Friday, September 8, 2023

Video Review Plus Movie Review. But What Do I Know?

 For the first time since Jimmy Buffett died, I woke up this morning and my brain radio was not playing one of his songs. Instead, it was tuned into "Angry" which is the song off the Stones' new album that they've released and for which there was a video. 

I was not sure about the song at first. Or the video. I think that the voluptuous blonde (Sydney Sweeny) writhing on the back of a red Mercedes convertible sort of made me question intent but come on. 
Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. I mean- that IS the Stones. And Ms. Sweeny is a lovely woman and she certainly does not appear to be in any sort of situation in which she is not in charge of or enjoying, and when Jimmy Fallon interviewed HER on that livestream on Wednesday, she seemed to view the opportunity to be on a Stones video as the highest honor. Also, her mom was right there with her and she approved so there you go. I do imagine she received a decent amount of coin for it too. 
Plus, it's a good song and has some terrific riffs and lovely guitar weaving (as Keith likes to call it) between Wood and Richards. Also- and this cracks me up- there is the line that Mick sneers to a lover who is not treating him right, "I'm still taking the pills and I'm off to Brazil" and okay, the man is eighty but this does not seem like an empty threat to me. At the same time, it IS funny and Mick knows it.
And I do love the Stones-on-the-billboards on Hollywood Boulevard.  So now I'm going to post it and you can get it stuck in your head. 
If you want. 


So guess what I did today? 
Yes. I did wash my sheets. 
Guess what else? 
I got dressed and went to see "Barbie" all by myself. I like going to the movies by myself but in this case, I think I might have enjoyed it more if I'd had someone there to laugh at the jokes with me. 

Everyone loves this movie and I mean EVERYONE! I have not read or heard a bad word about it and many of you have gone to see it more than once. 
And I liked it okay but it didn't make my head explode with the truth and beauty of it. For one thing, too much goddam pink. I know, I know! It's Barbie. Pink is her color! But that's just me. Despite that, the sets were gorgeous and spot-on. I also think that the actors all pulled their weight beautifully, from Margot Robbie, whom I completely fell in love with, and Ryan Gosling, who were THE Barbie and Ken, to Kate McKinnon who played Weird Barbie, a woman I'd choose to have as a best friend any day. Rhea Perlman blew me away. She was perfect. Will Ferrell was absolutely terrific as the clueless white male CEO of Mattel. 
Truthfully, I think the entire cast was genius. 
The Barbie jokes were very funny. Watching Robbie drink her morning beverage from a cup that never came close to her lips and which held no actual beverage triggered a million memories of playing with dolls and "feeding" them. It was truly funny to see so many of the Barbies brought to life that have been produced, including the ones that were discontinued quickly such as the young Skipper doll whose bosoms grew when you raised her arm. Or maternity Midge. I wish I'd had that one. The doctor Barbies, the gardening Barbies, the astronaut Barbies, the mermaid Barbies- they were all represented as were so many more. 
But after awhile, the jokes got a little stale through repetition to me. The sight of Barbie driving her car was so funny at first but by the end of the movie, not so much. The story line about how Barbie and Ken traveled from Barbie Land to the real world of the country of California was a bit contorted but hey! We're talking Barbie here. 
I think the part that I really was not thrilled with was the way they tried to wrap everything up at the end. Yes. Ken needs to be Ken as an individual person without Barbie and Barbie needs to be herself without a Ken. But are little girls watching this movie going to get that message? 
It enrages me to some degree that this is supposed to be a ground-breaking movie with a strong message about the patriarchy and how women view themselves and other women and how we need to value ourselves more for who we are and not compare ourselves to some unattainable image modeled on a Barbie doll. Why haven't we broken this ground already? And must we do it in this cartoony way in order to make it all more palatable to those who are completely unaware of what the patriarchy represents in our culture and has represented for eons? 
I don't know. I guess we probably do.
I was heartened to hear men laughing in the audience. There were not many people in the 1:30 showing and almost all of us were over the age of sixty. At least. And when the last line of the movie was delivered, which I considered to be the very best part of the whole dang thing, I loved hearing all of us old women cackling like the crones we are. 
I will not give it away because I do recommend people go see it. If, that is, there is anyone who hasn't at this point. 

And I'm glad I went. I got too large a container of popcorn. I could only eat about half of it but I did get "butter" on it. As I told the guy at the concession stand, "I only go to the movies about once every three years so let's do it up right."
And it was fun to sit in one of those seats that turns into a recliner. I felt incredibly decadent. 
But I will tell you one thing- if there had been one more damn preview before the movie, I would have walked out. It was ridiculous. There was probably at least twenty-five minutes of those fuckers and I will not be going to see any of them. 

Oh god. I'm a mean old bitch, aren't I? 
Yes. Yes I am. 

And tomorrow I am going to get some work done outside or know the reason why. 
Having said this, I can think of many reasons why I would not get any work done outside and none of them are pleasant to think about. 

Well. 

Oh! What do you see in this picture?


Yes, dropped magnolia leaves and iron plant and that one green stalk. 
Here's a close-up.


The hurricane lilies are making their short, precious, annual appearance once again. 

Happy Friday, y'all. 

Love...Ms. Moon


33 comments:

  1. I have NOT seen the Barbie movie 🎥🍿... absolutely no interest in doing so!
    I watched the RS video and I am still not a fan ... don't you be "Angry" 😤 with me! At 80 years old now ... I really don't think it matters whether I do or not!
    ☹️❤️

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    1. Marcia- I love you for speaking your truth! I have no doubt that not everyone is a fan. Nor should they be! As to the Barbie movie- like I said, if you go with a friend who can laugh at the jokes with you, it's probably more fun. But I don't think you'll be missing an earthshaking event if you don't go.

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  2. I thought "Barbie" would lay an egg. Who was the audience? But turns out everybody, but not me. If it turns up on cable maybe. I just can't sit still any more. Even popcorn with M&Ms added can't pacify me.

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    1. Well, that was one more thing in its favor- I felt very little anticipation about "When will this be over?" Unlike with the damn previews.

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  3. I think I'm too old and foreign born and daughterless to have experienced any of this in my life. So, as a rare movie goer, I doubt if this is in my future.

    I think I'm probably too granola, too, literally never knew any kids with Barbies. We were all about wooden toys by Creative Playthings, and stuff to build and make out of scraps, and home made dolls to dress. I've no idea what kids did with Barbie, but I expect action was involved, as well as teaparties.

    So I'll happily read reviews by more knowledgeable people.And thank you for the info about different barbies! News to me.

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    1. I get all of what you said about Barbie and how many children never played with one. My mother wouldn't let me have one for a long time after most of my friends did. I think the overt sexuality of the doll scared her. I remember distinctly when I did get my first Barbie and although I was so happy, I got the brunette with short, curly hair when what I really wanted was the one with the blonde ponytail.
      Sigh.

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  4. That video of Angry is pure genius. I wonder if the Stone thought it up, or their marketing crew. Anyway, playing the song out on advertising billboards as a young fan sings along as the car rolls along is dynamite.

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    1. Whoever thought it up was pretty genius. I think my favorite part may be the very last seconds when a billboard shows the Old Boys as they are now, still looking like the Rock and Roll icons they are.

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    2. Yes, I saw that, too. I'll have to watch it again and see if they "aged" in the playing, if their selves go from youngish to now.

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    3. I wrote a reply but guess I didn't post it. I saw that age change at the very end and now need to rewatch the clip to see if they aged on the billboards, too.

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    4. Your reply got cast into the spam folder. Every morning I go check there and take out what doesn't belong. I think that they do age as the video progresses.

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  5. will watch vid later...... just loving your first hurricane lily! gauging the seasons through your garden happenings! And glad to hear you pretty much enjoyed the movie. I have no desire to see it (only time we ever went to theaters past few years was to see James Bond films)......but everyone I know who has seen it liked it to some degree. Clean sheets....and martini night for you! Woohoo!
    Susan M

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    1. It's funny. This year I haven't even thought of the hurricane lilies when I saw the first one in the yard send up its spike. But it is definitely time.
      You are so right- clean sheets on the bed and a martini to sip. All is well.

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  6. Loved the Barbie movie. I went to see it with my 15 year old granddaughter and we talked about Rhea Perlman on the way home.

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  7. The Granddaughter and her BMF Timmy went to the Barbie Movie and liked it, they're both 17, but, agreed, too much Pink. They only thought it Weird that grown Women attending were dressed like Barbie, but, I suppose it does attract that Cult following of the Doll. *LOL*

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    1. There were two women in the audience yesterday who were approximately my age (old) and they were both wearing pink.

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  8. I had not planned to see the Barbie movie but ended up going with a friend and her grown daughter. I was surprized that I enjoyed it as much as I did. Crazy Barbie was my favorite Barbie.

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    1. Wasn't she great? And I did think it was very clever that they had included what happened to so many Barbies, especially when little brothers got ahold of them.

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  9. I haven't been to the movies since pre covid and now we are where we are cinemas are very light on the ground. I shall probably wait until it hits netflix or some such. But I do want to see it.

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  10. I haven't yet seen Barbie and think I might wait for it to be on TV. I haven't been to the movies since before covid, but I used to take a notepad and pen to write down the titles of any previews that looked interesting so I could watch out for them when they made it to TV land.

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    1. Most of the previews were for super person type movies, it seemed like to me. Whatever. Not my cup of tea at all.

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  11. I still haven't seen Barbie, though we keep talking about it. The 25 minutes of previews (and, here, advertisements) are a main reason we don't. As well as the £20+ ticket price (for both of us).

    I think we'll wait for streaming. Which probably means next year.

    That hurricane lily is easy to miss at that stage, isn't it? I'm afraid I'd step on it!

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    1. Steve, I spent a shocking amount of money on my ticket, a popcorn and a soda. I mean- truly shocking.
      You might like the movie a lot. I don't know. There sure were a lot of cute Kens.
      The hurricane lily's shoot is almost two feet so they're easy to see when they're at that stage but when they're still short I never notice them. Luckily they shoot up fast.

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  12. I have not seen the Barbie movie and probably won't. not because I have anything against it it's just that I don't go to the movies often and it'll be gone by the time I do go again. and the Stones' new song is OK, kind of catchy. I'm just glad they produced some new material after what, 18 years I think I heard. I noticed all the images of them in the video were of their younger selves.

    no surprise lilies here yet but it's been so hot and so dry for so long I'll be surprised indeed if any of them bloom.

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    1. Yes, all of the images in the video were of them when they were younger and I'm sure that was quite intentionally done, of course. The very last shot is of them as they are now though.
      You may well be right about your chances for getting blooms on the hurricane lilies there.

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  13. I haven't seen Barbie but maybe I will if it comes to Netflix one day. I don't go to the movies as I can't understand what is said unless I can read captions.
    I'm not too wild about that video and would rather just watch the Rolling Stones perform it as they are now.
    Hope you have a nice weekend, Mary!

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    1. I do absolutely use captions at home for TV and am grateful for them but I didn't have any problem understanding the dialogue from the movie. It was so loud! Too loud.
      I will still love you, Ellen D. if you don't like that video! I promise.

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  14. 37paddington: I think you felt similarly to me about Barbie, enjoyed it well enough, loved Margo Robbie and Weird Barbie, but had some quibbles with messaging. Worth seeing? Yes. Ground breaking? Meh. And those Stones, man. Jumping around on stage. How do their joints work so well 8 decades in??

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    1. Yeah. The messaging was confusing. I felt like they had to do some twisting and turning to explain why it was okay for Barbies to rule Barbie Land but it wasn't okay for Kens to change it into Ken World or whatever it was. And if only all it took to free women's minds from patriarchal teachings was to sit them down and talk to them! But there will be so many little girls who go see it and perhaps it will open up their minds some. I hope.

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  15. Still love the Stones, and I too envy their joints!

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  16. I see green pecans and of course the hurricane lily.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.