Music Review: Taylor Swift: Speak Now

This is taylor Swifts third album released by Big Machine Records in 2010.  Taylor Swift writes all of her own music.  She has a skill for telling a story and a clear voice.  My favorite song in this album is "Mean."  She talks about someone who uses words to put others now, and all he is is mean.  "Why you gotta be so mean."  This album is 4x platinum, over four million copies sold.  It was number one on U.S. Billboard and country charts.  "Revenge" is for a song the girl that steals your boyfriend.  "I always get the last laugh."  "Haunted" also has a very nice tune.  This explores how you feel when you are left.  The titular song, "Speak Now" is very nice with a good story as she barges in to tell a boy he has picked the wrong bride.
This album is vintage Taylor Swift, and if you like her you will like this.  However it does not include her most popular songs.

Book Review: The Twits by Roald Dahl

The Twits by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake, Puffin Books, New York, 1980.

The Twits is a terrific character study of two very ugly people.  These people are not only ugly in their appearance, but in their personality, which surely effected their physical looks.  They are especially ean to birds and monkeys.  However, in the end, they are outsmarted by the monkeys and the birds they have abused for many years.

Movie Review: ****^Pollyanna (1960)

This is one of those great positive feeling movies, with Pollyanna (Hayley Mills, who looks for the good, and the preacher (Karl Malden) who is converted to this thinking.  It makes a big difference in the town, as it becomes known as the glad town.
This movies comes from Disney and also features:
Jane Wyman as Aunt Polly
Richard Egan as her love interest Dr. Chilton
Agnes Moorehead as crotchety old Mrs. Snow, who Pollyanna also converts
As well as Mr. Pendergast, played by Adolphe Menjou
And Kevin Corcoran portrays Pollyanna's young friend from the orphanage.
The town is moving to raise money to build a new orphanage.  they feel it is a civic responsibility.  The current orphanage is in Herrington Hall, and Aunt Polly wants to give money to remodel the kitchen.  She has money, and willing to do her civic duty.  However that is the point, Aunt Polly attends to her duty, but doesn't love people.  Pollyanna brings that love into her life.

Once On This Island Jr. Full Version

This is a summer theater project, performed by most likely Middle School students.  It is a Jr version of this musical, and cuts out the song my son sang, "Some girls" when they did the musical in high school.  It does have the fiance sing one line from the song.  I think the parent really stand out in this musical.  They seem to make the whole thing work.
I was into this musical because of the song, We tell the story."  I have been thinking a lot lately about how it is important to tell the story.
Music by Steven Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.

Picture Book review: Lemony Snicket's A series of Unfortunate Events Behind the Scenes with Count Olaf

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events: Behind the Scenes with Count Olaf, Harper Entertainment, New York, 2004.
This is a pictorial behind the scenes at the making of the movie, from the viewpoint of Count Olaf.  Count Olaf has a very interesting perspective on life, and this book provides a look into that character/  Of course the movie Count Olaf was portrayed by Jim Carrey.  We get costuming pictures, sets and other interesting aspects.

Movie Review: ***^Hope Floats (1998)

This movie excites me as it is a Sandra Bullock movie.  However, in this movie the worst possible thing that could happen does.  Birdee (Bullock) is at a talk show, where her best friend reveals to her that she and Birdee's husband are having an affair, and he now wants to be with her.  Birdee goes home, and confronts her humiliation.  Birdee's mother (Gena Rowlands) is determined to get her daughter up off the floor by reintroducing her to an old friend Justin Matisse (Harry Connick Jr.).  The focus of the film is the change in the family relationship.  One of the most touching aspects is when Birdee explains to her mother what she liked about her husband.
The movie ends with not everything resolved, but with Hope beginning to float after a long winter.  I like Bullock, and Connick is also very good.  A movie like this is built on relationships.  It makes you want to scream to see a family destroyed due to some selfishness.  However, family lives own.

Movie Review: ****The Age of Adaline (2015)

By some fluke, involving drowning and lightening, Adaline (Blake Lively) does not age.  She has a daughter (Ellen Burstyn), and this movie centers around many years later, when her daughter is an old lady, and Adaline is still a young beautiful woman.  Adaline has always been wary of giving herself to anyone, because she knows they will grow old, and she will not, and her secret will come back to haunt her.  However, she finally falls for philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman).  In meeting his parents a predicament arises.  She is recognized by Ellis' father (Harrison Ford) and she quickly claims to be her grandmother.  Father buys this, but eventually realizes his son is in love with the same woman he loved some forty years before.  She immediately runs, but then waivers.  How can this ever be put right?
I always enjoy Harrison Ford, and the two lead characters truly sparkle and do a great job.  However Harrison's wife (Kathy Baker), who confronts her husband's past relationship, after 40 years of marriage, is the one who really has to act.