High School Musical 2006: Ode to My Generation

This entry is for the Mis-Matched Couples Blogathon hosted by Realweegie Midget Reviews and Cinematic Catharsis. It runs from March 29-31 2024.

Music entered my life as early as it possibly could. Adopted at age of 1, my world became rock n’ roll and full of legendary music. I’m talking 70’s hard rock, Disney standards, mixed in with The Wizard of Oz (1939) soundtrack.

My toddler years were Kiss fan made VHS tapes, Def Leppard interviews, AC/DC Stuff Upper Lip tour updates on VH1, and plenty of Disney movie marathons. Full House reruns in my elementary years were watching Nick@Nite with Uncle Jesse playing concerts in the living room. Music like The Beach Boys and more rock standards such as “My Sharona” entered my life at this point. While all of this was good and plenty, getting healthy doses of legendary music, the musical staple of my own generation didn’t come around until 2006 with the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical.

Launching Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale to mega teen stardom, HSM was not anything technically, “new“, but it came around at a time when kids of my generation had nothing else that was their own.
Sure Disney had The Cheetah Girls and Lizzie McGuire containing original music, but they were not broad appeals (I wasn’t into either). High School Musical with its relatable Romeo and Juliet/ West Side Story inspired love story appealed to all kids and was insanely relatable, as it took place at school. Even elementary students like 4th grader, 9/ 10 year old me at the time, connected with it over the familiar setting.

(Disney)

Zac Efron stars as Troy Bolton: captain of the basketball team at East High School. He’s basically the typical all American jock, and with his dad as the team coach, there is extra pressure on him to be perfect. HS is his oyster: he has a best friend, co-captain Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu), knows the teachers, and is popular with other students like performer twins Sharpay (Tisdale) and Ryan Evans (Lucas Grabeel).

On New Years Eve, Troy goes on vacation out of state to a ski lounge and ends up at a party with karaoke, in which he is randomly paired with Gabriella Montez (Hudgens). Neither wants to sing, and they do so reluctantly, but as “The Start of Something New” goes on, they feel more confident and comfortable with each other. In fact, they feel so comfortable with each other, by the end of the night they almost kiss.

Thinking they never will see each other again, the pair exchange numbers, but this turns out to be wrong when Gabriella walks up in homeroom the first day back to school, as a transfer student to East High. Gabriella soon discovers Troy is a jock, and she is taken in by the science club president Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman), but that doesn’t stop them from pursuing their hidden passion, even auditioning for the winter musical (they sing What I’ve Been Looking For). Once this news breaks, Sharpay, Chad, Taylor, and even Troy’s Dad do everything in their power to stop it, as kids should “Stick to the Status Quo“.

But Troy and Gabriella are determined against the odds, and once their friends come around, everyone realizes its all better when they are “All in This Together“

At first, I was not on board with HSM, I believed it to be over hyped. It was a few weeks until I saw it, and my mom actually picked up the DVD at my my younger sister’s insistence. But then something shifted, I kept hearing “Breaking Free”, and was so taken in by that song. The melody, the visuals in which Troy and Gabriella were performing, it just spoke to me. (Of course, the twirl at towards the end and the sweet kiss on cheek once the song is finished were also aspects I admired!)

As far as the chemistry between these two goes, on paper, yes they are mismatched. Yet, I think what bonds them is the power of music, as well as the fact Gabriella isn’t impressed by Troy’s jock status, to her, that’s beside the point. Music I believe is a powerful force, and it can bring you surprising bonds with people you would never think you’d be friends with. With these two, it allows them to be their real selves, and it connects them on a deeper level than just surface level appearances.

Of course, I must mention, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens as actors, were paired together in auditions because the producers and director Kenny Ortega saw something between them that was blatantly obvious. They crushed on each other during filming in 2005 and then dated until 2010, 2 years after the HSM3 wrapped. “Zanessa” were a couple I totally believed was, “true love”, in my elementary/ middle school years. I don’t personally think it was a show-mance, as you look at Zac’s own personal romances since he broke up with Vanessa, and none have been successful or long lasting.

Overall, HSM is probably nothing more than a G rated Grease, or a West Side Story set in school, or as my Mom has always seen, just “something goofy on Disney Channel”. But to kids of my generation, this was something connective: the music was new, the stars were teens themselves, you had to wait for the other two movie installments, and you saw Zac Efron’s face plastered on Tiger Beat, Bop, and J-14 (Mags my sister and I got!). I don’t recall there has been something as major on the same vein as HSM since then, or maybe we have to wait a long while before something as major comes around again. Whatever the case, while I do have my own issues with the trilogy, and I have fallen out of love with the actors, and don’t care for some of the acting performances, HSM will always be something my generation can claim for themselves. That doesn’t always happen, and I’m not sure what my opinion will be 10 years from now, but, for me, just like for Troy and Gabriella, the music is what keeps me bonded with this trilogy. It’s a part of the music of my life, and it will forever represent my own childhood.

BONUS: This is my favorite Troy- Gabriella duet of the whole trilogy, HSM3’s Right Here, Right Now. I’ve always believed Zac’s voice possessed a tenderness not present in any other song. It is the hopeless romantic number of the trilogy, I found it tender at age 12, and I still believe that as an adult.

What was I Thinking? 5 movies from childhood I can’t Stomach Today

When you’re a child and a teen, chances are you’re prone to watching a boatload of garbage movies. Sometimes it’s due to limited selection, or sometimes it’s due to the fact you are unaware other options are out there. I honestly believe being born in the 90’s and having a childhood of the 2000s/ early 2010s, I was subjected to the height of the kid/ teen movie market. While that was amusing, it was also over-saturated. I watched far too many wasteful movies, and I apologize to my mother who had to watch a majority of them with my sister and I. So, with all of that being said, I present to you 5 movies, which in my opinion, were never great to begin with, and over time, as an adult I’ve realized how actually horrendous they are.

Charlie St. Cloud 2010: I’m writing a full post about this for a blogathon, in the near future. This movie has probably always been inefficient, it’s just now I see it for myself. Zac Efron cannot charm me anymore in this movie, and there’s a honest reason why it flopped: it’s just terribly embarrassing. If you want a lesson in how to have no chemistry between leads when romance is crucial to the plot, this is how you do it. 

Picture This 2008: My sister and I liked this movie, but probably because it was PG-13 and we were getting older, she was 9 and I was 12. It sends the poor message to kids and teens, that if you sneak out and disobey your parents, in the end you still can get everything you want. Plus, it contains an insanely inappropriate scene (played for laughs) of an uncle baby sitting his pre-school aged nephew, accidentally visually exposing him to adult videos, NO.  

Life Size 2001: Looking back there’s something a bit creepy with this movie. A magical spell makes a doll turn into a full size human and tries to be your new BFF. Maybe it’s because I don’t see Tyra Banks as a positive role model anymore. Maybe it’s because I’m older. Maybe because it was goofy to begin with?  Perhaps all of the above? Whatever the case, this movie, although iconic and contains the catchy, Be a Star, should stay buried in the past. 

Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging 2008: Ah, British movies, enough to draw me in. But thinking about this movie now, this is not a positive movie for tweens/ teens. The main character literally says: “It’s boy stalking time!“, and a portion of the movie is spent with the girls stalking the guys they like: NOT OK! In any teen movie, romance is always an element, but it’s really annoying when romance is the ONLY thing that drives the plot. All these pre-teen girls in the movie feel their life will be over if they don’t have a boyfriend, OH PLEAZZZE! Bonus: This soundtrack sucks, She’s so lovely by Scouting for Girls: hella irritating!

Bring it On: In it to Win it (4) 2007: 2007: The year I consider was possibly the last year of my true childhood. Before then, I didn’t have to hide my interests for fear of them being too “babyish” and as I entered middle school, in fall 2007, that’s exactly what I began to do. While the original Bring it On will always be a cult classic, the sequels are all forgettable. I have no recollection of Bring it On: Again (2) 2004, and barely recall the third installment All or Nothing (2006), but I do have a memory of being fond of this fourth movie. Opinion now: it’s a dreadful piece of film. The characters are all completely unlikable, without charm, or redeeming qualities. Add on the cringe inducing rivalry between the Sharks and Jets (yes, a rip on West Side Story) and this movie is nothing but cliches of how a typical cheer-leading team would act.

Top 10 New to Me: 2023

Hello all! As the year winds down, and we take in reflections, the movies we watch is very much a part of them. I don’t necessarily go to the movie theater a whole lot, but I do watch films at home. This year I’d like to reflect on the top ten new to me movies I’ve watched. They are not all newly made, but they are all movies I’ve never seen before. So without further ado, I present in no particular order, the top 10 new to me movies I watched in 2023:

1: The Electric Horseman 1979: This movie surprised me! I don’t really enjoy modern set westerns, and am not a horse enthusiast either, but I do love Robert Redford and his bond with horses. He was smashing in the role of Sunny Steele and Jane Fonda was brilliant as news journalist Hallie. Add in the gorgeous scenery and this movie is certianly one for the ages. Don’t wait five years to watch it like I did!!!

2: The Tender Trap 1955: This movie is so sweet! On paper, Frank Sinatra as a playboy songwriter seems like such a dated concept, but the fact he’s put in his place by Debbie Reynolds, who refuses to go out with him until he changes, makes it fresh and undated. Reynolds and Sinatra work so well together and the Celeste Holmes and David Wayne side plot was adorable, all round a great 1950’s rom-com!!! (And Carolyn Jones has fun supporting character role too)!

(Credit: Disney+)

3: Up Close and Personal 1996: This movie came out the year I was born! I can’t believe I waited until I was 27 to watch it! Bob Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer are magic, I’ve always loved Celine Dion’s “Because you loved me” and the storyline hooks you in. Sure it’s Network (1976) meets A Star is Born, but that’s not a bad thing at all! An under rated movie for sure, don’t miss it if you haven’t seen it

4: The Great Waldo Pepper 1975: Shout-out to my good friend who brought this movie (back) to the center of my attention! 🙂 I had heard of this movie for the first time maybe 4 years ago, but have put it off on watching and collecting it, until this year. My friend is a major fan of the Video Archives podcast, and brought up this movie in conversation after it was featured, and basically insisted I had to watch it! Talk about a movie that gets lost in the shuffle, Robert Redford is so believable as Waldo Pepper, the second greatest flyer in the world. The movie covers an almost obscure time period in which aviators ruled the sky after WWI, but before WWII; and it’s fascinating to watch former WWI pilots try to hold onto their glory. Click here to listen to the Video Archives podcast for Waldo Pepper, but warning, it is NOT SPOILER FREE.

5: Brainstorm 1983: I had such reservation about this movie because it’s Natalie Wood’s final movie and because I don’t normally enjoy sci-fi films. But, there is such a humanity presented in this movie that makes you care about the characters. It also warns us about a future dictated/ controlled by technological devices, making it way ahead of its time. Natalie and Christopher Walken give such emotional performances, one watch is not enough to take it all in.

6: Revolutionary Road 2008: I remember the hype about this movie when it first came out and remember I wanted to see it. However, I am very glad I did not see it as a 12 year old because the movie really is made for adults. It’s a very adult world dealing with mature issues, and watching that as a child I would have been so bored by it. Add on the fact I know more about 1950’s life and the illusion it presented, all of that knowledge makes this movie easier and more fascinating to watch. Kate and Leo were great in this anti romance movie. All I can say is now they need to do a third movie where, spoiler alert, NO ONE DIES!

7: Endless Night 1972: Shout out to Real Weegie Midget for saying this movie is just amazing. This is the type of movie that needs more than one viewing because of the psychology of the plot. Hayley Mills in an adult role was marvelous to watch, as this movie proves she was not just a child actor.

8: The Mirror Crack’d 1980: I think this movie is my definition of 80’s fun. All star cast, meta movie within a movie, Dynasty level cattiness: English style: it’s all so much fun. It’s always cool for meta stuff, but this meta drew me in because it’s Tudors vs Stuarts. Certianly the type of movie that is re-watchable!

9: Top Gun: Maverick 2022: I am not a major fan of Tom Cruise, but I do enjoy Top Gun (1986), and the sequel is just as satisfying!! All other movie producers and writers wanting to make sequels with 30+ year gaps should take note of this movie, because this is how you do it. It felt like a natural progression for the characters, and the new ones were seamless. The plot also was well thought out and small details were paid attention to. Possibly the best sequel in 15 years and I don’t see it being surpassed by other sequels any time soon.

10: Spinning Gold 2023: This movie is a love letter to Casablanca Records head Neil Bogart. He helped create some of the best music ever made, and I am glad his story got to be told and presented to the general public. Yes, Kiss is featured in the narrative, but the movie is so much bigger than Kiss, it’s the story of a man’s vision and determination. I did not get to see this movie in theaters, as it was pulled quickly from a majority of them, but it doesn’t matter. If you care about music and the history of 20th century music, do not skip out on the movie!!!

I hope you all had a marvelous year, “at the movies“, and that 2024 continues to bring new to you movies into your lives! Have a happy holiday season and a happy, healthy and safe 2024!!!

Murdoch Mysteries: The On-Going Case

This post is for MovieRob’s November 2023 Genre Grandeur of Detectives!

Murdoch Mysteries is a Canadian long running TV show based on the novels by Maureen Jennings.

Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) of the Toronto constabulary and his team solve crime and catch the bad guys lurking on the streets of Toronto (and surrounding areas, as some episodes are set elsewhere) during the Victorian (and later Edwardian) era. But Murdoch is no ordinary detective, as he is a Catholic in a Protestant city, and more so, he uses cutting edge science to work out his cases. Math, physics, chemistry, and early forensic investigation skills come into play when solving cases the Murdoch way.

While his eager constable, George Crabtree (Jonny Harris), is curious to learn and assist with these newfangled and sometimes unorthodox methods, his boss Englishman Inspector Thomas Brakenreid (Thomas Craig) is a bit skeptical preferring things to be done by the book (well, to begin with!). Rounding out the core cast, is the forward thinking coroner Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy) who Murdoch’s love interest. The foursome work together, each bringing their own skills to the case, and sometimes, they are even aided by a (future) famous person such young Winston Churchill, Mark Twain, or Nikola Tesla to name a few!

Like many long running TV shows (over 15 years as I write this post), Murdoch Mysteries has it’s really amazing episodes/ seasons/ supporting characters and it’s really poor episodes/ seasons/ supporting characters. I won’t go into too much detail of a list of things I like or dislike, but I will say the show has stalemated since about season 12. With the same 4 core cast members, writers are running out of ideas and are failing to come up with new ones that don’t recycle plots or revisit former long- resolved story lines.

The early seasons of Murdoch are the strongest. They add in so much innovation as there is Murdoch with his science methods, his flashbacks sequences that place himself at the crime scene (which are super cool), and inventions of future objects/ ideas (like headphones, computers, text messages, post it notes, etc). They also incorporate George’s, “theories“, which add charm to the show. George believes in almost anything: Mummy’s curses, werewolves, vampires, mole people, aliens, voodoo, zombies, you name it (except Lake Monsters, he doesn’t believe in Lake Monsters!). It’s also fun to watch Brakenreid and Murdoch see cases with a different perspective, with differing ideas on how to solve them, but still have the same goal of catching the guilty. It adds a fun dynamic between the two. And of course Dr. Ogden, being a female doctor in the Victorian age, she’s progressive and forward thinking, championing women’s rights, and maybe even Detective Murdoch’s heart!

(From the Murdoch Facebook page) This episode (and recurring character) was bottom of the barrel.

The cause of the later seasons (I’d say again, from about 12 on, although some say the show got boring in season 9) to just be boring varies on perspective, but I’d say it’s a handful of things that came together. Jonny Harris has reduced episode counts starting in season 10 onwards, and you just miss George when he’s not around. Brakenreid sort of reverts to being a jerk, and this time a total jerk, not just being tough because he cares. Julia goes from fighting for the underdog and women to just being a snob about women being superior. Sadly, the later and most recent seasons don’t see Murdoch inventing or using science, and for many including myself, to see the show lose that cleverness and edge of what makes it fun, takes the enjoyment out of watching. The final nail, however, is annoyingly the element of PC being incorporated into the plots. It doesn’t matter what or who you support, I think it’s just irritating when a tv show that is a form of escapism must be PC, it takes the show out of its element and it gets tiring to deal with. 

All that being said, at the end of it all, the characters are what keep me watching. I care about George, and Murdoch, and how they will solve these cases. It’s cool to see a famous person from that era popup (and sometimes it’s a famous actor playing that role!).  The show is still solidly good, and it has potential to be awesome again, and I believe it can be. I have been watching the show since 2015 (I binged seasons 1-9 to catch up) and I don’t plan to stop watching until the last case is closed.

Childhood movies you just can’t quit

Hi all! Its been a little while since I’ve just written a post not connected to any blogathon or any writing theme. Lately, I’ve just been thinking about movies from my teen years (or even tween years). Movies that I just cannot quit no matter how much they are dragged or made fun of on social media, they mean something to me. Now hear me out, I’ve ditched a boatload of junky, crappy tween/ teen movies I saw when I was younger and today can not stomach to watch (Step up (2006), Just my Luck (2006), Easy A (2010) are the tip of the iceberg) as well as a list of ones I just flat out refused to watch because they looked dumb (I Love you Beth Cooper, John Tucker Must Die being two examples). Yet there are a select list that I feel have become intertwined with who I am as a person.

I know we all have them in life, and while I could go on and on about my all time favorite childhood movies (like Disney classics and stuff!) I decided to keep this post to a list of movies that were aimed at tweens/teens. So Disney classics like Lady and the Tramp (1955) do not qualify, as that is a family film (that no matter what your age, dog lovers everywhere just LOVE!) rather than a teen film.

So without further ado, let’s be transported to the world of lockers, homework, school crushes and unrealistic expectations:

17 Again (2009): I literally cannot let go of this movie, and I know how badly it can be seen through an adult’s eyes. It all goes back to the root of it all: I went OPENING weekend, to see it on the Ultra-Screen at Marcus Theaters, before it was moved to the regular sized theater screen. The movie came out April 17, 2009, and I went to see it on April 18 2009. THE scene Zac Efron gets out of the Audi R8 and struts into school with those aviators and leather jacket: It was the hottest scene my 12 year old self had ever seen on screen, ever (up to that point). Now, my mother eventually watched this whole movie with me, and she grimaced though the whole thing. She said not even Zac Efron could save it from being stupid and goofy. Now through the eyes of my adult self, I have to agree with her a little. The health class scene, the cafeteria scene and that almost incest scene are EMBARRASSINGLY bad. Who wrote that into the script and thought it would be funny? It’s not charming, it’s not cute, it’s just plain awful. That being said, this movie was the start of my teen years, 2009, and it defines a moment in time for me. It defines my crush on Zac Efron (which, yes, part of me will always carry the torch for him), for this, I think is the most adorable he’s looked on screen, before he got to muscle-man-ish and everything. I will always just have a sentimentality towards it.

Bring it On (2000): Bring it On is a movie that came out way before I was a teen. I was 4 when it came out. But September 2001, aged 5, when I was in kindergarten, a friend’s older sister loaned me the VHS tape; why, don’t ask me, I forgot all reason why. Anyways, I watched the full movie on the weekend or something. I remember thinking, “My Dad can never know this, he would make me turn off the tape!“

Now, I know the movie was edited for family viewing when it was released on home video, but I can’t be sure that I was watching the family friendly version, in fact I’m going to lean towards no because I didn’t want my dad to know. Back on topic, I haven’t a clue as to why I love Bring it On as an adult (this OG movie, not the throwaway sequels, that I have seen but never really enjoyed). I wasn’t a cheerleader, I’m not into sports, I don’t care about winning this round or the next level or whatever, and that’s basically what this movie is about. I think it’s just because I was introduced to the movie so young, it’s become a part of me and my story of loving movies. It’s just something so connected with me, I can’t let it go. That being said, it’s really cool this movie has aged really well, and its got more a a social awareness to it that holds up. It makes me happy to admit I’m into it.

The High School Musical trilogy (2006, 2007, 2008): I admit, I’ve ragged on HSM since my teen years ended. Since then, I’ve tried to let this series go, but I can’t, and I know why, one word: music. The music really is the most powerful part of the movies and it just is something I always will sing along with, and love. Of course there is young Zac Efron, (he was my teen idol, no joke, though I was never super vocal about it, I’m making up for it now) and how sweet he looked in that basketball uniform (#14!). Yes, I know, the whole thing is like Grease for tweens, or a West Side Story re-hash, but whatever, I literally don’t care. I was raised in a world of rock music, real rock music of the 70s and 80s, and music has always been a part of my life, and to watch something cool like this, in color, all modern, on screen, and have it be aimed at kids my age, in 2006, it was just cool. I’d loved music or music-related things before, like John Stamos putting music onto Full House, and Disney music from their classics and stuff, but all those were before I was born; HSM was something new for kids and it was exciting. I’ll forever be a Wildcat fan!

The Princess Diaries (2001) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004): These movies are just special. I wrote to Dame Julie Andrews in Spring 2006, in Fourth grade, a fan letter, and she sent me a picture back (a studio picture of her, not a P.D. promo picture). I don’t recall seeing the first one in theaters (we did watch the dvd all the time) but I certainly went to see the second one in theaters, with mine and my sister’s childhood friends. We all even tried blanket surfing down the stairs, which was not as successful as mattress surfing! My parents don’t always love what I love, but my Mom loves these movies, my Dad even loves these movies, and it’s just something really magical. I’m really holding out for a third movie because I think it can be done.

Aquamarine (2006): Aquamarine like 17 Again has moments that poorly aged. The humor isn’t exactly what it used to be for me. Claire and Hailey being 14 year old 8th graders crushing on college bound 17/18 year old Raymond is understandable, but puts it all in a different light as an adult. However, this movie had powerful friendship scenes that are genuinely cute and sincere. Who can forget the mall montage or the Island in the Sun dance at the Last Splash? It’s basically now an escapist movie for me as an adult, and its comforting. I won’t quit it. I can’t.

Overall, I think in life there always be the defining movies of our childhood we hang onto, and because I grew up in a world of VHS and DVDs (streaming didn’t become normal until maybe my senior year of high school in 2013/2014 and even then, we didn’t have Netflix yet) it’s easier to hold onto them than ever before. They can take us to a moment in time, and for a moment, we are back to when life had no worries. Some childhood elements were meant to be held onto, and for me, these are the movies I choose to hold onto.

Directed by John Ford (1971/2006)

This review is for MovieRob’s July 2023 Genre Grandeur of Documentaries!

In my life at the movies (so far), no one film director has been as mysterious and complex as John Ford. It seems the more I learn about him, the less I actually know about him. I’ve read books, and seen documentaries, seen mini-featurettes about Ford, watched interviews with people who worked and knew him, and I come away from all of them both fascinated and confused all at the same time.

In 1971, director Peter Bogdanovich attempted to do what no person had done before, make a documentary about the all-American director of the 20th century. Until 2006, the documentary was scarce, but thanks to some revision, and rights handling issues, the restored and slightly re-cut, longer documentary premiered on TCM. For the purposes of this review, I will be referring to the 2006 version, as that’s the version that is available to watch today.

To start, Bogdanovich interviewed the three leading men who worked with Ford the most: James Stewart (3 movies), Henry Fonda (7), and of course, John Wayne (14, but more when you count the un-credited bit roles Wayne did for Ford). Interviews with Ford himself were also included, with more footage being included in the 2006 version, as Ford had passed by then. The revised edition also saw interviews, with Ford collaborators Maureen O’Hara and Harry Carey Jr., and directors Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, and Walter Hill.

While some of it was the standard working on set stories, and how Ford acted when cameras were not rolling, what was fascinating was the inclusion of his film clips, and how by watching and analyzing his films, you can actually learn everything you need to know about him. For instance, Ford frequently put music in his movies, with characters singing in Rio Grande (1950) and The Quiet Man (1952). This directly comes from Ford’s own real life interests, as there are stories of Maureen O’Hara saying at dinner at his house, she would have to sing before eating, or after a day on set, Ford would gather his company, the cast and the crew, and sing music around a campfire, or at the bar.

John Wayne telling the story of how he first met Ford while at college at USC is a highlight, as it’s truly being told right in front of you, rather than just reading it in a Ford an/or Wayne biography. It was also very intriguing Henry Fonda agreed to be interviewed, considering the two had a personal and professional falling out during the marking of Mister Roberts (1955). Fonda spoke well of Ford, and did not even bring up the incident, so it was really cool to hear of the insights he had to offer about working for him.

Then there were the scholarly reflections of the directors: Bogdanovich himself, Scorsese, Hill, and Eastwood. All of them talk about their memories of the first time watching a Ford picture, and how he has inspired their own work in the industry. Listening to their opinions of Ford as a director was fun, as they can really see a pattern or stand out elements of what makes Ford great, and it encourages the viewer to try to do the same when watching their next Ford film.

To me however, the biggest bombshell of this documentary was the added audio of Katharine Hepburn, visiting Ford when he was in ill-health. While Ford and Hepburn only worked on the 1936 box office bomb Mary of Scotland together, they had a short but passionate affair that affected them the rest of their lives. Dan Ford (a grandson), brought Hepburn to see Ford in 1973, and according to Bodganovich, the conversation was taped in Ford’s bedroom. At first the conversation is just talking about the old days: golf, the making of Mary of Scotland, then it turns intimate: Ford telling Kate he loves her, with Kate telling him, “it’s mutual“.

Bodganovich explains the tape was left running, recording them without their knowledge. This fact is backed up when you hear Ford ask if anyone is listening and Kate says, “No“.

I was personally stunned by this, as I would never even think Ford and Hepburn felt that way towards one another. I had read previously the character Mary-Kate in The Quiet Man was named actually for Maureen O’Hara, herself, as she pointed out in her book: “Mary” was the English version of Maureen, and “Kate” was for what her father wanted to name her. As it turns out, there may be more to it, as the character Mary-Kate could be named for Ford’s wife, Mary, and Kate, as in Katharine Hepburn. What is it really? I personally don’t know what to go with. Maybe it’s both??

In the end, I think Directed by John Ford, much like the director’s films themselves require more than one viewing, it needs multiple viewings in order for you to really take it all in. Its under 2 hours, but it’s jam packed with info, info for you to ponder and wonder about. It is currently on here on YouTube.

Gordon Ramsay: King of Food!

Honest to admit: I’m not a foodie. Food is not my life, as I’m on the, “eat to live“, side, (opposed to live to eat), and I certainly am not a dessert person, but for someone who says that, I do watch cooking shows because I love to watch Gordon Ramsay.

I was 8 1/2 years old in early 2005 when I first saw Gordon on the US version of Hell’s Kitchen. My mom thought it looked interesting, so I decided to watch with her. Watching Chef Ramsay, I had never seen anyone so angry in the kitchen, yet at the same time, I had never seen someone so understandably angry. Underneath all that frustration, was someone who was so caring and concerned about the food, the diners, and the chefs. It was also really hilarious to watch him, as he has a really wicked sense of humor.

After that, I believe the US version of Kitchen Nightmares started, and my mom of course was watching that. I was unaware of the show until it premiered on TV. In one episode, Chef sat down to say a quick prayer before he was to eat this terribly disgusting dish. I laughed so hard about it and remember asking my mother, “How does he not get food poisoning if he has to eat the gross meal?”
She laughed and said he doesn’t eat the whole meal, just tastes it to see what it’s like. I was really relieved by that, as I didn’t wanna see Chef Ramsay go to the hospital!

It was shortly after Kitchen Nightmares USA started I actually got a chance to watch the UK version, which at the time was airing in reruns on BBC America. Now it’s been years since I’ve seen this show, but one stand out moment I remember was an episode he confronted his own demons of dancing (as he explained the week was about conquering fear, he decided to also conquer his own). I also started watching his UK show The F-Word, which has a freakin’ cool intro and song. Sort of a food documentary show, I just found it entertaining to watch all these segments with food, diners, and most of all Mr. Ramsay’s personal life! It was such a riot!!!

It wasn’t until Masterchef USA however, that I really saw the complete other side of Chef Ramsay, that actually underneath he’s a real softie. I saw the real mentoring side of Chef Ramsay, and someone who was super encouraging to these home cooks, it made me see him as really down to earth. Masterchef JR was another step in this direction, as on that show it was not only super sweet to see him be silly with these kid home cooks, but also really bizarre to not hear him swearing!!!

Over the years, it’s just been guaranteed that if Chef Gordon Ramsay is hosting a TV show, I’m watching it. He’s had a plethora of them on the Fox network: Hotel Hell (a Kitchen Nightmares setup where he helps struggling hotels), 24 Hours to Hell and Back (a 24 hour condensed version of Kitchen Nightmares), The F-Word USA (a continuation of the style of the UK show), Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape and later his show Uncharted (on both shows, Chef goes to exotic places and learns new cooking skills from locals, making a meal to share with them at the end of the week), and Gordon Gino and Fred (teaming up with fellow chefs Fred Serieix and Gino D’Acampo, these guys are such a crazy bunch! I love it when they go on food adventures together! They filmed an episode in Scotland, and when it aired in America, I finally got to see Gordon in kilt!!! Only took about 17 years!). Chef’s latest show is Next Level Chef, a cooking competition in which cooks rise or fall a kitchen level based on their dishes.

At the time of this writing, the coolest thing is Chef Gordon Ramsay himself follows me on Twitter!  It’s awesome! I have not, yet, been to one of his restaurants, but I plan to change that fact in the near future. My mother has said numerous times over the years, she will try his Hell’s Kitchen Beef Wellington one day! Lucky for us a new Hell’s Kitchen is opening soon in Naperville, IL, and we plan on dining there!!

As for the TV shows, as long as Chef Ramsay continues to host shows, I will be watching them. Some people have a favorite news anchor or favorite home designer they can’t miss, but for me, I can’t miss Chef Ramsay on TV! 18 years of on screen viewing… here’s to another fun 18 years of watching his shows!!! 

THIS post written for the April 2023 Genre Grandeur hosted by Movie Rob!

H2O: Just Add Water

If you would have asked me in middle school what my favorite tv show was, easily hands down the answer would have been the Aussie tv show H2O: Just Add Water.

H2O: Just Add Water is a show about 3 different girls who live on the beaches of the Gold Coast. Emma Gilbert (Claire Holt), Cleo Sertori (Phoebe Tonkin), and Rikki Chadwick (Cariba Heine) (and later Bella Hartley (Indiana Evans)) are our heroines and together they navigate through normal teen life all while hiding their secret: they are mermaids with powers over water. Emma can freeze water, Cleo can shape water, and Rikki can boil water. No one execpt Cleo’s childhood friend (and love interest) science brainiac Lewis McCartney (Angus McLaren) knows about their secret and he helps them navigate everyday problems all while balancing it with mermaid adventures. The show ran from 2006 – 2010 with 3 seasons and 78 episodes.

When H2O premeired in the USA, it was March 2008. I was 11 1/2, and I believe I was the perfect age to get hooked on the show. H2O stood out from all the other teen shows I was watching because the show actually had a serialized storyline that was engaging. I made my own little scrapbook for the show (its gone now!), got the season 2 cd for my 12th birthday, and even had the dolls (they went to goodwill!).

Season 1 is certianly the best, as it had the most stakes and was organic for the story they were telling. With the transformation into mermaids needing to be kept secret, the biggest storyline is the fear of exposure, and the antagonist is a scientist, Dr Denman, who would exploit the girls for fame and money. The season also sees the best character journey of, “bad boy”, Zane Bennett (Burgess Aberthany) from rich snobby jerk, to being more caring and sensitive… especially after he almost drowns in a shipwreck (only to be saved by Emma, but after he catches a glimpse of a “sea monster”) and has a relationship with Rikki (ZIKKI IS MY FAVORITE relationship of the entire show!). Season 1 also has the best mythology backstory building, concerning the dynamics of how the girls powers work. 

Season 2 is pretty good, with the introduction of the infamous Charlotte Watsford (Brittney Byrnes) who becomes a third point in a love triangle with Lewis and Cleo. It’s kind of painful, as their relationship takes up some screentime that was dedicated to the girls friendship in season 1, but its really engaging and keeps you watching and asking when Cleo and Lewis will get back together. Season 2 also continues the myth building with Mako Island and the girls powers, as their powers change to also control weather. The biggest plot of the season is Charlotte becoming a mermaid and the girls having to accept her in their group, while she’s a bully to Cleo and alienating Lewis from having contact with her (and the rest of the girls). Season 2 is still enjoyable and it really strengthens the friendships and ups the ante on everything: the danger, the romance, the fun. I remember bootlegging episodes 14-26 on YouTube because they failed to play on Nickelodeon in America, and I was insanely upset about it. Nothing was going to keep me from this show!

Season 3 is honestly my least favorite. At the time of release, in 2009-2010, in the UK (it aired there first before Australia), I was one of the bootleg viewers. I would get home from 8th grade, and a recording of the new episode would be uploaded. I recall I had to be quick about it because they would be deleted for copyright claims, so that was always a problem. Nonetheless, I made sure exactly right when the videos were uploaded I was at the computer screen.
What I hate about season 3 is the whole friendship dynamic changes. Claire Holt left the cast due to a scheduling conflict being replaced by Bella, a new girl who moves to town with her never seen on screen family (I’m team Emma over Bella!).  Angus McLaren has reduced episodes and left the main cast, and Lewis was “replaced” by Will (Luke Mitchell), who in comparison is a dull character. The friendship of the 3 girls just doesn’t gel properly and it’s basically the case of, “Oh Bella! You’re a mermaid too, we must be friends!”.
The show also starts chasing some trends of other teen shows around this time: Bella has her own band and sings! Will takes of his shirt a ton! Zane now owns the local cafe (no boss to answer to) and calls it Rikki’s!

Add in Zane’s character just completely reverting back to being a total jerk due to lazy writing and it just sucks. Not to mention the overall plot of the water tentacle being the enemy and the payoff completely not following what they set up, this season is a frustrating watch. There are some highlights however: as Cleo and Lewis (Clewis!) are so adorable (until they write him out) this season, and Rikki has some strong emotional  development.

I’m no ordinary girl

Overall, H2O will always be that special show in my heart. It’s the only show from my childhood preteen years I genuinely still care about, and do not regret watching. I may have come to it only because mermaids are my favorite mythological creature, but in the end, this is what got me open to Australian TV. It planted the seeds for me to watch Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, A Place to Call Home, Dance Academy and for that I’m really grateful.

This post was written for the March 2023 Genre Grandeur of beaches hosted by MovieRob.

5 Royal Biopics I can’t stand: Pick my Movie Tag 2

I was tagged by Reelweeggie Reviews with the “Pick My Movie Tag” to write about 5 Royal Biopics I can’t stand. The rules for this tag are as follows:

• Nominate one or more people to review the film or films of your choice. Or you can request they review something from a certain year, genre, or star. Everyone can review the same thing, or you can request each person cover something different. As long as it’s something they haven’t written about yet, you’re good.
• Nominees are allowed to request a different pick for whatever reason no more than five times. Stuff happens. We all know it.
• Nominees must thank the person who nominated them and provide a link their blog.
• Nominees may nominate others to keep the tag going. Picking the person who nominated them is allowed, or they can nominate someone else. Maybe both.
• All participants need to include these rules in their post, whether they’re nominees or picking nominees.
• All participants should use the “Pick My Movie” banner or something similar in their posts.
• Have fun!

Before I name and pan the 5 biopics, I’d like to link some fun Oscar nominated shorts offered by Filmzie and their service. Filmzie is a free streaming service and it has recently launched in the US on Roku. It is available across the globe on a range of connected TVs, via its app, and though your web browser. They are currently offering the following Oscar nominated shorts for free with the links below:

Very Very Nice (1960) , Paddle to the Sea (1965), Pas de deux (1967), and Copy (1967)

Personally, embracing my inner Anglophile, I also see they are offering a range of Gordon Ramsay’s (my favorite chef!!) cooking shows including the UK versions of The F word, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape!

Changing the guard, I now present 5 royal biopics I can’t stand:

1- LifeTime TV’s William and Kate 2011. Starring Camilla Luddington (she’s from Berkshire like Kate!) and  Nico Evers-Swindell. LifeTime TV is always below par, but this is just plain embarrassing. Sure they shot on location, but they shot at Oxford University, not St. Andrews. Cheesy made up scenes like Kate and Will going out for a run with Will’s bodyguards having to keep up or Kate looking at cribs through a shop window leading to a rift and their breakup. The funny stand out scene is when Will jumps in the lake so he can swim out to Kate to, ‘win her back’, as she’s training for the 2007 charity Dragon Rowing Race. The proposal scene set in Africa was clearly green screen, making the backdrop super fake!

2: Hallmark’s William and Catherine: A Royal Romance 2011: (Starring Alice St. Clair, and Dan Amboyer as William and Catherine, Victor Garber as Prince Charles and Jane Alexander as Queen Elizabeth II). This aired on my 15th birthday (Aug 27)! I was really interested to watch at the time and while this one is better than LifeTime’s its still BAD. Kate meets William outside her dorm and drops her laundry- and gets embarrassed when he picks up her bra by accident – cringe! Also some blatant inaccuracies: Prince Harry at the Don’t Walk Fashion Show is a major one that comes to mind. Plus, a running theme of them calling each other Will and Kate at college, then when getting serious calling themselves William and Catherine. The other cringe-y running gag is the pair playing, “never have I ever“, a bit irritating after the first couple times they played it. One thing I will say that may date this production in an awful way, is there is a framing story arc of Diana’s 1995 Panorama interview being the, “advice“, for William as he’s preparing to propose to Kate.

3: Mary Queen of Scots 2018: Starring Margot Robie as Elizabeth I and Saoirse Ronan as Mary Queen of Scots . (I think I accidentally put 2013 on Twitter, but meant to put 2018). This movie was pretty lack luster, (and no, it didn’t bother me they had a fictional face to face meeting, as the 1971 film also had this occur), it didn’t have soul. While the costumes were great, the narrative was just plain boring. I saw it in theaters and I kept waiting for tension to come up between the two historical legends, and it never happened. While I don’t think we need to choose a, “side“, or a team, what does need to be recognized is there was legit ill-will between these two women. They were not trying to be friends or even family (as they are cousins: Mary Queen of Scots is a great granddaughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth is Henry VII’s granddaughter). I know it’s not common to have women be screen enemies these days, but when telling a historical story, the truth needs to be apparent. Thankfully for that reason, there are plenty of other options when it comes to these Queens!

4: Diana 2013: Starring Naomi Watts as Diana and Naveen Andrews as Hasnat Khan. I was a skeptic about this one to begin with, but it again had no feeling, no soul. The positive element were the costumes with Naomi looking physically spectacular, yet the script was garbage. If felt as if Naomi was doing an impression of Diana rather than an interpretation (Helen Mirren took the interpretation approach for her title role in The Queen). The romance with Khan was the center of this narrative, and we really don’t feel any other element that is Diana. We see her going to a charity ball, or going to the landmines, but she’s just there, present with no emotion attached.  Add on the bizarre pacing, editing, and bad music choices, this one was tough to sit through. It could be used as docu-drama with the visuals, but as a biopic, it was plain awful.

5: Spencer (2021): I admit I haven’t seen this one, but clips and trailers I have seen turn me off immediately, I wouldn’t mind catching it on tv or streaming (where I could fast forward), but instinctively know I would cringe. Kirsten Stewart as Diana is the first mistake. Of all the young women out there, she gets chosen to portray The Princess of Wales? I’ve never been a fan of Twilight (seriously, ask my Mom or Sister and they would tell you, “Emily wasn’t into it at all, even if her friends were, she never was“). The one alluring element is the fact Stella Gonet of House of Eliott fame is in this movie and she’s a very seasoned actress; it would be cool to see her play Queen Elizabeth II. Still, it just feels like it would be a terrible movie. (P.S. Does anyone else notice Diana’s hair is more bob like, rather than pixie like? IT BOTHERS ME!)

And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, 5 royal biopics that I personally think are the worst of them out there. I think the key part to any biopic is respect to the real person/ people you are centering the narrative around and when you drop the ball on that, then the whole project falls apart.
Good or bad in execution, I will say royal biopics are always something to look forward to because it allows you to geek out over who- and what- looks right and what doesn’t, and that’s the super fun part!

Many thanks to ReelweegieMidget Reviews for nominating me! And also Thanks so much to Filmzie for providing the Oscar nom. shorts!!! Be sure to check them out!

Lastly, I’d like to pass the tag by nominating Phyllis Loves Classic Movies to write about 5 of her least favorite Hitchcock movies!

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

If you’re like me and have a lotta love for Colin Firth, chances are you know his most associated role is that of Darcy. Whether it be Fitzwilliam Darcy in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice or Mark Darcy in the Bridget Jones trilogy, it’s no secret Colin was born to play the role. He’s so perfect at being that aloof, at times slightly arrogant, all round English gentleman. With the success of Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), it was a no-brainer the cast (which also includes Renee Zellweger as Bridget and Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver) reunited for a sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004). 

The concept: what happens when you’re in an established relationship and on the edge of proposal; not a bad concept, it follows the pattern set by the novels. The execution: really, really terrible that it’s worth a watch to see just how terrible. Although it is awful, and gets more awful the more I watch it, I will admit it is a guilty pleasure. It’s fun to laugh at and there are some legitimately funny scenes. Plus more Colin Firth is never a bad thing.

First off, this film suffers from terrible pacing and transition. One minute Bridget is at a dinner gala in London, next she’s on the slopes in Austria and before you know it, she’s in jail in Thailand. Add in the fact that her jail sequence is too long and sluggish you’re just waiting for the end, which is a bit abrupt.

Next, this film suffers from a poor script and bad direction. While I do say it was right for another woman to direct, Beeban Kidron didn’t grasp the dynamic of the 3 characters, making character development just non existent. Bridget is even more clumsy, awkward and crass in the second film. It’s as if the portrayal is a spoof of the character when compared to the first film. In the first movie, Bridget is still clumsy, awkward and crass, but she’s got a likable charm that balances these traits. She wants to better herself for the sake of becoming better, while in Reason she’s stalemated to being an unlikable version of herself.
Colin and Hugh on the other hand, have significantly less screen time: with Hugh being almost absent from the first half, and vice-versa for Colin. This gives them virtually no character development. Plus they don’t have any interaction except one scene: fighting in a fountain.

Lastly, there are just random elements that make this film really bad. The opening credits song, for instance, is: Nobody Does It Better; what? Renee’s hair always looks messy and Hugh’s as well, for that matter. Finally, Bridget’s wardrobe is just so awful. Maybe that’s a character trait, but clashing colors and ill fitting pieces, they could have tried to give her a pretty wardrobe; she dressed much better in the first film.

On the positive side, for me, the main reason for watching and the highlight of the whole film for me is Darcy vs Cleaver fighting in a fountain. Not only is it an epic sissy fight set against the awesome rock sound of The Darkness’s  ‘I believe in a thing called Love’, it’s probably the only aspect of the film that’s taken to the next level. Even if you don’t think the movie is worth it this one scene certainly is. I mean, Colin Firth, in a fountain, chasing Hugh Grant is always entertaining no matter the film!

The other aspect that make this film enjoyable are the funny side characters: Bridget’s friends, Mark’s co worker Rebecca Gillies (who can forget Rebecca’s true feelings!), and the women in the Thai jail are amusing. There’s even a scene at the jail when Bridget leads a “Like a Virgin” singalong that has a ton of spirit.

Overall, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason may be a hot mess, but it’s one you have to watch too believe. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, but most of all: you’ll see Colin Firth play Mark Darcy again.

This entry is for TAKING UP ROOM’S Third So Bad its Good blogathon! Be sure to check out more bad-goodness!