I think I'm Allergic to Cats and Bad Remakes

So this week we had a couple of movie trailers drop.  One I'm excited about.  One, eh.  Not so much! 

Tom Cruise has barely aged since the original Top Gun aired in 1986.  Being a Scientologist he probably doesn't drink or smoke (I think that may be a thing with them; JLo is? was? a Scientologist at one point and doesn't drink or smoke).  Obviously he takes care of himself and works out regularly for his physically demanding roles.  If he's had some work done, it's been subtle. 

https://youtu.be/cVRHG6z7sN8

 

 

I think Jennifer Hudson is one helluva singer.  Not that crazy about her acting skills (i.e., Sex and The City 2 she was horrible) and I think she looks terrible as a cat.  There.  I said it. She doesn't look good as a feline.  Taylor Swift, on the other hand, is exactly what I think she'd look like as a cat.  Unfortunately, James Corden looks like the Cat in the Hat's evil twin. 

https://youtu.be/FtSd844cI7U

The new Lion King officially opens today.  What is with all of these live-action remakes?  We recently had the Jungle Book, Aladdin (haven't seen it yet), Dumbo (will NEVER see it.  I think Dumbo was one of the scariest movies ever when I was a kid.  I hated seeing Dumbo cry for his mama and being scared at the circus with the crazy fireman clowns and the building on fire).  Soon we'll have an  updated The Little Mermaid.  And now the Lion King is back, too. Round and round we go. Cue Savannah sunrise. Cue "Naaaants ingonyama bagithi baba!"

This new Lion King has some serious star power:  Jon Favreau, James Earl Jones reprises his role as Mufasa.  Donald Glover as the grown-up lion prince Simba, Beyonce as the older lioness Nala and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the villainous Scar.  Zazu is voiced by John Oliver.   Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen take over for Nathan Lane's meerkat and Ernie Sabella's warthog.  Despite the celebrity voices, I'm not sure if I'll be seeing this update. 

It's Cool

Possible rain showers today across North Texas and I couldn't be happier!  My poor plants desperately need rain!  Although we water regularly, our plants and flowers are so burnt from the excessive sun and heat.  We had 11 straight days of triple digits, temps dropped for a few days (when I say dropped, I mean they dipped under 100), and then they were back up into triple digits.  This week we should be in the low- to mid-90's and it seems like everyone is over the heat and ready for football season.  I think I read somewhere that as of the other day, we had 5 Saturday's to go for college kick-off. 

We've finished season three of Last Chance U on Netflix.  Loved the first two seasons, season three was just as good despite a different state, different JuCo team, new coach, new players and, as one of the coaches states, "a whole new set of knuckleheads."  BTW, "knuckleheads" has been Coach's go-to phrase for years.  We first noticed him saying it when he coached high school but basically, everyone's a knucklehead -- the guy driving in front of him, someone at work, the person at the grocery store who leaves their shopping cart in the parking lot rather than walking it back to the store, etc. 

We had such a nice relaxed weekend.  Friday we grabbed a bite to seat, I had a hair appointment Saturday and that night we saw the new "Mission Impossible" movie.  Say what you want about Tom Cruise and his Scientology beliefs, the guy just doesn't make a bad movie (with the exception of "Vanilla Sky" and that weird movie he made with then wife Nicole Kidman).  "Mission Impossible" was kind of long (over 2 hours) but it had a great story line and, of course, it was action packed!  Tom Cruise is 56 and does most of his own stunts and if he's had plastic surgery, it's been subtle.  He looks fabulous.  And I was surprised to see Vanessa Kirby (she played Princess Margaret in Netflix's "The Crown") as the White Widow and Rebecca Ferguson as Ethan Hunt's love interest (she's from "The White Queen" on Starz -- she portrayed Elizabeth Woodville who eventually became Queen Elizabeth).  Oh!  And Henry Cavill (aka Super Man).  He's so good looking but had a horribly cheesy mustache in the movie.  I love it when my Hollywood worlds collide! 

I was also very happy to watch the trailers for two new Claire Foy movies:  "The First Man" (Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong, Claire Foy his wife) https://www.firstman.com/ and "The Girl in the Spider's Web" https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/girl-spiders-web-trailer-claire-foy-plays-lisbeth-salander-1117969  A far cry from her role as Queen Elizabeth in "The Crown." 

Sunday afternoon we watched some videos from KJ's childhood as a little walk down memory lane before she heads off to school.  Holy cow.  She was freaking adorable.  She had that accident falling off a friend's swing and lost her front teeth way too early.  So she was even cuter.  We watched some video from Prince of Peace pre-school holiday programs, Halloween at the pumpkin patch, a couple of Christmas's in NY and PA, sledding, shooting guns, bears walking around, visiting Santa, fireworks, getting our puppy Buddy, my beautiful nephew Brandon as a baby (he was a GORGEOUS baby!), t-ball, soccer, cheer and princess camp @ the local My Gym. 

Gatsby

I usually stay far, far away from musicals of any type (I didn't see the Sound of Music until a couple of years ago).  I don't watch Glee, don't watch Smash and I still have absolutely zero desire to see Les Miserables.  I positively hated Moulin Rouge and I've also never seen that Abba-inspired movie with Meryl Streep.  The exceptions, of course, are seeing a show on Broadway, Grease and Hairspray (both starring John Travolta) and I recently watched Rock of Ages with Tom Cruise not knowing it was a musical.  I thought the 80's music was the soundtrack to the movie. 

Having said all that, I really, really want to see The Great Gatsby when it comes out.  Maybe I'll take the girls if Champ is out of town.  Leo is like a fine wine and has definitely gotten better with age.  He's grown into his face and I love the little crinkly wrinkles around his eyes.  He's going to look distinguished with gray hair, too. 

Of course, for many people, Jay Gatsby will always be the one and only Robert Redford.  Redford starred in the 1974 adaption of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 book of the same name.  The 1974 screenplay was started by Truman Capote but he was fired from the project.  Francis Ford Coppola picked up the pieces and the movie opened to mixed reviews. 

Old School Gatsby (1974)  vs. New School Gatsby (2013)

Movies

Most of the TV I / we watch is reality TV or on the History Channel:  Duck Dynasty, Real Housewives, Amazing Race, The Bible, Vikings, etc.  Other than that, there really hasn't been anything interesting on TV lately. 

So we've been trying to catch up on our movies.  This past weekend we watched Rock of Ages with Tom Cruise and the girl from Dancing with the Stars.  I didn't know what to expect but thought it was a lot of fun.  Tom Cruise played his character well and the music was awesome!!! 

A week or so ago Coach and I watched Argo.  I really, really liked it.  It was intense and who doesn't love Ben Affleck with a beard? 

Zero Dark Thirty is on our list as well as Lincoln and Flight (Denzel has never made a bad movie in my opinion). 

I'd also like to see Life of Pi but don't really see Coach enjoying it.  This is 40 and Silver Linings Playbook are also on the "must-see" list. 

Cruising

Good post from A Belle Reve:

http://abellereve.com/2012/06/another-reason-gay-marriage-is-an-insult-to-the-institution/

I don't understand how people in long-term, loving, committed same-sex relationships can't call it legal but this knucklehead is ending his 3rd marriage.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm a Tom Cruise fan.  The guy doesn't make a bad movie.  He should just stop getting married.  Reminds me of Christie Brinkley.  She's drop dead gorgeous.  Just can't hold down a relationship.