ON MOVIES ~ This Is The End...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Endings...

About three months ago, I left everyone hanging with the Monday Movie Meme.

I created this meme three years ago and never missed a week until my son Sammy was born. It is quite challenging to come up with a new topic each week for three years. It is also quite challenging to come up with movies or actors that you haven't highlighted in your selections before. Things can get stale otherwise.

Each week I would come up with a topic idea on the fly based on events happening in our real world. It was a fun way to personalize this meme and give visitors a window into our world.

As Sammy's arrival approached, I considered farming out the meme to select guest bloggers to keep the meme going. But to be honest, I liked the fact that our son's birth would legitimize a long term hiatus of the meme that had become more work than pleasure. And so, I abruptly stopped the meme, as well as posts of most any kind for several weeks.

Loyal and new meme participants alike carried on the torch in their own ways. Some continued the original format as new hosts on their own sites. Others used their Mondays to talk film on their blogs with a different spin. I am a bit protective of the Monday Movie Meme name and format, but recognize that I don't own a copyright to it and am honestly just happy that it may have inspired others to carry the torch so to speak.

We don't have much time to watch movies any more. And it is going to take us several decades to get through our Netflix queue of titles we learned about through our little meme. I wanted to take the time to formally thank all of you for playing along week to week or leaving comments with your responses here and on participants' posts.

I have no intention of reviving the Monday Movie Meme again, because I don't want to "jump the shark." But I felt it wrong to just kill it off without giving you the motivation behind things. After all, good movie murderers have an insidious past history that explains why they butcher teenagers in their path. I thought you should know the reason behind the plug being pulled on the Monday Movie Meme. Here are our favorite endings in film. Share on your blog movies with endings that felt complete to you and link back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Sports - Miracle, 2004 (reclaiming national pride)
• Horror - Friday The 13th, 1980 (never assume the bad guy is dead)
• Kids - Toy Story, 1995 (everyone should be reunited with their toys)
• Drama - The Color Purple, 1985 (never was there a more deserved reunion)
• Historical/Period - Dangerous Liaisons, 1988 (being the mastermind can bite you in the ass)
• Comedy - National Lampoon's Vacation, 1983 (who doesn't want to hijack an amusement park)
• Romance - When Harry Met Sally, 1989 (friends make the best spouses)
• War - Schindler's List, 1993 (always powerful when reality meets imagery)
• Action - The Gauntlet, 1977 (Clint Eastwood leaves carnage in his wake)
• Classic - The Wizard of Oz, 1939 (there's no place like home)
• Thriller - Se7en, 1995 (jaw-dropping)

ON MOVIES ~ Summertime...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Summer...

Summer is in full swing and yet already there are Back To School commercials starting to pop up. While we still have a week left in July, lets think about all those films set in Summer instead of shopping for backpacks and school clothes. Here are some that we came up with. Share on your blog movies set in the summertime and link back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Stand By Me - 1986
• The Sandlot - 1993
• Beaches - 1988
• Jaws - 1975
• Wet Hot American Summer - 2001

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Favorite Film To Date...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Favorites...

A while ago, Sandy @ You've GOTTA Read This suggested we do a post about our favorite movie viewed year-to-date. She has one in particular that she wanted to gush about and I promised her I would get to this topic. I meant to do it right at the end of June at the halfway point and then forgot. So without further ado, here is our favorite movie that we have watched so far in 2011. Share on your blog your favorite YTD movie - not necessarily one released this year, just a new-to-you film viewed this year, and link back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Juno (2007) - We are constantly behind the times here with our movie viewing. We watch a lot of movies, don't get me wrong. But we usually don't get to them until a couple of years after they come out. I put new releases on our Netflix queue so that when they get come out on DVD they will automatically get added to our viewing list so I don't forget about them. And then they get buried at the bottom. Which is why four years after its highly acclaimed release, we finally got around to watching this terrific little film.
  
  The cast was great. The story was quirky and funny, even for such a topic as teen pregnancy. In fact, it was quite touching without being sappy. And we both really enjoyed the entire movie. I can see why it got so much hype. And I'm glad it lived up to it. Expectations tend to balloon pretty high when you give a movie four years of build up before watching it ;0)

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ We're Havin' A Heat Wave...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Heat...

Devoted Monday Movie Meme-er Nicole @ The Madlab Post recently suggested a topic for us that I thought was very appropriate given the weather we have been having here in the Boston region lately. She wanted to discuss movies containing a heat wave or extreme summer heat that was present in but not necessarily the focus of the film. I have lived in plenty of apartments through the years that did not have A/C and were so hot that I would come home to find our cats passed out inside of the cool bathtub porcelain. So I can relate to a nasty bout of steamy weather. Thankfully we have central air in our home now, otherwise I would be too cranky to think of movies for you. That being said, I only have one selection for you today. But I think its a good one. Share on your blog movies that turned the heat on their characters and link back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Summer of Sam (1999) - Spike Lee's take on the summer of 1977 in NYC when fear and paranoia over a serial killer dubbed the Son of Sam was heightened by a blackout in the middle of an overpowering heat wave. Very cool character study - albeit crass and filled with sex - not unlike many 70's movies I suppose ;0)

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Battle Axe...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Epic Battle Scenes...

As we end Sandy's selection month of June here at the Monday Movie Meme, for today's topic she has selected movies that feature epic battle scenes. Please visit Sandy's blog, You've GOTTA Read This for her full intro. post and picks. As for us, we had a lot of fun revisiting the guts, gore and graphics that make up awesome scenes of conflict in the movies. Share on your blog those battle scenes that are so epic, they make you stop everything to watch. Link back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - Battle of Helm's Deep. The choreography, cinematography, carnage and chaos are absolutely magnetic.
• Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - Hoth Snow Battle. Even these old school graphics hold up remarkably when watching Imperial Walkers get tripped up by circling Rebel cables.
• The Warriors (1979) - Melee with the Baseball Furies. I'm sorry, but if you wear face paint and baseball uniforms as your gang colors, you deserve to have your bats used against you in a beat-down.
• Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) - The Bride vs. Tokyo - specifically young Gogo and then the Crazy 88's. Quentin Tarantino goes overboard with Uma in a visually balletic and glorious piece of campy and over the top bloody mayhem.
• Saving Private Ryan (1998) - The landing at Omaha Beach. This movie's opening sequence by Spielberg is quite possibly one of the most accurate, horrific and stunning sections of film regarding this lopsided and remarkable battle in WW2.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Prozac Anyone?...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Depressing Movies...

As we continue Sandy's selection month of June here at the Monday Movie Meme, for today's topic she has selected movies that leave you thoroughly depressed after viewing. Please visit Sandy's blog, You've GOTTA Read This for her full intro. post and picks. As for me, I was so relaxed not having to come up with a topic that I forgot entirely to post anything until I woke out of a sound sleep this morning realizing my lazy ways! As a result, I only have one selection for you today. Share on your blog movies that make you go totally bummed out and link back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Terms of Endearment (1983) - Oh sure, there are moments of levity and hope in this movie, along with a terrific cast, but it is not my idea of a pick-me-up by any means. Adultery, sickness, death, strained relationships....if not for a certain playboy astronaut next door, there'd be nothing encouraging going on here.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Somebody Better Do Some Splainin'...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Confusing Plots...

June is Sandy's month here at the Monday Movie Meme. Our beloved blogger over at You've GOTTA Read This is on vacation in Poland visiting family but didn't want to miss out on the movie posts she loves so much. So she offered to set the themes for the remainder of this month so she could create her posts in advance before she left and schedule them while she is gone. Plus, she finally gets first dibs on movie selections! Her first theme is all about confusing movie plots. Now, I don't mind a plot that makes you pay attention and think. But what I do mind are plots that leave you more confused at the end than when you started. We watched one such doozy this weekend, highlighted below. Hop on over to Sandy's blog to read the full theme explanation, share on your blog movies that make you go hmmmmmmm, and link back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• The Good Shepherd (2006) - I knew nothing about this plot going in. I only knew that Matt Damon played the starring role. The cast was All-Star and it was directed by De Niro. Sign me up! It appears that I would have been better served knowing more about the history of the CIA going in. From what I have read on message boards since viewing the movie, those that are fans of and familiar with the history of the CIA evolution and involvement in the Bay of Pigs enjoy this film tremendously. The rest of us, not so much. There are lots of intricate plot threads, unanswered questions with lots of shadowy implications, and after almost three hours I still couldn't put it all together. I'm not sure if this was supposed to be commentary on Damon's character and the path his life takes or a history of the CIA through his eyes or just an espionage tale. Maybe all three. Problem was, I couldn't follow any of those pieces clearly enough to appreciate any of them.
  
  I thought Damon's acting was rather blase because his character was so rigid throughout. De Niro was not a big presence. William Hurt was good as always, but off screen too much. Angelina Jolie was on screen a bit much, but her transformation from vibrant to worn down was nicely done. Alec Baldwin hammed things up a bit per usual, meaning I couldn't take him completely seriously. Joe Pesci's brief scene was well done but also nothing entirely new for his typical roles. I didn't even realize Timothy Hutton was in this film until the credits rolled. John Turturro was good with the few lines that he was given - most of his role was standing around or beating up a Russian. Michael Gambon was quite good in his screen time - too bad there wasn't more of it. I most enjoyed Tammy Blanchard who is new to me, in the love interest role of Laura. She lit up the screen. Seriously - this cast was mammoth. The plots never ending. Read up on a brief history of the CIA and then watch this film. Otherwise, you'll likely be as confused as I was. Andy fell asleep before De Niro hit the screen - then woke up for the very end. I wouldn't recommend that approach either.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ The Art Of Giving...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Gifts...

June marks a very busy birthday month in our extended family. Lots of little ones growing bigger and having parties to celebrate. Which means lots of fun time with the family, but also gifts to be bought. I enjoy shopping for others, when I have an idea of what will make them happy. When I'm uncertain, I turn to their parents for suggestions. I suppose I could turn to the movies, because there are lots of examples there of gifts being given. The trouble is, they aren't always given with good intentions, or well received. Here are some moments in film that we came up with highlighting the act of giving a gift. Share on your blog movies that feature presents, gifts or other tokens being presented, linking back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Meet The Parents (2000) - Before Greg is brought into the "Byrnes Family Circle of Trust," he is under the assumption that his girlfriend's father is a retired florist. On their first meeting, he brings him a rare flower believing it will blow him away. The confusing reaction he gets instead is just the beginning of quite possibly the worst weekend ever when trying to impress your girlfriend's family.
• Seven (1995) - A sadistic serial killer (is there any other kind?) makes things a bit too personal with Detective Mills (Brad Pitt) when he sends him a very disturbing gift providing an extreme twist at this movie's end.
• Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - Arwen gives Aragorn her necklace as a sign of her love and commitment to him and the mortality that will come with a non-elvin life.
• Say Anything (1989) - Never, I repeat, NEVER give a pen to someone to remember you by. It only leads to heartache. Just ask Lloyd Dobler when his high school love, Diane, dumps him with a pen as a farewell present.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Author, Author...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Writers...

This week marks the second annual Armchair BEA. This is an online event allowing the book blogging community to gather virtually while the live Book Expo America takes place in New York City at the same time. If you are a book blogger or bookworm by all means check out the Armchair BEA host site for all kinds of fun posts, giveaways and interactive features throughout the week. I will have mostly bookish thoughts here this week as a result. We would not have all those terrific (and not so terrific) books to explore and escape with if not for the writers who pen them. The movies like to pay tribute to writers as well. After all, without them we'd be hard up for a good flick. Here are some writers in film that we came up with. Share on your blog movies that feature writers, authors, poets and scribes, linking back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Misery (1990) - One of many Stephen King based stories featuring a writer. Author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) learns the hard way that sometimes it is best to keep your biggest fan happy. Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes earned an Oscar for her evil performance here.
• Romancing The Stone (1984) - One of our favorites! Romance writer, Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner), travels to Columbia to rescue her kidnapped sister with the comedic help of strapping Jack Colton (Michael Douglas). We especially love how Juan was Joan Wilder's biggest fan and aids them during a dangerous chase.
• Shakespeare In Love (1998) - I personally thought this film was vastly overrated, but maybe I was just in a cranky mood when I watched it. After all, a romantic period comedy about the creation of Romeo and Juliet should be a winner.
• The Player (1992) - Devilishly witty and dark look at Hollywood from director Robert Altman about a studio executive (Tim Robbins) being blackmailed by an unknown spurned screenwriter.
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) - Mind trip movie about writer Raoul Duke and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, getting sidetracked with psychadelics in Las Vegas when Duke was sent to cover a journalism assignment. Based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson which was based on his own misadventures in the same situation.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ The Farmer In The Dell...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Farms...

This weekend we snuck in a day of weeding, planting and trimming our pathetic garden beds and shrubs. We are very excited because we FINALLY have our driveway and front landscaping being done over the next week. This is something we have been saving time and money for due to The Shed Issue. With the infamous shed just about complete, we could move forward with making the front of our home look presentable to the neighborhood. Combine this with our upcoming Gardening Chat this Friday evening for anyone interested, and we have planting and growing on our minds. Movies have featured farms and farming forever. Their roles in film have changed and even diminished some as the industry of farming has waned. But there are plenty of examples out there. Here are a few that we thought of. Share on your blog movies that are set on a farm, focus on farmers or reference farming in some way, linking back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Places In The Heart (1984)
• Witness (1985)
• Field Of Dreams (1989)
• Kingpin (1996)
• Children of the Corn (1984)

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Katharine The Great...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Katharine Hepburn...

We spent this past Mother's Day weekend visiting my family in Connecticut. After a lovely breakfast we ventured over to my brother and sister-in-law's new place in Old Saybrook, with the ocean a short walk at the end of their street. A beautiful town on the Connecticut Shore, its most famous resident was none other than the impressive Katharine Hepburn. She and her family lived there throughout her life and it is where she died. A new theatre was dedicated to her memory and bears her name there. So what other possible topic could there be for this week other than the winningest Best Actress herself? Here is our favorite Hepburn film. Share on your blog your favorite moments, memories or films featuring Katharine, linking back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

The African Queen (1951) - Co-starring Humphrey Bogart and earning her 5th Best Actress Oscar nomination - which she lost to Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire - Katharine portrayed Rose Sayer, a woman with a plan, and an unlikely accomplice, to attack a WW1 enemy in Africa

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Up, Up And Away...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Flight...

Guess what?! Spring has finally arrived in Boston! We spent part of a lovely weekend at a kite festival fundraiser for autism trying to get our kites up in the air for more than two seconds. Eventually, with the help of a kind stranger, some gusty wind and lots of luck we succeeded in making those kites fly high in the air. Flight is something humans have been fascinated with for a long time. The movies are filled with flying dreams and realities. Here are a few examples we came up with. Share on your blog films focused on flight, things that fly or become airborne, linking back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Superman (1978)
• Catch Me If You Can (2002)
• Star Wars (1977)
• The Birds (1963)
• Apollo 13 (1995)

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Fuzzy Faces...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Facial Hair...

Boston is an Original Six hockey town. And right now the Bruins are caught up in a thrilling series with those hated Montreal Canadiens. The B's have mounted a determined comeback against the Habs including a double OT win over the weekend to take a series lead. Playoff hockey leads its players to grow playoff beards for good luck. Some of them, such as Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, choose instead to rock a porno stache. In the past, Andy has tried growing facial hair of his own in support of his team. Not my favorite idea. But I do have some favorite movie characters who rocked their facial hair. Here are a few we are particularly fond of. Share on your blog characters in film with memorable beards and or mustaches, linking back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

Dr. Zhivago - Dr. Zhivago (1965)

Captain Hook - Peter Pan (1953)

Inigo Montoya - The Princess Bride (1987)

Yukon Cornelius - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)

The Dude - The Big Lebowski (1998)

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Run Like The Wind...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Running...

Monday marks the 115th running of the Boston Marathon - the oldest annually contested marathon in the world. Having studied, lived and worked along its storied route for half my life, it holds a special place in my heart. I fulfilled my lifetime quota for running during 4 years of track in high school. Andy, as a former cross country athlete, has run in the challenging Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod. But neither of us have or ever plan to run a marathon. Driving the route is tiring enough. We do know folks crazy enough to be running in Boston this year and wish them nothing but the best. Lots of movies feature runners, running scenes and foot races. Here is a small sampling of those off the top of our heads. Share on your blog those movies that make your feet tired just watching and link back here so that others can find you. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Running Brave (1983) - True and inspiring story of American Indian Olympian, Billy Mills
• Forrest Gump (1994) - Run, Forrest, Run!!! Boy did he ever.
• The Running Man (1987) - Good thing Reality TV hasn't advanced to quite this level.
• The Fugitive (1993) - Richard Kimball on the run for a murder he didn't commit.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Flower Power...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Flowers...

A week ago in the Boston area we had snow falling. Now it is approaching the 80's. With this sudden warmth, buds are popping up on the trees and from the ground. I never remember what flowers were planted where, so Spring to me is like a surprise present every year. Flowers and plants abound in the movies. Sometimes they are the main characters. Other times they are the name of a character. There are movies featuring stunning flower visuals in scenes and other times a plant is a driving force behind the overall theme. Pick any angle of the flower and plant in film variety and share your movie list on your blog, linking back here so others can find you. Here is our contribution - a list of movies with flowers or plants appearing in the title. Don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• War of the Roses (1989)
• Wild Orchid (1990)
• Steel Magnolias (1989)
• Poison Ivy (1992)
• White Oleander (2002)
• Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
• The Rose (1979)

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Ladies In Orange Jumpsuits...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Women & Prison...

Nicole at The Madlab Post is all things Indy Film. She's got lots to say about her industry of choice and it would serve you well to stop by. She suggested a topic for us and we thought it best to go along, for fear of being locked up if we disobeyed. We've covered prison movies, heists and jail breaks before, but we've never focused on the fairer sex and their portrayal in the prison system. Nicole wants to focus on women who are held captive or imprisoned during a film. I would broaden that scope to include women who hold roles as guards and captors. There is one film that leaped to mind instantly, and that's the only one we're going to highlight today. Share on your blog movies that feature female prisoners, guards, or those who are accused and on their way to the Big House, linking back here. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

MONSTER

So who would have thought that the sparklingly beautiful Charlize Theron could play the role of rough around the edges, utterly damaged and unstable Aileen Wuornos so convincingly in this 2003 "based on the true story" account of her transformation from prostitute to serial killer? I thought the story was tragic, the psyche twisted and the movie well done.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Movie Madness...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Insanity...

In case you hadn't noticed, there is a little college basketball tournament this month called March Madness. It is so named because of the format pitting higher seeded teams against the underdogs with a "one and done" elimination game allowing the winner to advance to the next level until there are only 2 teams remaining to battle it out for the championship. With a large amount of teams competing in the first round it is wall to wall basketball on multiple channels taking place all over the country. And with lots of Cinderalla stories causing upsets along the way it gets crazy. Thus the March "Madness" moniker. This madness is fun to watch. In the movies, madness can be entertaining to watch too. Sometimes scary, sometimes sad and sometimes madcap fun. Here are some examples we came up with. Share on your blog movies that feature maniacs, lunatics, psychos, crazed behavior or mentally tortured souls. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Shutter Island (2010)
• The Shining (1980)
• The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1992)
• What About Bob? (1991)
• Girl, Interrupted (1999)
• The Three Faces of Eve (1957)

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ For The Foodies...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Food...

I edit the Restaurants Blog for UpTake - a travel search engine site. This means that in addition to managing a small staff of writers, I also write posts of my own reviewing restaurants, bars, markets, cooking classes, food & wine expos, charitable food events and any other culinary functions going on in my region of the world or wherever I happen to travel. This is fun to get paid to do. But I don't get free meals and the food I eat for the cause is not without calories! I generally spend a portion of my weekends eating out somewhere and then writing my reviews for the upcoming week. All this focus on food leads me to thoughts of food in film. Here is a feast of selections I came up with that feature food in film. Share on your blog movies that are about growing, cooking, serving, eating or any other function of food, linking back here. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Animal House (1978) - What better example of a food fight in film is there?
• American Pie (1999) - Although this movie totally cracks us both up, I do always feel pretty sorry for that poor pie.
• Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) - Sometimes, candy dreams that come true aren't always as yummy as you think they would be. Just ask Veruca Salt.
• Forrest Gump (1994) - That box of chocolates he ate at the bus stop provided one of film's most famous phrases.
• Diner (1982) - I love pretty much everything about this Barry Levinson classic. Some of my favorite scenes revolve around food. Earl ordering the whole left side of the menu. Mickey Rourke's popcorn box trick. Kevin Bacon's fake ketchup blood. Steve Guttenburg demanding a bologna sandwich from his poor mother.
• Goodfellas (1990) - I still find the dinner scene at Joe Pesci's mother's house to be utterly disturbing, considering the brutal events leading up to that casual meal.
• Pretty Woman (1990) - I will never think of fancy dining the same way. I always giggle when pondering the silverware thanks to Julia Roberts' bumbling with those "slippery little suckers."

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Feeling Bookish...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Books In The Movies...

This coming Friday, our monthly Bumble Town Chat will be a meet & greet with myself and the rest of the quirky girls from our group book blog, Quirky Girls Read. In honor of our book blogging interests, today's movie topic is all about books in the movies. Not movies made from books, but movies that feature books, reading, librarians, bookstores and the like. Here are a sampling of what came to our minds. Share on your blog some of your favorite bookish flicks, linking back here. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• The Music Man (1962) - Scammer Harold Hill falls for Marian the Librarian
• You've Got Mail (1998) - Bookstore chain owner's takeover of an independent bookstore gets complicated when he realizes she is the online love he's been falling for.
• The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) - It would be nice if my librarian disappeared just as my overdue charges were being discussed. It would also be nice if my librarian looked like Eric Bana who plays the romantic lead role in this tale of a time traveling librarian in Chicago.
• Seven (1995) - Well read police detective figures out a serial killer's motives by digging deep into the classics at the library.
• The Breakfast Club (1985) - Not a very bookish film, but the entire movie takes place in a high school library while the student delinquents try to overcome their Saturday School detention.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.

ON MOVIES ~ Trimming The Fat...

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MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Molly looked around for a weekly meme about movies and did not have any luck. So therefore she decided to start her own! Andy will play along as well - hopefully you will too. Go to your blog and create your own post on the topic, linking back to us in your post, then come back and leave a link to your post here in our Comments section. If you don’t have a blog, just share your response in the Comments section.

This week's movie topic is all about Weight...

While Andy was off skiing in Vermont for guys' weekend, I attended our niece's 1st birthday party and pigged out. There were tons of kids and presents, laughs and love. And also quite a yummy spread of food. I enjoyed it all but was quite partial to the brownies with cookies baked right in. So as I was loosening my belt waiting for Andy to find his way home, I got to thinking about movie characters battling a weight issue. Here are a few that sprung to mind. Share on your blog movies featuring those who want to lose or need to gain extra pounds, linking back here for others to see. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

• Dreamgirls (2006) - Before Jennifer Hudson found her new figure in real life, she played the bold, bodacious and gifted Effie White whose full figure kept her talented voice from being front and center where it belonged in the musical girl group she helped to found.
• The Nutty Professor (1996) - Professor Sherman Klump's obsession with weight loss leads to a whole mess of entertaining chaos thanks to Eddie Murphy's talents.
• Shallow Hal (2001) - Jack Black's character Hal gets hypnotized to see only inner beauty and therefore experiences the joy of true love with obese Rosemary while the rest of his world can't understand why he's not still shallow.

 Do you have a topic to suggest to the Monday Movie Meme? Or would you like to guest host? Let us know in the Comments section or send us an e-mail.