All Martin Scorsese films

 

    I recently saw a movie called 'Shutter Island' and it was pretty good. It starred Leonardo DiCaprio and had a twist ending. It was directed by Martin Scorsese. Who is he? Well....he is known as a pretty good director, and he has directed some gold when it came to certain movies. Some of them were based on true stories.

  THE AVIATOR- Based on Howard Hughes life and madness, the aviator is about Howard Hughes, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his life and childhood. Learning about aviation as well as the madness that would soon consume him. He was considered a germophobia and would be locked in his room peeing in jars. Sadly...it is based on true life.

GOODFELLAS- In the early 90's Joe Pesci was known not just as one half of the wet bandits. He also was known as a gangster. The late Ray Liotta narrates the story saying that he always wanted to be a gangster.

    There are some memorable quotes, and the story focuses on what happens after Ray's character experiences the mob life and what happens afterwards. It was pretty good.

SHUTTER ISLAND- This is movie I recently saw. It was good. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo as two detectives looking for a missing woman in a mental ward on an island. It was pretty good...but then, strange things started to happen that involves Leo's character.

   It seems the missing woman was a palindrome of another woman who was Leo's dead wife and he is considered the mental patient they are looking for.

  CAPE FEAR- I only remember the Simpsons parody involving Sideshow Bob. They got the idea from this movie where Robert DeNiro is a mad man that is following a family around. 

   They assume a new identity, but it doesn't work. Agan...I saw the Simpsons version. It kind of mirrors the movie with Bart feeling threatened and the family going under another name, only to be found by the killer. 

  GANGS OF NEW YORK- I remember this movie very well. Long but worth seeing. Should have won the Oscar that year.

    Leonardo DiCaprio portrays a young man on a mission. To seek revenge on the man that killed his father in a fight. Some of this movie is based on a true story on what happened many years ago. Daniel Day Lewis played the antagonist and hated the hairstyle so much that he shaved his head off after the movie ended. Worth the watch; only criticism...Cameron Diaz as the woman. 

 THE DEPARTED- Another movie based on a true story staring Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson. I vaguely remember this movie...but it was ok. It involves an Irish mob Boss and the Massachusetts Police. 

   It gets crazy as Jack portrays the mob boss Mark Wahlberg is also involved and ends up killing Matt at the end of the movie after Jack's character dies. That's all I can remember.

  KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON- This movie was based on a book that stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart. Based on a true story also starring Robert DeNiro. This movie was nominated for many awards. One being for best actress that was for Lily Gladstone. She was the first Native American actress nominated for that award. 

    Sadly, she didn't win it. I didn't see much of this movie. But this was one of the recent works by Marin Scorsese and it looks pretty good. It is a long one, but it could be worth seeing.

   Martin is also known for making movies like the Irishman, Hugo and others that he has directed. He likes to put Leonardo DiCaprio as well as Robert DeNiro in many of his works. He even acted in a few tv and movie roles. 

   He even has starred in commercials and directed a few short films and documentaries. He's still strong today, but he's around his eighties. It doesn't mean he'll stop any time soon. Some of his movies are worth watching. Shutter Island and Gangs of New York are the best in my opinion. 

Happy B-Day to Jason Bateman

     Today we celebrate an actor on his birthday. Who is Jason Bateman? Why is he in those State Farm ads with Batman? Well, let's go back to when he was young and how he became a great actor, and still is today...with certain rolls

 

  Jason was born on January 14th in 1969. He didn't really get his start in acting until he was a kid. He is a younger brother of an actress named Justine. His first start in acting was a cameo in Little House on the Prairie.

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  Jason and his sister Justine are considered talented actors. Although Jason has continued on, his older sister has backed away from the fame for now.

    However, their relationship had seemed strained as she doesn't see him as much of an actor, or a big fan of him.

  

   He stared as Ricky Schroder in "Silver Spoons" when he was a teenager. He was in the show for a few years. He even appeared in other TV shows like It's your Move, St. Elsewhere, A taste for Killing, this can't be love, and Arrested Development

   His first movie starring was in Teen Wolf Too. A sequel to a teen wolf movie that stared Michael J. Fox back in the 80's. I don't think I've ever seen that movie. He did ok in that, but he was other movies like Love Stinks, The Breakup, Mr. Maginoum's Wonder Emporium and many more. Some I've seen...and some I didn't.

   I wish I got into a show that he was known for and brought back his star power. He starred in a hit show called Arrested Development. It was a black comedy starring him as a son of I guess a businessman, and it involved some scandals that make his life worse.

    It was canceled but picked up in another station and finished out the series. However, allegations on a certain actor of the show tarnished what little life it had left.

  

   Jason starred in a lot of movies from Horrible Bosses to Dodgeball. Another was Starsky and Hutch which I did see.

   It followed the 70's show which I never saw about two detectives. Jason played a sidekick to Vince Vaughn's villain who is smuggling cocaine. It was actually pretty good. An interesting Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson movie. But Jason only had a side roll.

   He started getting more roles for movies. Another being Horrible Bosses. He played a character who wanted to deal with his horrible boss (portrayed by Kevin Spacey). He isn't alone. Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day are his friends that have to deal with their own boss problems.

    Eventually, it works out for them. They had a sequel where they plan to kidnap the son of a boss (played by the hot Chris Pine), but it backfires for them in many ways. Both movies were very good...but I could only watch the sequel more.

   Jason eventually started to do some voice acting as he got a role of a fox working with a bunny to stop crime on a Disney/Pixar movie called "Zootopia" Jason voices a fox who helps stop a crimewave going around.

   Eventually, they solve it and save everyone. He recently voiced him again in the sequel which did ok. However, I haven't seen it yet.

  Jason also went back to TV to star in a show called "OZARK' Jason portrays the lead and it involves a Mexican Drug Ring that went horribly wrong. Jason does a pretty decent job on this show. Sadly, I never got into it, but it made his comeback to TV pretty strong. 

    Today, Jason turns 57 and he's still acting today. He has a wife and two daughters and has been nonstop with acting as well as activism as well.

     Jason's star hasn't dimmed or brightened...it just is glowing as bright as it was when he came back to TV on Arrested Development. Want to wish him the happiest of birthdays. Enjoy it, Jason.

The year so far- POEM

 

A week has past

the new year is still fresh

but it seems

it's starting to get

worse

as the days go by

Riots

are growing stronger

as someone

is slain

in Minnesota

Football 

is near its end

as it seems

February

is getting closer

who 

will 

make it

to the end

It hasn't even been mid Jan

and yet

it feels as if

time

is going by faster

as everything

feels rushed

 People feel stressed

with games going on

and wondering

what else they have to do

by the end 

of the month

Feeling colder

as the winds

bring out a chill

mostly

in our town

one day,

it's nice,

the next day....

freezing

The flu

gets stronger

and this year

more are sick

few die

vaccines help

only if you want

to survive

TV brings back shows

some new

some old

some recycled ideas

that wasn't meant

for TV

So far

some good

some bad

only through 11 days

The year will go by quick

and we

will just wonder....

where does the time go

No more celebrations

 

 

     I don't know when people decide it's best to take down their Christmas decorations. Some never do it...and others, do it right after Christmas.

       Does that mean...we should stop celebrating? Well....yes and no. If you have January birthday, that's different. But for others.... they're done with all the Christmas movies and music that plays constantly. 

   When I was little, I was sad Christmas ended. Which means I had to wait a whole year till presents galore. 

   Now, I'm kind of glad Christmas is done. I guess now working in retail which goes insane with every holiday, I'm kind of glad we don't have to deal with all the craziness. Now...we need warmth

   Some people don't mind a new year...but they would rather just fast forward through winter and get right to spring. 

   My mom is one of them. The cold.... I'm ok with, but the heat...that's another story.

      We're done celebrating, but we still get the cold, and we wait for a groundhog to predict our weather. In my opinion...we're getting six more weeks.

   Putting away the decorations you had up for Christmas, there's a debate on when it's the perfect time. I believe after the New Year rings in....all the Christmas decorations go away. The tree, the lights, even the wreaths. 

    Some people don't want to do it. Maybe because it's cold outside. Understandable...but if it's still there by mid-February....something is wrong

   Again, it could be because of the weather.... but I find it lazy once people just stop putting their Christmas decorations away.

  Some people have a tradition on leaving their Christmas lights up all year long and won't turn them on until the holiday comes.

  It feels empty with all the Holiday decorations down...but I feel that it needs to be taken down so we can celebrate the new year.

    I feel it's best to not celebrate anything after the New Year is over (again unless you have a January birthday)

   January and February are considered the coldest months of the year. We just want to skip all that and get right to the warmth.

   Everyone feels happy when Christmas arrives. When it's gone, and a new year begins...we either feel depressed or fat.

    The truth is...we just feel an emptiness that even alcohol cannot fill. Which is there is a thing called...dry January. All we can do is enjoy the year and be grateful we made it through another.

   The holidays are gone, let's stop celebrating....and enjoy what we have for the new year. It might be hard, like not being able to drink.... but it can be done. Before you know it.... the year will end.

   Happy second week of the new year. That's right.... the first week has come and gone.

Best Rob Reiner movies

    A new year has come and before it ended, we lost someone big. Rob Reiner. Son of Carl Reiner who also worked with comedies, giving Dick Van Dyke his own show....it Rob wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. Before being known as a director of certain movies...he went into acting being a character in a seventies show and known only as "meathead'

     All in the Family came out long before I was born. It was about a family with a bigoted man (played by Caroll O'Conner) who had a daughter who married Rob Reiner's character. They butted heads, but in real life, he and Caroll got along. 

    The show lasted a few years until the early eighties. After that, Rob Reiner went into directing

   Rob felt as if he was meant to be behind the camera than in front of. I'm like that with writing. Some people have a face for the camera...and some...feel they have something bigger than being known as 'Meathead'. That was Rob.

  In 1984, the year I was born, there was a mockumentary created by Christopher Guest. It was about a rock and roll band that starred him, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean. All three of them are still alive. 

   It was very funny, I enjoyed it. Rob Reiner was in a few scenes...one having a quote saying, "this goes to eleven." Referring to how loud the sound of a guitar ap should go. This is one movie you need to see.

    In 1987, there was a movie based on a Stephen King short story called The Body. It was called Stand by me. Staring Wil Wheaton, the late River Pheonix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell. All in search of finding a dead body one of them heard from their older brothers.

   They go on a long journey to find it, almost costing their lives in the process. Keifer Sutherland players a bully who wants to find the body too. Rob chained the ending to suit how it should end. Stephen King saw it, took a few minutes to collect his thoughts, and went back to hug Rob saying that it was the portrayal of his book he had ever seen.

 After the success of "Stand by me", Rob Reiner got to direct Misery another book by Stephen King that involves and author and an obsessed fan. Kathy Bates portrayed the fan as the late James Caan was the author.

   It was good; not as great as stand by me, but still worth seeing. Kathy Bates frightens people in this role. Stephen King thought she was the right choice. Let's just say...never piss Kathy Bates off.

     This movie is a story within a story. A grandfather reads The Princess Bride to his son, and another world opens up.

   Carey Elwes portrays a masked man who was once a stable boy who was rumored to have been killed. Robin Wright was Princess Buttercup. Mandy Patakin portrayed one of the thieves who has a vendetta over the man who killed his father. He finds the man, portrayed by Christopher Guest, and kills him.

  Andre the Giant, God rest his soul, was another thief who turned good at the end.

    He directed other movies like "A few good men", "The American President", "When Harry met Sally" and much more.

   The quotes are memorable from Rob's actual mother saying, "I'll have what she's having" at the diner scene in Where Harry met Sally to "You can't Handle the truth" quoted by Jack Nicholsen in "A few good men"

    His final project was the sequel to "This is Spinal tap" called...."The end Continues." with aging actors portraying their rock and roll selves as they look for what has happened in the last 41 years. Let has say, a lot has changed...but the comedy is still there. It's sad that was Rob's final directing as the movie was made right before his tragic death.

    It is dedicated to him as the man that started Spinal Tap.

   We are all still grieving from this tragedy that was caused by his own son who is now in jail. Rob was also an activist as his wife, who passed away as well, was helping to making America better. Let's just say...a certain someone made him mad...and even after his death...that certain someone did not care.

   I do. He was a part of my childhood with all the movies he directed. Everyone is still grief stricken. His own daughter, who is an actress as well, has been telling people to always remember her family for the good things. I will. We will miss you...Rob. You and your wife.