movies – hannah ananas

Older movies

Movies from the ‘80s and ‘90s, as my man pointed out tonight, really make us both long for the speed of life back then. Cars were simpler, communication networks were simpler, the speed of life was not necessarily slower, but felt slower – more time was taken to do fewer things, versus the small bits of time given to loads of things nowadays. When people made commitments, they kept them. Life wasn’t usually so hurried, because people didn’t try to cram in as many things as possible in a day, every day. Life was still hard, but much less stress-inducing as a baseline. Even though we couldn’t find answers very quickly to most questions we had, it still was really nice. We spent so much time with one another, instead of just around one another. Life felt fuller, satisfying. I miss that sometimes. Though, I guess that means I can start being even more intentional about how I conduct my own life now, see what parts we can re-incorporate these days. I’ve done it in bits before, so I can look to see what else I can do now, and how I can do it even better now than I did the last go ‘round.

God, guide me, please. Thank you for this life. Please, heal those in need of you. And heal those in need of physical healing, too, please. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

Movie night

My brother came over to help shovel dirt and then to watch Top Gun: Maverick. It was pouring rain, and the trailer hadn’t been returned anyway, so the shoveling dirt was cancelled, but the movie was still on. He hadn’t seen it yet, and my man was not going to let that go on for long (we found out on Wednesday night at dinner). We had started A Knight’s Tale just ‘cause after I got home (actually, my man had had in a movie that was too stressful for me, so he switched it to something I could handle, which ended up being A Knight’s Tale), and had left it paused on the first frame when we ran to the store. My brother arrived before us and, once we arrived, commented on that we were watching A Knight’s Tale, which he recognized from the opening frame… as would I, of course.

Well, for whatever reason, we watched A Knight’s Tale. It turns out that my brother and I know just about every line of the film, and it is a favorite of us both. My man hadn’t seen it in a long while, so he actually had to pay attention much more closely than we did. Nonetheless, we watched and enjoyed the film together.

And then, after a short Duolingo and bathroom break, just because it was almost ten-thirty PM on a Friday night, we watched Top Gun: Maverick. And we very much enjoyed that one, too, of course.

And so, now, at 1:30AM, my brother had headed home and we are getting ready for bed, content from our miniature and unanticipated movie marathon. ’Twas a good night. ’Twas a good night.

Thank you, God. Keep us all safe, please. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

The King’s Speech

The film is a marvelous one, and it has been on my mind lately. Finally, tonight, I was able to watch it (again, of course), and it was as lovely as ever. In some ways, it was better than ever, really, as it had a new context applied to it.

You see, I got curious, and looked up the recording of the actual broadcast by King George VI that is portrayed in the film. I listened to it. By George, Colin Firth does a spectacular job of portraying the real man and his historic speech. I also crossed a 60 minutes shortened clip, and that shed wonderful light on the film and the story and the characters within it. I also followed it with glimpsing one of the letters the King had written to Lionel Logue, thanking him for the support with the coronation and commenting that, though he’d said his part well enough, several other bits went slightly awry, including that he’d gotten ink all over his hand from the pen. 😛 It was adorable and silly and absolutely wonderful. I’d love to read the whole collection, if it were an option. They seem to have had a truly wonderful and powerful friendship, and I am grateful to know as much as I do about such a blessing.

Thank you, God, for such friendships and dedication and love. Help us to have more of it in the world today. In your name, I pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

Great Films

Tonight, we finished watching Top Gun: Maverick… again.

We started it the other night, and stopped about halfway through to use the bathroom, and decided it was smartest to go to sleep immediately. So, we did the second half tonight.

And I was almost ready to hit start all over again once it ended.

This movie is just that great. And knowing how much of it was true flying, actually filmed in jets and all that jazz makes it all the better. Just such a good film. I really love it.

Thank you, God, for the blessing of wonderful art, especially wonderful films. In your name, I pray in gratitude. Amen! ❤

Post-a-day 2023

A super night

Well, I have finally seen the original Superman film, the one from 1978. Unsurprisingly, I found Superman quite handsome and Lois Lane a major idiot. The film was unnecessarily long, however, I believe it was intentionally taking its time to show certain film features that were rather new back then, still, and that were done rather well, and that was cool to see.

What is most exciting, perhaps, is that I have finally discovered and seen the scene which inspired the, “Gee, thanks, mister!” used in Hercules when the two sidekicks, Pain and Panic, are human boys being rescued from under the boulder that Hercules should have just set right back down… anyway… So, knowing that line’s origin now is great, and it was quite fun how I discovered it! So, yay!

Thank you, God, for a blessed and productive day today, as well as a blessed and entertaining night. Goodnight. Amen.

“Krypton with a K-R-Y-P-T-O-N.”

Post-a-day 2023

Give some credits

At the end of a good movie or show, when the credits music is right, I love to dance to it. Especially if the movie was a happy one and one where things were accomplished, I am already in a celebratory and happy mood. Put on some great music that makes one want to move, and I am so on board. I, too, want to accomplish things and be happy and take on the world successfully, like they did in the movie (or, sometimes, show). The story followed by the music just makes me want to jump up and dance wild and freely right there in the living room. I love living room dancing period, and this is one of those living room dancing times that is particularly goofy and fun. It’s just great and so freeing…

I have yet, however, to find anyone since my childhood who enjoys doing this with me. When I first began visualizing the partner I wanted to have in life, back as a teenager or, possibly, pre-teen, I had these visions of the two of us dancing together in the living room of a cabin-in-the-woods type of house, in front of the fireplace, on the big living room rug. I wanted this to be a nightly occurrence, really.

Alas, that has yet to happen. It has partly happened, in that I got my man to dance with me a couple times to this long, thrumping song that plays at the end of the Mandalorian episodes. But that’s it for the living room dancing. Otherwise, I’m the only one who hops up after a film to dance around and have fun. I seem to be the only one who’ll dance around at all, really…

Guess I’ll have to work on that with him, because I really want to dance with him both at home and at dance things and anywhere at all. My first guess is that he likely is like most people – how I myself was at one point – in that he likely feels a lack of confidence in his ability to ‘dance around’ or dance spontaneously and freely/free-form, and so feels embarrassed whenever he attempts it, and, therefore, avoids it.

Here’s to hoping we can resolve whatever it is for him that holds him back from being silly and dancing with me, because it is such a wonderful experience to go wild with dancing in the living room. Cheers.

Dear God, please, heal us all. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Post-a-day 2023

That non-nutritive cereal varnish

I felt like I was truly in “Christmas Vacation” yesterday, when I poured myself a bowl of Cap’n Crunch cereal. You see, this bag of cereal has been open for months, truly. And it has been not just open but not even clipped shut the past month and a half, at least. Basically, there was no way I was expecting anything other than stale, slightly squishy and likely no-crunch cereal when I went to bite into this cereal. No way. This is Houston, Texas. We don’t have non-stale cereal that has been opened more than a couple weeks at most, and that’s with a good, tight roll and bag clip.

No, there was just about zero chance this cereal would be anything more than slightly-satisfying stale stuff.

And yet, as I bit down on the first two pieces, just to have a sample before eating it with (almond) milk, I was shocked with a genuine, solid, and real CRUNCH!

My immediate thought was, It’s that non-nutritive cereal varnish! No joke.

Not sure of what that means? Well, do read:

“Oh, the Crunch enhancer? Yeah, it’s a non-nutritive cereal varnish. It’s semi-permiable. It’s not osmotic. What it does is it coats and seals the flake, prevents the milk from penetrating it.”

Still lost as to where I’ve gained this bizarrely unique information about cereal? Allow me:

Clark: I went ahead and I put a 7500-dollar deposit down on it.

Bill: You're the last true family man.

Mr. Shirley, approaching: Mark!

Clark, sipping: Mmh. Clark.

[silence]

Clark: That's Bill, sir.

[silence]

Mr. Shirley: Are you the one who was working on that non-nutritive cereal varnish?

Clark: Yes, sir.

Mr. Shirley: I’ve gotta give a speech to a trade group. I'd like to mention it. Write up a brief summary and have it to me by the end of the day.

Clark: My pleasure.

Mr. Shirley: Layman's terms! None of that inside bullshit jargon that nobody understands.

Clark: Yes, sir.

[Shirley starts to leave]

Clark: Oh, Mr. Shirley… Ah, we got your Christmas card the other day, and my family and I are very flattered that you remembered us.

[silence]

Associate: Corporate cards.

[silence]

Mr. Shirley: Don't forget that report, Bill.

Clark: Yes, sir. Thank you. Merry Christmas…

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Merry Christma— Kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your ass.

Happy Hanukkah.

My own personal serving of cereal with an almost-definite non-nutritive cereal varnish that worked wonders! 😛

Happy almost Christmas in July! ‘Tis the season, ne?! 😛

Post-a-day 2023

First Impressions

‘I didn’t really like [———] at first.’

‘I didn’t either… She was very much a ‘CrossFit You got this!’ coach as her first impression… Maybe she’s just really shy.’

‘Maybe.’

‘I really like her now, though. She’s really cool.’

‘Yeah. I like her, too.’

The casual conversation during an absolutely terrible movie that I forgot wasn’t actually a Hallmark Christmas movie, but a NETFLIX(!!!) one… 1) That movie was shockingly terrible in all respects, despite the premise being cute. 2) I wonder how often a shy person in a setting that requires extroverted interactions gets a bad rap, when, really, everyone actually would love the person, given a different initial setting.

Post-a-day 2022

P.S. “The Noel Diary”… I’ve warned you. Enjoy! 😛

A touch of research…

… has determined that, as I expected from the Rosary recordings, Mark Wahlberg was Catholic from childhood (perhaps from age 13). Why I believed this to be the case initially was due to how he says the prayers. Firstly, there is a comfort and ease about them that comes only from much time and practice spent with the prayers. Secondly, he has the cadence of them as they are actually said in Church, which is again something that comes with much time and exposure. And thirdly, he says a few words different from how they occur in the official version of the prayer. These are words that, I believe, would be easy mistakes when learning the prayers aurally, by listening, which is mostly how we learn them as children. For example, in the Our Father, instead of, “Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,” he says, “Give us this day our daily bread, but forgive us our trespasses…” Also, at the end of the O, My Jesus prayer, the line is, “…especially those in most need of thy mercy.” Mark Wahlberg says, “…especially those in most need of thine mercy.” If he had been reading the words, he would have noticed and corrected his errors, I believe. And the only reason he wouldn’t be reading them is because he is already so familiar with them, he can say them by heart.

Anyway, that’s where we are now with it all. He was Catholic already as a kid after all, it seems. However, the film is a great story filled with lots of opportunities to cry one’s eyes out. It ends with a happy feeling inside (just for those who need to know that before watching movies with sad stuff in them).

Here’s the trailer and a small message from Mr. Mark Wahlberg himself about how he wanted to share this story with the world: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DHREzAdyCPs&feature=emb_title

Post-a-day 2022

Is it true??

Did Marky Mark really convert to Catholicism after portraying Father Stu in the film by the same name?? I must look into this. My man already said we need to watch that film as soon as possible (and that he would watch it tonight, if I weren’t going to be ready to watch it very soon). This could be a very intriguing turn of events here…

Dun-dun-dunnnnnnnnn!!!!!!

Post-a-day 2022