Saturday movie briefs: A holiday movie montage for every holiday mood

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Saturday movie briefs: A holiday movie montage for every holiday mood

The ultimate holiday movie montage collection

The holiday season can stir up a goofy gamut of feelings. From sentimental to sad, giving to Grinchy, delighted to dour, lonely to I. Just. Want. To. Be. Alone! Sometimes all in one day.

Whether your mood has you feeling magical, mad, blessed or blue there's a Christmas movie montage perfect for you.

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Stars and Cars: Week Two

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Stars and Cars: Week Two

When it comes to week two of my film-going, Toyota test-driving gig the first part of November, I'm hard-pressed to say which I was more enthusiastic about: the movies or the mode of transportation. 

Both the festival films and the 2018 Toyota Camry XSE provided numerous delightful experiences on their own. If pushed to narrow my faves of each down to a list of five, though, I'd have to go with the following five for each.

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Saturday movie briefs and reviews: Summer intermission

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movie review intermission

As I, like most folks, am spending more time outside than in front of screens of any sort or size during the summer months, I'm here to let you know I will not be posting Saturday movie reviews nor Saturday movie briefs throughout the summer.

I will return after Labor Day, though. And in the meantime, if you find yourself seeking movie recommendations of varied sorts, please scroll through my archives of Saturday movie reviews.

Cheers, dear movie-loving grandmothers and others! And cheers to making the most of our far too few summer Saturdays!

Saturday movie brief: Spring 2017 must-see wish list

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Spring is not my favorite season for film releases. My favorite time for such is late fall and beyond, when studios focus on films for the holiday — and award — seasons.

That said, there are a few films coming out this spring that I can't wait to see. One I have already seen — GIFTED — thanks to a recent screening, but I'm including it on the list because it's one I definitely think you should see, too (watch for my movie review of it scheduled for next Saturday).

My spring 2017 movies-to-see wish list

The Zookeeper's Wife

THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE March 31, 2017

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Saturday movie brief: Catching up on contenders

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oscar nominated films

Next Sunday, February 26, the 89th Academy Awards will be televised.

And, oh, I'm so woefully unprepared.

The Academy Awards are my Super Bowl. I look forward to them every year. I don't host a party for the annual awarding of the Oscars, but my movie-loving husband and I do spend the evening in front of the television cheering on our favorites of the films and their makers — actors, directors, and otherwise — of the nominated pictures we've seen.

Which is where the "woefully unprepared" part comes in. We...

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Saturday movie brief: Balm for bleak times

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Amelie 

When the day-to-day of life turns not so rosy, one of my favorite escapes is through films. Though not an all-out remedy for the blues or bleakness of any sort, personal or otherwise, movies certainly provide relief. For a little while, at least.

Yesterday being the inauguration of our 45th president, I'm in the mood...

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Saturday movie review: La La Land

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This movie review will be like no other. Because LA LA LAND is like no other movie — at least not any other movie released in the past several decades.

LA LA LAND is, though, similar to the magical musicals of the '40s, '50s and early '60s, those spectacular song-and-dance spectacles that swept viewers away. Made them swoon, smile, sometimes sob a teensy bit. Those cinematic wonders moviegoers experienced not simply watched.

Which makes LA LA LAND special, worthy of a special review.

la la land movie

So instead of telling you about LA LA LAND, I'm going to show you LA LA LAND. Or as much as I can find to share without...

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6 topics on which I could speak with ease... even if drunk

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6 topics on which I could speak with ease... even if drunk

 

I belong to several online writing groups. As a freelance writer, the gathering spots of like-minded wordsmiths are where I most often find support, advice, inspiration.

One tidbit I recently gleaned from such a group was instruction on how to determine the topics that one might determine — and promote to publishers — as his or her areas of expertise. The simple solution offered was to consider...

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Muppets, hot flashes and more: My movie trailer roundup

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I am a huge fan of books. I'm fortunate to get a lot of books to review here on Grandma's Briefs — primarily cookbooks and children's books — and I share most of them in the Back Room.

I'm also a huge fan of movies, and I get a lot of press releases — sometimes even full releases — of movies to share with you, too. Back before I chose to take weekends off from blogging, I often shared movie trailers with you in my The Saturday Post posts. Because I've not been posting The Saturday Post posts, though, I have a long list of films I've wanted to share but have not yet gotten around to doing so.

Well today I'm doing so! Today I'm sharing with you some film trailers I recently received, from the upcoming Muppets Most Wanted to the now-available and not-to-be-missed Hot Flash Havoc plus a few in between that you and your family might enjoy, too.

Sit back and enjoy the show(s)!

MUPPETS MOST WANTED (rating TBD, in theaters March 21, 2014):

HOME RUN (rated PG-13, now available on DVD and Blu-ray)

THÉRÈSE (French, limited USA release August 23, 2013)

 

THOR: THE DARK WORLD (rating TBD, in theaters November 8, 2013)

AUSTENLAND (PG-13, limited release August 16, 2013)

HOT FLASH HAVOC (documentary, available now on DVD and online streaming) — I recently watched this one. It's brilliant, humorous, eye-opening, entertaining and jam-packed with vital information for women and those who love them. Bonus: My #GenFab friend Haralee Weintraub, owner of Haralee Sleepwear, is featured in the film. (Disclosure: I saw this film for free, courtesy the film company, but opinions are my own.)

Click this link to get a 20 percent discount on the streaming version of Hot Flash Havoc courtesy the film makers, making it $3.99 for a seven-day rental — and worth every penny.

Want more trailers? In the Back Room, you'll find trailers for Disney's FROZEN, PLANES, and SAVING MR. BANKS plus Dreamworks' THE FIFTH ESTATE.

Today's question:

What movie did you most recently see, in theaters or at home?