Archive for the ‘movies’ Tag
Are you a real movie fan? Do you prefer old movies or do you wait patiently for the new ones to arrive. For most of my life I was an occasional movie watcher but it was never something all that important to me. I never went out of my way to spend money or my time in searching out movies to watch. It wasn’t until cable TV came into it’s own with the Turner Classic Movie Network that I discovered how much I’d missed and in more cases what I was glad I missed.
What I did discover was that going to movie theaters and paying the big prices was no longer all that necessary. One of my pet peeves has always been people who refuse to shut up while in a movie theater. On many occasions I found myself exchanging rather harsh words with a few of those ignorant individuals who obviously had no respect for other moviegoers. The result of those incidents have kept me from almost all movie theaters ever since. The up-side to that is I’m able to watch many more movies than I normally would have in the privacy of my home without any annoying interruptions. For me it’s worth waiting a few extra months until a movie goes to DVD where I can then watch it at home and truly enjoy it.
We’ve all had those times watching movies where we’ve been touched by a scene that was so well done and meaningful that we’ll remember it forever. In recent years I’ve become much more of a movie aficionado that I ever thought I could. There are thousands of movies available from all genres but unfortunately only a small percentage are worth seeing more than once. With all of the TV channels and other resources the number of movies readily available for viewing is almost unlimited.
I’ve also discovered that certain movies have stuck with me in a more permanent way. There are a certain few movies that I can sit and watch over and over again and enjoy them just as much as the first time I saw them. These special movies are few in number and from different genres and aren’t dependent on any specific actor or actress. If I see one of them listed or I chance upon one accidentally, any other programs are immediately forgotten and I begin watching it again. It’s like spending time with an old friend. Here’s my top ten list in no particular order of importance.
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Ben-Hur
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Young Frankenstein
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Avatar
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The Shootist
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Under Siege
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Notting Hill
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Star Wars (The First Movie)
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The Shooter
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Robin Hood (With Errol Flynn)
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Star Trek – The Voyage Home
There appears to be no rhyme or reason for that list and no other common denominators I can find. I own many of them on DVD and have been known to sneak away if I have an hour or two of quiet time to just sit and enjoy. I appreciate them more each year because they help me forget the hundreds and hundreds of really bad movies that the cable stations continue to play over and over again.
Stick me on a desert island with my 100 favorite books and these movies and you’ll never see my fat ass again.
I decided that today would be my day of rest and relaxation. I’ve spent most of the last week continuing my bedroom remodeling project. The electrical has been rewired, Check! The insulation has been repaired, replaced, and a vapor barrier installed, Check! The new framing for the closet and bedroom entry way has been completed, Check! The room as been cleaned to within an inch of it’s life, Check! Most of the tools and excess materials have been removed, Check! And last but not least, I’m just sick of working on it, Double Check! I’ve decided that after I hang the drywall over the next couple of weeks I’m done. It’s time to call in the professionals to install the hardwood floor and the rest of the finish work.
Today is for vegging, reading, loafing, and doing huge amounts of nothing. The better-half has a day off and will be on a shopping safari with her daughter for a quite a while. What does that mean? It means peace and quiet for a few hours. No loud annoying C & W music, no banging and clanging of pots in the kitchen, and no repeated requests for help. Just a good book, a comfy chair, and a freshly brewed cup of hot coffee. . . .
It’s later now and I’m pleased that I was able to read almost a hundred pages of my book without interruption. The cat gave up trying to get my attention about an hour ago and has found a soft spot on the couch across the room to crash. Every so often he opens one eye to make sure I’m still there but I think he’s beginning to understand it’s his day off as well. . . .
Darkness has now fallen and my better-half has returned with a medium size load of purchases. I’ve been officially granted limited access to her woman-cave this evening to construct a chair she recently purchased. She claims it’s a chair that will be kept there just for me to use during my occasional visits. I get that old feeling she’s telling me what she thinks I want to hear to get the job done. Maybe I’m being a little cynical but I’m not really offended. I just count my blessings that I’m permitted to visit the place at all. It’s like being offered a private visit to Disneyland. . . .
The chair is now built and we’re having a drink to celebrate. We’re discussing current events and any other meaningless things we can think of. The lasagna is cooking, the drinks are cold, the chair is easy on my backside, and life is good. I guess I’m just easy to please at times.
We decided to watch a movie before retiring for the night and as usual within twenty minutes I’m watching the movie and she’s lightly snoring on the couch. I’ll wait a while before I wake her which shouldn’t be too long because this movie, Beowulf, is one of the worse things I’ve ever seen. I’d rather be getting my teeth drilled than watch anymore of it. Just freaking awful.
I guess there’s no such thing as a perfect day so I’ll take what I can get. I’ve learned over the years to enjoy the good, try to ignore the bad, and keep on moving on.
Winter has returned with a vengeance here in Maine. It’s not snow this time but frigid cold. The wind chill has been below zero for a few days which means I don’t leave this house unless it’s on fire. These are the days when my list of winter projects becomes important.
After I finished reading the entire collection of Harry Potter books two weeks ago I then decided I wanted to see all of the movies now that I had a better understanding of the story line. Yesterday was the start of my Harry Potter movie marathon made possible by a grant made to me by my better-half’s daughter. I have in my hot little hand all of the HP movies in Blue Ray, I effing love it. This weather made it possible for me to watch the first three movies without much interruption yesterday.
One big surprise though, my better-half sat in for a few minutes at the beginning of movie number 4 and became mesmerized. She watched that entire movie and loved it. I was informed last night that I wasn’t to watch any of the other films unless she was here to watch them with me. I didn’t mind that too much since I actually like having her around most of the time. Besides if I happen to remain quiet and really still she’s likely to be the first person to raid the kitchen and make us popcorn.
The marathon will continue later tonight but this morning I’m back in the kitchen making a batch of hot and spicy barbecue sauce. If I manage it properly I can have it made, canned, and on the shelf before my better-half returns home from work. I’ll return shortly. . . .
(Time Passing)
Well I’m back and the sauce has been made and canned. The cleanup is actually easier since I made a smaller batch than normal. I was able to can 16 half pints of sauce with each one holding enough for a meal of chicken wings or a meat of choice. It was a newly developed recipe which offers a lot of flavor and a medium amount of heat. I decided to ease up on the heat since most of this batch will be given to friends and family. I’ll make a smaller batch in a few weeks which will be much hotter and more to our taste.
I’m just sitting here now waiting for the better-half to arrive. I went outside to check the mail earlier and OMG is it freaking cold. The deck is making gun shot noises as the nails are popping from the temperature. The first time made me jump a bit but the poor cat is going crazy. He no sooner gets to sleep then BANG. It’s harshing his buzz and making him extremely cranky.
Tomorrow is another day in paradise.
