friday five: comfort via media

Kathryn at RevGals writes: I don't get to watch that much tv anymore, but I actually wrote down today's Oprah show on my calendar. Why? Because she is hosting a Sound of Music cast reunion!!! ...

It seems no matter how many new movies, tv shows or books come down the pike I still have my ol' stand by favorites that I can watch/read over and over and when I do they actually bring me comfort - like an old sweatshirt or a favorite food.

Today's Friday Five is an opportunity for you to list five of your favorite 'go-to' movies/tv shows/books. You can use images, links, explanations or netflix.

When it comes to tv I like what I call "smart" television: it engages my brain. If the writing is bad or the acting is lousy, I am ready to move on. The exception to this is great character interaction. I love Bones for this more than anything.

 1) Hands down, the best television ever is The West Wing. Superb writing, outstanding cast, and an amazing education in politics (I yawned at politics before TWW, but I came to appreciate it, and am now something of a devotee. If nothing else, TWW changed how I look at and engage politics.) I watch reruns regularly. 

2) My favorite movie: The American President. What a surprise! (Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it was written by the same writer as The West Wing!) I can watch this movie over and over and over again.  

3) I like good drama. My favorite is probably The Hunt for Red October. It's smartly written and very well acted. And Sean Connery is well, Sean Connery!

4) I, too, love The Sound of Music. It's well written, well edited, and the music is superb. It's also great to see that in real life the good guys DO triumph now and again! Is there a better scene than the family crossing the Alps at the end?


5) TV marathons of any of these: Law and Order, Burn Notice, Bones, JAG...

6) I have to add a sixth, LadyHawke. It's historical fiction, good vs. evil, poignant love story, and a touch of comedy. It's basically fantasy, but fun and heart-warming. Love. it.

friday five: at the movies

At RevGals Jan invites us to "Share your preferences, opinions, and recommendations about movies! Choose 5 types of movies to discuss":

I need to begin with the confession that I am terrible with recall when it comes to movies. I can remember a film if I'm reviewing a list, but sitting here trying to conjure up films in categories is a bit of a challenge. And some movies don't fit neatly into a category. Ah well, such is life!

1. action:I'm a sucker for good action when violence is minimal or non-existence. I love The Great Escape, for instance. I like all the Jason Bourne movies, The Hunt for Red October, and so on. The best action films are based on books, I've discovered. The plot is sufficiently complex and interesting, which makes for a tight script.
2. mystery: Mysteries are my first choice in reading fiction, but I'm not recalling any that made it the screen that stand out. This doesn't mean there aren't any, it's my faulty memory! Oh, wait! Sleuth!
3. drama: Probably my favorite category, since my favorite movies fall into this genre. At the top of my list at Chariots of Fire, Lady Hawke, The American President, and Gone with the Wind.fri
4. comedy: It's got to be good, clever or fresh comedy. I'm not a fan of silliness masquerading as comedy. The film in this genre that I've seen most recently was The Proposal, which I thought was hysterical. Sandra Bullock and Betty White stole the show.
5. chick flick: give me Sleepless in Seattle or You've Got Mail any day. I can watch those two movies again and again.

Bonus: Tell about the first movie you ever saw and/or the last one!
           The first movie I remember seeing was The Miracle Worker, about Helen Keller. I can recall asking my mother as we drove to the theater, "If she can't see and she can't hear and she can't talk, then how does she have a face?" That really puzzled me before I saw the movie, and the mystery has obviously stuck in my mind!
           The movie I saw most recently is Up in the Air. I enjoyed it up to the end. I guess I know too many people who have suffered as a result of the circumstances revealed, and that took the "air" out of it for me for some reason.