NETFLIX ~ Well Worth $8 a Month

I joined Netflix about a year and a half ago and have not been disappointed since. We watch at least--at least two movies every weekend and if I can fit a movie or a documentary in during the week...you know I do it!!

Sometimes I don't get to catch a TV series from the beginning and if I can't - I don't watch it! This happened with The Tudors and Mad Men. I have watched every episode from every season on Netflix. I LOVE both series especially The Tudors - I think I will start over and watch them again.

Netflix has New Arrivals daily. I can't wait to log in and see what's new. They are currently showing movies such as Black Swan with Natalie Portman, Morning Glory with Rachel McAdams and Harrison Ford, Conviction with Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell, Bride Wars with Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway, The Other Woman with Natalie Portman and Lisa Kudrow, Cairo Time with Patricia Clarkson.

The list of Genres has something for everyone - Action Adventure, Anime, Canadian, Children and Family, Classics, Comedies, Documentaries, Dramas, Faith and Spirtuality, Foreign, Gay and Lesbian, HD, Horrow, Independent, Music, Musicals, Romance, Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Special Interest, TV Shows and Thrillers.

They recently added a new section called Just For Kids with topics such as Characters, Adventures, Animated, Comedies, Everyday Heros, From Books, Girl Power, Pets, Sing Alongs and Talking Animals.

The best part is we watch the movies on my laptop, so when we travel we can watch movies from everywhere. At home we hook it up to our Xbox 360 or Wii and watch it on our TV. You can also use PS3, your iPhone, iPad or any other device that streams instantly from Netflix.

It just keeps getting better and better! and all for only $7.99 per month!! I don't even feel it being automatically billed for from my Paypal account. If you love movies or have little ones who like watching their programs during the day - believe me...it is so worth every cent.

Watch movies as often as you want, anytime you want, from wherever you want!

Nostalgic Christmas Movies of My Childhood

These movies bring back so many memories of my childhood. They make me feel both happy and sad when I see them now.

Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer (TV 1964)

A bunch of misfit friends, including our beloved reindeer ~ look for a place that will except them.

Frosty The Snowman (TV 1969)

A living snowman named Frosty and a little girl fight to escape an eager magician who is after Frosty’s magic hat.

The Little Drummer Boy (TV 1968)

An orphan drummer boy who hated humanity finds his life changed forever when he meets three wise men on route to Bethlehem.

The Year Without Santa Clause (TV 1974)

Mrs. Claus tells us about the time Santa had a bad cold and decided to take a vacation from Christmas. Two of his elves, Jingle Bells and Jangle Bells decided to go out (with Vixen) to find children to convince Santa that the Christmas spirit is still important to everybody else. But they have to get past Heat Miser and Snow Miser, first, before they land in Southtown, USA, where it never snows for Christmas. But the Miser Brothers can't agree to let it snow in Southtown. But Mrs. Santa knows their mom ~ Mother Nature.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (TV 1965)

Disgusted by the commercialism he sees all around him, Charlie Brown aims to regain the true meaning of Christmas.

Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)

The classic Disney animated characters play the roles in this animated retelling of the Charles Dickens masterpiece.

Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too (1991)

Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Gopher, Christopher Robin, Rabbit and Tigger celebrate Christmas.

Dr. Seuss' ~ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (TV 1966)

A grumpy recluse devises a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.

My Personal Favorite Christmas Movies

The following list are my 8 personal faves. Some of these are not your conventional Christmas movies but I love them all the same. If you haven't seen them yet ~ I think you should cuddle up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, box of pot of gold, mug of eggnog or hot chocolate and enjoy! Seasons Greetings!!

The Holiday (2006)

Directed by: Nancy Meyers

Staring: Cameron Diaz/Kate Winslet/Jude Law/Jack Black/Eli Wallach/Edward Burns/Rufus Sewell

Two women who are having relationship problems decide to swap homes in each other's countries, where they fall in love.

The Family Stone (2005)

Directed by: Thomas Bezucha

Staring: Clair Danes/Diane Keaton/Rachel McAdams/Dermot Mulroney/Craig T. Nelson/Sarah Jessica Parker/Luke Wilson

An edgy, unadventurous, businesswoman escorts her boyfriend to his unconventional and expressive family's annual Christmas celebration and finds that she's out of her element in their strong-willed way of life.

Love Actually (2003)

Directed by: Richard Curtis

Staring: Hugh Grant/Liam Neeson/Emma Thompson/Colin Firth/Keira Knightly/Bill Nighy

Follows the lives of eight diverse couples in dealing with their love lives in numerous lightly and interconnected stories all set during a frenzied month before Christmas in London, England.

A Christmas Story (1983)

Directed by: Bob Clark

Staring: Peter Billingsley/Melinda Dillon/Darren McGavin/Scott Schwartz/ Ian Petrella

A young boy named Ralphie has to persuade his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun really is the perfect gift for Christmas in the 1940's.

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989)

Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik

Staring: Chevy Chase/Beverly D'Angelo/Juliette Lewis/Johnny Galecki/Randy Quaid/Doris Roberts

The Griswold family's is at it again! this time they have plans for a big family Christmas which in true Griswold fashion surely turns into a huge catastrophe.

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (2000)

Directed by: Ron Howard

Staring: Jim Carrey/Taylor Momsen/Jeffrey Tambor/Christine Baranski/Molly Shannon

Jim Carey stars in this big budget remake of the classic cartoon about a creature intent on stealing Christmas. No one better on this planet to play this role! Love this movie

Home Alone 1 and 2 (1990-1992)

Directed by: Chris Columbus

Staring: Macaulay Culkin/Joe Pesci/Daniel Stern/John Heard/Catherine O'Hara

Part 1:

An 8-year-old boy, who is unintentionally left behind while his family flies to France for Christmas, has to protect his home against senseless burglars.

Part 2:

One year after Kevin was left home alone and had to conquer a pair of blundering burglars, he inadvertently finds himself in New York City, with those same criminals not far behind.

My Favorite Actors Who Have Never Won An Oscar

Leonardo Dicaprio

Dicaprio has never been in a role that didn’t deserve an Oscar nod. Yes, that is a little exaggerated, but Leo is known for taking on the difficult roles. From his first nomination in 1993 for his role as Arnie, in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Dicaprio has continually pushed his creative limits, taking on roles such as a drug addled high schooler, a runaway conman, a modern Romeo, and a vengeful New Yorker. He earned two more Oscar nods for his role in Blood Diamond and The Aviator. Still under the age of 40, Dicaprio has a long time before he has to succumb to the lifetime achievement award.

Leonardo DiCaprio Nominations

Best Supporting Actor

1993 – As Arnie Grape in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape – Lost to Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive

Best Actor

2004 – As Howard Hughes in The Aviator – Lost to Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray

2006 – As Danny Archer in Blood Diamond – Lost to Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland


Edward Norton

Norton hadn’t done much acting work before he received his first nomination. Primal Fear, in 1996, was Norton’s first major role and it led to his first major nomination. Two years later he would receive his second nod for his powerful work in American History X. Although he hasn’t been nominated since, Norton is still in the beginning stages of his career, with barely a decade under his belt, despite his established body of work.

Edward Norton Nominations

Best Supporting Actor

1996 – As Aaron Stampler in Primal Fear – Lost to Cuba Gooding Jr. as Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire

Best Actor

1998 – As Derek Vinyard in American History X – Lost to Roberto Benigni as Guido Orefice in Life is Beautiful.

Tom Cruise
So maybe Cocktail, Mission Impossible, and Top Gun, weren’t exactly Oscar quality, but the list of Cruise’s quality movies are endless. The Color of Money, Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July. He is a Director’s favorite and one of the top grossing actors of all time. He has had three Oscar nominations, and no wins. As his craziness levels continue to rise, and his box office appeal begins to dwindle, Cruise might have missed out on his Golden Ticket.

Tom Cruise Nominations

Best Supporting Actor

1999 – As Frank T.J. Mackey in Magnolia – Lost to Michael Caine as Dr. Wilbur Larch in The Cider House Rules

Best Actor

1989 – As Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July – Lost to Daniel Day-Lewis as Christy Brown in My Left Foot

1996 – As Jerry Maguire in Jerry Maguire – Lost to Geoffrey Rush as David Helfgott in Shine


Johnny Depp

Depp has done his best to stay out of the limelight, but in recent years, there wasn’t much he could do to avoid being showered with accolades. From the monstrous hit, Pirates of the Caribbean, Depp has earned three nominations. One for being a pirate, one for being an author, and one for being a demon barber. As Depp balances between quirky characters and box office hits, it is only a matter of time until the Oscar shows up at his door.

Johnny Depp Nominations

Best Actor

2003 – As Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean – Lost to Sean Penn as Jimmy Markum in Mystic River

2004 – As Sir James Mathew Barrie in Finding Neverland – Lost to Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray

2007 – As Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd – Lost to Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview in There Will be Blood

J. Edgar

I don't know when Leonardo DiCaprio is going to win an Oscar!!! He is without doubt the most underrated actor EVER!!!

I don’t believe he has ever done a movie that was nothing less than amazing-- J. Edgar is no exception to his resume.

In this movie Leo ages from his current age to an old man. He speaks in a manner throughout the film in a way that you would never know it was him.

The movie is about the life of J. Edgar Hoover the man behind law enforcement in America for close to 50 years. The film reveals many details of his life that were unknown…at least to me. Facts, if known would have destroyed his career, image and life. Secrets that involved his mother, his work ethics and his sexuality.

I really enjoyed this movie as well as DiCaprios performance. I would recommend this movie as a must see.

Melancholia

Hmmmm, There are mixed reviews about this movie. Some are saying it is wonderful and beautiful, others are saying WTH!

The movie is about the relationship between two sisters, depression and the possibility of another planet colliding with Earth.

My husband and I saw this at the theater; the film begins with images of space, the planets and various other images for the first 15 minutes. We were bored and confused. Then it goes into a bride and groom stuck on a small dirt road in a stretch limo that was unable to go forward, this went on for about another 15 minutes (at least it felt that long) The two sisters in the movie looked nothing a like (not that all family does) the actress who played her sister spoke with an English or French accent (the only person in the movie who did) My husband thought that Justine (Kirsten Dunst character) had a drinking problem, however, I understood that she was depressed.

As the days have passed since seeing the movie, I have thought about it a lot and have read more about it and now have a better understanding about what the movie was "truly" about. I like the concept of the movie but I did not like the way the film was shot. There is some really amazing scenery throughout and I love Kirsten Dunst and think she is an amazing actress. However, I do not recommend this movie as a must see.

Weekends Are Made for Movies...

I truly, truly enjoy watching movies, for as far as I can think back, I always have.

I look forward to the weekends, to watch a movie or three with my family or even by myself. Whether it be at the movie theater or right here in our living room on DVD or Netflix. I enjoy it all the same.

If I really love a movie! I will watch it over and over again, and always appreciate it as much as I did the first time I saw it.

I hope you enjoy my blog and that it gives you some kind of initiative to watch my recommendations.

Happy Movie Watching!

The End

Corey

The Help

This movie was as great as I thought it was going to be. All roles were played to perfection most especially Emma Stone (The Compassionate One), Viola Davis (The Leader), Octavia Spencer (The Tough One), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Bitch) and Jessica Chastain (The Innocent One~My Favorite Character!) The movie was beautifully written and directed.This era will always be a sad time in history but none the less a wonderful beautiful movie.

This movie is about a young woman from Mississippi who wants to be a writer in New York. After witnessing the treatment of "the help" she decides to interview them and write their stories, of course because of the consequences of that time they keep everything very low key. The woman work together to change circumstance and catch a lot of heat along the way.

It is a movie about racism, compassion, relationships between mothers, daughters, friends, and most importantly the help...the woman they hire to care for their children and their families and yet treat them so inhuman.

Loved this movie an absolute must see film.

DRIVE

This movie was quite disappointing to me. I love Ryan Gosling and he has played some really great roles. This movie to me was slow and boring, I really didn't feel the story line at all. The acting from Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks was very disappointing.

The movie is about a guy Ryan Gossling who is a quiet, soft spoken loner, who stunt drives for film by day and is a getaway driver by night. He has a "non-sexual" affair with a married woman (Carey Mulligan) who's husband is in jail and is raising there young son. The husband gets out of jail and instantly gets into trouble with some guys who offered him protection while locked up and want their money back, however thousands more than agreed upon.

Standard (Mulligans husband) gets an offer to do a job and make the money he owes, Gosling teams up to help him. Tragedy occurs and the whole game changes.

Cyrus

When I originally saw the trailer for this movie, I thought it would be a comedy. I suppose also because of the actors that are in it, John C. Reilly, Marissa Tomei, Jonah Hill, Catherine Keener.

This movie was more of a drama to me, a divorced man who cannot get over his ex, whom he still works with and is very close friends with, meets the woman of his dreams. She is torn between her relationship with him and the relationship she has with her son as a single mother. The son sees no place for this new man in he and his mothers life and tries everything he can to break up their relationship. People may see the relationship between the mother and son as "creepy" or "weird" and obviously it is over exaggerated in the movie, but this "love triangle" can be very true in real life. I really feel for all three characters. I think this is a great movie to watch when you are relaxing on a Sunday.

Volver

"There are always things left undone, or not done well. My life has been no exception. I don't know if I can fix them, but if I can it's up to me to do it" ~ Abuela Irene

Beautiful, Beautiful movie! I wanted to watch this movie for so long, and kept putting it off for others...So happy I finely watched it!

I would say this movie is about relationships between women...grandmother, daughters, sisters, friends. Penelope was at the top of her game in this role very strong and emotional.

Penelope's character is dealing with the death of her mother and father, the illness of her aunt as well as having problems with her husband. Then further tragedy strikes and all the women pull together to fix all the issues throughout the entire movie. filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar ties all the twists and turns together into a beautifully written movie. I highly recommend this movie it is excellent!

BRIDESMAIDS

Staring:
Kristen Wiig: Annie
Maya Rudolph: Lillian
Rose Byrne: Helen
Chris O'Dowd: Office Rhodes
Ellie Kemper: Becca
Melissa McCarthy: Megan
Wendi McLendon-Covey: Dana
Matt Lucas: Steve
Jon Hamm: Ted
Directed By: Paul Feig

Annie's life is a mess. Her best friend is getting married and asks her to be the maid of honor. Annie loves her friend but has so much going on in her own life she doesn't know if she can handle all the duties, plus she has to deal with a group of over opinionated Bridesmaids.

Bridesmaids was one of the most hilarious comedies I've seen in along time. Kristen Wiig was great but Melissa McCarthy (Megan) in my opinion stole the show! Her role was amazing, the opinion you have of her throughout the movie, and then in the end finding out who she really is was an unexpected twist to me. Loved It!!!

The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)

Staring
Ricardo Darín
Soledad Villamil
Directed by: Juan José Campanella

A Retired Argentine criminal investigator Benjamín Espósito comes across a shocking discovery as he writes a book about an unsolved case. A young newlywed woman is brutally raped and murdered. Past and present intertwine for Espósito and colleague Irene Menéndez Hastings.

An excellent movie with a great plot and creative twists. A love story that doesn't take away from the main theme of the movie. I highly recommend this incredible movie.

CRAZY HEART

Staring:
Jeff Bridges (Won an Oscar for this role)
Maggie Gyllenhall (Oscar nominee)
Colin Farrell
Robert Duvall (Producer and Co-Star)
Directed by: Scott Cooper

I highly recommend this movie. I loved it! Amazing directing, acting, soundtrack.
Incredible performances by all, maybe the best of all movies they have acted in.

The movie portrays washed up, alcoholic, country music legend Bad Blake. Blake gets interviewed by single mom Jean Craddock and they instantly fall for each other and begin dating. Not only does Blake fall for Jean but also for her young son. Blake must get over living with the success of Tommy, the young musician he once mentored and his alcohol problem to save his relationship with Jean and her son.

You will have to watch to see if Blake can turn his life around.

Even deeper interest for anyone who knows and/or loves a person fighting alcoholism.

Tear Jerker Alert!!