Remember When the Language of Romance in Movies was Corny and Sweet!

American movies and even TV shows these days no longer have innocence. By that I mean … I remember when there was once something called “censorship” and the entertainment industry was bound by certain rules that required all who were involved in writing script for movies and television shows to keep the dialogue “clean” and nudity was not just discouraged but forbidden! If in the movie, an actor and an actress were dating or pursuing a relationship, it was not necessary for them to appear in bed together for the viewing audience to understand that they were interested in each other. 

Where I Find Old Movies to Watch

I love my Pluto.tv subscription because they have lots of old movie channels. These channels show movies that were made when censorship rules were deemed important to strengthen the moral fabric of our citizenry. I love old movies. I especially love old movies which star Elvis Presley.

Entertainment Trivia About Elvis Presley

Just a little trivia I picked up a while back. I heard that Elvis did not like the fact that his fellow countrymen were going off to serve their country in the military and he was back home making silly movies. So finally he was approached by the military, asked to join, and his service to the country would be entertaining the troops. Elvis didn’t like the idea at first because that wasn’t his idea of serving his country. But the military officials convinced him that his performing for the troops would do wonders for their morale. So Elvis agreed and joined the military. He did not see combat but he did do wonders for lifting the spirits of the troops.

For you Elvis buffs, if that’s not a true story, feel free to call me out on it!

Back to the point of this article.

Delightfully Wholesome Sweet Talk in “G.I. Blues”

Thanks to the wonders of the remote control, one never has to linger on any one channel for an extended period of time. You would think a person has A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) when they get a remote control in their hands. So I’m clicking through channels searching for something to keep me entertained and landed on one of the channels for old movies and immediately stopped when I saw Elvis Presley dressed in a military uniform.

The name of the film is “G.I. Blues” (1960). I didn’t watch the entire movie but I stayed on the channel long enough to catch this exchange between the leading man (Elvis Presley) and the leading lady (Juliet Prowse). These are probably not exact quotes but it’s close enough to the exact dialogue.

In this scene, Elvis Presley gets into a cable car with the lovely Juliet Prowse so that it can take them up into the sky and they can have a picturesque view of the mountains, etc.

Ms. Prowse gets in first. Mr. Presley follows behind and the door is closed. Before they take off Elvis asked Ms. Prowse if the cars ever get stuck when they get up high and the occupants just have to wait for a long time until someone comes to rescue them.

Ms. Prowse responds something to the effect: “Oh that seldom happens. So you needn’t worry. These cars are quite safe.”

To which Mr. Presley responds: “Oh I wasn’t worried. I was just kind of … hoping!”

 Don’t you just love delightfully wholesome sweet talk like that? 

Have you ever seen the movie “G.I. Blues”?

Original Source

Elvis Presley and Juliet Prowse in “G.I. Blues” https://t.co/QvFQZmgIdO #oldmovies #classicmovies #musicals #lovestories #oldflicks #entertainmenthistory @ElvisPresley pic.twitter.com/wizSzWrKak

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) November 23, 2019

‘The Secret Garden’ Review: It’s as Lovely as You Remember | NYT (Reblog)

Are you in the mood to watch a delightful family movie?  

This is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett that has been adapted to film several times and I have watched various versions at one time or another, from my childhood to my adulthood. I know the main character in the story is the little girl but I am inclined to recommend you watch the film adaptation which stars Colin Firth because I am a huge fan.  Any movie with him is worth watching.  Here is the link to a wonderful movie review published via the New York Times (NYT).  "This version, featuring Colin Firth as the haunted uncle, hits the same notes as the 1911 novel and previous films, and that’s fine for this uncertain moment."

‘The Secret Garden’ Review: It’s as Lovely as You Remember

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Related or Similar Links:

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Movie Review: The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Fans of Jake Gyllenhaal and sci-fi movie lovers will enjoy this film. I remember listening to a review by one of the critics that made me laugh. Paraphrasing his words, basically, he said:

• “This is a typical storyline. Something devastating or catastrophic is going to happen on earth. And of course, the one who knows what it is, what to do, and tries to warn others is the very person that nobody listens to!!”

This is a lighthearted movie review of a 2004 sci-fi film. Even though it’s 15 years old (as of 2019), it’s still relevant today. Plus! Fans of Jake Gyllenhaal, who want to know what he looked like as a teenager, will love this movie!

What the Official Movie Critics Said

Several official critics had a lot to say about “The Day After Tomorrow”. I remember a review by one of the official critics that made me laugh. Paraphrasing his words, he said:

• “This is a typical storyline. Something devastating or catastrophic is going to happen on earth. Of course, there is one person who knows what it is, what to do, and tries to warn others is the very person that nobody listens to!!”

What This Unofficial Movie Reviewer Says

If you believe in climate change, you’ll understand the storyline. What’s going to happen is there is going to be a drastic change in the weather and there will be freezing cold temperatures. Cold enough that people will die. If you believe in cryogenics, people won’t die. They’ll be instantly frozen. They can be thawed out later.

The Day After Tomorrow – Official® Trailer

Watched this movie and don’t want to spoil it for those who may not have seen it. (Although you might guess The End through the “hints” woven in between the lines of this discussion.)

Most Memorable Movie Scene

For me, there was only one memorable scene in the movie; a scene worth remembering because I love libraries.

In this scene, there is a group of people in a room in a library. It’s getting really cold! They have to do something to stay warm and since they’re in a library, they start burning books, grabbing any book within their reach and throwing it in the fireplace. They get ready to grab this one book and the man holding on it to refuses to let it go!

He goes: “You’re not burning this book!” He spills out his various reasons why “The Book” must not be destroyed.

Some debate and try to reason with him. Others are about to physically struggle to take the book away from him. Someone yells out that they have found an alternative set of books. No doubt every American would love to burn them! This is not one book. It is a set and has volumes upon volumes upon volumes. The group consensus is: “Yeah! Let’s burn those!!”

To me, that scene was totally hilarious fiction. The scene was also realistic. You could almost visualize that scenario actually happening in real life. If you’re an American taxpayer, you know you’ve thought of burning the U.S. Tax Code.

My Unofficial Movie Rating?  3.5 out of 5 stars and I’m being generous.

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Links of Interest:

We need better laws to protect the rights of future frozen cryonicists: Cryogenics is facing legal trouble with body preservation — Quartz

Agriculture Department buries studies showing dangers of climate change – POLITICO

Content first published at RationalMind.club.

Watch the movie trailer

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Two (2) Cary Grant Movies to Watch During the Christmas Holiday

At one time, Cary Grant (1904 - 1986) was one of Hollywood's main leading men. He was certainly one of my favorite actors. He has been acting since the 1930s but most of the movies I remember watching when I was growing up were released in the late 1940s and the 1950s. 

Watching old movies is one of my favorite things, especially during the holiday season. Christmas is not until December but I hope no qualms about starting the celebrations as soon as the autumn season is officially declared. The last week of September is usually the first week of the fall season. Here are my 2 picks for Cary Grant movies to watch for the Christmas season.  It's best to watch in December.

Image credit:  Amazon.com

Movie #1:  The Bishop's Wife (1947), leading lady, Loretta Young Cary Grant is an angel from heaven named Dudley. He came down to earth in response to the Bishop's prayer for guidance and in the process of performing his ministerial angel duties, ends up spending most of his time with the bishop's unhappy wife. The answer to the bishop's prayer lies in him realizing that in the performance of his duties as bishop and a husband, he had somehow misplaced his priorities. All he needed was to put back on the right path. It's a warm and fuzzy feel-good kind of movie that is best watched during the Christmas holiday season. 

The Hollywood Collection: Cary Grant: The Leading Man

Movie #2:  An Affair to Remember (1957), leading lady, Deborah Kerr What happens when two (2) lovers make an arrangement to meet at a certain place, on a certain date, at a certain time, with the intention to get married and living happily ever after … only one of the lovers does not show up at that certain place and time, as per the arrangement? Another love story and a real tear-jerker! My favorite part of the movie was where Deborah Kerr started crying but she took her handkerchief and started wiping the tears from Cary Grant's face. He gently took the handkerchief away from her and started wiping her years. She was the one crying. Not him! It was a love affair to remember. I remembered it and have rewatched the movie more than once. It wasn't a Christmas movie but that touching love scene happened during a Christmas holiday.


vintage christmas pictures

Christmas in the #Movies: 30 Classics to Celebrate the Season (Turner #ClassicMovies) https://t.co/qiIMfTq2Bf via @amazon #holiday #fun #SeasonsGreetings #secretsanta #giftexchange #HappyHolidays

— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) December 11, 2023

In remembrance of Cary Grant, who passed #otd November 29, 1986 pic.twitter.com/jiAzvLUR6u

— 𝙉𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙜𝙞𝙖. (@Dear_Lonely1) November 29, 2022

An Invitation to Come With Me on My Star Trek Adventures

Welcome! Please come with me and boldly go where I (and millions of other Star Trek fans) have already gone and will happily go again! ☺

Gene Rodenberry’s Star Trek series really made a name for itself and earned the reputation that allowed for all of the other ST spinoffs. Any program that wants to carry on the Star Trek tradition should be worthy. It’s 2020+ and my Star Trek lust is not being satiated. I viewed a few episodes in three different series that have the name Star Trek in the title and … in my humble opinion … they don’t live up to the name. Hey! It’s an opinion. Feel free to disagree. We all have our peculiar tastes when it comes to entertainment.

First, let’s recap the Star Trek series being used as my basis for comparison.  (Let's also thank online streaming services like Netflix for allowing fans to binge watch these memorable TV shows.) 

Star Trek: The Original Series

The TV show aired back in the 60s (1966-69) and was considered groundbreaking because of its diverse cast, which included an African-America female high ranking officer, Lieutenant Uhura; and a Vulcan first officer, second only to the captain of the USS Enterprise, the logical and the incomparable Mr. Spock. Imagine. Before man had a mission to go where he had never boldly gone before, Vulcans had already boldly come to us. An advanced civilization had to come and give us ignorant humans a helping hand with our exploration efforts. It’s interesting. Considering that during our space explorations we found that there were so many other “sentient beings” in the universe, one may wonder why the Vulcans chose to ally with the humans and landed in the United States of America for their First Contact. That question is answered in another Star Trek series called Star Trek: Enterprise, which did not air until 2001 after several other ST spinoffs happened in between.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

The show ran from the late 80s into the early 90s (1987-1994). It will always be remembered for Captain Jean Luc Picard, he was very commanding and very wise; the android named Data, he was incredibly smart and very handy to have around; and an extremely scary enemy called … The Borg! Hey! Why fight them? “Resistance is futile”. So what! We fought them anyway!

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

This series aired throughout the 90s (1993-99) and quite frankly, I liked the episodes where they were in the holo suites more than the episodes where they were facing off with a real enemy, The Dominion. The most memorable characters were Captain Benjamin Sisko and Odo, the changeling. (Image: Deep Space Nine Station.)

Star Trek: Voyager

This series began in 1995 and ended in 2001. Can you believe it? They got stranded in outer space, in the wrong quadrant, and the entire series was about them trying to find their way back home and get home before they were too old for their relatives to still recognize them. So get this! A 24th-century state of the art starship with no GPS to give them directions when they’re lost. It’s believable. Sometimes we humans are very creative and inventive but in the process of building things, we overlook an obvious and critically important feature. Who was the scariest enemy? The Vidians. These beings were suffering from a disease so they went everywhere stealing organs from everybody else. They didn’t ask for organ donors. They just took what they needed. What must it feel like to have your lungs disappear? One second you’re breathing. The next second? NO AIR!! Who is the most memorable character in this series? Seven of Nine. She was a Borg drone, who was captured by The Borg when she was a child. By the time she was found by the crew of The Voyager, she was a young woman. Captain Janeway was determined to give her back her life so that she could live as a human again. She succeeded. Out of all of the characters in all of the Star Trek series, I am never going to forget Seven of Nine.

Star Trek: Enterprise

This series is the prequel. Star Trek: The Original Series began without ever explaining how the United Federation of Planets began. It ran from 2001 and 2005 and honestly, nothing about the show was memorable. But it did explain how and why it was decided that we should boldly go where no man had ever gone before. Even if we do cross paths with sentient beings who think they are a superior race or just don’t really like us very much and want to fight a war. If you think about it, it’s really not that much different from living on planet earth.

So now it’s the 21st century and here’s where I am in my Star Trek adventures.

Star Trek: Picard

I watched only one episode because it was offered free of charge for the curious who might be willing to pay to watch the entire series. It was OK. To be honest, since it bore the name “Picard”, I had higher expectations. I’m content to wait until I can binge watch all of the episodes for free at some later date when its novelty has word off.

Star Trek: Discovery

I watched some episodes and I have several complaints.

• Number 1: The lighting is awful! For many scenes, it seems so dark.
• Number 2: The Klingons wear way too much make-up!
• Number 3: The special effects are serious overkill.

This series was launched in 2017. By this time, the original Star Trek series was 50 years old.

Star Trek Continues

I was searching for streaming apps and stumbled across this series. You will recall that the mission was supposed to last for 5 years, only the show was canceled after 3 seasons. Somebody decided that since the original Star Trek series was cut short and fans were terribly disappointed, they would continue the old show only … with new actors playing the old parts for Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Bones, Scotty, etc.

• Number 1: The replacements have no strong screen presence at all! They are like cheap imitations or really bad counterfeits of the original cast. My opinion.
• Number 2: If the first episode is an indicator, it’s a good series to watch if you want to compare it with your imagination. Surely you must have wondered what the Star Trek series would have been like had they actually completed the 5-year mission. I am not that impressed, however, in all fairness, the creators of this series get an A++ for their honorable intentions.

♦ All I can say is… once upon a time … there was an awesome TV show called Star Trek that set the standard for all the other science fiction space exploration television series that would come after.

Original Source

#StarTrekDay

been boldly going for 55 years 💛
— happy #StarTrekDay ! 💫 pic.twitter.com/eg2OkLpx8s

— star trek gifs (@tosgifs) September 8, 2021

Disney Animated Classic: The Aristocats (1970)

Growing up during the 50s and the 60s was the best of the times! We did not have cable TV or online streaming back then, but most of the local stations always showed cartoons on Saturday from early morning until around noon. My siblings and I would watch them together. My youngest daughter is an adult now but when she was little, we often watched animated movies on Saturday mornings. It was “our time”. I would go to the local library and check out videos. They had a great collection of animated videos for kids.

One Saturday morning I was really tired. I went into her bedroom, popped the tape into the VCR, laid down on her bed, and fell back to sleep! When I woke back up my daughter was singing “Everybody … everybody … everybody wants to be a cat!” LOL. That movie had her full attention. She did not even notice that I had fallen asleep. Later on, I watched the movie by myself. I was curious because my baby girl clearly enjoyed it. After I watched it I knew why.

A one-word description for this Walt Disney film? Adorable!

Also, it's a great movie for jazz music lovers!

• "Scat Cat: Everybody wants to be a cat / Because a cat's the only cat who knows where it's at. 

Image credit:  * Happy 50th Anniversary, The Aristocats! by RichTheVoiceTrumpet: deviantart.com

The voice actors were well-known entertainers from my generation that I have always loved; such as Eva Gabor (“Duchess”), Scatman Crothers (“Scat Cat”), and especially Sterling Holloway (“Roquefort the Mouse”). I would recognize his voice anywhere! His voice was used in the “Wizard of Oz”, “Winnie the Pooh” and so many other animated films I watched as a child. His voice is memorable!

PLOT: The butler did it! A wealthy retired opera singer leaves her money to her cats. But the woman's butler drugs the cats and abandons them in the countryside so that he can inherit the fortune himself. The pampered cats meet up with a street smart easygoing alley cat who decides, with the help of his other cat friends, to help them return to their rightful home in Paris.

If you want to watch a delightful animated film with your child or children, I highly recommend The Aristocats (1970).

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Related Links:

The Aristocats (1970) - IMDb

'The Aristocats' Live-Action Remake in the Works at Disney

The Aristocats | Disney Wiki | Fandom

Everybody Wants To Be A Cat (from The Aristocats) – YouTube

Original source

Great family classic movies to watch on @disneyplus
The Aristocats (1970) ~ https://t.co/JemdKC7gqB #familyfun #animatedfilms #classic #entertainment #forkids and for #jazzlovers @goshoppingbees pic.twitter.com/Ktj4jn04V1

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) January 22, 2022

The Pink Panther (1963) ~ Both the Movie and the Soundtrack are Classic!

The Pink Panther is a 1963 British comedy film.

Both the Movie and the Soundtrack are Classic!

Peter Sellers was the perfect person to play the clumsy French detective Jacques Clouseau.  His job is to prevent a notorious thief from stealing a world famous jewel known as "The Pink Panther" which belongs to a princess.

Image credit: Amazon

The Pink Panther Theme Music ~ youtu.be/lp6z3s1Gig0 

The Pink Panther | Soundtrack Suite (Henry Mancini) ~ youtu.be/ilull9eS3mQ 

I like the original music from the original Pink Panther movie. Henry Mancini won an award for it and he said he can't believe he received an award for making up such fun music. 

They remade the Pink Panther movie in 2006 ("The Pink Panther 2") and it starred Beyoncé and Steve Martin as Inspector Clouseau. Beyoncé also contributed to the soundtrack. I didn't care too much for the remake or the music from the remake. Even though I enjoy the comedic genius of Steve Martin, he could not top Peter Sellers.  I'm sure even Mr. Martin would agree with me.

Nope!  My mind was not changed, The original movie released in the 1960s and the soundtrack to the movie are both vintage classic memorable entertainment!

I would not recommend the 2006 remake; however I would recommend:  "The Return of the Pink Panther" (1975); "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" (1976); or any of the many other sequels to the original Pink Panther movie which starred Peter Sellers.  I would also recommend the hilarious animated TV series "The Pink Panther Show" (1969).


The Pink Panther | film by Edwards [1963] | Britannica

** In Memory Of:

Peter Sellers CBE (1925-1980)

David Niven (James David Graham Niven) (1910-1983)

Movie Review : Kung Fu Yoga (2017)

It was a slow night and I was ready to doze off but couldn't quite get to sleep.  I wanted to be entertained but not burdened with the sorrow of a tragedy or excited by the suspenseful intensity of a mystery or a thriller. I just needed something to watch and fall asleep afterward. Found a Jackie Chan movie that did the trick. Kung Fu Yoga (2017).  I didn't fall asleep on it though.  I watched it all the way to the end.

Per The Hollywood Reporter*, this India-China co-production project received negative reviews for perpetuating stereotypes. I think that criticism is valid. However, if you just want to not take life too seriously, kick back, chill out, and be entertained, add this movie to your watch list. They should at least get an A+ for figuring out how to work martial arts action scenes into it and for the fact that the movie was somewhat educational as well as entertaining. It addressed the links between the histories of ancient China and ancient India. 

If you're already a Jackie Chan fan you know to expect some lighthearted comedy. However, if the critics were expecting something different, then I can understand their disappointment. *REF: Jackie Chan's 'Kung-Fu Yoga' Slammed by Indian Critics for Perpetuating Stereotypes by Nyay Bhushan; 2/5/2017 : hollywoodreporter.com/news/jackie-chans-kung-fu-yoga-slammed-by-indian-critics-perpetuating-stereotypes-972335

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Well!  Everyone is entitled to their opinions.  I used to watch a cartoon series with one of my kids and as far as giving out ratings for “adorable cuteness” this cartoon has maintained the Number One spot on my list for years. However, "Kung Fu Yoga" bumped it from its spot. 

I gave this film gets 5 out of 5 stars for adorable cuteness. 

Why? The final scene. Don't want to spoil it if you haven't seen the movie, but that last scene in the movie booted "Kung Fu Yoga" straight to the top of my Adorable Cuteness Entertainment List.

Jackie Chan Movies on Amazon

Signs (2002): Sci-Fi Thriller Starring Mel Gibson And Joaquin Phoenix

There are 2 things the world can never get enough of:  silly love songs and silly sci-fi movies.

Have you ever watched Signs (2002)?  It's a science fiction thriller about crop circles? The crop circles were obviously a “sign”.

Let me tie this in with my daily life. I went to the grocery store and bought a bottle of distilled water. I don't know why … but the water tasted funny! (O.o) 

• MEMORY FLASHBACK: I watched the movie "Signs", several years ago and in the movie Mel Gibson has two kids – a boy and a girl. I'm guessing the little girl was about 4 or 5 years old. But every time she would drink a glass of water, she would always complain that the water tasted funny! Everybody would just ignore her. It turns out that the funny tasting water was actually a “sign”. Earth was being invaded by hostile aliens! AAAAHHHH!!!

Oh no! I hope that water I bought from the store isn't a sign. But just in case, we better cover our heads with coned hats made out of aluminum foil. Better safe than sorry.  LOL. ☺

Image credit: Google Play

If you like sci-fi flicks, or you're fan of Mel Gibson or Joaquin Phoenix, or if you've ever wondered whether there is a connection between those mysterious crop circles and aliens ... this movie is for you!

OfficialTrailer: Signs (2002)

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Related or Similar Links of Interest:

• The Truth About Crop Circles
• Crop circles: Myth, mystery and history | Live Science
• List of Sci-Fi Movies Released in 2002

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A Woody Allen Classic Clip: Being Jewish Among Gentiles (Reblog)

This movie won an Oscar but I've never heard of heard of it. That's because I am not really a Woody Allen fan. I know that there are many many people who praise him for is comedic genius, but I was just never into him. However, after reading this movie review, I have added it to my watch list. I'm going to save this for a day when it's rainy or cold and I've comfy under a warm blanket with a bucket of popcorn. Or? Maybe I shouldn't have any popcorn because according to the movie reviewer I'm going to be laughing a lot!  I don't want to choke and cough all through the movie. ☺☺

"It's been 36 years since the release of Annie Hall, the Woody Allen film that won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Allen) and Best Actress (Diane Keaton.) But still the movie attracts viewers and stirs funny memories wherever it's shown. ..."

Con't reading:

A Woody Allen Classic Clip: Being Jewish Among Gentiles

This blog has archived posts which date all the way back to 2009.  They publish daily.  Enjoy more recent content from this blog:

• 

Comedy, Oscar-Winning (Sorted by Year Ascending) - IMDb

10 Best Films Of Woody Allen

The Top 10 Woody Allen Films (That He Doesn't Appear In)

The best Woody Allen movies of all time

Woody Allen - Prime Video: Movies & TV - Amazon.com

Action Adventure Film ~ Life of Pi: Spotlight on Suraj Sharma

If you enjoy books adapted to film, then you will probably enjoy the film “Life of Pi”. It was based on a book by the same name and was released in 2012. Now it is streaming online at various sites.

For me, part of enjoying a film is knowing some of the “behind the scenes” entertainment history and trivia; especially, information about the casting decisions. For example:

• Who decided to choose an unknown Indian teenager and cast him in the starring role?

Wouldn’t you like to know? Well here’s the scoop.

Ang Lee chose Suraj Sharma, an unknown teenage Indian actor to portray Pi Patel, in the film adaptation of the novel, “Life of Pi”.

■  Suraj Sharma played the character Pi as a young boy. The late Irraf Kahn (1967-2020), a well-known Indian actor, was cast in the role of the adult Pi.

When one hears the name “Ang Lee”, the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” almost immediately comes to mind. But most people know that Ang Lee is an award-winning contemporary filmmaker who has garnered international recognition, with an impressive filmography resume. Ang Lee is a Taiwanese-American director, producer, writer and more, with over 60 film titles to his credit. So it’s understandable that there was a flurry of buzz and excitement when his fans learned that he would direct “Life of Pi”.

As briefly mentioned, Ang Lee’s film project, “Life of Pi”, is based on a best selling novel by the same name written by Yann Martel. The Man Booker Prize is considered the world’s most important literary award. Each year, it endorses the finest in fiction by rewarding the very best book. Yann Martel’s book won this award in 2002. Life of Pi has a simple storyline. Pi Patel, a teenage boy, survives a shipwreck and is left on a small boat with a tiger.

Perhaps the part about the tiger makes it a little less simple. Conveniently, Pi happens to possess a comprehensive detailed knowledge of animal behavior and an ardent love of stories, which are all the life skills he needs to survive, and he does. Until he kissed thr shores, he lives at sea for 227 days with a big Bengal Tiger.

With this fantasy adventure, Canadian author Yann Martel proved his worth as a master story teller; and Ang Lee proved he had the ability to capture this vivid and thought-provoking tale on film.

For Ang Lee to take notice is extremely high praise for anyone’s written work. Yann Martel was no doubt humbled, honored and ecstatic that the brilliant Ang Lee brought his novel to the screen.

For Ang Lee to cast you – an unknown, a newcomer – to play the leading part in his film adaptation of an award-winning novel – is surely a dream come true for any aspiring actor. Particularly an actor, with no acting experience.
Suraj Sharma was 17 years old, an Indian actor and student from New Delhi, who beat out more than 3,000 challengers.

After a worldwide casting search for the “perfect Pi”, Suraj Sharma was selected to play the role of the teenaged Pi, the zookeeper’s son. How did he do it? How did Suraj Sharma manage to catch the eye of Ang Lee? According to Mr. Lee, it was his eyes. Mr. Lee was quoted as having said: Sharma has a natural talent to convey emotions through his eyes.

Apart from expressive eyes, what does Suraj Sharma have? Below are a few biographical facts about Suraj Sharma:

The name “Suraj” is Hindi meaning “sun”. His surname is a common name for many Hindu Indians. Suraj Sharma’s parents are both mathematicians in Delhi.

Before being chosen to play the lead role in “Life of Pi”, he was just your average teenager, a Class XII humanities student of Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, who enjoyed playing practical jokes.

He dumped his first girlfriend (according to his girlfriend) after making all kinds of promises to include her in his rise to stardom, fame, and fortune.

For the audition, Suraj Sharma read out the ‘Survival Manual’ from Chapter 58 of the book. A little background info: In Chapter 58 of the novel by Yann Martel, the Manual is included with the lifeboat supplies. Even though Pi is beginning to despair because it appears his situation is hopeless, he nevertheless determines that practical advice contained in the book is what he will need to keep himself alive, i.e. to survive. Therefore, he must read it.

And read it, he did! Not just with his lips but with his eyes, winning the approval of Ang Lee and his casting crew.

· Suraj is very photogenic. Pi had to be a teenaged boy of “medium complexion”, a “fairly well-developed physique”, say between 5’6” and 6’ tall. He had to not only act the part of Pi, but look the part as well.

· When the news broke about Ang Lee’s selection of Suraj Sharma for the leading role in “Life of Pi”, it was reported by the BBC, Washington Times, The Times of India, Bollywood Hungama News Network, TamilWire Forum, and the EuroInvestor (U.K.), to name just a few of the publications.Suraj Sharma made his acting debut in the company of veteran actors Gerard Depardieu (the Frenchman-Chef), Adil Hussain (Pi’s father), Irrfan Khan* (the elderly or adult Pi), and Tabu (Pi’s mother). In addition, Tobey Maguire (of Spider-Man fame) played a small role as a journalist who interviews the adult Pi (Irrfan Khan) about his experience.

The movie “Life of Pi” was successful at the box office as well as the award shows. Sharma’s performance received many positive reviews. In fact, he was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award (British Academy of Film and Television Arts).

Suraj Sharma has continued his acting career playing parts in both Indian and American movies and television shows. His latest endeavor is a TV series called “Little America” which was released January 2020.

Have you watched “Life of Pi”?

Have you followed Suraj Sharma’s acting career?

* In Memory Of:  Irrfan Khan (1967 - 2020)

NOTE: This is my original content previously published at Article Writing Jobs (articlewritingjobs.com)

Disney's Cruella Movie Review (Reblog)

We all know that Disney makes #movies that are for kids, but adults enjoy them too. “Cruella” was just released in 2021 and no doubt fans of Emma Stone (“La La Land”) will love it. It has already received such great reviews that they are planning a “Cruella 2”.

If you watched “101 Dalmatians” don't expect the same kind of movie. In “101 Dalmatians”, the villainess was Cruella De Vil, the name is a derivative of Cruel Devil and she was really wicked! However, in “Cruella”, a baby named Estella is born who is nicknamed Cruella. She is an unwanted child, her own mother tries to dispose of her, but she lives. She grows up to be “opinionated, rebellious and strong-willed” and she's out for revenge.

Yeah. Uhhh … not a typical “Disney wholesome kiddie” plot. Sort of seems like it was made for an adult audience. I mean ... I would watch this movie. But I'm not sure I'd recommend it for children under the age of 12. But that's just me. Also, I would watch it because I'm a huge fan of Emma Thompson (not Emma Stone). Emma Thompson is an enormously talented British actress who brings class and elegance to any film she stars in.

Disney's Cruella Movie Review | Review This Reviews (Reblog)

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Best Kevin Costner Movies (Reblog)

I always like to check the lists of others to see if I agree.  I can't believe The Manual ranked "Dances With Wolves" as Number Two on their list of best Kevin Costner movies.  I totally disagree!  It's Number One!  Nevertheless, they produced a great list.  I've seen every movie on the list EXCEPT the one they ranked as Number One.  LOL. ☺

I also agree with The Manual that Kevin Costner is the quintessential All-American guy.  Even when he's not playing an American.  Yes!  There was a movie where he was not an American.  

Do you know which movie I'm talking about?  LOL.☺

The 10 Best Kevin Costner Movies, Ranked | The Manual

Check out other movies ranked by The Manual

** Kevin Costner movies and TV series on Amazon

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For Fans of Maureen O'Hara: Flame of Araby (1951)

Maureen O'Hara is one of my favorite actresses. (Born Maureen FitzSimons; 1920 – 2015). She was an Irish actress and singer. I remember her for her flaming red hair. I thought she was gorgeous! I have seen her in so many movies. But I found a movie that I had not seen. She starred in this movie with another one of my favorite male leading actors, Jeff Chandler (born Ira Grossel; 1918 – 1961).

* Flame of Araby (a.k.a. Flame of the Desert), released in 1951. *

Jeff Chandler plays the part of Bedouin chief Tamerlaine and Maureen O'Hara plays the Tunisian Princess Tanya. Of course, you know as soon as they meet sparks fly! They make a charismatic onscreen couple. The Bedouin chief is searching for the legendary black stallion Shahzada. To be the one who catches this prize steed is all he could ever want. All that he could ever want that is … until he met the Princess Tanya.

It's a love story with both a hero and a heroine. A wonderful wholesome family movie. I enjoyed it! 

You can watch this classic film onYouTube.

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More Maureen O'Hara movies

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Classic Movies: The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959) (Reblog)

It's probably the saddest and most heart-breaking movie, with an awesome soundtrack, about a shipwreck. But the Titanic isn't the only movie about a shipwreck. What about the Mary Deare?

I heart classic movies.

• True stories about shipwrecks or ships lost at sea always tantalize you. You just got to know what happened! However, if you never really quite know all the truth, you can always make something up!

• The Wreck of the Mary Deare is a classic movie that stars two powerhouse American actors, Gary Cooper (1901 - 1961) and Charlton Heston (1923 - 2008). Based on a novel by Ralph Hammond Innes.

The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959)




 

References:

Innes, H. (1956). The Wreck of the Mary Deare. New York: Knopf.

"The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959) - Overview - TCM.com." Turner Classic Movies. TCM.com Is Part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2015. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/1522/The-Wreck-of-the-Mary-Deare/>. LEONARD MALTIN CLASSIC MOVIE GUIDE, COPYRIGHT 2005, 2010. USED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH PENGUIN GROUP (USA) INC.

Ralph Hammond Innes. 2015. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 16 January, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/253683/Ralph-Hammond-Innes

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Similar Post:  Classic Movies and History