Movies!
We don't have cable TV. We can view a few television channels with an antenna but we rarely watch them. It isn't because of the expense. It is because we don't want to be tempted to spend a lot of time watching television as our lives go by. We read the newspaper for our news and watch movies when we feel like a little entertainment on the screen. I admit that before I married Keith 7 years ago I used to watch television every evening like most Americans. I would be able to discuss the latest sitcom with the best of them. Now at times I do feel a bit out of the loop when someone starts talking about a particular episode of a popular TV show and I sit there with a blank look on my face. I have no idea what they are talking about. But it is also so amazing what I can get accomplished since I have stopped watching television.
In the summer evenings I will be out in the garden, or out riding my bike with the dogs, or some other outdoor activity. In the winter I like to read, work on crafts, take an online class and lately working on this blog. I can honestly say I don't miss watching television.
I have found one odd side affect of not watching television. Television is where you learn to pronounce words! If a new politician, entertainer or product comes on the scene we will read about it in the paper. However, the paper doesn't give the proper pronunciation. I will pronounce it in my head the way I think it should sound so after awhile I think the pronunciation in my head is correct. Then I blurt it out wrong to someone who does watch television and if I'm lucky they will correct me. If I'm not so lucky I will go on using this pronunciation until someone, like my sister does correct me. I have tried to get in the habit of asking people who watch television how to pronounce something if I think I might use it in conversation more than once. Anyway, I will stop rambling. I just thought this was a weird phenomenon that others might not realize if they do watch TV. So if you ever hear me pronounce something wrong please correct me! I will be very grateful for the information!
Back to Movies.......
I do love to watch movies. We have a mail order subscription service to get our movie fix. We rent main stream movies, obscure Foreign movies, documentaries and other little known offbeat movies. And yes, we can also order an occasional television series when we hear good reviews. We once watched all 5 seasons of Six Feet Under over the course of a year with no commercials. It was fantastic!
Do you realize how hard it is to narrow down a list of favorite movies? It took me forever and I know I missed so many. But here goes.
Chicago: I love a good musical and this one is just so much fun.
The Pursuit of Happyness: I don't think I have ever rooted for someone in a movie as much as I did for Will Smith in this one. It will definitely makes you stop and think about the homeless and the bad luck or social issues that brought them to where they are now. It is an eye opener.
Bridges of Madison County: This is not your typical romance but Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood do such a fantastic job that it works. I love just any movie with Meryl Streep. She is such a wonderful actress.
Mamma Mia! : This movie did not do well with the critics but who cares. It's fun and the music is great and again Meryl Streep is wonderful!
Hachi: A Dog's Tale: I knew I was in trouble when the video store attendant said, "This movie makes Old Yeller look like a comedy"! Eeek. He was right. It was a real tear jerker but a great movie for dog lovers.
Man of the Year: Robin Williams is so funny. This political satire comedy is a hoot!
Documentaries: We enjoy a good documentary and here are a few:
The David Attenborough version is the best!
Foreign Movies: One great feature of mail order movie subscriptions is the availability to great foreign movies that may be hard to get otherwise. Here are a few we thought were exceptional.
Miscellaneous: Here are a few other movies and mini-series I can't say that I loved because the content is so heartbreaking and sad. But I think they are excellent and worth mentioning:
I would love to hear your favorite movies too
so I can add them to our list! Please share!
