Sublime, magical, charming, enchanting, etc. etc. etc. I could continue on with more positive adjectives to describe this wonderful film but I’ll keep this simple & just say that I loved this movie! It portrays the magic of cinema in a brilliantly inventive, funny, & touching way.

This could’ve been ridiculously silly or even stupid if done in the wrong way but Woody Allen handles it perfectly. Jeff Daniels gave a great performance as both of his characters. It was a nice surprise to see classic Hollywood actor Van Johnson play a role in the movie within the movie. Mia Farrow was terrific throughout but especially at the end of the film. She should’ve been nominated for an Oscar. Watching her face and her eyes in the final shots, I was moved to tears. And Fred & Ginger were perfection, as always! ;)

An interesting, artsy short film by avant-garde filmmaker Len Lye. According to Wikipedia, Lye started this film in 1958 and finished it in 1979. The animation was produced by scratching images directly into the film stock. The accompanying music is by an African tribe. Very cool. Seems like it could have been made yesterday.

Can be watched here.

Even though the Production Code rears its ugly head here, this is still worth consuming. Patty McCormack is the devil in blonde pigtails.

Definitely worth watching. An epic in every sense of the word.

Also, I was pleasantly surprised to see the film deal with issues not usually dealt with in mainstream movies from the ‘50s. Namely, racial prejudices, class issues, and sexism. Elizabeth Taylor’s character, Leslie, was ahead of her time. Also, it was my first James Dean movie and I was more than impressed. Not to mention, Rock Hudson, who gives probably the best performance I’ve seen of his. Great performances all around and gorgeous cinematography. George Stevens proves again that he was a master filmmaker.

I just finished viewing this on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hePMmm74niM if anyone is interested. I am not sure about the copyrights with this film but I wanted to see it and found it through a YouTube search.
In case that version is removed from YouTube for some reason, there is another one at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWFRedCFXdE but the video quality isn’t as good as it is on the first link.

I hope this helps anyone who may be interested in seeing this classic cartoon. In my opinion, it’s definitely worth the 7 minutes (and some odd seconds) that it will take you to view it.

I love the texture of spaghetti squash. You keep thinking it’s going to taste like pasta but it never does; instead, it’s kinda crunchy. Never gets old to me. I always look forward to Fall, when it comes back in season.

This is so good cooked and tossed with pesto, olive oil, mozzarella & Parmesan cheese. Yummy! Along with some good whole-grain bread and a nice salad, this is one of my favorite meals.

If you’re looking for an intro to Frank’s music, this is a great one. Most of the hits are here from his Capitol years (the 50s). Many of his best “swinging” songs are included, like “I Get a Kick Out of You”, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, and “The Lady Is A Tramp.” Even if you’re already a fan (like I am), it’s nice to have a lot of your favorites on one album. It’s fun to put on during a party or to listen to alone. It’s a mood lifter!

And what else can be said about Mr. Sinatra that hasn’t already been said? The man sings a song like no one else could. His phrasing was revolutionary for its time. And he sings it like he means it. On “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” you can practically feel his pain. And that voice. Unmistakable. His nickname? What else? “The Voice.”

This is one of my favorites. Beautiful, classic, timeless. Some of the best songs ever written sung by one of the best singers to ever sing them. Ella’s voice was pure magic. It’s no wonder why she was known as the “First Lady of Song”!

My favorite song on the album is probably “Summertime” – it has such a haunting melody. But honestly, I really love them all. And isn’t it terrific when she sometimes makes up the words as she goes along? So much fun to listen to! Oh, and having Louis Armstrong around for some of the songs ain’t too bad either… ;-)

Mmmm… cinnamon, I love you! I sprinkle you on my coffee, split pea soup (seriously! it’s good!), oatmeal, cereal, applesauce, I could go on… I can even leave you simmering on the stove (cinnamon sticks in water) to make my whole house smell yummy!

So I was happy to find out that my cinnamon addiction is actually good for me! This article is about how healthy cinnamon is – http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68 – turns out that it has a lot of unique health benefits. These include antimicrobial properties, blood sugar control, and boosting brain function.

Tastes good and good for you – yay!

I love the funny little dance with the dinner rolls! It’s got me grinning right now just thinking about it :-D
What a testimonial to the genius of Charlie Chaplin – his silent film (or even just memories of it!) still has the power to delight today, even in these times of CGI, IMAX, and HD. Chaplin’s films are truly timeless.

And here’s a video of the scene in case anyone wants to see it again (I know I did!) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoKbDNY0Zwg