tags: Amazon streaming, 1966 British movie, comedy, drama, romance
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From Wikipedia
Georgy Girl is a 1966 British romantic comedy-drama film directed by Silvio Narizzano and stars Lynn Redgrave, in the titular role, Charlotte Rampling, Alan Bates, and James Mason. It was based on the 1965 novel by Margaret Forster.
The plot follows the story of a virginal young woman in 1960s Swinging London who is faced with a dilemma when she is pursued by her father's older employer and the young lover of her promiscuous, pregnant flatmate.
I've heard of the song Georgy Girl but never knew there is a movie with the same name. I checked IMDB to see if I've seen any movie with Lynn Redgrave. Nope, not one although I've seen several of her sister Vanessa's old movies. What a shame. Lynn was good in this movie. And so are the rest of the cast. I love the dialog and the great acting by everyone. And the song.
Charlotte Rampling plays Meredith, the elegant and beautiful flatmate of Georgy. Meredith goes on dates with other men although she has a steady boyfriend. Meredith is the opposite of Georgy who is not attractive with her dry wiry hair and frumpy clothes.
One night in December, a corpse is found in Room 622 of the Hotel Verbier, a luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps. A police investigation begins without definite end, and public interest wanes with the passage of time. Years later, the writer Joel Dicker, Switzerland's most famous literary ingenue, arrives at that same hotel to recover from a bad breakup, mourn the death of his longtime publisher, and begin his next novel. Little does Joel know that his expertise in the art of the thriller will come in handy when he finds himself investigating the crime. He'll need a Watson, of course: in this case, that would be Scarlett, the beautiful guest and aspiring novelist from the next room, who joins in the search while he tries to solve another puzzle: the plot of his next book. Meanwhile, in the wake of his father's passing, Macaire Ebezner is set to take over as president of the largest private bank in Switzerland. The succession captivates the news media, and the future looks bright, until it doesn't. The bank's board, including a certain Lev Levovitch - Geneva's very own Jay Gatsby - have other plans, and Macaire's race to the top soon becomes a race against time... A matryoshka doll of a mystery built with the precision of a Swiss watch. Joel Dicker presents a diabolically addictive thriller where a love triangle, a power struggle, shocking betrayals and dangerous envy play out against the backdrop of a not so quiet Switzerland, where the truth twists and turns into something no reader will see coming. A European phenomenon, Dicker's latest page-turner is his most personal novel yet
This is the first novel I've read by this young Swiss author. The novel is full of flaws and at first I was not liking it but I found myself laughing at the absurd characters and story and slowly realized I was loving it up to the very last twist at the end. Speaking of twists, a novel usually has just one or two. Enigma has several twists that I failed to guess who was dead and who killed him until all the possible characters and suspects have been cleared. In the book, the author Joel Dicker misses and pays tribute to his long time publisher who just died and he does it nicely without being maudlin or intrusive in the main story.
The dialog, situations, the love triangle, the unbelievable characters are silly but oh so entertaining.
The author wrote himself into the story which is not a new idea because William Goldman wrote a fictional character of himself in The Princess Bride. I am comparing the silliness and comic book feel of Enigma to the The Princess Bride, being almost a satire maybe, I am not sure. The book is a tad long at over 600 pages, my only complaint, but I didn't notice because I was enjoying the novel. The mystery of Room 622 storyline was confusing at the beginning because of the several timelines jumping back and forth but I got used to it and didn't mind after 200 pages. I just paid attention to the years things happened, what's what, and who's who.
Great read. Highly recommended for readers with sense of humor and adventure.
tags: Amazon streaming, comedy, crime, murder-mystery, Spanish series
8 episodes
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From Amazon
1940s, Galicia. Marina Quiroga, a bold upper class girl with the soul of a detective, decides with the help of Héctor, her loyal butler, to trap the killer who has been terrorising her city.
My favorites Aura Garrido and Jean Reno are the leads, how can I not watch. I like the first two episode so far and will rate when I am done watching the complete series. Amazon is showing interesting series [at least to me], at last.
Update September 24, 2022: 5 stars.
Highly recommended. Watch in original European Spanish with English subtitles. Dubbing in English is always atrocious.
tags: based on true story, Catholic priest, drama, family, redemption, streaming on Netflix
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Based on a true story, Father Stu is an unflinchingly honest, funny and ultimately uplifting drama about a lost soul who finds his purpose in a most unexpected place. When an injury ends his amateur boxing career, Stuart Long moves to L.A. dreaming of stardom. While scraping by as a supermarket clerk, he meets Carmen, a Catholic Sunday school teacher who seems immune to his bad-boy charm. Determined to win her over, the longtime agnostic starts going to church to impress her. But surviving a terrible motorcycle accident leaves him wondering if he can use his second chance to help others find their way, leading to the surprising realization that he is meant to be a Catholic priest. Despite a devastating health crisis and the skepticism of Church officials and his estranged parents, Stu pursues his vocation with courage and compassion, inspiring not only those closest to him but countless others along the way.
The movie is currently Number 1 on Netflix and I can understand why. It is well scripted and acted, inspiring for everyone not just for Catholics but for all faiths. It's superior to any current movies Hollywood is churning out these days. The soundtrack is awesome also.
82-year old Ringo Starr does jumping jacks in time to the music after a 2 hour show in Pittsburgh Saturday; second of a three night stand in Pennsylvania: Easton Friday, Philadelphia Sunday. Some guys not as old as Ringo go home to Delaware on weekends and fall off their bike. pic.twitter.com/0JlN56E6xt
He was 65 years old in this 2005 video. Don't Pass Me By is still my favorite from the double album White Album. It was originally written as country western by Ringo. Great song and I like the humor in the story/lyrics.
I listen for your footsteps
Comin' down the drive
Listen for your footsteps
But they don't arrive
Waitin' for your knock, dear
On my old front door
I don't hear it, does it mean
You don't love me anymore?
Don't pass me by
Don't make me cry
Don't make me blue
'Cause you know
Darling, I love only you
You'll never know it hurts me so
How I hate to see you go
Don't pass me by
Don't make me cry
Don't make me blue
I hear the clock a-tickin'
On the mantel shelf
I see the hands a-movin'
But I'm by myself
I wonder where you are tonight
And why I'm by myself
I don't see you, does it mean
You don't love me anymore?
Don't pass me by
Don't make me cry
Don't make me blue
'Cause you know
Darling, I love only you
You'll never know it hurts me so
Sorry that I doubted you
I was so unfair
You were in a car crash
And you lost your hair
You said that you'd be late tonight
About an hour or two
I said, that's alright
I'm a-waitin' here
Just waitin' to hear from you
Don't pass me by
Don't make me cry
Don't make me blue
'Cause you know
Darling, I love only you
You'll never know it hurts me so
How I hate to see you go
Don't pass me by
Don't make me cry
Don't make me blue
Ringo Starr wrote this in 1963 and sang lead. It was the first Beatles song he wrote by himself. In an interview for a New Zealand radio station during their 1964 tour of Australia, Ringo is heard in the background saying "sing the song I've written, just for a plug." Then, Paul says "Ringo has written a song called 'Don't Pass Me By.' A beautiful melody. This is Ringo's first attempt at songwriting." At this point, Paul and John actually sing a verse of it and Ringo says, "It was written as a country western, but Paul and John singing it with that blues feeling has knocked me out. Are the Beatles going to record it? I don't know. I don't think so, actually. I keep trying to push it on them every time we make an album." Paul then states, "Unfortunately, there's never enough time to fit Ringo's song on an album.
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.
Great adventure and fantasy for all ages. Read it. It is short at 370 pages.
Woo Young-Woo is extremely smart and she also has autism spectrum disorder. She never forgets what she sees, but she lacks in social skills and empathy. Woo Young-Woo begins to work as a trainee lawyer at a large law firm. While working there, she faces prejudice and irrationality against her, but she solves cases with her own unique perspective and grows as a lawyer.
Although the main character Attorney Woo is a 28 year-old lawyer, the drama is kinda bildungsroman because she has autism and only becomes fully an adult towards the end of the first season. The writing is absolutely perfect. I love her immediate boss, Jung Myeong-Seok's admirable and warm personality, that I was rooting for him when he fell ill. I read there will be a second season because fans around the globe love the series. I'm looking forward to the second season.
Alchemy Of Souls
20 episodes, 62 - 70 minutes, Season 1 complete
tags: fantasy, mages, magic, romance, sageuk
The fate of these people become twisted due to "hwanhonsool" (the soul of the dead takes over the body of another living person).
In the country of Daeho, Jang Uk comes from the noble Jang family. He holds an unpleasant secret about his birth, which people all around the country talk about. He is a troublemaker. Jang Uk happens to meet Mu-Deok. She is an elite warrior, but her soul is trapped in a physically weak body. She becomes Jang Uk’s servant and secretly teaches him how to fight.
Seo Yul comes from the noble Seo family. He seems perfect with good appearance, intelligence, and strong martial arts skills.
Go Won is the crown prince of Daeho. He hopes to become a generous king.
A period drama, comedy, horror, shamans, mages, the baddest villains, romance, lots of sword fight, pretty and cute young leads, and the obligatory love triangle. Here the triangle becomes a polygon with 4 young men and 2 young women, it is dizzying at first but eventually settled to a rectangle, then a triangle. Whew! 😄Second season with 10 episodes will be aired in December, 2022.
The love polygon - Crown Prince, nobles and mages Jang-Uk and Seo Yul are all in love with maidservant Mu-Deok. Crown Prince calls her Filthy Mu-Deok because she used to wear tatty clothes.
Little Women
12 episodes, 60+ minutes, ongoing Saturday and Sunday
tags: 3 sisters, corruption, loosely based on Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, mystery
Three sisters get involved in a case that leads them to fight against the richest and most influential family in South Korea. They grew up in a terribly poor environment with an inattentive mother and absent father who lives abroad.
Oh In-Joo is the oldest sister. Since she was a young child, she realized that money was the most important thing to protect herself and her family. Her dream is to live an ordinary life like other people. She gets involved in a case that could change her life.
Oh In-Kyung is the middle sister. She is an enthusiastic reporter at a news station. She believes in doing the right things. She believes money doesn't rule life. She now begins to dig into a mysterious case that she first faced when she first became a reporter.
Oh In-Hye is the youngest of the three sisters. She is a student at a prestigious arts high school and she has a natural talent for painting. She often feels her two older sisters' love for her is too much.
There are only 3 sisters, not 4. I'm guessing Beth is not included because nobody will want to watch if the middle sister dies. The story is a mystery involving an ambitious wealthy politician and his involvement in a series of deaths in the present and 4 years before. Interesting story line and the acting and script are really good.
Jack Parker didn’t set out to be a stay-at-home dad, but his professional dreams went up in smoke after he accidentally burned down his office building.Six years later, Jack’s got parenting his two kids down cold.
Then comes an unwelcome blast from Jack’s past: high school nemesis Chad Henson. He beat out Jack for class president, stole his girlfriend, and never had so much as a pimple in his four years of adolescent bliss. Now Chad has moved to the same midwestern town Jack calls home.
When Jack learns Chad is running for president of his daughter’s school board, he decides to run to settle old scores.But parent politics prove more cutthroat than Jack could have imagined, and he’s facing unexpected challenges in his marriage, too, forcing him to question his role in the family. Suddenly, the election is about more than Jack’s past. It’s an opportunity to discover the person he wants to become.
People grow up, but some high school rivalries never die. It’s time Chad Henson got schooled once and for all—and for Jack to learn a few things of his own.
False advertisement by Amazon Kindle First...again. Supposed to be funny and relatable. Big NO! What is funny about burning down your place of work because of negligence, heating pizza in the microwave on a piece of aluminum foil and leaving it to go to the parking lot??? This stupidity is on the very early part of the book and the reason he lost his job and eventually becomes a stay-at-home dad. At the playground, his daughter loses her underwear to a squirrel yet he is not concerned and continues talking to a former classmate and bully, the antagonist Chad. I skimmed through but finished the darned book because I'm a masochist and because I want to give it the least star on Goodreads.
