Snapshot Chronicles » TV/Film

Holiday Movies

Susan Getgood — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:44:56 +0000

The December holiday season is pure gold for the entertainment industry.

From Christmas music, which I love, to TV specials and holiday themed episodes of TV series, some of which are good like the Eureka episode I mentioned in my last post and Glee’s funny homage to Christmas specials past.

Let’s not forget the holiday movies, whether on TV or in the theater, brand new or holiday classics like Holiday Inn, filled with wonderful Irving Berlin songs, and one very questionable number, see if you can figure it out in the clip:

and Meet Me in St. Louis, starring Judy Garland, and featuring the now-holiday classic Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

And films of more recent vintage like Elf, The Polar Express and this year’s blockbuster installment of the chipmunks.

Not to mention the big films released in December to capture the holiday audience. This year, we had updates of the Mission Impossible and Sherlock Holmes franchises. BTW Sherlock is good, but it really drags in places, and Douglas fell asleep at the end. Do with that information what you will.

But for me going forward, my holiday movie of choice will have to be Paul. We rented it on Christmas Day, and I loved it so much I bought a copy the very next day, braving Best Buy on Boxing Day no less.

Have a Happy New Year!

Remember Poldark?

Susan Getgood — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 18:42:40 +0000

Image by hz536n/George Thomas via Flickr

Things have been a bit unsettled here for a few weeks. I can’t really write about it now. Perhaps someday. But Douglas and I are doing okay, everyone’s health is good, and as the saying goes, this too shall pass.

Today (and starting last night) I am having a mini-marathon rewatching the British television series Poldark. Based on novels by Winston Graham, Poldark is a period drama set in Cornwall in the late 1700s. It aired in the US in the mid-seventies on PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre. I would go over to my grandparents’ house across the street every Sunday night to watch it with my grandmother.

The show holds up pretty well, more than 30 years later. The biggest difference is that when I first watched it at 13 years old, the actors all seemed, not old exactly, but certainly mature adults. And now, all I can think is that they all look so young.

But the story and the performances are still excellent, and the Cornish scenery is amazing.

If you like British period drama, and are looking for something to watch, check it out.

‘Poldark’: A Cornish Maxiseries If You’re Craving Pasties and Freckled Bosoms (theawl.com)
On Netflix: Series 1 and Series 2

Screening, The Kids Grow Up

Susan Getgood — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 02:09:09 +0000

The Kids Grow Up – trailer from Copacetic Pictures on Vimeo.

Tuesday night I attended a screening of the documentary film The Kids Grow Up over at HBO. I don’t go to many events (time and childcare constraints) but this was just around the corner from the office. Plus bloggy friends Catherine Connors (Her Bad Mother) and Doug French (Laid Off Dad) were doing a post screening panel on parenting, so I knew I’d be able to catch up with at least a couple folks, maybe more if the NY parenting bloggers turned out.

Which they didn’t but that was okay, as I had some neat non-bloggy conversations with people involved in the film (including filmmaker Doug Block) during the cocktail reception before the screening and got a chance to really catch up with Doug and Catherine –or at least as much as you can in a 15 minute conversation.

So, the film. In it, filmmaker Doug Block chronicles his only child Lucy’s path to adulthood, using archival footage shot from her earliest years – probably well before he fully formulated the idea of the documentary – and tons of much more intrusive footage shot of her, his wife and other members of the family once he decided to chronicle the rite of passage of going off to college.

While the movie is nominally about Lucy, it’s really about the journey of four generations of his family, as Block works in archival footage from his own childhood, and a glimpse into his baby step-grandson’s beginning journey.

As I thought about it on the train ride home, I realized that in a way Block’s documentary is the film-length version of a parenting blog. Much as he does with his family story, bloggers chronicle their lives through the lens of parenthood, but their stories are as much (if not more) their stories as they are their children’s. Likewise, The Kids Grow Up is just as much about him letting go as it is about his daughter growing up.

Now, to believe that others will find your story compelling and worthy of their attention requires a strong ego and belief in one’s purpose. But for readers and viewers to actually care requires talent. I often think that’s what folks misunderstand when they look at the popularity of parenting blogs. Yes, it’s in part the story, and our ability to identify with it, but what distinguishes an excellent parenting blog from a mediocre one is the storytelling. Good storytellers attract an audience, no matter what the medium.

And there is some damn fine storytelling in this film. While at times I felt the film was a little long, I suspect that was largely because I was eagle eye on the clock so I wouldn’t miss my train home. In fact, I was unable to stay for the post screening panel because everything ran just a bit later.

The Kids Grow Up will air multiple times over Father’s Day weekend on HBO and the DVD comes out on June 19^th.

Glee, Chuck and Mothers of Intention

Susan Getgood — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:14:22 +0000

Within the next few weeks, most of the TV shows I watch regularly will air their season finales. Chuck already has, and boy was it a doozy. I won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it, but you can read the rundown here. Castle wrapped up as well, and I’ve heard it was AMAZING, but I haven’t watched it yet. Thank goodness for DVRs.[Update 5/19: We watched Castle last night. All I can say is OMG.]

Glee aired the next-to-last ep last night, Funeral, and it was definitely a tearjerker. I pretty much agree with everything E! Online’s Kristin writes in her wrap-up, but my favorite moments were the two Finn and Kurt scenes with Sue Sylvester, Lea Michele‘s solo of My Man and the incredible cast performance of Pure Imagination (from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). To hear both songs as well as two of the original songs from the season finale, head on over to AOL Music, which has the full Glee The Music Volume 6 album a week early.[Update 5/19: Just listened to the audio of Chris Colfer and Lea Michele singing For Good from Wicked from next week's season finale. Reminded me of another highlight from Tuesday's ep that I really loved -- when Kurt couldn't help but applaud Rachel's solo, even though he was competing with her. Reminded me of Rachel's enthusiastic applause for Kurt at Regionals, and how far those two characters have come on this show when most of the others just seem stuck.]

For a taste of next week’s episode, here’s the promo that aired last night. My guess for the “unscripted moment” referred to at the end is a Finchel kiss. What do you think?

It’s a good thing, though, that my tv shows are drawing to a close. It will leave me more time to read Mothers of Intention: How Women and Social Media are Revolutionizing Politics in America by my good friend Joanne Bamberger (PunditMom). A combination of original research and essays originally published on blogs, Mothers of Intention examines how women, empowered by social media, have become a larger presence in political activism.

I’m honored that one of my posts Has Dooce become the modern day June Cleaver? is included in the book, and look forward to reading all the others. Publication date is June 1, but it is available for pre-order on Amazon now.

‘Chuck’ Season 4, Episode 24 (Season Finale) Recap (tvsquad.com)
ZOMG TV This Week! (smakendahed.wordpress.com)
Glee – Like A Big Stick Of Buttah (televisionwithoutpity.com)
Glee The Music website

Glee-full, or how I finally crossed over to the Gleek-side

Susan Getgood — Sat, 07 May 2011 01:23:22 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

I’d heard about Glee, but I’d resisted watching. I really don’t know why, because it is exactly the sort if show I *would* like. Then one night last January I was looking for something to watch and found it on “On Demand.”

The Rocky Horror episode.

I was hooked. I watched all the other eps available on demand and online. I watched the Super Bowl “Zombies” ep. I bought the Season 1 DVDs so I could catch up.

I fell in love. With Rachel and Finn and Finchel. And Kurt. And, yes, Puck. Because bad boys….

Yeah, you know.

And Sue Sylvester. There are no words for how evil the character is. Or how talented her portrayer Jane Lynch is.

So now I am waiting for Prom and Nationals, like all the other Gleeks.

And reading spoilers, because I am a spoiler whore.

So, here’s a prediction. According to multiple sources, a beloved female character dies in the episode Funeral (week after next.) I think it will be Becky — she’s the only character (except for the Cheerios) that I can think of that would get both Sue and Will at the funeral as well as all the Glee kids.

We’ll see in 2 weeks.

Oh… and Finchel all the way. Dianna Agron is a lovely actress but I’ve fallen for the Finn and Rachel chemistry. Not to mention Lea Michele’s voice. Watch any of her clips on the official Glee site to see (and hear) what I mean. And much as I like watching Michele duet with Cory Monteith (Finn), my absolute favorite so far was a duet she did with Chris Colfer (Kurt) in the episode “Duets,” a mashup of ”Get Happy” & “Happy Days Are Here Again” that was actually an homage to Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland, who did it first in 1960. Wish I could show you the Glee version, as it is just amazing, but enjoy the originals instead:

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On another note, the $100 VISA card giveaway on my Chow Hounds post is over, and I will announce the winner in my next post. However, there is a second group of reviews in the BlogHer sponsored conversation campaign for Purina Pro Plan Selects, each of which offers an opportunity to win a gift card. Check it out!