This is by far the least enjoyable James Stewart movie I have ever seen. Seemed like it was a commercial for the Air Force rather than a movie. it is like nothing happened and Lt. Col Dutch Holland (James Stewart) and his wife Sally (June Allyson) argue about his career, Air Force vs baseball. In the end and injury forces Holland out of the Air Force. Some pretty impressive planes. The command was in Texas, before coming to Offutt in Bellevue.
We watched World Trade center for 9/11. Pretty gruesome story of survival, especially since so many did not survive. John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) is a sergeant of police. Will Jimeno (Michael Peña) is an officer who follows him into the building. They were in between the two towers when the first collapsed. McLoughlin yells, get to the elevator shaft, and that is where they are trapped. The story also tells the story of their families. Their spouses are Donna McLoughlin (Maria Bello) and Allison Jimeno (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who is pregnant. Incredible story of their survival for hours under the rubble. But the part of the story that makes it real are the families reaction to tragedy. Story was written by the four main characters. They were found by a couple Marines who were scouring the area.
Annie is a delightful musical. Several of us in the family have been in the musical, so we are always comparing the movie to the musical; why didn't they do this song or that one? etc. Annie (Aileen Quinn) lives in an orphanage whee Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett) is in charge. Annie has it coming as she ran away, and came home with a dog. Grace Farrel (Ann Reinking) shows up to select an orphan to stay with Daddy Warbucks (Albert Finney), the billionaire for the weekend. Where Annie is by the office, she makes sure she is selected. Rooster (Tim Curry), Miss Hannigan's brother and Lily (Bernadette Peters) enter the scene as con artists intent on stealing the reward money Daddy Warbucks has offered for Annie's birth parents. With the help of Miss Hannigan, and an old necklace, they actually pull it off; but the plot is foiled when the other orphans arrive to the mansion to say, "they was bad people." This movie relies on technology more than the musical with a helicopter, and security guards from different lands. As I said it is a cute, delightful musical. And of course Annie sings "Tomorrow." Edward Herrmann plays President Roosevelt.
This set is two CDs and a DVD of the Piano Guys playing their music with cello and piano. It is lots of music, and I find most of it very nice. They are usually covers with their own arrangements. They include Beethoven, Bach and Taylor Swift, music from movies like Avatar and Greatest Showman. Many popular songs like "Over the Rainbow" and "Story of my Life." The DVD adds to the experience as the sing songs like "Kung Fu Piano" which was recorded on the Great Wall of China or "Let It Go" recorded in an ice world.
I really enjoy their music. It is all instrumental, but the experiment with their instruments banding the cello, banging the strings of the piano. Jon Schmidt piano, Steven Sharp Nelson cello, Paul Anderson videographer and Al van der Beek music producer. Van der Beek also arranges music for the group. Their CDs consistently reach number one in the classical chart.
Charles Lindbergh (James Stewart) has a dream to be the first to fly across the Atlantic in a nonstop flight. The movie for the most part is a one person show. Especially during the forty hour flight across the ocean. They do several things to keep it interesting. Lindbergh talks to himself, he has flashbacks, but mostly he narrates his own flight as it takes place. It is really tense when he falls asleep and start spiraling toward the ocean. I found this to be a good historical drama and it brings this bit of history more to life.
This is a delightful romantic comedy. It is about a store owner, Hugo Matuschek (Frank Morgan) and the clerks at the shop. A new clerk is hired, Klara (Margaret Sullavan) and Alfred (James Stewart) already works at the shop. Unbeknownst to each other Kara and Alfred are sending letter to each other as anonymous pen pals. Hiwever threy maintain an ongoing spat, which is confusing because Klara really likes Alfred. The show becomes interesting when the penpals have a meeting, and Alfred realizes who the penpal is.
This is a fun show, and the conclusion is also very fun. Hugo the boss actually fires Alfred thinking he is having an affair with his wife. Turns out this is another clerk, Farenc (Joseph Schildkraut).
This is a C.D. based on the movie Judy in which Renée Zellweger plays the part of Judy and sings Judy Garland songs. She sings a couple duets, one with Sam Smith and the other with Rufus Wainwright. She sings the Judy Garland classics like "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from Meet Me in St. Louis. Other populars songs include "Come Rain or Come Shine" from St. Louis Woman, "Get Happy" with Sam Smith from Summer Stock and "For Once in my Life." and of course the set concludes with the trademark Garland song, "Over the Rainbow."
Admittedly Zellweger is not Judy Garland, but then of course no one is, but she does a good job covering these songs.
