the dishes drain dry and not putting them away?  Yeah, me too.  And I live alone.  Must. Do. Better.

Women can tell we are getting older when the amount of hair on our chin surpasses the hair on our legs.

For all others, you know you are getting older when you can no longer get up – off a chair, out of bed or from the couch – in silence.  I now make the same noises my father used to make.

You know how many movies I see during the course of a year, so having a “loyalty card” at my favorite theater (Montgomery Cinema in Skillman) make sense, right?  All those movies don’t add up to much with their system.  I think I need to see about a million more to get even one for free!

I had to drop my car off for service and I was given a loaner for the day.  But the loaner was a 2019 model that doesn’t use a regular key, so I had to figure out how to turn it on (hit the button that says “START”) and then I couldn’t figure out how to turn it off.  I hit the same button, but the lights and radio kept going.  I had to ask someone in the neighborhood for help to turn it off.  That was humiliating.

I order so much stuff on Amazon that when a package arrives now, I get excited because I can’t recall what I ordered.

The remote control for the little TV in my office has a green button and a red button.  The red button is for power and the green one is to mute the sound.  That arrangement flies in the face of logic, where green should be for power and the red one for mute.  Strange.

If there are 1,000 shopping carts from which to choose, I invariably will get the one with the bad and noisy wheel.

My world has some kind of crazy synchronization.  When one box of tissues runs out, so does a second one.  When I need a new battery for a clock, something else also needs a new battery.  And when one lightbulb burns out, usually another one does, too. 

If you are the kind of person who always runs late, don’t even consider moving into an “active adult” community (55 and over).  In my Canal Walk community, if you don’t arrive at least 10 minutes before an event starts or the bus is supposed to depart for a trip, you get a lot of dirty looks.  Being early here is the norm (imagine all of those “early bird” dinners) and being on time is being late.  Speaking of which, I have to go, or I won’t be early enough for my activity!

I wonder if organizing guru Marie Kondo does refrigerators.  I don’t typically have much food in mine, but it could definitely benefit from her expertise.  Where should I keep bottled water?  Tall bottles of beverages?  And while she’s here, I’ll ask her to show me how to load the dishwasher to optimize that space, too.

The voice recognition on my TV remote could use some fine-tuning.  I asked for “New York Yankees” and the movie “Kinky” came up as a choice.  The Yankees are kinky?  That’s news to me!

I have reached critical mass on my Kindle.  Maybe instead of downloading every book that people recommend, I should start just writing them down and deciding later whether I want to read them.  How do I get rid of books I have read and don’t want to keep?  And when am I ever going to read all of these books?

The people at the Food Network seem to take an obsessive delight in beating Bobby Flay on the show “Beating Bobby Flay.”  The ubiquitous chef squares off against challengers, with each making the challenger’s signature dish.  All of the judges are seasoned (no pun intended) Food Network chefs and competitors from “Iron Chef America,” “Chopped” and the many cooking competition shows aired on the network, and they seem thrilled when Bobby loses to a signature dish from his challenger.  All in good fun (and good food), I guess.

I hate it when I record something on the DVR so I won't have to watch the commercials and then I watch the program but I forget that it was recorded, so I end up watching the commercials anyway. Does that make any sense?

My highlight of the summer was seeing former Rutgers Women’s Basketball player Erica Wheeler not only get selected for the WNBA All-Star team, but then capture the MVP Award with 25 points and a record-tying seven 3-pointers.  I watched Erica’s whole career at Rutgers, where she was a gutsy and energetic guard who could fly down the court.  The announcer would yell “3 for 3” (referring to her uniform number) each time she hit one from behind the 3-point line.  Before her senior year, her mother died and she almost left Rutgers.  But RU Coach C. Vivian Stringer had told her mother when she recruited Erica that she would make sure her daughter graduated, and CVS convinced her to come back.  She grew up in the Miami area, once barely escaping a shootout on the streets.  Erica didn’t get drafted by the WNBA.  Instead, she got a regular job, then quit to follow her dream, first playing basketball in Puerto Rico, Brazil and Turkey before finally getting her chance to join the WNBA, the women’s professional league here in the US.  So, this small kid, undrafted but with her degree, took advantage of every opportunity that came her way and finally made it to the bigtime, where she stood out among a group of the best players.  The tears flowed as she accepted her award – by her teammates and those of us watching on TV, in addition to Erica herself.  Determination and inspiration made a difference.  This is why I watch sports.  Skill, yes, but also that never-give-up attitude, and the time when an unheralded player makes memories for all of us.  Then that moment became a part of ESPN’s ad campaign under the banner “Why we love sports.”  I get chills every time I see it.

Tina's September 2019 Movies and More

September's baker's dozen movies included almost all new works for me (marked with an asterisk), and many highly worth seeing.  Numbering picks up from previous months.  The ratings are on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish.  I should make my annual goal of 144 (an average of 12 movies a month) easily with 3 months to go!

112.  The Last Resort* (2018) -- Andy Sweet and Greg Monroe were young photographers in Miami Beach in the 1960s and 70s who were fascinated by the large Jewish population of mostly elderly people who migrated to Florida from New York.  They spent much of their time documenting the scenes of everyday life all around them.  The population was mostly working-class people who retired and occupied small apartments in local hotels.  The residents enjoyed dragging their aluminum chairs to sit in groups and schmooze on the beach.  There were the “porch people,” whose day consisted of relishing the warm weather, gathering on the porches of their buildings and engaging in chit chat.  But as the population aged and died off, a new influx from the Caribbean moved it, bringing colorful culture and younger people to Miami, even as the older buildings began to crumble.   And then the drug trade moved in, drastically changing the demographic.  This documentary (which I watched on Netflix) primarily focuses on the work of the young photographers and their affinity for the senior population.  Miami had so many art deco buildings, lavish hotels and, of course, the beautiful beaches.  This ode to a different time is not for everyone, but I enjoyed seeing people captured in a moment of their lives.  3 cans.
113.  Hidden in Plain Sight* (2019) – Katie/Anna, a victim of domestic violence, fakes her own death, moves hours away from home with her young son and assumes a new identity.  When her former boyfriend Nick finds out about the son he never knew he had, he starts to stalk her, as, of course, you know he would.  She can’t go to the police, who think she’s dead, and their reunion will not be a pleasant one.  This is a very predictable movie starring no one I had ever heard of.  I can’t recommend it.  1 can.
114.  127 Hours* (2010) – James Franco does an outstanding job in playing adventure junkie/mountain climber Aron Ralston in this movie based on Ralston’s true-life account of a climb gone terribly wrong.  Ralston slips into a crevice while climbing and becomes trapped when a boulder falls on his arm.  He can’t budge the boulder to get free, and he brought only a limited supply of water and snacks with him on what he thought would be a brief outing.  His near-fatal mistake was telling no one where he was going.  Throughout his five-day ordeal, Aron begins to hallucinate, recalling memories of family and friends.  A torrential rain helps supply him with some water, but no one is around to extricate him from his perch in the crevice.  Finally, he takes things into his own hands, so to speak.  Very suspenseful drama and much less visually disturbing than it could have been.  3 cans.
115.  Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice* (2019) – This aptly named documentary provides a wide selection of songs by the magnificent Linda Ronstadt, features voice overs by the artist herself and plenty of comments by her contemporary artists.  It traces her musical journey from the Stone Ponies to the beginning of the Eagles, to a solo act who could sell out a stadium.  Ronstadt just loved music and found songs she “just had to sing.”  She was interested in so many kinds of music and recorded songs that appeared on the pop, rock and country charts in the same week.  Throw in operetta, traditional standards and her Mexican albums and you have one of the most prolific and versatile singers to ever record.  The artists who appear in this film agree that she had an outstanding voice that was special.  The poignancy of knowing the Parkinson’s has robbed her of the ability to sing is heartbreaking.  What a talent!  I need to start listening to her magical music again.  4 cans.
116.  Abducted in Plain Sight* (2017) – This disturbing documentary is proof that truth is stranger than fiction.  It recounts the story of 12-year-old Jan Broberg, kidnapped by a trusted family friend, Robert Berchtold.  Berchtold, a master manipulator, has an obsession with Jan, but he is equally effective in convincing her parents that he did nothing wrong.  He gets away with it – not once, but twice.  He is determined to marry the prepubescent girl, and he spins a tale about aliens and a mission they must complete to “save the world” as the reason he sexually abuses her.  His behavior is absolutely outrageous, but there is plenty of outrage about her parents, too.  Who allows a trusted “friend,” an adult male, to share a bed with a 12-year-old in their own home -- which Berchtold did for months before the first kidnapping?  The parents are so innocent that they don’t even contact the authorities about the missing girl until 5 days after Berchtold supposedly took her horseback riding and neither returned.  Despite the fact that they return (courtesy of the authorities) and the anguish suffered by her family, he does it again, kidnapping Jan and transporting her to California this time.  I’ll skip the sick details here, but if you can get past them, this is a compelling tale of abhorrent behavior misunderstood and condoned by incredibly gullible adults.  Unbelievable – except that it is true.  3½ cans.
117.  The Bookshop* (2018) – This is a quiet tale of young British widow Florence Green (Emily Mortimer), who lives her dream by purchasing an old home in Hardborough, England, and opening a bookstore.  She raises the ire of local town snob Violet Gamart (Patricia Clarkson), who wants the old home to be used as an arts center.  Florence’s support comes from Mr. Brundich (Bill Nighy), a wealthy recluse who loves books and allows Florence to select and send him her choices.  Clarkson is particularly good as she conveys graciousness that glosses over her steely will to run poor Florence out of town.  Not much happens here, but it was a pleasant change of pace, especially after the movie above.  3 cans.
118.  Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives* (2017) – When Clive Davis earned his law degree from Harvard, he could not have imagined that he would become a revered music producer and executive who introduced the world to Whitney Houston, Janis Joplin, Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow and countless other music icons.  This documentary traces his rise and reveals his “ear” for music.  He could spot talent and match artists with songs like no one else, always in search of “hits” that would get plenty of airplay on radio.  His record company, Arista (which he founded after working for Columbia), was responsible for the sale of millions of albums and countless gold records, and his stewardship of young talent virtually insured success.  Netflix features so many rich and worthwhile documentaries like this one that are both entertaining and informative.  4 cans.
119.  Bringing Down the House (2003) – There are some movies that aren’t great but which I enjoy watching anyway, and this is one of those.  Steve Martin plays straight-laced Peter Sanderson, a divorced tax attorney with two kids and no love interest.  Then along comes Queen Latifah as Charlene, who is decidedly NOT the lawyer she purports to be online.  She is an escaped convict who needs someone to her get her a new trial.  This duo doesn’t match up at all, and he needs to be devoted to his job as he tries to win an elderly client (Joan Plowright) and her fortune for his firm.  The clash of the different worlds of Charlene, Peter and the older women prove challenging for all of them.  Stealing the show is Eugene Levy as Howie, a man who appreciates Charlene’s many virtues, but the highlight of the movie is the scene where Martin shows up at a club, ditching his conservative attire and looking like a “player” in an attempt to get info on Charlene’s case.  3½ cans.
120.  Downton Abbey* (2019) – Welcome home, my former Sunday night friends.  I was delighted to spend two hours in the company of the Downton crew as they prepared the arrangements for a visit from the King and Queen of England.  Yes, the plot is a bit contrived, but writer Julian Fellows manages to give us the best of the characters in the former PBS series.  As usual, the best zingers are reserved for the inimitable Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), but she is not the only source of humor, as the rest of the cast conspires to protect their roles at Downton Abbey as the royal servants try to take over the downstairs territory.  There was a storyline for everyone and plenty of hints of a sequel to come.  OK, it wasn’t “Citizen Caine,” but I loved it.  If you are a Downton fan, you won’t be disappointed.  4 cans.
121.  Nothing Changes: Art for Hank’s Sake* (2018) – What is art?  What is success?  This documentary (I watched it on Amazon Prime Video) examines 87-year-old artist Hank Virgona, an enthusiastic illustrator and artist who, even battling cancer and at an advanced age, experiences what he considers “breakthroughs,” as he continues to follow his passion.  Six days a week, Hank travels from the modest Queens apartment where he has lived since 1954 to his studio in Union Square, Manhattan.  Where this trip used to take him half an hour, he has slowed from a walk to a shuffle and can spend up to two hours commuting.  But even that trip inspires Hank to create art by sketching the people he sees on the subway.  He captures vignettes that freeze a moment in time and he turns them into slices of New York reality.  They are full of emotion, humor and craftsmanship.  I’d say that if you are still pursuing your passion to create at 87, you have defined your own style and achieved success.  3½ cans.
122.  The Music Never Stopped* (2011) – Gabriel Sawyer (Lou Taylor Pucci) wanted to be a musician despite his parents’ preference that he pursue a more traditional career path.  He left home before graduating from high school for the streets of Manhattan and did not return.  After 20 years, his parents are summoned to a hospital, where Gabe is suffering from a brain tumor.  Once he undergoes surgery to remove it, his memory is shot and he is barely able to communicate.  His father (J.K. Simmons) hires a music therapist (Julia Ormond) to help restore is brain and to reestablish their bond through the use of Gabe’s musical memories.  He can connect and remember so much about his favorite songs and bands of the 1960s-70s, like the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones and others, and his father studies their songs to help him connect with his son.  This is a very sweet and touching film.  3 cans.
123.  Judy* (2019) – Renee Zellweger plays show biz icon Judy Garland with great authenticity AND does all of her own singing as she captures every nuance in Garland’s fabled voice and persona.  Judy started her show business career as a child actress/singer in such movies as the classic “The Wizard of Oz.”  Denied food and forced to pop pills to keep her thin and going, Judy picked up bad habits and bad influences at a very early age.  At the time of this movie, she is in her late 40s, looks a decade older, and is fighting to keep her children from her latest ex-husband, Sid Luft.  But she is without a home and cannot provide much-needed stability for her kids, so to make money, she agrees to perform a series of concerts in London.  The well-paid gig should be easy for the chanteuse, but for the producers – who never know whether Judy will be sober or show up at all – her appearance is problematic at best.  The movie depicts her as a sad figure, forced to perform because she has no choice. I remember seeing Judy Garland on TV, a fierce but fragile woman, so slight that she looked like she could fall apart at any moment, and Zellweger gives her vulnerability the spotlight in an Oscar-worthy performance.  “Judy” is enough to break your heart even without chasing that rainbow.  4 cans.
124.  A Simple Favor* (2018) – The favor isn’t quite so simple in this twisty suspense comedy.  Mommy Blogger Stephanie (Anna Kenrick) is a young widow, a great mom, and the kind of enthusiastic person who will do anything for anyone.  High-powered PR exec Emily (Blake Lively in a ruthlessly cool role) is happy to dump her son on her new “bestie,” but when she fails to show up to pick up her child, Stephanie goes all Nancy Drew on her.  Stephanie is not at all what she seems, buy Emily can more than one-up her.  I don’t want to reveal the juicy plot, but it was like no movie I have seen, and I’m glad I did.  I caught in on Amazon Prime and recommend it.  4 cans.

September Message from Tina -- Shouldering the Pain

I’m glad I don’t have to return to school this month and answer that age-old question, “How was your summer?”  Because, for the most part, mine was pretty bad, full of pain and angst as I prepped for, underwent and recovered from surgery.  And here’s why there was no Randomthoughtsbytina blog posting in August and why you haven’t heard or seen much of me on social media or in person for a while, which maybe went unnoticed.

At the beginning of August, after 6 months of physical therapy that only minimally improved the condition of my aching shoulder, and two cortisone shots that came up short, I underwent rotator cuff surgery.  Things could be far worse, I know.  After all, I went through colon cancer nearly 20 years ago, and my shoulder was something that could be fixed.

The surgery was to done repair a full rotator cuff tear, a partial tear, a bone spur and a calcium deposit in my right shoulder.  Naturally, I am right-handed.  The doctor assured me he could address these issues arthroscopically, just going in to “clean things up,” which sounds to me like cleaning the kitchen counters, only it isn’t.  Medical procedures always seem to be no big deal when the doctors describe them, but they aren’t the ones who can’t get dressed, sleep in a bed, brush their teeth or comb their hair for weeks afterwards.  My doctor is pretty laid back.  I asked him how long it would be until I could drive again.  He told me I could drive whenever I felt like I could do it.  Three weeks after the surgery, I resumed driving, but only to physical therapy and to ShopRite (which probably missed me more than any of you).  I’m still not ready to tackle driving around the Somerville Circle, or, God forbid, parallel park – which I didn’t do well BEFORE the surgery.  Just reaching back to connect the seatbelt hurts, so I move the seat all the way back to attach it and then move all the way up so I can reach the pedals.  

I really thought this whole process through in advance.  I decided to have surgery during the summer, when I wouldn’t have to wear jackets, coats, sweatshirts, etc. – or slip on the ice of winter – and when I could lounge around in shorts and t-shirts while recovering.  I knew getting dressed would be painful, and I was right.  I just stayed in the same clothes – day and night – for the first 3 days!  I prepped for my recuperation by buying sleeveless tops with buttons or others that I could pull on easily over my neck; it took me two weeks just to wear SHORT sleeves. 

Forget about sleeping in a bed.  I can’t sleep on the shoulder, and even if I prop up my arm to keep it supported, I am afraid I will roll over and hurt myself.  Luckily, I have several recliners, but only one has electric controls on the left side, and since I couldn’t move my right arm much, that became my bed during my recuperation.  After two weeks I was able to move the lever on the recliner in my bedroom, so I graduated from sleeping in the family room to at least sleeping NEAR my bed.  One day I sat in a different recliner in the family room and I couldn’t get out.  I thought I’d have to call 911 and request the jaws of life to extricate me.  

I was worried (justifiably, it turns out) about using my left hand in situations where my right hand has always taken control, which includes anything in the bathroom.  I didn’t realize how very right-handed I was until I couldn’t use it.  Just reaching for a light switch caused me pain.  Brushing my teeth left-handed was an adventure, even with my electric toothbrush.  I’ll refrain from sharing other details.

I made a few good choices, the best of which was scheduling this surgery in the summer and getting my hair cut short.  I couldn’t shower for a week, and after a month I still can’t raise my right arm enough to dry my hair properly, so I lower my head to reach the dryer.  I assumed I wouldn’t be able to lift the cover on my grill, so I figured that making pasta and meatloaf ahead of time and freezing single portions would be better than pouring cereal directly down my throat or confining myself to tuna fish right out of the package.  I can’t cut much of anything and my left hand holds a fork like a two-year old.  

In my usual zeal and attention to detail, I tried to anticipate and address every issue I could think of to prepare for my recuperation.  I bought detergent pods so I could do laundry without having to pour liquid from heavy bottles. I use a “grabber” to fish my socks out of the bottom of the washing machine one-handed.  I even bought a new tube of toothpaste because I figured it would be easier to squeeze with one hand.

I now own every kind of ice pack on the market, some that stick to body parts and others that drape over my shoulder.  There are more ice packs in my freezer than actual food.  I stocked up on bottled water and toilet paper, so I should not need to ask people to stop at the supermarket for these basics, just fresh fruit and real food.  My neighbors, friends and sister have been extremely helpful, but, being fiercely independent and living on my own for more than 40 years, I hate asking anyone for help.  

I prepped by watching videos about the operation itself. I viewed medical illustrations to better understand the shoulder structure and how it would be fixed, and I checked out videos made by patients who had gone through the same surgery.  Those videos informed me of what I would be facing and also scared me!

Since typing was painful even before the surgery, I gladly took a much-needed break from social media.  I can’t type well with my left hand, and although I can speak into my phone, the mistakes that result from that drive me crazy.  I informed everyone who has come to expect an almost instant response from me that I would not be spending time in front of the computer.  In recovery, if I am on my computer any length of time with my arm is at a certain angle, I have to hook myself up to the heating pad to relieve the pain.  

I patiently waited to binge the last season of “Orange is the New Black” so I could savor it while I healed.  I also found a bunch of other binge-worthy programs that weren’t too taxing on my mind, since I can’t concentrate because of the pain.  I washed and dried every bit of laundry I could find, changed my sheets (kind of a waste of time), addressed birthday cards for later in the month, prepaid bills, put a vacation “out-of-office” message on my email and caught up on as much as I could.  

Oh, and did I mention that now my left shoulder is bothering me?  All that extra effort is wearing on it.  And I am dealing with plantar fasciitis in BOTH feet, which limits my ability to walk.  Walking barefoot is out completely.  Now I am wrapping my feet with Ace bandages and wearing the old orthotics I wore years ago when I went through this condition last time. 

So now I go to physical therapy four times a week, twice for my shoulder and twice for my feet.  I am massaged by my physical “terrorist,” I do my exercises and get treated with heat or ice as well as electrical stimulation on both feet and the right shoulder.  I hope I don’t get electrocuted or that the place doesn’t catch on fire!  I went to PT the other day and showed off my latest accomplishment:  I can now wave my right arm!  I have made progress, both from going to PT and from doing my exercises at home.  You can find me walking around the house, shrugging my shoulders and swinging my arm.  

When I hear about athletes who come back from this surgery and return to throwing touchdowns or pitching 95-mile-an-hour fastballs, I am more amazed than inspired.  This surgery is painful.  The recuperation is NO JOKE!  I wear a sling when I go out, but it pulls on my neck and cramps my repaired shoulder and arm.  I’m scared to be jostled or bumped or that some well-meaning person will want to give me a big bear hug.  I totally understand why star Colts quarterback Andrew Luck retired, saying he was tired of being caught in a cycle of injury, pain and rehab.  In my case, at least big defensive linemen are not trying to knock me over!  I watched Rafael Nadal play in the U.S. Open with pure jealousy over his fit and beautiful shoulders (I have three tiny holes in mine).  I’ll be happy to be able to hang my clothes in the closet with my right arm.  I can’t wait to be able to sleep in my bed and use my camera.  I had better be recovered in time to see my precious Rutgers Women’s Basketball team take the court in November!

I feel like one of those road signs that read: “Temporary inconvenience, permanent improvement.”  At least I hope so.

Tina's August 2019 Movies

I was on the Injured Reserve List all month after undergoing rotator cuff surgery on my typing shoulder, so I had a chance to see a baker's dozen movies, despite not getting out of the house much.  Movies not seen previously are noted with an asterisk, and the rating system goes from 1 (the worst) to 5 cans of tuna fish. Numbering picks up from previous months.
99.  Once Upon a Time in Hollywood* (2019) – If you are the writer and director of a film, your vision is what is delivered on the screen.  In this case, Quentin Tarantino looks at the death of Hollywood as he sees it, a dumbing down of good performances and stories in favor of trite TV shows and self-indulgent industry regulars.  He builds into the demise of Hollywood the 1969 murder of actress Sharon Tate, pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski (luckily out of town at the time), and guests in her home after an invasion by Charles Manson and his cult of hippie followers.  It is an interesting premise and it is populated by first-rate actors giving great performances (notably Leonardo DiCaprio and an aging but still impossibly handsome Brad Pitt).  While I understand the desire to provide sufficient detail to show what actors, movies, TV and the Hollywood culture were about then, I don’t need 2 hours and 41 minutes to get the point.  You could say Tarantino is a genius -- his work is certainly original, he brings out the best in his cast as a director and he doesn’t skimp on the storytelling – but this story was just too big and too long for me.  I know I snoozed a bit, but I didn’t feel like I missed anything important to the story.  Others will praise this film, and rightfully so, but it was just not my cup of tea.  3½ cans.
100.  The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Benjamin Bradlee – Best known as the editor of the storied Washington Post, Ben Bradlee led a fascinating life.  Crime reporter, war correspondent, Newsweek leader and BFF with John F. Kennedy and his glamourous wife Jackie, Bradlee was already a public figure when he led the paper during its famous coverage of Watergate.  He led a fascinating life and seemed to enjoy every bit of it.  4 cans.
101.  12 Angry Men (1959) – 12 men, locked up in a hot, sweaty room, deliberating the fate of a young man accused of murdering his father.  Witnesses heard his threats, some testified that they saw him commit the act, and 11 of these men are convinced they can wrap up this case quickly and go home.  Except for Henry Fonda, who thinks they should at least discuss the facts of the case before coming to that conclusion.  This is the brilliant story, presented in a sparse set, with men rising and pacing the room like a well-executed ballet, that demonstrates that things are not always as they appear, and that judgment must be rendered based on the facts presented.  I’m not sure you can call this a courtroom drama, since it takes place only in the jury deliberation room, but whatever you call it, call it great.  5 cans.
102.  Anatomy of a Murder – This one IS a courtroom drama, as small-town attorney James Stewart defends an Army lieutenant (Ben Gazzara) for murdering a bar owner who raped his wife (Lee Remick).  Was he temporarily insane when he committed the act?  Was his young and flirtatious wife actually raped?  Can Stewart’s country lawyer outduel a prosecutor from the big city (George C. Scott)?  I hadn’t seen this one in years but it seemed the perfect match to “12 Angry Men.”  And it was.  4 cans.
103.  42nd Street* (2013) – No, not the Broadway musical, this documentary (on Amazon Prime) traces the history of the famous street that is the lifeblood of New York as it develops over time, going from glamourous to gritty and changes with the times.  And there is plenty of the title song and shots of celebrated architecture to enjoy along the way.  3 cans.
104.  Orange Is the New Black* (2019) – As we say goodbye to the denizens of Litchfield Penitentiary, I feel a sense of loss since I know I will miss the characters and stories of this women’s prison like I have missed nothing since “Mad Men,” “Friday Night Lights” and “The Sopranos” left the airways.  This Netflix series had its ups and downs, but it never failed to deliver the stark reality of life in prison – the hopelessness from a system that never really intended to rehabilitate these women but just to adequately house them and often to harass them.  The final season introduced the horrors of immigrant detention, as women who had lived and worked in the US for years were rounded up, separated from their families and, with major communications challenges, left to fend for themselves.  Yet this season also provided a sense of tenderness and hope that far exceeded anything shown previously, where old friends were reunited and helped each other in new ways that put themselves at risk.  The main character, Piper (Taylor Schilling), is trying to adjust to life outside prison even as her wife, Alex (Laura Prepon), remains behind bars and is forced to engage in risky behavior.  And my favorite character, Tastee (Danielle Brooks), confronts the reality of her life sentence for a crime she did not commit and a final act of treason from one of her best friends that threatens her ability to survive.  This season delivered insanity and sanity, growth and redemption, corruption and cooperation in new ways that made it the most satisfying finale since “M*A*S*H*” went off the air.  Ladies of Litchfield, I will miss you.  5 cans.
105.  Boy Erased* (2018) – This movie, based on a true story, centers on a teenaged boy (Lucas Hedges) whose parents send him to a “conversion program” to “cure” him of being gay.  His father (Russell Crowe) is a pastor and, although he loves his son, he is convinced this experience with an in-depth program will make his son “normal.”  The teenager’s supportive and loving mother (Nicole Kidman) just wants him to be happy but goes along with her husband.  The young man is confused.  He doesn’t really want to be gay but it is not by choice.  The propaganda of such programs and the discipline enforced by the leader (Joel Edgerton, who also directed) show the futility of trying to force young people to deny their own truth.  This movie is painful and heartbreaking to watch.  3½ cans.
106.  Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018) – With a new biopic coming soon about children’s TV icon Mr. (Fred) Rogers (with Tom Hanks starring), it seemed like a good idea to view the documentary from last year on a man whose gentility and good heart meant so much to the children who gathered each day to watch his PBS program.  I am not the right age to have watched his program when it aired, but I appreciate the documentary for providing me with a meaningful look at Mr. Rogers and his neighborhood, and I loved it.  4 cans.
107.  Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation* (2019) – 50 years ago, in August 1969, the Woodstock festival was held to celebrate peace and music.  It was an extraordinary event that combined some of the most talented and best-known musicians of the time with nearly half a million young people who trekked to upstate New York to indulge themselves in peace, love, rock & roll and a lot of pot.  This remarkable look at the preparations by the “organizers” – if you can call them that – shows how they eventually had to choose between building fences so they could collect tickets and completing the stage.  They wisely chose the latter, and the festival became three days of legendary music performances in front of a temporary city of concertgoers who remained peaceful despite torrential rain, lack of food, shelter and toilets. This documentary dwells on the background much more than the music (see the Woodstock documentary concert film if you long to relish Richie Havens, Jimi Hendricks and Crosby Stills and Nash).  It was part of the PBS Series “American Experience,” and whether you attended or remember it or even if you weren’t alive in 1969, you should enjoy it immensely.  4 cans.
108.  The Typewriter* (2012) – You just don’t find too many people who use typewriters these days, although, according to this wonderful documentary on Amazon Prime Video, there remains a coterie of devoted users who are making them popular again.  This film shows some of them, from famous authors (historians Robert Caro and David McCullough) to typewriter repair people and technicians to a musician who incorporates that classic sound of striking keys into her work.  There are collectors and people who simply prefer the trusty typewriter to its more recent cousin, the word processor, to improve the quality of their writing.  I know this is a quirky subject (or is it qwerty?) for a movie, but I loved it, as you might expect.  4 cans.
109.  The Great Hack* (2019) – If you have filled out one of those seemingly innocuous quizzes on Facebook – you know, where you are asked to select your favorite TV show or Disney character – you have contributed one data point to the approximately 5,000 points of information about yourself that unscrupulous companies like Cambridge Analytics used to swing the 2016 presidential election.  Those 5000 data points on you are part of the information collected for free – you have donated yours! – and are combined with data on millions of other people to predict behavioral patterns.  This Netflix documentary takes you through the practice and how this information is collected and deployed.  If you have ever wondered why you see the ads you see on social media, here is the answer.  It’s too late now to opt out of sharing the information you have already provided, which, once collected, can be stored, shared or sold.  Information is a big business and it is shaping a society eager to share it by a more devious collective that monetizes it to influence voting and public policy.  If this movie doesn’t convince you of the danger of what we can call “the greater bad” instead of the greater good, nothing will.  And stop taking those revealing quizzes.  3½ cans.
110.  My Brother’s Wife (1998) – It is hard to watch this movie without feeling the loss of its star, John Ritter, who died in 2003.  Here he plays the scion of a fractured family, headed by his wealthy widowed father, who characterizes Ritter’s Barney as an irresponsible ne’er-do-well.  When Barney meets the beautiful Eleanor (Mel Harris) as a young man, he is immediately smitten with her.  But she is influenced by her overbearing mother (Polly Bergen) and chooses Barney’s more reliable younger brother, despite Barney’s endearing qualities.  Barney is in love with Eleanor throughout the 25 years of the movie, but love does not always conquer all.  Ritter makes the movie better than it is.  3 cans.
111.  Blinded by the Light* (2019) – This movie is a story of love and inspiration made possible by the music of Bruce Springsteen.  University student Javid (Viveik Kalra) lives in a nondescript town in England, where he deals with discrimination and ridicule while he dreams of being a writer.  He is not encouraged or supported by his loving family or stern Pakistani father (the father reminded me of the father in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) and Jav literally throws away the many poems he has written.  And then Jav’s classmate hands him a cassette tape of Bruce Springsteen’s music.  When he pops it into his Walkman, his whole world changes.  The lyrics speak to Jav, reminding him that he is not the only one from a working-class family who has hopes and dreams.  He gathers up the stack of poems he had thrown out and, with the encouragement of his English professor, he realizes that he, too, has something to say.  This charmer is based on a real story, and although it can be a little sappy at times (plus Jav has huge puppy dog eyes), it provides a sense of exuberance and possibilities.  Like the recent movie “Yesterday,” this film shows how meaningful music can be to bring us comfort, inspiration and validation.  4 cans.

Tina's July 2019 Movies

Here we go again, with this month's hot weather edition.  Movies not seen previously are marked with an asterisk and the numbering picks up from previous months.  The ratings go from 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 at the top of the heap.

87.  Born on the 4th of July (1989) – Watching this movie on the 4th of July seemed like the appropriate thing to do.  It is director Oliver Stone’s adaptation of the book by Ron Kovac, Vietnam war veteran turned antiwar activist.  Tom Cruise plays Kovac as he goes from a star high school athlete and gung-ho Marine recruit through harrowing experiences in Vietnam, where the confused young Marine may have accidentally killed a serviceman in his unit.  Then Kovacs himself is hit and paralyzed and endures the horror of being treated in a military hospital until he returns to his Massapequa, Long Island, home as a conquering hero.  But by then, the anti-war movement is busy criticizing US policy and those who served, initially enraging the young vet, until he finally redirects his anger toward the war and the US government.  This is one of Cruise’s best roles, and while I always find him a bit too earnest and Stone a bit too heavy-handed, both have a very meaty story to tell here, and they handle it well.  4 cans.
88.  March of the Penguins (2005) – This documentary is remarkable not only for the way it demonstrates the behavior of penguins as they migrate, mate and care for their chicks, but also for the phenomenal footage captured by the production team.  How the penguins can figure out whose mate is whose is beyond my ability to comprehend, since I swear they all look exactly alike.  The animals take on extreme challenges in nature to mate, give birth and protect their young.  Fascinating stuff.  4 cans.
89.  Beaches (1988) – Sobfest starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey as long-time friends.  If you don’t get all choked up at the end, you have either seen this movie one too many times or think it is too corny.  It gets me every time.  4 cans.
90.  Pavarotti* (2019) – Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti is larger than life in this Ron Howard documentary.  His magnificent voice is a gift, he acknowledges, but also a curse.  He used his talents to move far beyond the opera stage, performing at outdoor venues around the world in concerts, and later teaming up with such notable rock stars as Bono to attract a whole new generation of fans.  He performed a charity concert in the rain in London and even Princess Diana was persuaded to put down her umbrella to allow everyone there to see the legend sing.  When Pavarotti teamed up with fellow tenors Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras to perform for the first time as the Three Tenors, the hair stood up on my arm.  Their work utterly changed the acceptance of opera and the way classical music is performed, as the broadcast was seen around the world.  You don’t have to be an opera buff to love Luciano.  4 cans.
91.  Yesterday* (2019) – A different story, an excellent cast and great music make this movie a joy to watch.  Jack (Himesh Patel) is a failed musician who is about to give up on his dream when a worldwide power shortage results in a collective global case of amnesia.  No one but Jack knows that the Beatles existed, and no one but him knows all of their songs.  They no longer appear on Google, so he can’t even look up the words, relying instead on memory to perform them and delight audiences with what they assume is original work.  He can’t believe it, but he starts singing their songs and garners huge acclaim for his songwriting genius (thank you, Lennon and McCartney).  His manager (Lily James), whom he loves but hasn’t admitted that to himself or her, can’t manage him since she is a schoolteacher.  I don’t want to spoil the movie, but I can tell you the premise is interesting and it is carried out with verve and skill.  And those songs!  4 cans.
92.  Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) – A cast of unforgettable characters populates the town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, and the stories of Miz Threadgood (Jessica Tandy), who shares them at the nursing home with a visitor (Kathy Bates), a willing listener to the adventures of Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Miss Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker).  This heartwarming story about friendship and relationships – good and bad – set amid racial discrimination in the good old South is always worth viewing.  4 cans and a lump in my throat. 
93.  Wild Rose* (2019) – Jessie Buckley makes a memorable debut in this movie about a working class woman just out of prison who dreams of being a country singer.  Living in Glasgow, Rose is pretty far from Nashville, and she neither writes songs nor plays guitar.  She does have a striking voice and a certain look, so she can command a room, but she’s always getting herself into predicaments, such as getting drunk and having her bag stolen.  When the woman whose house she cleans offers to let her sing at a party, it looks like Rose may be getting the break she needs, but with two kids to care for and a mother (veteran English actress Julie Walters) harping on her to take responsibility and not let the kids down, Rose is torn.  Will she get to Nashville and make her dream come true?  Worth seeing for yourself.  3½ cans.
94.  Maiden* (2019) – Imagine sailing around the world, doing it in a yachting race with a first-time skipper and in a beat-up boat.  In this case, nothing was going to stop Tracy Edwards and her all-female crew from competing in the prestigious Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989-90.  This documentary relies on abundant footage of the amazing voyage, filled with high seas and high adventure and a spirit that characterized Edwards and her crew.  I know nothing about sailing, but I can appreciate teamwork, drive and determination and the way the crew of the Maiden balanced the field, showing that women can do everything that men can do.  The perfect movie for a scorching hot day!  3½ cans.
95.  My Cousin Vinny (1991) – Joe Pesci plays Vincent LaGuardia Gambini, law school grad and novice attorney, who travels from his home in Brooklyn to a small town in Alabama to defend his cousin and his friend from a charge of murder.  When Vinny and his fiancé, (Marisa Tomei) arrive from New York, all decked out in leather, they stand out just a little from the locals.  The Judge on the case (Fred Gwynne in a great performance) is determined to hold barrister Gambini to the standards of his courtroom, although good old Cousin Vinny has never actually tried a case in the 6 weeks since he finally passed the bar after years of failure.  Ralph Macchio plays the cousin on trial with no real sense of confidence in Vinny.  This is a laugh-out-loud comedy and Tomei was named Best Supporting Actress for her role.  4 cans.
96.  Going Attractions:  The Definitive Story of the American Drive-In Movie* (2013) – Those of us old enough to remember drive-in movies hold a certain fondness for them, and this documentary (on Amazon Prime) captures that special feeling.  Remember the speaker on the car window, putting the kids in pajamas and taking a carload to the drive-in?  The snack bars, the huge screen, the romance of a summer date night…all are in this charming film that traces the origins of the drive-in from the 1930s through the 50s and 60s – when there were about 5000 nationwide – to the few remaining today (at the time of this movie, about 400 remained).  If nostalgia and movies appeal to you, check this one out.  3½ cans.
97.  The Firm (1993) – Tom Cruise plays a fresh young attorney hired by a big and unscrupulous law firm to join them in their dirty deeds.  Throw in an attractive young wife (Jeanne Tripplehorn), a brother in jail, a ruthless mentor and partner in the firm (Gene Hackman) a couple of clever and determined FBI guys and a secretary who lends a helping hand (Holly Hunter) and combine that with chases on foot, gunmen, the Chicago mob and Wilford Brimley chasing Cruise (my money’s on Tom) and you have a bit of an overdone plot in an otherwise suspenseful movie.  3 cans.
98.  Wine Country* (2019) – I get it.  There’s nothing like a girls’ weekend, fueled by long-term friendships and the memories they evoke, supplemented by wine and a few adventures.  So, I wanted to like this “buddy” movie brought to you largely by Saturday Night Live alums (Amy Poehler directed, Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph star), but, despite the comedy and injections of real life with its work/family obligations and health issues, it just failed to measure up to my expectations. Feel free to check it out on Netflix and let me know what you think.  3 cans.