Holiday Movies

Under-the-weather (again), ugh. But one thing that can help the stress of the holiday season (&/or feeling less-than-stellar) is a movie. Especially a favorite movie. Many movies are not necessarily focused on the holidays but have major scenes during that time of year (e.g., Bridget Jones's Diary, When Harry Met Sally, Hannah & Her Sisters, & Sleepless in Seattle are a few favorites). As much of a mess (narratively speaking) as Love Actually is, it is still enjoyable. And while there are many favorites, nothing will dislodge It's a Wonderful Life from our No. 1 holiday choice.

Here is the list of Holiday Classics on at our local AFI Silver Theatre (how lucky are we?!). And here is a post with some more good suggestions (& an excellent all round place to read up on classic film) from Paula's Cinema Club.

Make a list & go to the movies! (And have a pizza party while you're at it:) xoxo

(film still by Andy Scwartz via IMDb)

Breathless

...or À bout de souffle ... this describes the atmosphere chez nous lately. (No, we're not off on a crime spree, silly.) You can watch the film (for free!) via Google Video. We've been told it's accessible globally. Make sure to visit Open Culture's 500 Free Movies Online (& the links just below for more links/search tips).

Behind the scenes photographs of the filming of Breathless.

What it was like to work with Jean-Luc Godard by cinematographer Raoul Coutard.

Jean Seberg's Breathless style. 

Have a great weekend!

ciao/xo

(film still via IMDb)

Dine Out to End Childhood Hunger 2012

Please share this important information with family & friends, on Twitter & Facebook:

Share Our Strength's Dine Out For No Kid Hungry® is a national event that brings together thousands of restaurants and millions of diners to help make sure no child in America grows up hungry. Through the end of September, participating restaurants will raise funds through a variety of ways to support No Kid Hungry, Share Our Strength's national campaign to end childhood hunger in America. Dine at a supporting OpenTable restaurant and help end childhood hunger in America! (via Share Our Strength)

Here are participating restaurants in the Washington, DC-area & the New York City-area. Check this interactive map for a restaurant in a city near you.

Thank you & cheers!

PS: If you own or manage an independent or single-franchise restaurant, please visit Share Our Strength to find out what you can do to help.

(Julie & Julia still by Jonathan Wenk)

The Cinementals

GG's human servant is looking for reasons to be cheerful. Again. So here's something....

The Cinementals is a good site for some classic film inspiration - whether you are in the States or not; whether you have cable or not. News, reviews, & podcasts written in smart, snappy style. The Twitter page sums it up: what's new in old movies.

ciao-meow/the management

PS: Free film noir

(Casablanca still via doctormacro)

Have a Great Weekend

It's felt like we've crawled towards Friday afternoon...since Monday morning. We'll try to recover. Meanwhile, here are a few good links to start things off.

Illustrator Samantha Hahn's brave entry for "Things I'm Afraid to Tell You."

A personal Berlin guide (& melancholy farewell) by the lovely & amazing Emily. xoxo

Love this lamp design (even though friends have pointed out: it's made of paper, dude).

Use up that dulce de leche in these cookies.

It's strawberry season!

This Marimekko dress was pinned 20 times in a few minutes.

And always, always: dance. RIP Donna Summer.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(film still from Der geteilte Himmel)

Letters of Note

It's a rainy day (we need it!) & a sleepy one, too. Off for coffee & to write some letters. If you already read Letters of Note, you are dismissed. If you don't you might want to explore the archives. Here's a beautiful letter from John Steinbeck to his son, Thom, on the subject of love. It is worth bookmarking.

ciao-meow//GGCM

PS: Last year's Les Parapluies de Cherbourg post

(photograph by L. Weisse via heavens above)

You Belong @ Your Library

It's National Library Week. Visit the website to learn about activities surrounding the celebration. Maybe you've moved recently (or not so recently?) & don't have a card yet. The website is user-friendly & will help you find what you need. No matter where you live, visit the Library of Congress website. It's a resource that everyone with internet access can use, which is yet another valuable thing you can find at your library (most likely).

A little table pounding now: the freedom to read what you like is not a certainty. Visit the Banned Books Week link for information on challenges to books in libraries & schools. This is a list of the most frequently challenged books.

ciao-meow/GGCM

PS: A Funny Library Montage

(photograph via Classic Period Dramas)

Enchanted April

It's Sunday & that means Mad Men but we watch it on Mondays via iTunes. So what to do? Especially if you're not feeling very well? Watch Enchanted April (1992) on Netflix Instant (or in a pinch, on YouTube). It's a rather leisurely film & there are complaints about that but it feels quite right today. Honestly, we aren't feeling well enough to write much but if you're not sold by Italy + 1920s + amazing cast, read this review.

If there's puff pastry in the freezer, you could make these, as GG's editor did. Serve with cold white wine & begin looking at flat rentals because that's what you'll want to do immediately after it ends. *sigh*

ciao-meow/GGCM

(film still crop via Beauty Dart)

Have a Great Weekend

It's raining here but that's no excuse to be bored. Do something new or something you've not done in a while. Some fun links:

Amnesty International presents The Secret Policeman's Ball on Sunday. For the first time, it will be in NYC & guess what? You can watch the Radio City Music Hall show online. (The show begins at 7pm Eastern.)

To make this weekend: Pineapple Crisp (with ginger & lime). Bonus: low-sodium

The Red Balloon is streaming on Netflix Instant. How long has it been since you watched it? It's only 34 minutes.

How to draw elephants (for kids of all ages).

All the Downton Ladies (hilarious gifs)

Cute, fast, DIY mini salt & pepper shakers for picnics, your office.

Farewell, Davy Jones.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph via IMDb)

Sunday Night at the Oscars

There's still time to put on a bit of a party for tonight's Oscar ceremony. Here are some suggestions for dinner, snacks & drinks. A list of nominees, a ballot. Play for honor or a bit of money (everyone adds to the kitty). You can watch the Red Carpet live online, too.

Top tip: if you don't have cable or satellite, follow people on Twitter. There are funny tweets & often live links for online viewing. If you don't have a Twitter account, what the heck are you waiting for? You don't have to do anything but create a good password & have fun.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph via IMDb)

Happy Birthday, Mr Dickens

There is no shortage of online material for Charles Dickens enthusiasts for the natal day (& year) celebration. Those fortunate to live in London, should visit the Charles Dickens Museum. Online, they have a creative writing project for students. There are resource links for parents & teachers, as well. (The museum will close in April for renovations so plan accordingly.)

A new-to-us David Perdue's Charles Dickens Page looks excellent. So many links to good sites, synopses, illustration information, & much more. And, of course, Dickens 2012 is birthday central.

ciao-pip-pip-meow/GGCM

(photograph by Bob Penn)

Monday Night at the Movies

You can go to the movies any night of the week, even with just a laptop, by checking out Open Culture's listing of 450 Free Movies Online. Most of them are accessible in all countries. There are Westerns, silents, drama, documentary, film noir, & more. A favorite here, especially in these difficult times, are comedies. Check out His Girl Friday with Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell. It's funny & has several points to make that will seem quite 2012.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph via Dr. Macro)

Toys for Tots

There aren't enough toys being dropped off at Toys for Tots locations to ensure that all children will have a toy--one toy--on Christmas. The news overflows with stories about the uptick in spending this holiday season. We sure hope that this means that toy collection charities will have overflowing donation bins by the weekend; somehow, we're not that optimistic. In some areas, the request for toys is up a whopping 25%.

Of course, we support IKEA's Soft Toy Aid but there is a call, as always, for toys for the older children (13-17 years). If you would like to donate cash, that is a good option, especially by tonight/tomorrow. Toys for Tots can then purchase what they need to fill the gift gap.

ciao-meow/GGCM

(photograph from Miracle on 34th Street)

Dine Out to End Childhood Hunger

Share Our Strength's Dine Out For No Kid Hungry® (formerly Great American Dine Out) is a national event that brings together thousands of restaurants and millions of diners to help make sure no child in America grows up hungry. From September 18-24, 2011, participating restaurants will raise funds through a variety of ways to support No Kid Hungry, Share Our Strength's national campaign to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. Dine at a supporting OpenTable restaurant and help end childhood hunger in America! (via Share Our Strength)

Here are participating restaurants in the Washington, DC-area & the New York City-area. Check this interactive map for a restaurant in a city near you.

ciao-meow/GGCM

PS: If you own or manage an independent or single-franchise restaurant, please visit Share Our Strength to find out what you can do to help.

(Julie & Julia still by Jonathan Wenk via French Revolution)

Have a Romantic Evening

Life is hectic chez GG, so our posting is late & less frequent than usual. We'll be back after the long weekend. As for Giulia, life is not hectic for her. Oh no. She is lounging in her little house, listening to her editor's iPod. The playlist? French Pop, bien sûr. (This is not a joke. We'll take a photograph over the weekend.)

Here's a video of GG fave Juliette Gréco singing Sous le Ciel de Paris. Also, here's a pretty tumblr, Romantic Places. Enjoy!

ciao-meow/the management

(Lady & the Tramp via FanPop)

1000 Frames of Hitchcock

Some film fun. Check out the 1000 Frames of Hitchcock project, which is..."an attempt to reduce each of the 52 available major Hitchcock films down to just 1000 frames. The aim of the project is to create a library of images which can be used to illustrate blog posts, web articles and reviews, etc." Thanks to the thoughtful folks behind the project.

If you can't wait for a To Catch a Thief DVD in the mail, Netflix has a few Hitchcock titles available instantly (the most famous being Dial M for Murder).

ciao-meow/GGCM

(Grace Kelly & Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief)

Les Parapluies de Cherbourg

...or The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. A nearly-silent Sunday here but for movie playing & Giulia's amazingly high leaps accompanied by squeals to steal attention away from young lovers Catherine Deneuve & Nino Castelnuovo. On the menu, pissaladière. Play the fan favorite video - Michel Legrand's score as interpeted by the great Stéphane Grappelli. Very cool.

ciao-floof-meow/GG Sunday Central

(film still via adryan dillon)

PS: Cute post from design*sponge

Have a Romantic Evening

AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions. (Here are other best of lists from AFI.) If you need more help than that for a romantic evening, don't look at us! See you over the weekend. (Roman Holiday still via Audrey1)

ciao-cheeky-meow/GG

Sunday Style - Let's Bring Back

30 Things that Need to Stage a Comeback - Pronto! What's on your list? There's a slideshow compiled by Lesley Blume on The Huffington Post. She has a new book based on her columns Let's' Bring Back (started in 2007). Accuse of us of sentimental hogwash, we don't care. How bad can it be to wish for a return to manners, libraries, picnics, cool hotel lobbies, & hats on men? Waste some time, you know you want to, & vote for your faves. (Annie Hall still via Huffington Post under Long, Leisurely Evening Walks)

ciao-cheeky-meow/GG & her editor

Sunday Shopping - French Sailor Stripes

GG's editor had a bit of a fit last month & wrote about Sailor Stripe shopping. The gist is that we cannot stand seeing consumers taken advantage of, especially when in the throes of fetishizing French(style) material goods. It happens to the best of us; we're not judging.

Satisfy your stripe-y longing & read here (or click directly over to brittany-boutique.com). Usually, even with shipping, it's less expensive to buy these items directly from France. GG Central knows this from experience. People around the world do not want to wear stripes made by an exploited labor force. At the same time, stop spending at stores like J. Crew when they overcharge for items they stock (like the shirts above) from other sources. It's the same Saint James shirt. Yep.

ciao-meow/GG's personal shopper

[collage photographs via brittany-boutique (dot) com/Audrey T. from a cute site Pink Peony--to the author: props to you for discussing cruelty-free diamonds/Picasso by Doisneau from goodness knows where; tragic but lovely Jean Seberg via Elle (France)]