Here we go round the mulberry bush... Sunshine Blogger Award x 2!

Sally Silverscreen of 18 Cinema Lane and Hamlette of Hamlette's Soliloquy both tagged me with the Sunshine Blogger Award (thank you ladies!). They have some great questions so without further ado... let us to it! (Also, last time I peppered you with Bertie Wooster quotes, so this time I'm going to pile in bunches of somewhat-slightly-tying-in-with-the-topic Chesterton wisdom. Just because I can. And I still have to find good memes for my favorites -- turns out no one really makes memes with page long quotes from Manalive, alas :p -- but enjoy!)

~ From Sally Silverscreen ~

1) What is your favorite snack?

Currently a peanut butter and banana energy bar + cold milk.

2) Is there a television show episode that you like, but other people do not?

I've found out some folks believe there're inconsistencies in Death in Paradise, Season 6, Ep 7 (In the Footsteps of a Killer), but I've seen it a couple times and staunchly stand by the work of one of my favorite detective teams. So phooey! 

3) What was the last movie you saw?

A Mystery Science Theater. Does that count? If not, then Anchors Aweigh (1945).

4) Are there any blog posts that you plan on publishing in 2021? If so, what will it be?

Not sure if I'll do a blog party or just some sort of year long marathon, but I'd like to watch through and review as many Jane Eyre's as I can. Also a bunch of heavier, new-to-me period dramas (and also very familiar ones I just haven't gotten around to reviewing). Along the lines of which, I'm verrrrrrrrrrry excited as there're a bunch of interesting looking BBC things coming out soon. They're primarily set round the turn of the century and WW's I & II, and I think it'd be really fun to try and review them while they're still newish. (But that's if I can get my hands on them and realistically it'll probably be next year, since we're already in September.)

5) Which book would you tell your friends to stay away from?

I generally toss objectionable ones before getting too far. As for one I read right through: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. It's very well written and vivid (tremendously vivid) in its portrayal of a country without the gospel. It's one I'd definitely put on a classics/great books list, but with qualifications and taking into mind who was asking for the recommendation. It sears into your consciousness. And it can be depressing. It took me awhile to work through the emotions/they still leave kind of a wry taste whenever I think of it (and this is coming from a woman who loves Crime & Punishment and Heart of Darkness).

6) Did you perform a random act of kindness lately? If so, what was it?

Possibly helping dry wine glasses after church? *ducks cause I really don't like talking about this sort of thing*

7) Has there been a moment where you’ve stepped out of your comfort zone? If you want, share your experience! 

Well, um, pretty much whenever I have to make an Announcement of Any Sort in Front of a Large-ish Group of People.

8) What was the last thing to make you laugh?

In the sense of really hard, eyes-watering, the Mystery Science Theater. In the regular round the house sense, something my two year old just said. (Seriously, small folks make some of the loveliest besties. xD)

9) Which movie scene is your favorite?

*trying to wrap my brain around this* 

Uhhh no, not going to happen. 

It all depends what mood I'm in and what time of year it is and what genre we're talking about, see? 

Well, all right, generally I consider the ending of the '04 North & South as an epitome of the storytelling art -- metaphor, theme, characters, story, romance, reticence, everything -- snowballing into perfection. But bear ye in mind, this answer is under duress. It's not? Well, scratch that then. xD (No, seriously though, I do love it.)

10) What is your least favorite Christmas song?

Of the ones that might actually pop up in my playlist and then get skipped (not the ones that make you go 'ehhhhh, ick' on the radio or over the store loudspeakers), The Little Drummer Boy. It goes on forever and... yeah, various issues.

11) Is there a theatrically released film you’d like to see?

This might (or might not) be surprising, but I really really don't go to the theater much a'tall. Oh... but(!) as aforementioned, I am exceedingly curious about the new Death on the Nile coming out with Kenneth Branagh, Armie Hammer and others (though I know how it ends and who was cast as who, so still not sure how I'll deal with that -- it has the potential to be Very Tragic :P).

~ Hamlette's Questions ~

1. What's something good that's happened to you this year?

Going to Yellowstone. <333333 This makes the fourth time and I'm so happy and thankful and love it so much and am so so glad we were able to go. (Plus we were camping with cousins! Which 'twas marvelous.) And DH took the Little Princess and I on a stagecoach ride round downtown Jackson. So yeah, pretty entirely amazing. *sighing with much happiness*

2. What was your favorite movie when you were ten years old?

Probably the 1968 Heidi.

3. Have you ever discovered you now like a movie or book that you used to dislike?

I'm trying to fill this tag out with the first thing that pops to mind. So we'll just go ahead and make this answer very Austen-y. I didn't use to like Emma at all and now generally consider it my top favorite (and I totally get it if you disagree, it took me yeeeeaaaars to acknowledge this properly even to myself, because I do indeed love Persuasion and P&P very very dearly). Speaking of which, there's also the '95 P&P (which, believe it or not, I grew up disliking and now LOVE). I'm currently toying with the idea of seeing the '05 P&P yet again to see if my opinions have changed of late.

4. How long have you been blogging?

My first post went up... October 15, 2013. Wheeewhoo... jumping beanstalks it feels like a lot's happened since then.

5. What's your favorite joke?

Oh goodness. My favorite joke? How can one pick such a thing?? *looking pointedly at the friend coming up with this* Um, well I can probably pinpoint the kind that generally makes me giggle the most outright. I don't much like sarcasm at all, but I revel in dry, witty humor of the British and Wodehouse-ian sort. I guess most everybody likes that kind, but I'll stick with it. Me loves it. <3

6. What's a movie or book that people are surprised to learn you enjoy?

Book wise, maybe Dante? Film wise, probably Midsomer Murders and murder mysteries in general. (Note: and they all come with various content advisories, so we can talk more about those later.)

7. Do you play croquet?

No, but I always find it intriguing. First on my list I'd like to get good at bowling and pool though, and tennis sounds really fun.

8. How many blog posts have you published?

This'll make 233. 

9. What's the next book you plan to read?

The Fellowship of the Ring (see my sidebar and join our read along happening in three weeks!) 

10. What's the next movie you plan to watch? 

Royal Wedding (1951) is due for a rewatch.

11. Do you want to build a snowman?

We're in a regular hot streak of 100+ degrees these days, the mercury's near popping out of the thermometer, so yes'm please! xD I'll just need my own little blizzard cloud...

~

Thanks muchly Sally and Hamlette, these were all really fun! And.... I think most everyone I know has already been tagged with this, but if you haven't done it yet, and would like to, let me know and I'll officially tag you. ;) 

In the meanwhiles, let me know if you think I should do more movie (and specifically period drama) reviews. :) Ta ta for now!

Publicizing a party of special magnificence & other highly exciting things

*rubbing my hands in delicious anticipation for all these announcements....* 

First, Hamlette's hosting her annual Tolkien blog party next month! It's always a marvelous time, so be sure to check it out.

(I think I'm going to try and contribute a post on the regal ladies in LOTR, so lots of brainstorming to do yet.) Visit her post for all the details and more great buttons.

And as you've probably already gathered by now, I'm hosting a LOTR read along beginning September 28th. (I'm so excited!) The whole idea is to keep it very fun and relaxed and refreshing. (Note: if you do want to join in that and/or read the posts, make sure to follow over there too as technically it's a separate blog.)

Finally, this might seem a little out of left field (what with all the Tolkien-y stuff), but I've had an itch of late to watch some more classic musicals, so I'm thinking of hosting a blogathon in early November, specifically for Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire films (I thought highlighting those two would both narrow down the category and also give plenty of options). I can post more details later, but let me know if you're interested!

Meanwhile, iffen you feel so inclined to share any (or all!) of these buttons, it'd be splendid and much appreciated. ;D Thank you so much and ta ta for now!

 ~

Would you like to read Lord of the Rings? What are your thoughts on my plot re a classic musicals blogathon?

Movie Review // Wanted: Dead or Alive, Season 1 with Steve McQueen

Sooo…. after some inexcusable and longwinded delays (which you don’t want to hear about and we won’t get into here), I FINALLY delved properly into this and… oh my great cactus blossoms, it ended up totally sucking me down its splendid rabbit hole. (Thank you for that Natalie and Hamlette, true friends ye are XD), and I’m so happy about it!! 

First to get some generalities out of the way. This review is for the first season. When I last checked Prime has seasons 2 & 3 too, which is where I’m hoping to watch them (our tv is just giving me a bit of a hassle with compatibility for some reason, so figuring that out).

It has a number of familiar, and some quite famous, faces, so that’s fun. The acting’s good, and the plot lines are varied and original -- it’s quite impressive in that regard actually. Some of the dialogue and also the fight scenes are sliiiiiightly staged (i.e. even I know there’re some better self defense tactics than some of the folks used), but of course, even for the most skilled in that area there’s the difference between practicing something and actually doing it in the heat of the moment, and in this case there’s the whole cinematic effect thing as well. Also, like it or not, I’ve realized even heroes have to mess up occasionally for things to get out of hand and create story and all that. 

Content wise, there's lots of shooting and some of the bad guys are real baddies with explicitly wicked intent; also due to Randall’s job description there are some more complex themes to grasp, (and he does enjoy chatting with saloon girls here and there, though it never states or shows that that actually develops into anything), so with younger fry I’d say it’s a step up from Andy Griffith and the Richard Greene Robin Hood, if that’s helpful. (And the great thing is, it's a tv series, so as with all tv series, some episodes are more intense and/or just a slight cut above the others, but if you're concerned about anything, you can easily skip any eps and adjust for viewership, etc.)

Now we’ll get down to more of the good stuff and why I enjoyed it so much. 

There are lots of surprising twists and turns, and while not mystery, it is about fulfilling the mission and thwarting the bad guys, and as such y’all know how I’ll love it. ;) It’s about building and maintaining justice in a lawless land, and our protagonist Josh Randall actually using his role as a bounty hunter in building that, fighting to make sure everyone gets fair play.

And, I know both still exist today, but for all the lawlessness in a time and place where there was a real marketable need for bounty hunters, it shows the historical fact that (though it was the wild west) they were sticklers for proper procedure, and there were also way more records and official justice than you might think. 

As for the characters peopling this wild west: real life is messy. Because of common grace and because they bear God’s image, bad people can still do good things -- and, as is the case since the beginning of time, some of the 'bad guys' aren't so much out and out evil as just downright Pigheaded Idiots. By the same token, good people sin, and good people, trying to do good to others as best they can, also sometimes just plain put their foot in it. 

One thing I found most interesting and somewhat unusual, is in it showing the bad, black-hearted women of the frontier (and I don’t mean saloon girls), just as much as the men. Much as I love a sweet, rosy-haloed Dickens heroine once in a great while, it’s bracing to see something realistic, without being morbid or depressing either, so I grew to appreciate that. There isn't any ongoing love interest, but there are a couple good sweet women he meets (and I'm totally going to need to write at least a short story spinning off the Double Fee episode).

As for our main character, Josh Randall: he’s resourceful and smart -- generally smart as a whip, careful not to rush to judgment but clearheaded as to the depravity of man; a loner yet able to make friends easily; and with little flashes of dry humor, usually with a wry twist. (To applicably quote Blackadder, “You’ve really worked out your banter, haven’t you?” “No, not really. This is a different thing; it’s spontaneous and it’s called wit.” Ha, love that quote and it keeps coming to mind when thinking of WDoA. ;D) 

I’ve realized (despite Shadow on the Mesa being such a top favorite), I’d not thought a terrible lot on how other people would perceive the character of a bounty hunter. I guess because in SoTM, you can figure out pretty quickly his level of honorableness, etc., so you don’t see (quite) as much what preconceptions other people have coming face to face with it, i.e. viewing him as being a heartless, violent mercenary. But that’s part of what makes this so good too -- it’s a job someone has to do, but Randall makes sure he does all in his power to bring the wanted in alive for a proper trial, even to the extent of putting his own life on the line. And practical, sometimes brusque, and always laconic, he often quietly helps those in need -- sometimes with his services, at other times even giving away his reward money, and then after all that, downplaying his good deeds and sidestepping effusive appreciation -- it’s like he feels it’s no more than he ought to do.

As you've gathered, usually I do like a good romance, but I don’t feel like this needs it. You do feel achy sorry sometimes for just what a lonely job it must really be, not being able to trust anyone hardly ever, except (most of) the grizzled old sheriffs, but I think here it helps contribute to that relentless twinge of longing that most all good epic westerns have. Very satisfying. 

 ~

In conclusion I’m very VERY happy to say I ended up loving it (well, season 1 and looking forward with cautious yet very enthusiastic optimism to seeing the others ;D). Seriously y’all, you’ve GOT to come and join me down this particularly splendiferous rabbit hole!!

Legends of Western Cinema Week 2020 // Kick-Off, Tag Questions, Giveaway Goodies & Link-Up Spot

Well, boy howdy we've arrived, Legends of Western Cinema Week 2020! I'm so glad y'all are here. :)

I don't know how it is where you're at, but it's fire season and close to record triple digits here, so life in general is hot and sticky and smoky and feels like some long slow scene out of a spaghetti western or something, so forgive me if I ramble at all this week.

First, a link to my lovely cohost's blog (and kindred spirit on all things western), Hamlette of Hamlette's Soliloquy. She also has an amazing giveaway and lots of fun games planned etc, so be sure to visit over there ASAP.

Now for how y'all can participate this week! 

We came up with a tag below (I'm super pleased and excited with how it turned out), so you can cut and paste that to your own blog. Then, if that's all you'd like to do/have time for, that totally works, but we're also open to further movie reviews, character studies, bios of famous western actors, film score composition studies, details about the creation of famous westerns, your thoughts on classic westerns in general... basically anything you can dream up on the topic. ;) And have no fear if anyone else has written on something similar, the more the merrier!

First, for your copying pleasure:

~ Legends of Western Cinema Week Tag 2020 ~

1) What's the last western you watched?

2) A western of any stripe (happy or tragic) where you were highly satisfied by the ending?

3) The funniest western you've seen?

4) What similar elements/themes show up in your favorite westerns?

5) Favorite actress who made one or more westerns?

6) Favorite western hero/sidekick pairing?

7) Scariest villain/antagonist in a western?

8) Favorite romance in a western?

9) Three of your favorite westerns?

10) Share one (or several!) of your favorite quotes from a western.

My Giveaway

I have three prizes for y'all this year. (And due to various technicalities I'm keeping it to US entries only this year, but Hamlette's giveaway is open internationally, so again, be sure to check hers out HERE.) I'll be drawing the winners on Friday morning. I can't make promises, but if you list your favorite prize/s in the comments section, I'll do my best to match you up with one of them. Also, after the giveaway you'll have a week to respond by email with shipping information before I'll need to draw another winner.

Prizes

 

#1 - Two sets of John Wayne playing cards in collector's tin

 

#2 - Classic westerns word search book 

 

#3 - Wanted: Dead or Alive Season 1 4-DVD set (more on this theme coming later in the week! ;))

Make sure to enter here:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Final Important Stuff

Don't forget to grab the tag questions above, fill them out on your own blog, then come back and leave a link to your post in the widget-y thing here or on Hamlette's kick-off post (either way it should quickly show up in both places). Also, if you write more than one post (i.e. topical posts, movie reviews, etc) add each one as a separate entry so everyone can easily find everything you've posted. That's it!

Hurrah! Let the fun begin!

The Sunshine Blogger Award (and rather a lot of Bertie & Jeeves)

'Ullo 'ullo 'ullo!

Hamlette's very kindly tagged me with the current round of the Sunshine Blogger Award (thank you Hamlette!) so here goes:

1. What movie house would you like to live in?

Oh goodness. This one's kinda impossible cause it all depends what mood I'm in. My ultimate dream castle would be something in the rustic lodge style, but I can't think of any movies that actually have that, so I'll go with Hartford in the '09 Emma. Not the heavy drapes, but I do love the color scheme.

2. What movie pet would you like to own?

Not exactly in the pet category perhaps, but Zorro's mighty steed Toronado.

3. What book do you wish your favorite actor or actress could have starred in an adaptation of?

I don't have a favorite (problem: actually having too many general favorites to be absolutely definitive), but we definitely need a stick-to-the-book-in-all-ways-wherever-possible adaptation of Blue Castle with Michael Fassbender playing Barney. (Why oh why has this not been done yet, peoples??)

4. Are there any movies you like better than the book they were based on?

LOTS. (I know, shocking.) We won't mention any classics, but definitely Magic of Ordinary Days and Shadow on the Mesa (It's been a long time since I flipped through library copies, but both were unreadable and/or had indecent stuff.)

5. What's your favorite movie that's set in the decade you were born in?

Eeesh, tough one. I guess the Back to the Future's.

6. Do you collect movie memorabilia of any sort?

Not much and not specifically movie related, but I have received some lovely things from friends (bookmarks, cushion covers, etc). <3 (Oh, and the Little Princess has quite a few Rapunzel/Tangled/princess-y items.)

(Doesn't really apply to anything but always makes me laugh.

Ok, back on task.) 

7. What actor and actress have never made a movie together, but you wish would have?

I haven't been thinking much on this subject of late, but (as you can tell ;)) I have been rewatching lots of Jeeves and Wooster so... um... maybe Hugh Laurie and... ?? (No, tried really hard and still can't come up with anything.)

Ooh, going into oldies now, but maybe Tyrone Power and Janet Leigh? Yup. On second thought, yes definitely.

8. What director would you like to have direct a movie based on your life?

I'm terrible at paying attention to the all important position of director when the credits roll, but y'all know I love how well all the reticence and deep meaning is captured in the '04 North & South (and, well, just everything about it), so maybe Brian Percival? Just set in the west. ;-)

9. Do you ever like a remake better than the original film?

Yes indeedy. Music Man is the only one I can think of at the moment, but there're others.

10. What's your least-favorite movie genre?

I don't do horror at all, so that makes it any sci-fi/AI in particular/scary futuristic robot stuff.

11. Are there any movies in your least-favorite genre that you do like?

I've only seen it once and don't remember if we skipped through any parts (also I consider Star Trek and Star Wars both science fantasy/fairytale not hardcore sci-fi, hence not counting), but I did end up really liking Surrogates (2009 with Bruce Willis and Rosamund Pike).

Thank you again for the tag Hamlette! Nap time is done and we're off to do laundry now so I don't have any original, intelligent questions for everyone, but if you'd like to answer any of Hamlette's questions on your own blog (or in the comments here) feel free. I'd love to see your answers, so leave a link and below is a fresh copy for cutting and pasting. Have fun!

1. What movie house would you like to live in?
2. What movie pet would you like to own?
3. What book do you wish your favorite actor or actress could have starred in an adaptation of?
4. Are there any movies you like better than the book they were based on?
5. What's your favorite movie that's set in the decade you were born in?
6. Do you collect movie memorabilia of any sort?
7. What actor and actress have never made a movie together, but you wish would have?
8. What director would you like to have direct a movie based on your life?
9. Do you ever like a remake better than the original film?
10. What's your least-favorite movie genre?
11. Are there any movies in your least-favorite genre that you do like?

Oh, and the rules:

List the award’s official rules
Display the award somewhere on your blog
Thank the person who nominated you
Provide a link to your nominator’s blog
Answer your nominator’s questions
Nominate up to 11 bloggers
Ask your nominees 11 questions
Notify your nominees by commenting on at least one of their blog posts

Tinkety tonk!

Tolkien Blog Party 2019 // Tag Answers

These're frightfully difficult, terribly fun, and I couldn't be more pleased with how everything turned out. Can't wait to hear what y'all think! ;)

Would You Rather...

1. ...join Thorin's Company or the Fellowship?

The Fellowship because of... well, just every last bit of it. The Hobbit is a fun adventure, peopled with dear characters, but LotR is just epic. The point springing to mind is all the brothers-in-arms stuff -- likely and unlikely, like Gimli and Legolas. (And, depending who you were with when the fellowship breaks up, you might get to go through either Ithilien or Anorien. <3 And there's Aragorn. And all the other people you'd get to meet, like Faramir. Still, that's not all necessarily key to the question.)

Short answer: for personality variety in the band of adventurers, character development, and adventure-wise, I'd choose the Fellowship.

Except I do hate the Nazgul. Rrrrrr. 

2. ...ride Shadowfax or an eagle?

First off, the eagles always make me Very Happy. But still, gripping the feathers of a huge, fierce, lordly bird -- desperately trying not to pinch as the earth drops away -- v. a mighty, glistening horse, powerful and smooth running as the wind? Shadowfax all the way. <333

(Also must mention lately I'm sliiiiightly peeved at no one in particular, wondering why the eagles couldn't just've dropped Sam and Frodo off at Mount Doom in the first place and spared all the pain and suffering for poor dear everyone. But no story. I understand. Unless there's something I'm forgetting, it's probably just a little loophole Tolkien hoped we wouldn't think about. So let's forget I mentioned it. ;-))

3. ...travel through Moria or Mirkwood?

I dislike them pretty equally, both seem so dark and claustrophobic and endless. If I was a hobbit though I'd pick Moria, cause of all the Big Folk along. Even with all the heartbreak in the loss of Gandalf, Aragorn and Boromir heading and bringing up the rear of the band in the face of that terror, then carrying Frodo and Sam later makes me warm and teary.

4. ...learn to make elvish rope or mithril chainmail?

Both would be interesting, but mithril sounds like ripply silver beauty. Wikipedia says the name mithril comes from two words in Tolkien's Sindarin language -- mith meaning 'grey' and ril meaning 'glitter'. So yes please.

5. ...try to outwit Smaug or Saruman?

Tough one. Ok, bear with me here, but all in all I think I'd actually pick Saruman. Smaug would just be downright terrifying. Saruman would too, but I think of him as kinda the embodiment of modern philosophy -- with smooth beckoning words, twisting, subtly bending meaning and arguing in circles till you're more than half persuaded/feel a fool for holding out any longer. But yet, it's all wound through with pride, i.e. that was his downfall and (not that I've got everything pat in that department) but a humble man who approaches the debate with a little trembling quiver, but still sticks to his guns and keeps repeating what he knows is right -- I think he could make it through.

6. ...spend an hour with Grima Wormtongue or Denethor?

Denethor. Hands down. If he was going on about Faramir I'd be pretty inevitably tempted to give him a gargantuan piece of my mind, but he's still a gentleman and man of honor (albeit ultimately a fallen one). Grima is just... ick. And yuck.

7. ...attend Faramir's wedding or Samwise's wedding?

***First, how can you do this to me, Hamlette?!?!?!?!?***

Well... it depends. If I was in the mood for something epic, the happiness beyond tears, end of a fairy tale sort of occasion, I'd pick the former. If I'm in the mood for hearty food and hilarity and maybe riotous dancing, I'd pick the latter. (Ha, see how neatly I avoided choosing there?)

But I'll play fair and say Eowyn and Faramir. Especially as I intend to be in their retinue and go back to Ithilien and make everything loved and altogether lovely again.

8. ...have to care for the One Ring or the Arkenstone for a day?

The Arkenstone. Gold fever is a very real thing, but I'm not going near the Ring with a ten foot pole. Nuh uh.

9. ...have tea with Bilbo or Frodo?

Ummm... Usually I'd always pick Frodo, but I'm not sure how good of a cook he is, so maybe Bilbo? I do always want to try his seed cakes. For some reason I always picture them as poppy seed.

10. ...fight alongside Boromir or Eomer?

Ok, this one's near impossible. I've literally been thinking about it for a couple days. My initial immediate response was Boromir, but sometimes I feel like Eomer doesn't get as much credit or talking-about as he should and he really is splendid and valiant and loves his sister, and his manly desire to protect is just as strong as the others. So, though I'm not sure how much use I'd be fighting on horseback, at the moment I'm picking Eomer and the Rohirrim.

Thank you for the wonderful party and all the fantastic questions, Hamlette! Again, make sure to check out all the other entries HERE.

And be sure and let me know if you agree/disagree with any of the above!