The Life and Times of a Midwestern Movie Addict

Writing about Bedknobs and Broomsticks this week and comparing it to Mary Poppins reminded me of how long it had been since I had last seen it (at least 5 years).  I decided this was a crime somewhere and so I popped it in on Tuesday night...wow, what a difference several years of removal can make.  Some films do not age well over time and when you watch them older and wiser than you were before they are like eating a piece of day-old pizza.  Some of what you loved about it is still there, but mostly the excitement has faded and what you're left with is a bland and largely flavorless reminder that sometimes the moment makes the memory rather than the quality.  Some films, however, stand up to age and scrutiny and manage to constantly offer new nibbles of enlightenment for you to nibble on as you grow and change.  Mary Poppins is one of those films and it is with deep pleasure that I present it to you today. Stormy weather is brewing at Number 17, Cherry Tree ...

So yeah....I have no good excuse as to why I haven't posted in a while aside from the fact that I recently began re-reading Stephen King's Needful Things and I have been enjoying that during my Study Hall periods.  In fact, it had become so much a part of my daily routine during the shows (when I elected to completely stop writing in my blog) that I never stopped and thus forgot to keep posting after that first one.  But worry not friends, I have returned with a bit of the past to share with you.  This past weekend I went camping with a much-too-short-lived new friend and while we were canoeing he kept yelling song requests at me (because I have such a melodious voice, don'cha know) and when he had me sing "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins I remembered a little known fact about the film I'm going to examine today.  It seems that there was a section in Poppins which focused on a magic compass and in one of the scenes they all went to the bottom of The Beautif...

Yep, I purposefully have not written in several weeks because I simply have not had the head space for it what with the pressures of the musical, getting the end of the year things done in class, and various other small pressures.  I figured it would be easier and less stressful on me if I just ignored it and came back to it once the show was over...and here I am, right on schedule.  It was a very good show, for any of you who are interested, and was enjoyed by all (even though our crowds were smaller this year).  Now I'm in this weird mood that is probably something along the lines of 'completion depression'.  I literally have nothing but work to focus on until June 1st when school ends for the summer and that is taking a negative toll on me it seems...making me feel empty I suppose.  It doesn't help either that I was not selected as part of the cast for this year's Chillicothe Civic Theater production, though it doesn't surprise me either...since I have two fu...

There's something wonderful about the beginning of April.  Maybe it's the knowledge that June and summer vacation is a mere two months away now (a stone's throw compared to what it was back in January), or perhaps its because all the lovely plants are in bloom, or maybe its due to the fact that I have only one day of work left until a much needed 5 day Spring Break (after a winter of no snow days, me and my students are one bad day away from murdering each other).  Either way, things are feeling fresh and new again and it puts me in a great mood.  There are several early April traditions I usually take part in during these early days...one is to begin getting back out to the movies (the summer blockbuster season keeps starting earlier and earlier and this year it was The Hunger Games which jump started it), another is to begin wearing more colors, and another is watching a sneaky and subversive little film from the 1980s.  Most holidays have been immortalized as a ho...

What a weekend I had!  I hit the ground running when the bell finally rang to release us from school and dashed home to grab a Blu-ray I needed to return to Best Buy, and then I drove myself to Lancaster where I exhanged the disc and bought two more (it's a sickness) and watched almost all three films in one night.  Then on Saturday, I went to my first ever film convention (this one themed around horror films) and had an absolute blast.  It was like being in an amusement park where everything on display had something to do with horror and the attractions you waited in-line for included scads of famous people.  I met Elvira (Cassandra Peterson is her real name), Amy Steel (from Friday the 13th Part 2 and April Fool's Day), Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog/Creepshow/Swamp Thing), Tippi Hedren (The Birds/Marnie), Lisa Wilcox (Nightmare on Elm Street 4 and 5), Denise Crosby (Star Trek TNG/Pet Sematary), and J.D. Feigelson (the writer of "Dark Night of the Scarecrow" - possibly ...

Hey friends, haven't watched a lot of movies today because I've been very busy getting ready for our spring musical auditions (currently in progress).  This year we decided to do "Legally Blonde: The Musical", something I'm very excited about.  It isn't often that a school such as ours gets a chance to do something that's relatively brand-new...it was only just released for licensing this past September and I leaped on the chance to produce it.  The kids are equally excited and seem rather at ease for a show with such a tight group of big parts and a load of relatively small roles...then again we have fewer divas auditioning this year than we had in the past.  It's rather nice actually.  That's not to say that they aren't taking casting seriously...they are rabidly practicing and trying to be perfect, but they are wisely not putting any politics in front of me (they may be stabbing each other in the back out of view, but not doing it blatently ...

Wow, its amazing how a weekend can really take it out of you.  We had our performance of "Noises Off" this past Friday and Saturday and I have never been more exhausted in my life.  Honestly, I am completely pooped...which is kinda amazing considering I've been getting plenty of sleep since Sunday.  I just can't seem to catch up.  So instead of feeling happy and energized for my birthday, I'm feeling run down and sleepy.  I've actually nearly fallen asleep several times today when I had to sit in absolute quiet (did I mention we're also taking the OGT this week and I have two hours in the morning where I sit and basically do nothing while I watch sophomores take standardized tests...that was horrible today, because I kept nodding off).  I'm also feeling a little under the weather because spring has sprung and my sinuses and allergies are acting up...oh and there was a time change this weekend too.  So all of these factors have now converged, making my ...