R.I.P Ned Beatty

The first movie I think about when I hear Ned Beatty is "Deliverance." A movie I discovered in college and his first movie.

A clip from "Deliverance"

He was nominated for some awards, but only won a Drama Desk Award for his role in the play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

He had roles in some great movies "All the President's Men,"  "Superman," "The Big Easy,"  "Rudy," "Just Cause," and more. On television he appeared on "The Waltons," "Kojak," "M*A*S*H," "Gunsmoke," "Hawaii Five-O," "Murder, She Wrote," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Highway to Heaven," "Roseanne," "Homicide: Life on the Streets," "CSI" and "Law & Order."

Clip from "The Rockford Files"

Ned Beatty had a long career in acting his work will live on in archives and reruns. Ned will be missed by his family, friends and family.

Thoughts on Rocketman

I watched an early screening of Rocketman the new Elton John movie tonight. Many people have compared this movie to the Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody. It's easy to see why but don't! Elton John and Freddie Mercury are two different musicians with two different stories.

I don't think Rocketman will be as successful as the Queen movie. They are both good movies. I think the Elton John movie could be converted into a musical fairly easy.

Rocketman does share a look at Elton's upbringing, his relationship with Bernie Taupin, his struggles with relationships, family, and addiction. as you would expect the movies features a great selection of sounds and Taron Egerton does a splendid job of portraying Elton John.

The movie gets heavy at times. I recommend the movie. If you like Elton John then you don't want to miss this film. 

Blogging from A to Z 2018: U is for Undertow

I just came back from fishing by the beach so a topic having to do with oceans make sense.


There is a movie called "Undertow" from 2004 that has nothing to do with the ocean.

More about real undertows and ripe currents. Beach season is coming might be important..

A diver in one..

Lot's of "Undertow" songs like this one from Mr. Big

Movies, information, adventure and a song that's what you get when you visit my blog. I hope you enjoyed. Don't get stuck in an undertow and visit again!

Blogging from A to Z 2018: M is for Midnight

As Wilson Pickett sings it is "The Midnight Hour" and I am wrapping up my second week  of the Blogging from A to Z 2018 Challenge. Well today's letter is M  and that fits well with Midnight.

Is Midnight moving on from Friday the 13th a spooky time? Is it strange that today marks a transition in the challenge as the month is entering the halfway mark? After all midnight marks a transition between one day and the next.

The movie Midnight from 1939 is called a screwball classic. What is a screwball classic? Anyone ever seen the movie? If so any good?

On Sunday I will have my monthly Battle of the Bands post which will relate to my very first A to Z post of 2018. I invite you to come back for that, visit and vote. Then of course there is the Monday's Music Moves ME post on Monday and the challenge continues with N.

Well I hope Midnight was nice! I am going to sleep a few winks and go right into a busy Saturday.

Thoughts on Wonder

Over the Holidays I watched the movie Wonder. The movie was picked by my daughter. The film certainly had star power with Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson among the cast.

The film was about a boy with some facial deformations who starts school for the first time in 5th grade. The book is based on the novel by R.J. Palacio.

According to my daughter the movie follows the book well and is even better than the book! Going to school can be tough, going to school when you are different can be tougher.

A scene that grabbed me  featured a kid, his parents, and a principle. At the end of the scene the kid was a better person than the parents.

If you ever feel like going back to school this film is for you!

A to Z: Hemingway

Hemingway is my favorite classic author. I thought I had read all of his works but while checking things out I discovered there are a few I have missed. I hope they are good.

My two favorite Earnest Hemingway books are similar yet different. My favorite is "The Old Man and the Sea."



My second  favorite...



"Islands in the Stream" is more of deep track pick, However, it is more of that Tropical Adventure that I am drawn to like Benchley, Bob Morris and others.

Again doing this blog I found there is a movie version of the book, is it any good?





Not only has Hemingway influence authors I like he has influenced artists like Guy Harvey..



What is your favorite Earnest Hemingway book?

The Jungle Book Movie

I've shied away from reading Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. I had seen a couple of movie versions and I know the story  has been my excuse. I do enjoy Kipling's works that I have read Kim and Captains Courageous.

However, I did see the new The Jungle Book movie...

Funny that is in the trailer, I did enjoy Scarlett Johansson as the snake.

After watching the movie I may need to go back and read the book. The movie was good and it was part of Daddy/Daughter date. We ended up having the whole theater to ourselves so it was like a private screening. My daughter got a kick out of that for some reason. I wasn't fond of the ticket prices for movies. Everything is 3D and I thought $22 for a movie was a bit high. One of the reasons I go see bands in clubs sometimes seeing bands is cheaper than movies.

I think this version is better than the  other film adaptations of The Jungle Book. Have you seen this film yet? Do you think it is better than the others? In the end it was money well spent. Quality time with my daughter is priceless.

Happy Birthday: Bryan Adams

Today November 5, 2015 is Bryan Adams birthday. He just released a new album last month called Get Up! Keeping with that spirit we will get on with the musical celebration.

Here is his new single "You Belong to Me"..

Keeping with the Spirit..the movie Spirit  here is the song "Here I Am"..

Sometimes "It Cuts like a Knife"

.                                                           Because "I Do it for You"..

I hope you enjoyed my birthday celebration for Bryan Adams and I will have a new post soon!

Happy Birthday Johnny Depp

Today is Johnny Depp's 52nd birthday! Time to wish old Jack Sparrow a happy celebration!




The Screen Actors Guild, the Golden Globe Award winning actor with his own Hollywood Star and an actor who has been in some of the biggest films spanning the last 40 years.

Here is a collection of his top ten moments...

What is your favorite role Johnny Depp has played? He was in Platoon, Donnie Brasco, Fear in Loathing, Blow, and The Pirates of the Caribbean to highlight just a few.

He is not done yet. Here is a trailer for his next film Black Mass...

Here is some bonus footage back from his 21 Jump Street days..

Happy Birthday Johnny!

Annie Get Your Gun Premiered on Broadway 69 years ago

69 years ago today back on May 16, 1946 Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun" opened at The Imperial Theatre. Herbert and Dorothy Fields wrote the book but Irving Berlin created the music and lyrics.

Here is a bit from a dress rehearsal of a Broadway version in 2009...

The musical was filled with some timeless hits. A prime example  is the above "There's No Business Like Show Business." Another would be this one..

"Anything You Can Do" from the 1950 film version.

The shows initial performance on Broadway would consist of 1,147 performances. The show would enjoy a revival in 1966 and again in 1999. The one in 1999 would finally win the show two Tony Awards.

Bernadette Peters who won one of those Tony Awards for Best Performance by  a Leading Actress in a Musical in action above with "Can't Get A Man With A Gun."

Have a favorite tune from the show? Have a favorite memory? Feel free to share in the comments. Thanks for visiting.

Into the Wild real ending

Into the Wild is a book and a movie that has been on my radar for a while. I just haven't picked up the book or watched the movie. Jon Krakauer wrote the book about Chris McCandless who gave up the material world to go live out in the wilderness. Chris died and the coroner's report stated his death was probably due to starvation.

In his book Jon had another theory. However, he may have been slightly off and in a recent article in The New Yorker a student may have discovered what really happened. I encourage you to read the article here I found it to be quite fascinating.

Earlier in the week my Mom had posted something about a guy foraging the wilds in Sweden for food. My thought was caution. Where I live there are creatures that can be lethal if you are not careful, insects that can make you itch, and I am sure some plants can do that too! So, I thought it was funny that later in the week I found this article.

The article was such a great read it made me want to read his book even more. The trailer for the movie looks like a grand adventure but the reality of his death was a slow torture.

Here is a 20/20 segment..

Thanks for visiting, I'll be back soon with a new post.

Happy Birthday Mick Jagger!

Mick Jagger the legendary front man and singer for the storied Rolling Stones turns 71 today.  His new movie about James Brown Get On Up which Mick produces actually has me very excited..

Mick with my favorite guitarist Jeff Beck

Of course with Mick Jagger there is so much music to choose from so let's get started..

Mick with a little help from Lenny Kravitz above. Mick with a Brand New Set of Rules below...

You know we could do this all day with no Satisfaction..

Music Has Left The Hills: Maria von Trapp has passed away

Certainly those famous lines of "the hills are alive with the sound of music"from The Sound of Music will echo off the walls of a theater somewhere. However, the hills of Stowe, Vermont were silent on Saturday. It was a silence echoed in the famed hills of Austria where the original story found meaning. Maria von Trapp passed away on Saturday at the age of 99.

She was the last singing member from the famous Trapp family who The Sound of Music is based on. The story was originally found in the book "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers" which was written by Maria's mother, Maria Kutschera von Trapp. The family gave the world another example of how sometimes the best stories come from real life.

The original movie version is a staple for the girls in my household. The last time I watched the musical was when I reviewed a wonderful performance of the show at The Olney Theatre Center in Maryland. You can read my review for The Maryland Theatre Guide here.

The trailer to the 1965 movie here:

That famous song..

Thanks for the story, the musical, and the memories!