"Little Women," The New Movie Deserved More Than One Oscar

For the month of March, just a coincidence, my local Shiloh book club has decided on the classic Little Women. This past Tuesday we rushed to see the new movie version in Cinema City, Jerusalem, taking advantage of the special NS10 senior discount ticket. I had started this post a few days ago, before the Academy Awards. My friends and I were totally blown away from the movie. It was amazing, especially the way Greta Gerwig adapted Louisa May Alcott's classic Little Women to the screen. It's beyond my comprehension how she didn't get an Oscar for that category. Just the Costumes won the coveted prize.

I've been rereading Little Women, after a break of over half a century. Since it's a very old classic, you can get it for free e-reading. To be honest you don't need a special e-reader/kindle. I use my phone and don't even need an app.

Back to the movie Little Women. It mixes times and sequences, which may be confusing, but the truth is that it makes sense. Jo is the main character, and she thinks a lot. Her thoughts and memories of the past are an important part of the movie. Actually, that whole package is the movie.

There's a color-schemed clue to put you on track for the era, past versus present. Jo's, or is it Alcott's, memories are bathed in sepia, while the movie's "now" is brighter and bluish.

All the aesthetics were stunningly perfect, yes, the costumes, too, of course. We were spellbound. On the whole the acting was perfect, but although Amy (Florence Pugh) could almost pull off looking younger than her sisters, her voice jarred. She has a mature woman's voice which was rather distracting when she was supposed to be young. Also, Timothée Chalamet, playing Laurie, wasn't consistent. Granted it's harder for a man to simultaneously play a teen and a grown man convincingly, but Chalamet, even at his best, was unconvincing.

With those exceptions, every other actor in main and minor roles was excellent and totally convincing. Little Women is definitely worth seeing. This version is like no other before it. I'd recommend reading the book beforehand if you can. Otherwise be prepared for a unique journey. Get into the head of the young writer, Jo, obviously based on Alcott herself. Everyone in the audience seemed mesmerized. And if you're in a book club, like I am, choose the book and see the movie together. The adaptation is totally brilliant.

Cinema City, Jerusalem

Do You Still Watch/Have This?

A lot of people are in shock that this is our television. I'm curious to know who else still watchs one of these. If you do, please let me know in the comments, thanks.

As far as I'm concerned, as long as it still works, it's a shame to get a new fancy modern one. The "companion" is the DVD player on top right. I have an enormous collection of DVDs, some of which I've seen dozens of times. There are people who like to reread books; I like to rewatch movies. Who else watches DVDs?

One of the reasons I don't want to rush into buying a newfangled television is that I'm afraid it won't fit into our special cabinet space, although our sons measured and insist that there's a small size that will. Of course, buying a newfangled television will require signing up for a "deal" and learning all sorts of new tricks.

I never say never... Will it be sooner than later?

Celebrating at Tereza & Seeing The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

This week some of my friends took me out for a pre-Birthday Lunch at Tereza, Cinema City Jerusalem. Afterwards we saw The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, because we had read the book for our book club.

At first we had trouble choosing a restaurant in Cinema City; there are so many. But despite the fact that Tereza bills itself as a "Pasta Bar," we chose it. It looked more interesting, and was relatively quiet. Apparently it's a chain, and I couldn't find a phone number for the branch itself, 1-700-700-338. 

Tereza offers those popular lunch specials in which for the price of just the main course you get a starter and juice, bottled water or soda. We all chose different menu items, breakfast, fish and pasta.

My first course of grilled eggplant, which included salad and white cheese, was so large and filling, I had them pack it up for me to eat the following day for breakfast. I chose a fish which was delicious. The bones had all been removed, so it was easy to eat. As you can see, there was also a large green salad, which I chose from the side dish options. The others were all carbohydrates.

My friends ordered us a celebratory waffle with ice cream and whipped cream for my upcoming birthday. It was the perfect end to a birthday lunch with close friends. And for me, eating a quarter of such a treat was enough to satisfy my sugar cravings. On that we were split. Half of us said that we were glad to share it, while the other half would have been happier eating an entire portion.

We all agreed that Tereza was a great choice. We loved the food and the atmosphere. Service could have been a bit swifter, but we made it to the movie on time.

Being that it was a Tuesday afternoon, the senior tickets were reduced to NS14, if I remember correctly. We also enjoyed the movie and agreed that the screenwriter did a pretty good job adapting it. With the exception of the non-American actor playing the fiance, who had an awful fake accent, casting was on target. I love the fact that British actors have real faces, unlike Americans who look like they've come off an assembly line in a toy factory.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a movie suitable for all ages.

What's Your Favorite Movie?

The other day, I had a few hours at home for cooking and simple chores. Now that I'm finally finished with the year of mourning for my father, I'm enjoying music and watching musicals on the TV's DVD. I pulled out one of my long time favorites, "Five Pennies."

Loring "Red" Nichols is a cornet-playing country boy who goes to New York in the 1920s full of musical ambition and principles. He gets a job playing in Wil Paradise's band, but quits to pursue his dream of playing Dixieland jazz. He forms the "Five Pennies" which features his wife, Bobbie, as vocalist. At the peak of his fame, Red and Bobbie's daughter, Dorothy, develops polio...

I first saw the movie on television when I was a kid and found it very moving, besides the fantastic music. I love corny movies, and I love musicals. This is the type of movie that can easily bring tears, and I'm not the crying type at all. It's not a musical in the sense that Guys and Dolls, Brigadoon or Dreamgirls are but the music and storyline are so amazing. Even though I've seen it dozens of times,  we do have the DVD now, I hate missing a second of it and press pause if I have to leave the room.

I have a large collection of DVDs, and some I've seen numerous times. This is one of them!

What is your favorite movie and what do you like about it?

Bucket List, In The Movies

my brother, the loving uncle, 1973

with Sharon Katz

During the time I knew that my brother was dying, I became more aware of my own mortality, a feeling many have in similar situations. So when an email arrived from my dear, inspiring and amazing friend Sharon Katz arrived asking me to be an "extra" in a film for Torah Live, I jumped at the opportunity.

I'm completely convinced that my name was on the list by mistake, especially because of the logistics of my getting from Shiloh to Efrat on time for morning shooting, but I decided to go for it. When you want something, things can work out, and they did. I had actually been accepted for two days of filming, but had a very strong feeling that my brother's life wouldn't last long enough for the second, and I was right.

on the set, being filmed

To be honest, I have always been interested in performing, though dancing had been my specialty when I was young. All aspects of the production interested me. Being that all of us actors in the movie are amateurs, there were none of the ego problems or competition one hears about in the real acting world. I wonder if I'll be called again...

And if you think that my bucket list has been completed, you are wrong. I have lots more I want to, Gd willing, do before kicking the bucket.

לעילוי נשמתו

 צבי הירש בן זיסקין

Chanukah, 5776, 2015, Day #4, A Night at The Movies, VIP

The first thing my husband and I did as we rushed back into the house after a night at the movies was to get our chanukiyot ready for lighting.

Yes, we went to the movies! Here's how I summarized our evening on my facebook page:

I hadn't been to a real movie, like in a cinema for years, ever since the Andy Kaufman Man in the Moon played in Israel. (We had been in the same GNN class.) But tonight my husband and I went to see Bridge of Spies, the Tom Hanks movie about Gary Powers etc. And even more, it was in the Cinema City VIP, a birthday gift from his job. It took months to find a movie the right movie, night and time. Coincidentally, someone else from there was also at the same showing and they dropped us off at the "city-line." Within a minute or two a neighbor came by and took us home. B"H!!

Since I had been warned that the seats were extremely comfortable, I have have a history of dozing off at movies, I took a cup of coffee, cappuccino, as part of the complimentary self-service "dinner" before the movie. In all honesty, the food was nothing spectacular, but there was a lot of it and they even had a salad of sorts and roasted vegetables, besides pizza, pasta, lasagna and too many desserts, popcorn, too, of course. And there was also wine and soft drinks. I didn't see any beer, but I didn't ask.

So even though, my feet were very comfortably raised, I stayed awake for the entire movie. The coffee must have helped, and it was good coffee. I only had a couple of sips of wine, which can put me to sleep if I drink a cup of it.

Now, from what we've heard, a large percentage of those who take advantage of that VIP deal got their tickets as gifts, frequently from work like my husband did. Considering that at our age, movie prices are reduced, you can go to a good restaurant for the same and not be rushed to finish on time. There's only a half hour allocated for each showing. For those who love that sort of food and dessert it can be fun. We did have a good time, and it was worth waiting for the movie. Maybe because it was a serious adult history (totally clean, so anyone would feel comfortable viewing it) movie, the audience was quiet and respectful. I have no idea what goes on during other movies.

Take Me to The Movies!! Stories of Rebbe Nachman by Tzvi Fishman

Here's the review and some of the background about Tzvi Fishman's movie. Stories of Rebbe Nachman.

To get a taste of it, watch the trailer:

Preview of the Review

My husband and I were honored to be invited to the preview screening of Tzvi Fishman's not yet released movie, Stories of Rebbe Nachman.

The Jewish Innovation
Creating a fun and inspiring feature film, for all ages, based on the fairy tale-like fables of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, about happiness, faith, and trust in God.
The Impact
"Stories of Rebbe Nachman" will be a fun and inspiring, feature film based on four of Rebbe Nachman's wonderful, faith-filled, fairy tale-like fables. The film will be a powerful beacon of light in our dark and despairing world. The famous Hasidic master, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, taught that stories can bring healing to the soul. While most people tell stories to children to put them to sleep, Rebbe Nachman told his stories to wake people up! Filled with many deep messages of faith, trust in God, and the importance of always being happy, these universal stories are for people of all ages. It is well known that after reading one of these stories many many people have returned to the Torah. Too religious, you say? Well, we believe that Jews all over the world are waiting to be awakened through the joy and inspiration that this entertaining film will bring. And you can make it happen! We have already privately raised $150,000 toward our budget of $180,000, so we only need another $30,000 to make this film a reality. The Jewish People have an important message for the world, and a movie of these inspiring stories has the power to light up the universe. With faith in our enterprise, we are beginning to film of August 10, 2014. As Rebbe Nachman taught, “The whole world is a narrow bridge and the important thing is not to be afraid.”
Thank you for joining me on this fun and revolutionary journey!
What the money is for
All money raised will go toward enhancing the professionalism and cinematic beauty of the film, by providing more shooting days, the finest film crew possible, and the ability to create some fun and surprising special effects. Right now, with the last stages of editing to go, we've used up all of our funds and need money for final post-production.

We mingled among the actors, stage crew, family members and friends with great excitement. In all honesty, we're old friends and former neighbors of Tzvi and his family. Some of our kids are still close friends, so we're very excited about the movie.

I will be writing a proper review, G-d willing soon, after I see a segment I missed. You should know that the movie Stories of Rebbe Nachman is totally professional. Watch the official trailer and let others know about it, thanks.

My Friend is Making a Movie

A neighbor of ours has been mentioning a movie he's involved with for the past few weeks or so. A mutual friend, former Hollywood guy, who has written some great books, such as Tevye in the Promised Land, and had, for a few enjoyable years, lived across the street with his family, the one and only Tzvi Fishman is making a movie! It's called  "Stories of Rebbe Nachman,"  and he's raising a bit of money to finish it off and get out to the public. Maybe you'd like to help.

To raise money, he's using Jewcer.com.

Watch the  trailer.


Here's the official explanation.

"Stories of Rebbe Nachman" will be a fun and inspiring, feature film based on four of Rebbe Nachman's wonderful, faith-filled, fairy tale-like fables. The film will be a powerful beacon of light in our dark and despairing world. The famous Hasidic master, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, taught that stories can bring healing to the soul. While most people tell stories to children to put them to sleep, Rebbe Nachman told his stories to wake people up! Filled with many deep messages of faith, trust in God, and the importance of always being happy, these universal stories are for people of all ages. It is well known that after reading one of these stories many many people have returned to the Torah. Too religious, you say? Well, we believe that Jews all over the world are waiting to be awakened through the joy and inspiration that this entertaining film will bring. And you can make it happen! We have already privately raised $150,000 toward our budget of $180,000, so we only need another $30,000 to make this film a reality. The Jewish People have an important message for the world, and a movie of these inspiring stories has the power to light up the universe. With faith in our enterprise, we are beginning to film of August 10, 2014. As Rebbe Nachman taught, “The whole world is a narrow bridge and the important thing is not to be afraid.”Thank you for joining me on this fun and revolutionary journey! for more...

The Hyper Robin Williams Silenced Forever, At Least He's on Film

News of Robin Williams' death was a rude shock this morning. The famous funny man was plagued by demons. Living in Israel since 1970, I know/knew Williams best and pretty much only via the movies, and a favorite for me has always been "Good Morning Vietnam!"


What's your favorite Robin Williams role, scene?

Variety For The Movie Club

For a while members of the Movie Club took turns picking out movies, but recently, they've told me to choose which movie to see each week.  So I try to vary things between adventure, comedy and more serious stuff.

The comedies such as Blues Brothers and Dream Team, and some suspenseful true life movies like, Men of Honor have been the greatest successes.

Yesterday we saw Robert J. Avrech's "Within These Walls."  It kept everyone's attention, but they would have preferred a few laughs.  Laughing is healthy. 

I served Apple Compote, no sugar added.  All I did was peel, slice and cook the apples with some water, cinnamon and ginger.  Minimal water and you don't lose the natural sweetness of the fruit.

Strange

Very unusual. Maybe I just didn't do enough yesterday, but I was strangely invigorated and went to bed much later than usual. Even worse, I had trouble getting up this morning and even pressed the "snooze" on my alarm aka cellphone.

Now that we're in post-Tisha B'Av mode and no more mourning restrictions, I'm finally trying to watch some of the movies I bought in NY. One was actually relatively recent, Dreamgirls. That Jennifer Hudson really is something! And I must say that the acting is great. Of course it's a sort of old fashioned type of plot.

And the singing....WOW!

Lots has been written about the similarities to the Supremes, but according to this, there are more differences, but the Supremes weren't the only pop group. And many had similar stories, so I'm sure that if you research enough, you can find something to back up every part of the plot.

Hobbies

For the past two years, my hobby has been crocheting. I crochet hats, only hats, sort of large large kippot for myself or my daughter. I also crocheted "reggae hats" for my sons. They are like oversized berets.

I crochet all over the place, waiting rooms, buses, staff meetings, airplanes and watching television or movies.

Re- movies, I bought more in NY. Lots of choice for $10- a piece.




In New York, when with my parents, when we took my father to the doctor, I also crocheted in that waiting room. A woman began talking to me about my crocheting. It ends up that she's an expert in all sorts of crafts.

She showed me a cute carrier for her equipment.




And she showed me how to crochet squares, but I should have written down the instructions, rather than photographing them.