Movie Memories

Don't kill 'The Messenger,' rent it

Every week a new batch of feature films arrives on DVD store shelves. 

Some weeks are better than others, as you may have noticed.  A couple of weeks back, amid the underachievers ("Extraordinary Measures"), the over-hyped ("Invictus") and the mediocre ("Valentine's Day"), a bona-fide gem arrived with little fanfare.

Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, Jena Malone and Samantha Morton (an Oscar nominee for "Sweet and Lowdown" in 1999 and "In America" in 2002) head an extremely strong cast in "The Messenger," which I highly recommend.

"The Messenger," nominated for two Academy Awards earlier this year (Harrelson as supporting actor; original screenplay) but deserving more, unspools a raw, revealing tale of two stateside soldiers who deliver the grimmest possible news when a loved one is lost in combat.

In my review titled "Onward saddened soldiers" in November, I pointed out that "The Messenger" hit movie multiplexes during an extremely sensitive time:

"Arriving in theaters in the wake of the Fort Hood, TX shooting rampage, which left 13 dead and over two dozen wounded on Nov. 5, one of this year's most powerful dramas will likely electrify emotional nerve endings with a heavier charge than it might otherwise."

This is not an easy movie to watch, but it represents the best film-makers can do when they set out to tell an important story with exceptional performances all around.

I still can't get Morton's outstanding, subtle, multi-layered performance as a confused war widow out of my head.

Nor do I want to. 

Play movie trivia, win stuff!

For the past few months, I've offered movie trivia in the Movie Memories newsletter just for fun; as a diversion, if you will.  Well, not this month.  This time it's serious because you'll be playing for valuable prizes.

Just remember, a word like "valuable" can be quite subjective.

Nevertheless, the first person who e-mails me with all five correct answers to this month's trivia will win not one, but two Movie Memories collector coffee mugs stuffed with decadent popcorn and candy I can no longer ravage because I'm dieting. (D'oh!)

Second place gets one Movie Memories mug filled with sticky candy and microwave popcorn.

Ready?  Get busy, and e-mail your answers to MovieMemories@verizon.net.  If you're stumped and just want to learn the answers, also e-mail MovieMemories@verizon.net and I'll send them to you.

"You must remember this." -- Movie trivia

Got a minute for a little movie trivia to sharpen the brain?  Answer all five of this month's trivia questions correctly and you might just win a prize (see above). 

1.  The big screen lost a "personification of Hollywood rebellion" over the Memorial Day weekend.  Who was it?

a.  Art Linkletter

b.  Dennis Hopper  

c.  Gary Coleman

2.  Larry Ratliff's favorite classic film is:

a.  "It's a Wonderful Life"

b. "Dude, Where's My Car?"

c.  "Casablanca"

3.  Word is out that James Cameron's next movie might be:

a.  "Plug That Damn Hole!"

b.  "No Really, Dude, Where's My Car?"

c.  An "Avatar" sequel

4.  Movie tickets in New York City have escalated to: 

a.  $20

b.  $28

c.  If you have to ask, you can't afford fine films like "MacGruber." 

5.  Michael Douglas won't be appearing in _______________ in the next few months.

a.  "Solitary Man"

b.  "Toy Story 3"

c.  "Wall Street:  Money Never Sleeps" 

For Trivia Answers, or to enter this month's trivia contest (See above), e-mail MovieMemories@verizon.net.

Upcoming Movie Memories presentations

(Have you booked one for your group yet?)

June 16:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at The Forum at Park Lane, Dallas.  6:45 p.m.

July 21:  An Enrichment Presentation at Richland College, Dallas. "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time." 1:45 p.m.

Aug. 2:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 1. "If You Can't Say Something Nice -- My Career as a Film Critic" presentation.  10 a.m.

Aug. 9:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 2.  "Deadline Pressure ... What Deadline Pressure" presentation. 10 a.m. 

Sept. 13:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at Presbyterian Village North, Dallas.  6:30 p.m.

Nov. 16:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at Chambrel at Club Hill, Garland.  6:30 p.m.

("The Messenger" poster photo courtesy:  Oscilloscope Pictures)

 

The Class of 2010 could include you

Go back to school?  At my age?

Well yes, I think I will.  It sounds enlightening and fun.  I'll be teaching a couple of Movie Memories-related classes at Richland College in Dallas (TX) this summer. 

If you've been looking for something to do that will engage the brain a little and introduce you to people of like mind, I encourage you to experience what Mitzi Werther, director of Richland's emeritus program, calls "the joy of learning after 50."

I'll be delighted, of course, if you sign up for my two-session class titled "If You Can't Say Something Nice -- My Career as a Film Critic" (Aug. 2 and Aug. 9 10 a.m. to noon).  I'll talk about memorable celebrity interviews with Harrison Ford, Al Pacino and many others.  And we'll go behind the scenes of the movie review business (Complete with film clips).

No matter what your interests are, however ("Dollars and Sense", "History of the Gospels," just to name a couple), here's a chance to turn a long hot summer into invigorating activities of the mind.

Click here for a link to Richland's Summer 2010 Emeritus Class Schedule.  If you use the slide bar on the right of the page you'll be able to glide down to Page 15 where my classes are listed.  Join us and we'll have some fun talking movies.

Betty White's excellent 'SNL' adventure

If you missed Betty White as host of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" on May 8, you missed one of the most fun-filled editions of the long-running comedy sketch show in years.

White, who's a lively, rambunctious 88 these days, was in almost every skit.  Actually, if you were lucky enough to catch the show, you still missed three skits White appeared in.  They never aired on the live broadcast, but they were taped during dress rehearsal. 

Never fear, Betty White fans.  We've got them.  Click here to read my blog about the missing Betty White skits.  Then click on the link to the skits themselves near the end of the blog.

"You must remember this." -- Movie trivia

Got a minute for a little movie trivia to sharpen the brain?  It's all about Betty White this time.  Answer all five of this month's trivia questions correctly and you'll earn the highly coveted Movie Memories 4-jalapeño salute.  (See answers below.) 

1.  Betty White played a character named Grandma Annie opposite Sandra Bullock last summer in the movie:

a.  "The Hangover"

b.  "The Hurt Locker"  

c.  "The Proposal"

2.  Her flower-like name on the TV sitcom "The Golden Girls" was . . .

a.  Azalea

b.  Rose

c.  Red-tipped Photinia

3.  White's the widow of TV game-show host:

a.  Allen Ludden

b.  Groucho Marx

c.  Merv Griffin

4.  She played Sue Ann Nivens on the classic TV sitcom ... 

a.  "My Name Is Earl"

b.  "My Name is Sue"

c.  "Mary Tyler Moore"  

5.  Betty White is an avid activist for:

a.  The Tea Party

b.  The Pants on the Ground Movement

c.  Animal rights 

(Trivia Answers:  1-c, "The Proposal"/2-b, Rose/3-a, Allen Ludden/4-c "Mary Tyler Moore"/5-c, Animal rights)

Upcoming presentations

June 16:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at The Forum at Park Lane, Dallas.  6:45 p.m.

July 21:  An Enrichment Presentation at Richland College, Dallas. "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time." 1:45 p.m.

Aug. 2:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 1. "If You Can't Say Something Nice -- My Career as a Film Critic" presentation.  10 a.m.

Aug. 9:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 2.  "Deadline Pressure ... What Deadline Pressure" presentation. 10 a.m. 

Sept. 13:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at Presbyterian Village North, Dallas.  6:30 p.m.

Nov. 16:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at Chambrel at Club Hill, Garland.  6:30 p.m.

(Photo courtesy:  Richland College)

  

Hey bud, wanna buy a 'Pirate' DVD?

Back in mid-November, fresh off a screening of the nostalgic British rock 'n' roll comedy "Pirate Radio," I got a little nostalgic myself. 

"Pirate Radio," blasting away at your neighborhood DVD store beginning April 13, rekindled my love for personality rock radio, which has now faded into oblivion, I'm afraid.

"I was a closet teen rocker back then.  Theater of the mind, that exciting collision of ballsy rock music, a talented DJ's audience manipulation and anticipation of a wild, free unknown, blew my mind night after night.  I didn't just want to listen to the audacious magic, either.  I wanted to be a part of it.  And I was, sort of," I wrote in my review.

"Pirate Radio," an audacious R-rated comedy of '60s music and sexcapades, is directed by able filmmaker Richard Curtis ("Love Actually"). 

If you love classic rock 'n' roll and, especially if you appreciate the exceptional acting talents of Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Capote"), Rhys Ifans ("Greenberg") and the great Bill Nighy (Viktor in the "Underworld" franchise), pick up a copy of "Pirate Radio."

And when you get it home, CRANK IT UP!

Click here for my full review. 

(Photo courtesy:  Focus Features)

A new 'Senior Voice' for movie news & views

I have some very good news to report this month.  Beginning with the May-June issue of The Senior Voice, which hits news racks May 1, look for my movie column titled Getting Reel. 

Since The Senior Voice is primarily aimed at those 50 and older, as is Movie Memories, the column's initial installment takes a look at May and June summer movies that might appeal to that age group.

Summer movies aren't all about 3-D glasses, special effects and boisterous teen-age movie-goers, as those who read my new column will discover.  So thanks to publisher Carol Butler and all the folks at The Senior Voice for adding Getting Reel.

"You must remember this." -- Movie trivia

Got a minute for a little movie trivia to sharpen the brain?  Answer all five of this month's trivia questions correctly and you'll earn the highly coveted Movie Memories 4-jalapeño salute.  (See answers below.) 

1.  When it comes to Hollywood blockbuster movie debuts, summer begins:

a.  May 30

b.  May 7

c.  Aug. 1

2.  Finish this movie title phrase:  "Summer of ...

a.  Miley Cyrus"

b.  the City"

c.  '42"

3.  Paul Newman played a barn burning con man in ...

a.  "Pee-wee's Big Adventure"

b.  "Cool Hand Luke"

c.  "The Long Hot Summer"

4.  Donna Summer appeared in the film ... 

a.  "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"

b.  "Thank God It's Friday"

c.  "God's Little Acre"  

5.  Philip Seymour Hoffman won his Academy Award for:

a.  "Charlie Wilson's War"

b.  "Doubt"

c.  "Capote" 

(Trivia Answers:  1-b, May 7/2-c, '42/3-c, "The Long Hot Summer"/4-b "Thank God It's Friday"/5-c, "Capote")

Upcoming presentations

June 16:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at The Forum at Park Lane, Dallas.  6:45 p.m.

July 21:  An Enrichment Presentation at Richland College, Dallas. "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time." 1:45 p.m.

Aug. 2:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 1. "If You Can't Say Something Nice -- My Career as a Film Critic" presentation.  10 a.m.

Aug. 9:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 2.  "Deadline Pressure ... What Deadline Pressure" presentation. 10 a.m. 

Sept. 13:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at Presbyterian Village North, Dallas.  6:30 p.m.

Nov. 16:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at Chambrel at Club Hill, Garland.  6:30 p.m.

 

She is woman; Oscar heard her roar

Kathryn Bigelow on a history making Oscar night.  (Courtesy:  monstersandcritics.com)

"Hurt Locker" director/producer Kathryn Bigelow made Academy Award history Sunday night (March 7).  She became the first woman to step to the podium and receive a Best Director Oscar.

Three who came before have grabbed nominations:  Sofia Coppola for "Lost in Translation" in 2003, Jane Campion for "The Piano" in 1993 and Lina Wertmüller for "Seven Beauties" in 1975.

It is Bigelow, however, who managed to break through what Reed Johnson, writing on the L.A. Times Awards Insider Web site, and others have dubbed the "celluloid ceiling."

Bigelow's breakthrough brought something else to the Academy Awards ceremony this year; a taste of high drama soap opera.  Bigelow, you see, was once married to "Avatar" writer-director James Cameron (a previous directing winner for the blockbuster "Titanic.")

So the director of the volatile Iraqi war-thriller "Hurt Locker" didn't merely make history, she got to trounce her ex-hubby with about a billion people watching world-wide.

Personally, I think ABC dropped the ball on this year's Oscar coverage, especially when Bigelow's big moment arrived.  Click here to find out why.  

Do you feel lucky punk?  Well, do ya?

Actually, I do.  Predicting the outcome on Oscar night can be dicey at best, even in a year like this when two of the major six categories -- Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor -- appeared to be a shoo-in and two others, Best Actor and Best Actress, seemed to be sure things before Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin even took the stage to host.

The real mystery loomed in the Best Director (as mentioned above) and Best Picture categories, especially in a sort of wild-card year where the Best Picture category was doubled from five to 10 nominees.

I'm happy and more than a little relieved to say that I shrewdly (OK, guessed) correctly in all six major categories.  Click here for proof.  It's my predictions made on March 5th, two days before the ceremonies.

"You must remember this." -- Movie trivia

How about a little movie trivia to sharpen the brain?  Answer all five of this month's Oscar-themed trivia questions correctly and you'll earn the highly coveted Movie Memories 4-jalapeño salute.  (See answers below.) 

1.  Kathryn Bigelow was once married to:

a.  Sacha Baron Cohen

b.  Ethan Coen

c.  James Cameron

2.  The last time the Academy Awards nominated 10 films for Best Picture was:

a.  1997, but only because James Cameron insisted that "Titanic" be nominated six times.

b.  1943

c.  1912, the year the Titanic sank.

3.  With 16, she has the most Oscar Actress nominations.  Who is she?

a.  Miley Cyrus

b.  Helen Mirren

c.  Meryl Streep

4.  This year's Academy Awards were co-hosted by Steve Martin and ...

a.  The late, great James Brown

b.  Alec Baldwin

c.  Will.i.Am of the Black Eyed Peas  

5.  ______________ won Best Picture in 1943, the last previous year Oscar went with 10 nominees.

a.  "Casablanca"

b.  "This Gun for Hire"

c.  "Bambi" 

(Trivia Answers:  1-c, James Cameron/2-b, 1943/3-c, Meryl Streep/4-b Alec Baldwin/5-a, "Casablanca")

Upcoming presentations

March 26:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at Town Village North Dallas. 12271 Coit Rd., Dallas, 75251   6:45 p.m.   

April 13:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at The Village at Frisco Lakes.  7 p.m. (Residents only)

June 9:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at The Forum at Park Lane, Dallas.  6:45 p.m.

July 21:  An Enrichment Presentation at Richland College, Dallas. "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time." 1:45 p.m.

Aug. 2:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 1. "If You Can't Say Something Nice -- My Career as a Film Critic" presentation.  10 a.m.

Aug. 9:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 2.  "Deadline Pressure ... What Deadline Pressure" presentation. 10 a.m. 

Has a movie ever changed your life?

"Elmer Gantry," the Oscar-winning, hard-hitting religious-drama changed mine in 1960.

(Courtesy:  MGM Home Entertainment)

I was thinking about "Elmer Gantry" and the effect one movie can have on a life the other day because Jean Simmons, who co-starred with Oscar-winner Burt Lancaster in the film, passed away at the age of 80.

I was on the cusp of becoming a teenager and beginning to think about what, if any, place I might have in this world when my older brother, three years my senior, got his driver's license in 1959.  We lived in Grand Prairie (TX), a sleepy underachieving gas stop between Dallas and Fort Worth where you could buy hamburgers seven for a dollar. 

There wasn't much for a kid like me to do on weekends except walk across the railroad tracks to town, or more specifically to the Uptown Theater for a Saturday afternoon at the movies.

The long, joyous afternoon typically began with cheesy MC Jerry Silver (the owner or manager) hopping on stage and pretending to swallow a lighted cigarette.  After a newsreel, cartoons and maybe a "Flash Gordon" serial short, there'd be a double-feature.  John Wayne was usually involved, as were "bad hombres" and/or "ingins."  (The Duke's words, not mine.)

That all changed when my older brother got the keys to the car.  Looking back, it was probably a minor rite of passage for him; freedom and an introduction to the world of unchaperoned dating, etc.

A trip to the nearby Chalk Hill Drive-in, however, changed my life in 1960.  For some reason I can't recall, my brother and a couple of his buddies actually let Little Larry tag along.  I remember my mother asking what was showing.  My brother replied something about a Disney movie.

It is very likely that a Disney movie was playing in theaters (including drive-ins) back then.  The Mouse House released "The Sign of Zorro" and "Swiss Family Robinson" that year, along with "Pollyanna."  I'm pretty sure my brother didn't say we were heading out to see "Pollyanna."

Mother would have snapped that something risky and bordering on dangerous emotional territory was up.  The trip would have been canceled before my brother could back our '57 Chevy out of our two-strip, cracked driveway.

But we didn't pull up to the Chalk Hill Drive-in speaker pole and face the screen playing a Disney movie.  This carload of semi-naughty boys were "getting away with something."  I was in the back seat; not a hostage nor a willing co-hort, but just a forgotten extra kid in the backseat.

We were there to see "Elmer Gantry." And it altered my life forever.

Set in the 1920s, "Elmer Gantry" starred Jean Simmons as an angelic-looking tent evangelist named Sister Sharon Falconer.  Her life changes drastically and unexpectedly (like mine) when a loud, but charismatic traveling salesman named Elmer Gantry shows up.  He's quick with a joke and even quicker to pull out his flask of whiskey.

Lancaster, nominated for Best Actor Academy Awards for "From Here to Eternity," "Birdman of Alcatraz" and "Atlantic City," won instead for this amazing, grandiose title-role performance.  Elmer takes a shine to the saintly evangelist and pulls out all the stops -- even joining her troupe of tent preachers -- to use his gift of salesmanship to, shall we say, win her over.

I'll never forget how Lancaster emphasized the name "Sister Sharon," lifting it to such heavenly heights in his sermons that she might have been one of the original disciples.  More often, though, Elmer stoked the hell fires of the crowd by charming them before Bible-thumping the fear of everlasting damnation into them:

"I have here in my pocket - and thank heaven you can't see them - lewd, dirty, obscene, and I'm ashamed to say this: French postcards. They were sold to me in front of your own innocent high school by a man with a black beard . . . a foreigner."

If my brother or anyone in the front seat with him had turned around, they would have seen a future film critic stunned by the brute power of effective, provocative drama as the projected colors of "Elmer Gantry" danced across my frozen face.

Academy Awards an ex-family affair this year

This year's Academy Award nominations were announced before the sun came up in Hollywood on Feb. 2, and things are a little more interesting than usual this year.

For the first time in Oscar history, the best picture and best director race looks like a domestic squabble that -- if multi-million-dollar movies (or a billion in one care) weren't involved -- might be settled in family court.

And it gets better.  "Avatar," directed by "Titanic" filmmaker (and Oscar winner) James Cameron, and "The Hurt Locker," helmed by Cameron's ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, tied with nine Academy Award nominations each to lead this year's race for the golden statuettes.

Too bad Bette Davis isn't still alive to say, "Fasten your seat-belts, it's going to be a bumpy night."  Look for the awards on ABC on March 7.

"You must remember this." -- Trivia time!

How about a little fun?  Answer all five of our trivia questions correctly and you'll earn the highly coveted Movie Memories 4-jalapeño salute.  (See answers below.) 

1.  "My Bloody Valentine" was:

     a.  My Valentine's Day card after I pricked my finger on a rose thorn.

     b.  A 1981 slasher movie (later remade)

     c.  A holiday drink made with vodka and tomato juice

2.  On Valentine's Day it's traditional to send your sweetie . . .

     a.  Flowers

     b.  Chocolates

     c.  Packing

3.  The St. Valentine's Day Massacre happened in . . .

a.  Chicago

     b.  Hico, Texas on Memorial Day

c.  Walmart during a giant-reduction sale

4.   Most dangerous movie snack food:

     a.  3-year-old Milk Duds

     b.  Walnuts in the shell  (Think about it.)

     c.  Bananas Foster

5.   The movie Jean Simmons wasn't in:

     a. "Spartacus"

     b.  "Guys and Dolls"

     c.  "My Bloody Valentine"  

(Trivia Answers:  1-b, a 1981 slasher movie/2-a, flowers/3-a, Chicago/4-c Bananas Foster/5-c, "My Bloody Valentine")

Upcoming presentations

April 13:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at The Village at Frisco Lakes.  7 p.m. (Residents only)

June 9:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at The Forum at Park Lane, Dallas.  6:45 p.m.

July 21:  An Enrichment Presentation at Richland College, Dallas. "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time." 1:45 p.m.

Aug. 2:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 1. "If You Can't Say Something Nice -- My Career as a Film Critic" presentation.  10 a.m.

Aug. 9:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 2.  "Deadline Pressure ... What Deadline Pressure" presentation. 10 a.m. 

A new year, an exciting new venture

Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in "Casablanca." (Courtesy:  Warner Bros.)

I've spent almost 30 years reviewing movies for major daily newspapers, NBC-TV nationwide and local San Antonio radio and TV stations and interviewing movie stars and filmmakers all over the U.S. and in several foreign countries.

It seems like a good idea at this point to me, my wife Suellen and friends Nancy Oppenheimer-Marks and Melinda Bond over at Home Instead Senior Care to share some of the memories, adventures and brushes with Hollywood's elite I've encountered over the years.

So, the New Year begins with an exciting new venture, which will coincide with my reviews, columns about life and commentary on this Web site.

Movie Memories with Larry Ratliff is a series of fun-filled presentations designed with the 50-plus crowd in mind, but suitable for any age group.

If you have a facility, a group of film lovers, or a business, organization or club in need of a speaker, look around on this page to see how a Movie Memories presentation can enlighten and entertain your group.

I'm partial to "Casablanca," as you'll see.  My hour and a-half presentation utilizes film clips and little known facts. We'll explore what I believe is one of the most interesting movies ever made.  Other presentations will follow.  See above and to the left. 

Call 972-599-2150 to check for availability and book your group's presentation.

Oh Christmas tree, why'd you do that to me?

I knew right away when we tried to put up our Christmas tree this year that there was going to be trouble.  Without going into too much detail, just know the stupid, #&^)$#@#@ stand was malfunctioning to a point that it could not be adjusted properly.

Suellen and I, bickering all the way (not laughing as the joyous season suggests), finally achieved something that appeared to be a semi-straight Christmas tree truce.

Long story short, after all the presents were unwrapped and a house full of relatives were bravely sharing the holiday with us, the Christmas tree, Suellen's most cherished decorating prize of 2009 or any year, decided to take a bow.

"The tree's falling," I said, too stunned to jump up from my lopsided, eroding, fairly new recliner (another story for another time).

Luckily my stepson Marc, who has the quick reflexes of a former star athlete, caught the tree, saving all the family heirloom ornaments and, quite possibly, my life.

That's my bad, Suellen.  In 2010, I promise we'll start the Christmas season off with a new tree stand that can handle your strict requirements; thick, full bottom and a nice shape above.  (I'm still talking tree here, folks.) 

"You must remember this." -- Movie trivia

Ready for a little movie-related fun?  Answer all five of our trivia questions correctly and you'll earn the Movie Memories 4-jalapeño salute, a high honor indeed.  (See answers below.) 

1.  At midnight on New Year's Eve we usually sing:

    a:  "Oh my aching head."

    b:  "Auld Lang Syne"

    c:  "I can't believe I stayed up this late."

2.  It's good luck on New Year's Day to:

    a:  Eat black-eyed peas

    b:  Eat Brussels sprouts

    c:  Listen to the Black Eyed Peas sing "Boom Boom Pow"

3.  In the 1972 movie "The Poseidon Adventure," what happens to the luxury liner as revelers ring in the  New Year?

    a:  The ship hits an iceberg.

    b:  The kitchen runs out of crab legs.

    c:  A giant wave turns the Poseidon upside down.

4.  Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr share a New Year's Eve kiss in "An Affair to Remember" (1957) and vow to meet six months later at:

    a:  A Black Eyed Peas concert

    b.  The top of the Empire State Building

    c:  Walgreens pharmacy window

5.  The most common New Year's Resolution is to:

    a:  Lose weight

    b:  Deal from the top of the deck this year

    c:  Never eat another black-eyed pea

(Trivia Answers:  1-b, "Auld Lang Syne"/2-a, Eat black-eyed peas/3-c, A giant wave turns the Poseidon upside down/4-b Top of the Empire State Building/5-a Lose weight)

Upcoming presentations

June 9:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at The Forum at Park Lane, Dallas.  6:45 p.m.

July 21:  An Enrichment Presentation at Richland College, Dallas. "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time." 1:45 p.m.

Aug. 2:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 1. "If You Can't Say Something Nice -- My Career as a Film Critic" presentation.  10 a.m.

Aug. 9:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 2.  "Deadline Pressure ... What Deadline Pressure" presentation. 10 a.m. 

Ho-ho-holiday films, trivia & more

Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and movie family in "It's a Wonderful Life." (Courtesy:  RKO Radio Pictures)

For me, a cinematic softy at heart, the holidays are never complete without watching Jimmy Stewart learn to appreciate the joy of living and giving in "It's a Wonderful Life."

If you're looking on TV for good Christmas movies that'll warm your heart, you have two very good choices Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. (Central Standard time).  NBC rolls out the old chestnut "It's a Wonderful Life," while ABC is featuring the modern animated marvel, "The Polar Express."  From this aisle seat, you can't go wrong with either one.

On Saturday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m., ABC gets into the comic Christmas spirit with "The Santa Clause 2" starring Tim Allen.

Heading to the DVD store?  You can pick up your own copy of most of the movies that'll blanket TV, including, of course, "It's a Wonderful Life."  For offbeat comedy, try "A Christmas Story."  And you can't go wrong with almost any version of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." 

Venturing out to the movie house?  All Robert De Niro fans will want to catch "Everybody's Fine."  In this remake of the Italian gem, De Niro is out front as a widower on a cross-country trip to see what his four adult kids are up to.

Paul Hogan's tips for senior care planning

Paul Hogan, the Omaha, Neb.-based co-founder of Home Instead Senior Care, was in Dallas recently to sign his new book, "Stages of Senior Care," a comprehensive step-by-step guide for making wise decisions about caring for seniors.

Hogan founded what has become a national and international string of home care franchises with his wife Lori in 1994.  It all began with Paul's Grandma Manhart, who begin to decline at the age of 88.

The Hogans rallied with family support.  It extended not only Grandma Manhart's life, but her quality of life as well.

"Personal experiences inspired me to start the company," Hogan says. "Once I started the company, I ran into more and more families. We'd be called in to talk about care and we'd sit around the kitchen table with an adult child pretty much steeped in anguish because three days ago Mom was playing bridge.   Two days ago she had a stroke, and now she's incapacitated.  Here's an adult child trying to guess at her care options and what her care preferences would be."

Paul and Lori wondered at first if their situation was unique, or if there was a widespread need for the type of home care company they were planning.

"We did our research and found out that 70 percent of seniors and their adult children aren't doing any planning for senior care.  These conversations just aren't happening."

The core of the problem, says Paul, is that one-third of all Baby Boomers feel their parents still see them as a child.

"That's 25 million people.  That's a lot.  We're all adults here, but there's that parent-child relationship that makes it hard to bring up sensitive topics like should you live in your home or should you be driving your car or is it time to start a will and put an advance directive in place and a health care proxy.  These things are very sensitive issues.  

"We started a program to help families have the conversation.  That's the 40-70 rule.  We all it 40-70 because when you are at about the age 40 and your parents are at about age 70, that's when you have two people who both are clear of mind.  But the 40-year-old is old enough to know that his knee hurts from that football injury or whatever and that it's not going to get any better.

"They understand chronic pain a little bit, so they appreciate aging to some degree.  That's about time you should begin having the conversations.  So we put together a Web site called  40-70 Talk (www.homeinstead.com/resources/4070/default.aspx).  You can go there and you can learn about all the conversation starters."

In addition, Hogan says, visitors to the 40-70 rule Web site can see helpful videos.

"If you look at this video, this video is how you should not bring up the car keys.  This will fail every time.  Click over here on the other side of the screen and this is how you can bring up the car keys and have a successful conversation," he says.

"You must remember this."  -- Movie trivia

OK, time for a little fun.  If you answer all five of our trivia questions correctly, you'll earn the Movie Memories 4-jalapeño salute.  That's a high honor in these parts.  (Answers follow the questions.)

1.  In "It's a Wonderful Life," what's the name of Jimmy Stewart's guardian angel?

A:  Ebenezer ... B:  Clarence ... or C:  Humphrey

2.  Frosty is a ...

A:  Dr Pepper float ... B:  IRS auditor ... or C:  Snowman

3.  Bing Crosby dreamed of a white ...

A:  Christmas ... B: Fourth of July ... or C: Chevy Nova

4.  What to leave out for Santa?

A:  Mrs. Santa ... B:  Cookies and milk ... or C:  GPS device

5.  In "It's a Wonderful Life," what did Jimmy Stewart promise to lasso for Donna Reed?

A:  A Merry Christmas ... B:  The moon ... or C:  Mean old  Mr. Potter 

(Trivia Answers:  1-B, Clarence/2-C, Snowman/3-A, Christmas/4-B Cookies and milk/5-B The moon)

Upcoming events

Look for exact dates to be listed in the January Movie Memories newsletter.  But here are some coming attractions:

"Casablanca" -- My Favorite Movie of All Time presentation at The Forum at Park Lane in Dallas in June

An Enrichment Presentation at Richland College in July

Richland College Emeritus Program classes in August