The Incurable Romantic - Book

Yes, I finally read another book! Yay! Maybe this means that I will get back on the reading bandwagon. Anything is possible.

Alice saw the title and read the blurbs for this book and gifted it to me. Very thoughtful.

The author has written a few books - mostly about psychology since he was a pyschologist for much of his working life. At least one other of his books is about love as well.

In this one, he tells a few case stories, mixed with personal history and other tidbits. I did not know that it is only in 40% of the cultures that kissing is part of lovemaking. (Not sure that is the actual quote or number, but it is something like that.

I liked his writing style and I liked the case studies. Part of me always wanted to be a psychologist. And it made me realize, once again, that I am in the middle of the scale - so, fairly normal. Some of these people weren't...And he pointed out that everyone who loves passionately is crazy during that period (or those periods) of time. Yay crazy!

Hart of Dixie

Why oh why did I watch four seasons of this show? Because I am a glutton for punishment! Finally, finally, finally finished Hart of Dixie. Wow. What a not good show. I can't say bad because I did watch all the episodes available. And if it was bad, then, well... You know what I mean. Anyway, it didn't end with bang, but with a song, I think. The show was part Gilmore Girls, part Saved by the Bell. Not as well written as Gilmore Girls, and not as self-aware of its juvenility and silliness as Saved by the Bell. I loved Gilmore Girls, BTW. Even the four most recent episodes. Hart of Dixie? If I never see another episode, I will be ok with it.Girl from NY moves to Alabama. Hilarity ensues. Little did I know that the show would be all about Dr. Hart and the rest of the town of Bluebell all interdating and stuff. Sigh.

Anonymous

What if Shakespeare wasn't the author of Shakespeare's plays? Nothing new there. This time, the author was supposed to be a Lord who had an illegitimate son with Queen Elizabeth. I liked how the movie started out in a theatre, then went full on period and then ended back in the theatre. And I love period pieces. Not a lot of actors that I knew, but overall I enjoyed the piece. Not great, not terrible. And any Shakespeare is, generally, better than none. Not that everyone will agree with me on that last sentiment...

Isle of Dogs

I went to this movie with my teachers from 5th grade! In Tucson Arizona! (That's where I was, not where I went to fifth grade...). I like Wes Anderson's work for the most part. Full of whimsy. And this one was the same! Lots of great ideas. And I loved that the movie was partly in Japanese! So fun! If you like Wes Anderson, or any of the great cast or animated features (this was stop motion animation - so time consuming!!!) then this is a must watch! Basically, a Japanese town outlaws dogs, a boy goes to find his exiled dog and great adventures are had.

Godless - Mini Series

I had high hopes for this series. But after the first episode, I knew I ought to lower my expectations just a smidge. Which I did. And then it was all good. To start with, I am not a huge fan of the actress who played the lead. Mary from Downton Abbey. And I had never seen the lead actor before. I liked that there were some Native Americans in the movie. And some people of color. And some LGBQ people. Very diverse. Which is not what one (well, I) generally think of the West - though I am sure it was much more of a melting pot than I give it credit for being. Anyway, basically, a "bad" guy turns up and is nursed back to health by Mary. Meanwhile, his bad guy friends are trying to hunt him down and kill him. And the town he has come to is inhabited almost solely by women after a mining accident took most of the men folk. There is a company who wants to take advantage of the women. And the aforementioned bad guys. And love triangles all over the place. Fun, but not excellent. Thank you Tim for the suggestion!

Guardians of the Galaxy

I would like to see this movie again. I think GG 2 is on Netflix right now. Maybe the first one is too. Anyway, I had heard of this group of characters but had never read any of their comics. So it was all new to me! And thoroughly enjoyable. I do like Chris Pratt. And the rest of the cast was great as well. Too bad Karen Gillan was so thoroughly made up. But, life is that way sometimes. An origin movie that shows how the Guardians of the Galaxy form a team and then find Starlord's father. Spoiler alert - that doesn't go exactly as planned...

If you like comic movies, science fiction/fantasy and action movies - jump on board for a fun film!

Captain America: The First Avenger

In my striving to educate a friend on the Marvel Universe before she saw Avengers: Infinity War, we were watching Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) origin movies. And where better to go next after Iron Man and Thor, than to watch Captain America. I will be straight with you and say that I have never been a huge Captain America fan. Too much of a goody two shoes for me overall. Though I really did like the first Captain America film. (A cool double header, just for grins and giggles would be this movie and Wonder Woman's Origin Story movie.) Although a lot of exposition had to be, er, exposed. the movie doesn't seem too bogged down with it all. Chris Evans makes a great Cap. I will admit to falling in love with Hayley Atwell. I really need to look to see where I can watch Agent Carter. I don't think it is on Netflix anymore. Yup, it's gone. Sigh. Anyway, if you are a comic book movie fan, if you like Chris Evans or anyone else in the cast, or you like action movies - this is a good one!

Baby Driver

I was surprised that I liked this movie. Great soundtrack, great action sequences. A few surprises and twists. And generally fun. Kid is an amazing driver and has been roped into a crime organizer's sphere of influence. He has to pull jobs to pay off some debt that the crime organizer convinces Baby Driver is his responsibility. Ok, that bit is murky to me. Anyway, trouble ensues. Good cast. If you like action movies with a bit of heart and style, this is a good movie for you to see! And no, I did not watch the movie just because Lily James was in it...

The Eagle Huntress

I carried this movie across the country with me. And I had the wherewithal to watch it, if I could have motivated myself to do so. But I didn't. I ended up watching soon after I got back to Geneva.
There was something odd about the movie. I can't put my finger on it. I mean, would the documentary seen the light of day if the elders had forbid the girl the right to be an Eagle Hunter (Huntress?). It just seems to be way too lucky how everything turned out. Still, who am I to quibble. It was a beautiful movie, full of great photography of the amazing countryside and eagles, eagles everywhere! They did do the documentary thing of playing with time a little bit, which always irks me for some reason. Still, an enjoyable film, all things considered! Oh, brief synopsis: girl wants to become the first Eagle Huntress in 12 generations. Her dad is supportive. As are some others. Some, of course, oppose this break with tradition. What ever will happen?

The Shape of Water

Someone sometime suggested that I see this movie. So I put it on my Netflix list. Then I ordered my netflix queue in order of rating - top rated movies at the top. Go figure. Anyway, the movie was rated pretty highly, so it was near the top of my list. Since I have been back from my marathon trip across the country, I have watched a few movies off the cue. And then there was this one.

I was not surprised to see that it was a Guillermo del Toro movie. Overall, I enjoyed the movie. Interesting characters, interesting plot, interesting cinematography. So, in short, interesting. Was it great? Hard to say. Certainly good. Worth a watch if you like del Toro, or any of the performers or science fiction/fantasy movies.