Literally Correct
I can think of no greater actress than Bette Davis. She easily conveyed every emotional range imaginable on screen; from romance & comedy in “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” to insanity in “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”
You name it she’s done it and shared it with us, her loyal fans, for decades! It is because of her incomparable talents that I’m also including her as the first on my long list of “The Greats,” a series I’m putting together, where every week a famous person, place, or thing, will be highlighted.
And although she was nominated for 10 times, only winning her first two noms, I feel she should have won so much more. Of the five I’m choosing to mention to you now, only two of them was she nominated for, neither of which were winners for her. I find it’s the movies these actors are less known for that I find to be their best performance. Enjoy!
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
Bette Davis is not known for her romances. She is even lesser known for her comedy. But these acting abilities are not lost on her! She rises to the occasion with the help of Monty Woolley (Sheridan Whiteside) and Richard Travis (Bert Jefferson). Throw in the other acting genius of Ann Sheridan, Jimmy Durante, Billie Burke and Mary Wickes, and you’ve got yourself an amazing cast just waiting to make you laugh and cry and feel great! This movie has the perfect balance of wit, seriousness, and laugh out loud comedy you could ever ask for. If you’ve never seen it, you should, and be glad I’ve introduced you to the lighter and brighter side that is the many faces of Bette Davis.
Watch on the Rhine (1943)
As serious topics go, this one ranks highest, for me, for Bette Davis movies. It takes place during the heightened time of WWII when a lot of “underground” work was done and people were really terrified for their lives. There were a lot of popular movies set around this time period that caused this movie to fall low on the list of WWII movies but this one will forever rank in my top 3. This movie has an amazing monologue delivered by Bette Davis that will always be burned in my mind. Yet another example of how great she is.
Deception (1946)
How Bette Davis was not nominated, nor did she win for this movie I’ll never know?! Then to have two amazing actors like Paul Henreid and Claude Rains who were both in Casablanca also, made this movie one I could not stop watching. She plays a woman who loves one man but is in awe of another who also loves her and won’t let her go. The movie can still appeal to women as well as to men, which is what makes it so good.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Easily on of her best and well known movies she’s ever done. She used her age and her eyes to invoke such an image of insanity that one cannot easily forget. She played the role of psychotic sister so well you almost feel sorry for her as well as being scared to death of her. It’s the stereotype of what people assumed happens to the mind of child prodigy’s who grew up and no longer had the fan-base they used to. Her sister, played by Joan Crawford, is just as amazing in the role she plays of a helpless cripple who truly loves her sister even though she knows she’s insane. At the prime of their life and they both are and still able to deliver performances no less than perfection.
All About Eve (1950)
Bette Davis received an Oscar nomination for this movie but lost out to Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday. Do I disagree with this choice having seen Born Yesterday? Not really. Honestly, Bette Davis should have been the Meryl Streep of today. What I mean by that is she should have not only been nominated for every movie she was in, but she should also have won them all as well! That’s not to say the other nominees weren’t just as deserving, especially Gloria Swanson for Sunset Blvd.! But there’s nothing that can be done. The choice was made and yet again, Bette Davis is without a trophy. I guess she can be a good example for why being nominated is just as honorable as winning? Especially after seeing her in this movie! She plays vixen all too well! She plays a famous stage actress who is getting a little long in the tooth and is slowly being replaced by a younger model both on stage and off. At first her lover, friends, and management think she is overreacting about the whole situation until Eve’s (Anne Baxter) true colors are revealed. That’s when it REALLY starts to get good! Be prepared to be left on the edge of your seat, rooting for Bette the entire time, with this movie.
Just One More…
Pocketful of Miracles (1961)
Bette Davis could not have been a better choice to play Apple Annie alongside Glenn Ford as Dave the Dude. In short, this movie is about Apple Annie, whose daughter (Ann-Margret) she was able to send away to a prestigious school, is coming home to introduce her fiancé and his father to her mother! Well, her daughter doesn’t know that her mother barely makes ends meet by selling apples. In comes Dave the Dude, a well-to-do gangster who believes Apple Annie’s apples bring him luck, without them, nothing goes right. In order to increase the territory he owns he must keep the luck of the apples alive by doing this one good deed for Apple Annie: turning her into a lady. All the while Joy Boy (my favorite character played by Peter Falk) is trying to set his boss straight and get him to forget about those dumb apples. It’s a comedy, it’s a romance, and it’s an all-around feel good movie the whole family will love!
What movie helped you to discover Bette Davis? Which Bette Davis movies are your favorite?
Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s been fun, but I am leaving Tumblr for good and you can now find me here —> My New Blog **CLICK THE LINK DUH!!**
At my new blog location you will find the following:
- Random - Want to know what goes on inside my head about different topics that may or may not be popular or relevant to you whatsoever? Here’s the place!
- Book Reviews - If I’ve read it I’ll review it! But only in its entirety!
- Movie Reviews - My reviews on movies I’ve seen (old & new)
- Social Calendar - Wanna know what activities are free & inexpensive that I’ll be taking part in?
- Listmania - I put things in “lists” to better organize them in my mind. Anything can be listed!
- Poetry - Yeah, I write poems from time to time that I might share publicly…
- Historical Documents - There are speeches and documents you should read or at least know exists!
- Blogs I Love - Aside from checking out my blog, there are a few others bloggers that I take a peek at from time to time and so should you!
- My Tweets - Sometimes I rant, other times I’m odd and you can’t figure out what/who I’m talking about! Either way, I’m kind of a big deal so FOLLOW ME!!
It’s totally bad ass and better than ever so I would love you to go check it out from time to time to see what I have to say! I promise you won’t be disappointed! And best of all, you can now leave “pithy” comments for me! (a feature not easily done on Tumblr and one of the LONG LIST of reasons why I’ve left!)
And now it’s time for me to say goodbye the only way I know how: (it’s the song that came into my head when I started writing this OK!! lol)
Full Title: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)
Written By: Marissa Meyer
Cover Artist: TBA
Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2012
Pages: 387 (hardcover)
Age Range: 18+
Buying Options: Amazon.com or BN.com
Genre(s): young adult/romance/science fiction/dystopian
My Star Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
My Review: Very few people don’t know the story of Cinderella. If you’re like me, you’ve seen several movie versions of the movie growing up as well. Not only that, but being a fairytale, it’s easy to see aspects of this story in other, more modern tales. The classic (and oft times tragic) story of girl who likes boy but due to some societal or financial reason she does not feel worthy of his affection. Similar to that of Romeo & Juliet, only not as tragic because in Cinderella it’s one of those “and they lived happily ever after” kind of endings. This book is the story of Cinderella but told in the future and in Beijing, China. I think that location would never have entered my mind for a Cinderella remake but I must say, for the larger story she’s looking to tell in the continuation of this series, it works.
If you like the fairytale and are not open for huge change from that idea this book will not interest you. Otherwise, read on, because there is something for everyone in this story. Cinder is a cyborg (meaning certain parts of her anatomy and internal organs are robotic) and as such is looked down upon by some people, including, of course, her wicked step-mother Adri, and her two step-sisters. I was happy to see that one of the step-sisters actually befriends Cinder and they get along rather well until tragedy hits. I’ll try not to give any spoilers but let’s just say there is SO much more to this story that some stupid ball and fairy godmother. There are no pumpkins (unless you count the orange car she finds in the junkyard) or midnight bells to listen for. There is a greater danger in this story than losing ones slipper too. Try losing ones mechanical foot!
One criticism I had with the book was the humor. I found it VERY dry, but I suspect that is because the culture where it takes place is different from what I’m used to here. If that is the case then I get two thumbs up to the writer for being so thorough in her research on this book that she was able to perfectly capture the way the Chinese communicate to each other in dialogue.
Read In: 4 days!!
“As Told By _____________” <—click here to read another review of this book!
Will you, Run And Tell That?
Title: Titanic (IMAX 3-D)
Director: James Cameron
Producer: James Cameron & Jon Landau
Screenwriters: James Cameron
Distributor: Paramount Pictures (USA) & 20th Century Fox (Internationally)
In Theaters: December 19th, 1997
Run Time: 194 minutes
Color: Color
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates, Victor Garber, Jonathan Ides, Billy Zane, etc.
Genre(s): adventure/drama/history/romance
Storyline: 84 years later, a 101-year-old woman named Rose DeWitt Bukater tells the story to her granddaughter Lizzy Calvert, Brock Lovett, Lewis Bodine, Bobby Buell and Anatoly Mikailavich on the Keldysh about her life set in April 10th 1912, on a ship called Titanic when young Rose boards the departing ship with the upper-class passengers and her mother, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, and her fiancé, Caledon Hockley. Meanwhile, a drifter and artist named Jack Dawson and his best friend Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets to the ship in a game. And she explains the whole story from departure until the death of Titanic on its first and last voyage April 15th, 1912 at 2:20 in the morning. Written by Anthony Pereyra
Movie Trailer:
My Review: Although this movie came out in 1997 and everyone I knew saw it or, in the last 15 years since, has seen it, I never did. Whenever it would come on tv I avoided it. Not for any reason other than both leads in the movie were never a favorite of mine. I am happy to state, after seeing the movie, I hold the same feelings about them. In fact, the only part I could have done without was what moviegoers probably say is the main reason for seeing that movie as often as they have; the love story. While it is wonderful and cutesy to witness that “love at first sight” moment and while the relationship they had, though VERY short, could be analyzed all on it’s own, I felt it took away from what was going on during that tragic event. Perhaps that was what the writer/director/producer James Cameron had in mind when telling this very true and very chilling true story?
While I felt the romance could have been shown without those specific two, I appreciated when it was show, if only because it distracted my mind away from the tragedy going on around them, especially in the second half of the movie when the boat hits the iceberg. I found myself getting the most emotional after this point, not because Jack was dying! Although there were MANY women in the audience who were wailing and sobbing because Jack was dying! I rolled my eyes at them and tried to block them out as I stared at the huge IMAX screen in awe of it all. I cried seeing those people falling to their deaths. Especially the mother telling her children a bedtime story below deck as they slept, knowing they were going to die soon. The tragedy of over 1,500 people dying was enough to draw tears from my eyes, NOT the one lucky couple who at least got to experience love and what it means to have and feel that love, even if just for a little while.
The way this entire movie was filmed was crazy if not genius. I would definitely love to see the behind the scenes on how a story of this magnitude was put together and filmed. I can see why it won and admit it deserved all of the accolades it received at the time and today. However, like Passion of the Christ, this will be one movie I know I will never be able to see again. Much too tragic and too real to endure no matter how brilliantly it was done. If you were like me and never saw it, I recommend seeing it now while it’s in the theater! Or if you’ve missed that opportunity, watch it on DVD or something. Don’t watch it with commercial interruptions. I’d hate to know what scenes were shortened in order to accommodate commercials.
My Rating: B+
Will You…Run And Tell That?
Paulo Coelho
I can almost see it.
That dream I’m dreaming, but
There’s a voice inside my head saying
You’ll never reach it
Every step I’m takin’
Every move I make
Feels lost with no direction,
My faith is shakin’
But I gotta keep tryin’
Gotta keep my head held high
There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waitin’ on the other side
It’s the climb
The struggles I’m facing
The chances I’m taking
Sometimes might knock me down, but
No I’m not breaking
I may not know it, but
These are the moments that
I’m gonna remember most
I’ve just gotta keep goin’, and
I gotta be strong
Just keep pushing on, cause
There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waitin’ on the other side
It’s the climb
There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waitin’ on the other side
It’s the climb
- Miley Cyrus
Title: The Bodyguard 20th Anniversary
Director: Mick Jackson
Screenwriters: Lawrence Kasdan
Producer: Kevin Costner, Lawrence Kasdan & Jim Wilson
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Company: Warner Bros.
In Theaters: November 25th, 1992
Run Time: 129 minutes
Color: Color
Starring: Whitney Houston & Kevin Costner
Genre(s): drama/music/romance/thriller
Storyline: A pop singer has been receiving threatening notes, and her manager hires a bodyguard known for his good work. The bodyguard ruffles the singer’s feathers and most of her entourage by tightening security more than they feel is necessary. The bodyguard is haunted by the fact that he was on Reagan’s secret service staff but wasn’t there to prevent the attack by Hinckley. Eventually the bodyguard and the singer start an affair, and she begins to believe his precautions are necessary when the stalker strikes close to home. Written by Ed Sutton
Movie Trailer:
My Review: I’ve seen this movie several times when I was old enough to fully understand it. When it came out in 1992 I was only 8 years old so naturally my mother did not take me to see it. I’m glad I got to see Whitney on the big screen in what will always go down in my lifetime, as being one of the greatest love stories ever told. It’s got drama, suspense, great dialogue, and of course, a love story that back then was a big deal because it showed a white man and a black woman romantically involved with each other. It was probably one of the breakthrough films to portray that and not get completely panned for it. Bravo for that!
Aside from the stereotypes it shattered, there was also amazing singing done by the late Whitney Houston. I suspect the 20th Anniversary came about because of her sudden and tragic death but the why makes very little difference. This movie, no matter how or when you see it, can easily be put in the same league as Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, and Sleepless in Seattle, when it comes to timeless classic love stories. There are many more (like Titanic) that I don’t mention but that’s because I may not have seen them.
If you want to know the story behind the classic I Will Always Love You this is where you will find your answer. No one will ever be able to sing it with the class, elegance, and soulful tone that Whitney Houston has. She is by far one of a kind. It was easily felt in the movie theater when it came to the last few minutes of the movie. Whitney Houston’s character, so in love with her former bodyguard (played by Kevin Costner) that she cannot bear to fly away without giving him one final kiss goodbye. As she runs off her private jet, the audience (myself included), were so overwhelmed we just started clapping and cheering. I sense it was also because we knew what even larger moment was coming after that. The long pause in her timeless song before the orchestra explodes and she belts out, “And Iiiiiiii….” in a way no one could ever hope to come close to coping. I cried and I’m sure the audience did as well as we were all awestruck by her magnificence. We’d heard that song countless times before but at that moment it was indescribable. Then, after we gave her her moment, we could not help but join her as well sang the remainder of the song with her right through the credits.
I’ll never forget that. It was truly unforgettable.
My Rating: A
Will You…Run And Tell That?
Title: Monumental: In Search of America’s National Treasure
Director: Duane Barnhart
Writers: Kevin Miller & Marshall Foster
Production Company: Pyro Pictures
In Theaters: March 27th, 2012
Run Time: 90 minutes
Color: Color
Starring: Kirk Cameron
Genre(s): documentary
Storyline: [Adapted from the trailer] The United States of America is the richest, freest nation the world has ever seen. But nowadays all signs point to the reality of a sickness in the soul of our country, and history tells us that we’re headed for disaster if we don’t change our course now.
The set of ideas that is being advanced and implemented in Washington at this time is terribly frightening to those who are students of history. If you look at the superpowers of history, every single one of them has called itself “exceptional.” If you look at the Roman empire, for instance, the parallels to what is going on in the U.S. are alarming. And the question is: Are we going to go down the right path ourselves, or continue blithely along the same wrong path down which so many nations in history’s dustbin have trod…?
In Monumental, producer/narrator Kirk Cameron retraces the footsteps of America’s founders to see if they left us some kind of a map that would guide us back to the foundation of America’s success. Typically when we think of the Pilgrims, we recall images from public-school history classes: pilgrims coming over the sea from England in funny black-and-white suits with big, goofy hats and belt buckles on their shoes. But in fact the Pilgrims were the radicals of their day, living outside the box that had been constructed by the British empire. The hardships they had to endure in starting a new life for themselves, in what to them was a newly discovered land, are incredible, and furnish a vital lesson for us today.
Sadly, our history has not just been forgotten; it’s been rewritten. Our historians and politicians no longer maintain our awareness of the founders’ beliefs and values, which resulted in America’s now-fading greatness. Sure, the Pilgrims emerged from a culture that retained slavery at the time—but it was the very faith and values of the Pilgrims and others like them that eventually eradicated slavery in first Britain and then the U.S.
Time is flying by too quickly, and our children’s futures won’t wait. We’ve got to do something now. Sometimes the only way forward … is to go back. There is nothing in today’s America that cannot be solved by a genuine going-back to the first principles held by the Founders. And that’s good news.
Our families are worth fighting for … aren’t they?
Movie Trailer:
My Review: This was a one night only event. When I first heard about it through Glenn Beck I knew I had to see it and take my mom with me. Due to my moms inability to sit in one place for a long period of time and her use of a car company that works on a tight schedule, we were unable to see this movie to the very end. I’m sure we would have been able to if the pre-show wasn’t so long. We would have planned better in that way. Otherwise, we saw about 80% of the movie and it was very educational. More than I had imagined.
I almost wished there were more light in the theater and I came equipped with a notebook and pen to take notes because that’s what the movie made me want to do. I vow to now visit the Founding Fathers Monument very soon so I can see for myself just how monumental it truly is. To know such a monument exists but not till this documentary did I ever hear of it astounds me! It should be discussed and be a school trip for everyone within a 300 mile radius of it!
If you don’t know about this monument I suggest doing your homework and there is no better place to start than this documentary. Kirk Cameron inspired me, not so much by the questions he asked, but by the facial reactions he had once he was told the answers and showed the proof. My shock was confirmed by the reactions of the rest of those in the theater as well. You think you know how we as a society were started? How the Pilgrims came to be here and how we formed from that journey? You have NO idea.
I recommend not only that you watch this movie but that you watch it with others. They may find it corny and unnecessary at first but once they hear the stories and see the proof (especially the part with David Barton) they will end up thanking you.
My Rating: A+
Will You…Run And Tell That?
Full Title: The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
Written By: Michael Scott
Cover Artist: Michael Wagner
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: June 24th, 2008
Pages: 461 (hardcover)
Age Range: 12-17 years
Buying Options: Amazon.com or BN.com
Genre(s): fantasy/thriller/mythology
My Star Rating: ★ ★ ★
My Review: This review comes much later. I know I must write these as soon as I finish reading the book, to make sure it is still fresh in my mind. This second book in the 6 book series is written the same way the first one is which, in this case, is a good thing. Why? Because whenever a book such as this decides to take on a lot of historical facts and ideas I appreciate being reminded of certain things. I’ll admit I have terrible short term memory so I don’t complain that a book is “repetitive” especially if it’s full of so much that needs to be remembered. Nothing is unnecessarily put it or oddly left out. I also appreciate that every scene and every character is important to the continuity of the book(s).
If you like myths and legends and making them seem more human, this is a good series. I’m only on the 3rd book now that I’ve finished this one and I have not been disappointed yet. I’d love to tell more specifics but even that would ruin it.
Keep in mind this IS a “young adults” series but unlike Twilight it’s actually readable. you appreciate that it’s a 6 books series and you look forward to reading them in their entirety and in order. If you happen to have liked the Twilight books I recommend you DON’T read this book as I can already tell, good literature like this would be wasted on you and you would probably find this to be boring so really I am saving your time immensely!
Read In: 15 days
“As Told By _____________” <—click here to read another review of this book!
Will you…Run And Tell That?
Full Title: Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)
Written By: Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess
Cover Artist: Andrea Ho
Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons (amy einhorn books)
Publication Date: April 17th, 2012
Pages: 313 (hardcover)
Age Range: 18+
Buying Options: Amazon.com or BN.com
Genre(s): humor/auto-biography
My Star Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
My Review: I found The Bloggess through Twitter and instantly took a disliking to her! No I’m kidding, I instantly was a HUGE fan because she did what I thought no one else in the business of blogging would do (remove dirty thoughts now!) she answered my questions! Mind you, some may have been dumb at the time but I appreciated her taking time out of what I’m sure was an adventurous and purely unplanned day, to answer my questions. Jenny, I thank you, again…
Now onto my review. It ties into the fact that she was in New York City the day her book was released for a book signing. I honestly would not have known about it had I not been at the B&N on 86th street weeks before and instantly noticed her picture up on their big screen advertising her up and coming book signing. If you know The Bloggess at all, her photograph of her hair in curlers is easily recognizable. Initially I was not planning to arrive early for the signing (to my own stupidity) but I’m glad I did because way before it started (promptly at 7pm as advertised and for that I thank you Jenny again! Not everyone is as “on time” as you when it comes to book signings) there was standing room only. I think her event was one of the largest book signings I’ve been to (not counting the two former Presidents of the United States book signings I’ve been to: Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton). To me that’s saying something. I was unaware just how powerful the blogging world can be and how supportive they are until this day.
Okay, seriously, NOW onto my review of her book! I started reading it on my way home from said book signing. After listening to her read and entire chapter to us I absolutely had to start reading her book. As a small sample (if you have no idea who she is or have never read her blog before) here is the title of the chapter she bravely read to us: The Psychopath on the Other Side of the Bathroom Door
As she says throughout her book, MOST, if not ALL of what she shares with us about her life from childhood to adulthood, really truly happened. I’ve read her blogs and as unbelievable as they may sound, I have grown to not only believe her but to appreciate that no matter how messed up I find my life to be I’ve never gotten my arm stuck up inside a cows vagina! Yes, that actually happened to her! Read her book if you don’t believe me!
I laughed till I cried and couldn’t keep reading because the tears were in my way. When I finished wiping my tears away I’d read a few more sentences and there they would return! If it wasn’t for the laughing till I was crying and this crazy job I have that insists I work from 8:45am-5:15pm during the week I probably would have finished this book in less that 4 days. I’m ashamed of myself for pausing from reading this book to do life things as well, like bathing and eating and sleeping. Although I did read while I was eating so I guess I can be partly forgiven because at least I tried to read it in less than four days!
I recommend this book for the sarcastic, for the one who loves humor (especially when you know all this stuff is true and not made up!), and for those of us who need a change of pace from those books with proper sentence structure and correctly spelled words and crap! They are SO overrated!
It’s so good I wish I could read it to you right now and just not stop till I was done (or at least till you begged me to because you found it genuinely funny and promised to go buy your own copy). Instead, I’m going to share with you the opening paragraph of her first chapter and if that doesn’t make you want to rush out and buy a copy or download it on your e-reader (I hate those damn things by the way!!) then I give up on you entirely! Weirdo!
I Was a Three-Year-Old Arsonist
Call me Ishmael. I won’t answer to it, because it’s not my name, but it’s much more agreeable than most of the things I’ve been called. “Call me ‘that-weird-chick-who-says-“fuck”-a-lot” is probably more accurate, but “Ishmael” seems classier, and it makes a way more respectable beginning than the sentence I’d originally written, which was about how I’d just run into my gynecologist at Starbucks and she totally looked right past me like she didn’t even know me. And so I stood there wondering whether that’s something she does on purpose to make her clients feel less uncomfortable, or whether she genuinelydidn’t recognize me without my vagina. Either way, it’s very disconcerting when people who’ve been inside your vagina don’t acknowledge your existence. Also, I just want to clarify that I don’t mean “without my vagina” like I didn’t have it with me at the time. I just meant that I wasn’t, you know…displaying itwhile I was at Starbucks. That’s probably understood, but I thought I should clarify, since it’s the first chapter and you don’t know that much about me. So just to clarify, I alwayshave my vagina with me. It’s like my American Express card. (In that I don’t leave home without it. Not that I use it to buy stuff with.) - Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess (Let’s Pretend This Never Happened)
Read In: 4 days!
“As Told By _____________” <—click here to read another review of this book!
Will you, Run And Tell That?
