Movie Review: ***^ Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

This is a very good Netflix film.  It is part of the Knives Out franchise and has the same detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig).  However this is a different case, and a different bunch of suspects.  Blanc invites himself to a murder mystery party at the request of Helen Brand (Janelle Monáe), the twin sister of Andi Brand.  She suspects Andi was murdered, she did not commit suicide.  They are sure someone at the party is responsible.  Helen also is coming to the party as Andi to help with research.  The party is hosted by Miles Bron (Edward Norton).  The invited friends are: Claire (Kathryn Hahn), Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.), Duke (Dave Bautista), Peg (Jessica Henwick), Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) and Whiskey (Madelyn Cline).  They are all enmeshed with Miles, and lied for him in court so he could take over Andi's business.  However she found some information that would prove the case, and that is the night she was murdered.  Claire is a politician dependent on Bron for support, Duke is an internet personality and hopes Bron will put him on t.v. news, Peg is Birdie Jay's assistant.  She is negotiating with Bron about a mistake Birdie Jay made.  Birdie Jay is a former model, now fashion designer and her business is dependent on Bron.  Lionel is a scientist and working on a new energy source.  Bron announces that he has used this new volatile source in his home.  Lionel protests for the lack of testing.  It was this source of energy that lead to the split between Andi and Bron.  Turns out Duke saw Bron leaving Andi's house, and so he is murdered via pineapple to which he is highly allergic.  He steals Duke's gun and shots Helen, but a book in her pocket stops the bullet.  Helen finds the evidence in Bron's glass onion room; but Bron burns it.  Sounds like everyone will lie for Bron again, so Helen starts to destroy his things, and everyone joins in.  The energy source explodes.  Everyone makes it out, and it sounds like Bron's friends are remembering things and appear willing to testify.  Money cannot buy everything forever.   

Disney Animated Movie Review: **^ Oliver & Company (1988)

 Oliver and Company was made during the time when disney had sort of lost their way.  Several of their movies were not up to their usual quality, and Oliver and Company is one of them.  This is a take on Olive Twist with a cat as Oliver and dogs as the other members of the gang.  There is a Bill Sykes and a Fagan.  Sykes and his two dogs are very much the bad guys as they are true criminals.  Fagan for his part is more a wantabe criminal but has too much heart.

Billy Joel plays the Dodger, Joey Lawrence plays Oliver.  The other dogs are voiced by Cheech Marin, Richard Mulligan, Roscoe Lee Browne, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Bette Midler.  The girl who takes Oliver in is played by Natalie Gregory, Fagan by Dom Deluise and Sykes by Robert Loggia.

Music Review: 50 Classic Wagon wheels

 50 Classic Wagon Wheels: Legendary Songs of the Old West, The Beautiful Music Company, Sony Music Special Projects, 1992. 

This is a pretty good collection of old songs.  Some of them are pretty good and AI have heard them before.  While others I have never heard.  I was really looking forward to the song "(I've Got Spurs that) Jingle, Jangle Jingle" but did not really like the way Tex Ritter sang it.  Gene Autrey sings a very nice "Home on the Range."  Autrey also sings, "Back in the Saddle Again" and "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You." I really like "Mule Train" sung by Frankie Laine even though it is new to me.  Marty Robbins sings, "The Streets of Laredo" and Slim Whitman Down in the Valley."  Tex Ritter does better with "Jealous Heart and the c.d. concludes with "Deep in the Heart of Texas" sung by Bob Wills.  This is sides E and F of six sides.  

Music Review: American Heritage Songs Volume 1 and volume 2

American Heritage Songs: 200 Years of American Heritage in Song, CMH Records, Los Angeles, CA, 1991.

Some of this music has a definite bluegrass feel.  Many songs are instrumental, such as dueling banjos.  Most of the songs were not known to me.  There are well over 100 songs on four CDs.  It does have the Bob Dylan songm "Blowin' in the Wind."  It also has "Greensleeves" which I always thought was a British song.  It has a wide variety of artists.  Tommy Faile sings "Yellow Rose of Texas."  He and the Jones Brothers sing many of the songs.  Dick and Jacquie Schuyler sing "I'll Give my Love and Apple."

Music Review: Adele at the Royal Albert Music Hall (2011)

 The set I have has a CD and a DVD of the concert at the Royal Albert Music Hall.  I llike the DVD a bit better because for many of the songs Adele gives an inroduction, where she was when she wrote the song etc.  She also explains why she covers the songs she covers such as Bob Dylans song "Make you Fell my Love" which she sings every concert.  

Adele has such a unique voice.  I have heard others describe it an angelic and it is that, but her ability to sing lower makes her voice more than that.  Then at time she sings low intermingled with her head voice which is very effective.  Much of her music deals with her love life, break ups and disappointments.  This C.D. includes "Someone Like You" and "Rolling in the Deep" as her encore songs, and they really do bring down the house.  Both songs the audience sings along.  "Set Fire to the Rain" is another very special song.  

Adele is very much a treasure, in fact a British treasure where she is considered a national treasure and a beacon of cultural pride.  

Disney/ Pixar Movie Review: ****^ Elio (2025)

 After his parents die, Elio (Yonas Kibreab) is lost.  He is being raised by his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña).  He has no friends, and in fact a couple kids who pick on him.  He keeps asking for aliens to pick him up and take him to another world.  His wish finally does come true, and he represents himself as the leader of earth so they will let him stay.  However he ends up having to face Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), leader of a race intent on taking over the universe.  Elio's attempt to reason with him fails; but then he meets Grigon's son, Glordon (Remy Edgerly) who is a large slug.  They fast become friends.  They duplicate Glordon, and the double is given to his father, while Glordon accidentally travels to earth.  Earth is not good for Glordon, it is too cold and he is week, and he is taken by scientists for study.  Grigon quickly sees through the clone, and Elio has to save Glordon.  He travels to eart where a clone double has been sitting in for him.  They get the aunt, and together the break into the facility to rescue Glordon.  They use his ship to flea earth.  The barely make it through the junk field.  When Grigon intercepts them his son is almost dead.  Grigon has to leave his battle shell to warm his son's body.  Grigon sees things differently and is appeased not to conquer the universe.  

This is a movie about belonging and finding purpose.  Purpose comes from relationships with others.  Elio finally finds a friend, one on earth too.  And he finally accepts his aunt as a caregiver and returns to earth.  I really enjoyed this story.  

 

Classic Disney: **** 101 Dalmatians (1961)

 In this Disney Classical musical we are introduced to Cruella De Vil (Betty Lou Gerson) with the song.  Roger (Ben Wright) writes the song based on experiences with Cruella.  Roger's wife, Anita (Lisa Davis) and her interest is to recruit pretty dogs to give herself a spotted fur coat.  Perdita (Cate Bauer) has had 15 puppies with her mate, Pongo (Rod Taylor).  Nanny (Martha Wentworth) nurses the 15th to life.  Pongo and Perdita are the dogs of Roger and Anita and helped bring them together.  Cruella steals the dogs; and sets off a an incredible rescue.  I really enjoy the dog chain, and so many animals being involved in the rescue, even a cow who gives milk.  Cruella has two bumbling henchmen, Jasper and Horace (J. Pat O'Malley and Frederick Worlock) who help give a light touch.