Pressing REPLAY

HALLIE EPHRON: I was saddened to see the recent obituary for Olympia Dukakis. I’m a huge fan and it got me thinking about one of my favorite movies: MOONSTRUCK. She plays Cher’s mother, worldly wise when she tells her husband that she knows he’s cheating on her, she wants him to stop, and “I just want you to know no matter what you do, you're gonna die, just like everybody else.” It’s a classic moment.

I watched the movie again the other night (it’s on Amazon Prime) and once again marveled at Dukakis’s performance. And Cher’s. And Vincent Gardenia as the father and Nicholas Cage as the wounded raging hot-as-hell Ronny Cammareri. It’s SO good. Even viewed for the umpteenth time. The opening scenes are full of little “Easter eggs” hinting at scenes that will take place later (a shot that establishes the neighborhood shows us a busy street with a moving van with METROPOLITAN OPERA emblazoned on its side).

I have the same experience when I watch THE WIZARD OF OZ again. And again. So much is seeded in those opening scenes on the farm (Dorothy falls into the pig pen and gets rescued by a terrified farmhand who will later be the cowardly lion). And it’s great fun anticipating the delivery of a great line. (“I’m a very good man - I’m just a very bad wizard.” “What a world, what a world.” )

Is there a movie that’s so good that you can watch it over and over again?

LUCY BURDETTE: Hallie, did you know that Frank Bruni recommended that everyone watch MOONSTRUCK again during the pandemic? So John and I did--it’s so fabulous! Every actor is amazing and the story, so romantic.

Another one that I love is LOVE ACTUALLY, but once a year for that is enough. And SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE--I can’t say how many times I have watched that one. I especially love Tom Hanks.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Such a good question. You know--WORKING GIRL, with Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford. She’s from the wrong side of the river, but she’s smart and ambitious and willing to do the work.

I am a big fan of ugly duckling stories, especially when the ugly duckling is smart, and this is one of those. And that fantastic anthem “Let the River Run” sung by Carly Simon. And in the end, (spoiler) she is SO HAPPY, and then the camera pulls out to show she is just one little little person. Ahhh.

In that same smart duckling vein, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. Oh, when Andi comes out in the Chanel boots? When Miranda lectures her about turquoise? It’s touching, and wonderful, and SO funny.

And I would always watch The Godfather, and Casablanca, and Lawrence of Arabia. To Kill A Mockingbird, too, we watched that the other night, in fact. OH! And MY COUSIN VINNY. CLASSIC. Hilarious. Every. Time. I’ll stop now.

HALLIE: POSITRACTION!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Hank, I love WORKING GIRL, and you’ve inspired me to re-watch it again. It’s SO eighties, and yes, the Carly Simon song stands as one of the greatest movie themes ever. Every second-rate film gets an updated version; why hasn’t anyone done a remake of WORKING GIRL?

I’ve talked before about how my family has seasonal movie rewinds: THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW during the first big storm of winter, DIE HARD on Christmas Eve, and INDEPENDENCE DAY (the original, not the terrible, terrible sequel) on, well, you can guess when we watch that.

But if we’re talking about movies I will sit down again and again for, I have two comedies that never stop amusing me: SPY, starring Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne and Jason Statham (who is great at playing an over-the-top version of his usual tough-guy role) and DOWN WITH LOVE, a somewhat-obscure, wonderfully stylish homage to all those Doris Day/Rock Hudson romantic comedies of the early 60s, with Renee Zellweger in the Doris Day role, Ewan McGregor “as” Rock Hudson/Cary Grant/James Garner, and David Hyde Pierce, who is almost more Tony Randall than Tony Randall was!

JENN McKINLAY: Julia, I loved, SPY, and now I must see DOWN WITH LOVE. I was such an old movie buff as a teen that I consumed all the Doris Day/Rock Hudson or James Garner movies, fell in love with Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin in IF A MAN ANSWERS (so great!), and decided to become a writer of rom-coms because of ROMANCING THE STONE. Also, I will stop whatever I’m doing and watch any movie Elvis is in if one comes on. The movie that I always double back to, however, is FIELD OF DREAMS. A multi-layered, poignant, family centric movie with loads of magical realism -- it ticks all of my boxes. Plus, I’ve been in love with James Earl Jones forever, so there’s that.

RHYS BOWEN:; The movies I watch over and over depend on my mood. Like Hank I can rewatch THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. I adore OUT OF AFRICA but only when I’m prepared for a good weep. I have the DVD of ENCHANTED APRIL which is the perfect escape movie for me, also MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, ROMAN HOLIDAY and even LETTERS TO JULIET. I suppose I rewatch sweet, sappy movies when I need calming down or cheering up. My recent go-to was MAMA MIA. Who couldn’t feel cheerful when singing along?

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Love love love MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. So many good suggestions here, but I haven’t seen SPY or DOWN WITH LOVE. I’m a huge Ewan McGregor fan so that one is going on my list asap.

I have my perennial faves, like LOVE ACTUALLY and THE HOLIDAY, oh, and NOTTING HILL, of course, but I would love to see ROMANCING THE STONE again. FIELD OF DREAMS is my daughter’s favorite movie ever, and I love BULL DURHAM. It’s summer and baseball season, time to get those out again!

But you know what I’m thinking I’d like to rewatch? SPEED. Such a great action movie. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock were adorable, the supporting cast was terrific, and the stunts were amazing.

HALLIE: I’ve never seen SPEED. Or DOWN WITH LOVE. Or MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. What about you, what’s going on your to-watch list and what would you recommend for over-and-over watching?

Your 'Best Picture" Award

INGRID THOFT

Last night, "The Shape of Water" was awarded the “Best Picture” Oscar at the 90th annual Academy Awards show in Hollywood.  This film was a feast for the eyes and a grown up fairy tale about love, acceptance, and the meaning of "humanity."  I really enjoyed it, but that's not always the case when it comes to the "Best Picture" winner.

It seems that the “Best Picture” often goes to the movie deemed “most important” by the Academy.  Movies definitely play a role in moving forward cultural conversations and societal norms—isn’t that, in fact, one of the main benefits of any art form—but movies are also forms of entertainment.  Sometimes, we just want to escape the woes of the real world and lose ourselves in an alternate reality. 

We’ve discussed our favorite bad movies on Jungle Red, but I’m wondering to which movie you would award your personal “Best Picture” award?  My vote goes to "Raiders of the Lost Ark."  It has everything that a best picture should have:  adventure, action, a social conscience, romance, exotic locations, Harrison Ford, and it stands the test of time.  The official Best Picture winner in 1982?  “Chariots of Fire," which was a terrific movie, but not one I’ve watched multiple times.

Which film gets a shiny gold statue from you, Reds?

RHYS BOWEN:  One I thought had everything was "Out Of Africa."  Incredible romance and those gorgeous African scenes. Of the current crop I was impressed with "The Darkest Hour" and my daughter loved "The Shape of Water."

JENN McKINLAY: I'm not a huge fan of award shows because I feel like these people give themselves an awful lot of accolades and they're not exactly curing cancer, but I digress. If I had to pick my best movie, it would be "Field of Dreams." It had so many layers. I just loved it. Side note: I would absolutely follow James Earl Jones anywhere, even into the cornfield. I adored "Out of Africa" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark," too, but Shoeless Joe's story wins out for me.

Ray Liotta and Kevin Costner in "Field of Dreams"

HALLIE EPHRON: I know I'm going WAY back to a movie that came out before I was old enough to even go to the movies, but I still love: "Born Yesterday." It stars Judy Holliday who was the most divine comedienne. A sort of precursor to "Pretty Woman" except the guy is a gangster and she outs him. Then, of course, "Some Like It Hot." And "Singin' in the Rain." Another much darker oldie: "Diabolique" with Simone Signoret: a man's wife and his mistress conspire to kill him and the corpse disappears. The scariest bathtub scene in moviedom.

IPT: "Singin' in the Rain" is one of my favorites, too!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Oh, I love "Born Yesterday," too! ("It's car-TEL!")  But that is the world's toughest question.  For big movies, "The Godfather" is incomparable--I could watch that a million times, and see something fabulous and different every time.  But I also love "The Philadelphia Story," (and "High Society.")

I will watch "Working Girl" any time it's on--I think Melanie Griffith's character is  touching and empowering, and every time the Let The River Run theme comes up at the end, and you see her pure happiness soar compared to the vastness of New York City..ah.  I guess I love ugly duckling stories, because I am also fond of "The Devil Wears Prada." And! "Desk Set." And "Adam's Rib." But best movie of all time?  I need to keep thinking.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Ingrid, I love "Raiders of the Lost Ark!" I also love the first Star Wars, clunky dialogue and all, but such fun. "Out of Africa" was one of my picks, too, Rhys. And "Field of Dreams," Jenn! "Field of Dreams" is my daughter's favorite movie ever, but for me, "Bull Durham" is right up there with it. But, at least for the moment, my final Best Movie comes down to two that I can't choose between. "The Holiday," written and directed by Nancy Meyers, staring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black, with fabulous supporting actors including Eli Wallach, great music by Hans Zimmer, funny, sweet, smart, and romantic.

And--"The Big Easy" starring Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin. Mystery, suspense, romance (sexy!!!), humor, great dialogue, great New Orleans atmosphere, and GREAT music. Anyone who has never seen it should do it now.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I'm so glad we're discussing picks from all movies, because the only things I've seen of this year's nominees has been "The Post" and half of "Dunkirk." (Ross and I went to see it, but the sound was SO LOUD he called it quits after forty minutes, poor guy.) I tend to spend my money on flicks that need a big screen: superhero movies or splashy thrillers. I wait for others until they come out in DVD or streaming.

That being said, my award-winner would be the original "Die Hard." It's an almost perfect example of storytelling. Every little beat from the early part of the film turns out to be relevant later. No dangling threads, nothing not in service to the plot or characters. And despite being the very definition of an action movie, it's still completely focused on the people at the center of the story: the scared, vulnerable hero; his steel-spined business executive wife; the ordinary schlub cop; and of course, Alan Rickman playing his villain just shy of over the top. Love it, and we watch it every year on Christmas Eve.

Your turn, Readers.  What is your "Best Picture?"

Working 9 to 5

DEBORAH CROMBIE: We've been having the same argument in our house for twenty years. (As long as Rick and I have been married, come this May.)

Rick: You're self-employed. You can work whenever you want. Why don't you do the errands during the week when things are busy? I'd never go out shopping on Saturday! You're crazy!

Me: But it just doesn't work that way! I'll never make up the work time on the weekend. We do stuff. My friends are off work and I want to spend time with them, too. And besides, everyone in New York works Monday to Friday, so I can't very well be out gallivanting around during the work week. (Okay, maybe I didn't actually say "gallivanting.")

Rick: (Shaking his head in disgust.) Okay, then. Just don't complain when it takes you two hours and body armor to get through Costco on a Saturday afternoon...


And so it goes. Impasse. And of course, he's right. But I am, too. And I do often get a lot of work done on the weekends. The phone doesn't ring, business emails don't have to be answered, and there's a certain freedom and quiet that I don't often find on a weekday. But that isn't the same as SCHEDULING Saturday or Sunday as a workday!

So, fellow REDS, am I just contrary? (Hank, you are the only one of us that works a full time job AND writes (AND promotes like nobody else!) so we will just assume you're Superwoman here...)   Do you set yourself a 9-5, Monday-Friday week? And if so, do you stick to it?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Yes, I've had two essentially full time jobs since 2007-ish--and I can tell you it is gradually becoming impossible. One hundred percent. If my employers weren't so enthusiastic and forgiving,  I'm not sure what I would do. But I can tell you this: I work all the time. ALL THE TIME. I can also tell you that although it has been rewarding, in every way imaginable, it is also not sustainable. After 7 years of no vacations and 7 day work weeks I m feeling a lit-tle tired. However--it is worth it.

One more thing--without scheduling and planning it would never happen. I agree, Debs, there's a rhythm to the work and it is helpful to be in it. I also remind myself to remember (!) that this is a GOOD dilemma. Too much to do? Lovely! Lucky! Hurray.

LUCY BURDETTE: Honestly Hank, I don't know how you keep this up. I vote that you take a vacation!

Here it is, Saturday morning, and I'm working. Not well (obviously, because I'm adding to this blog instead of my word count.) I suppose it all depends on where I am in the process. If it's crunch time with deadline barreling toward me, the weekends are no longer sacred. The one time I won't work--because my brain is fried--is in the evenings. And you're right about the publishing business too, Debs--they definitely don't answer emails on the weekend the way we writers do!

RHYS BOWEN: I write 2 books a year, this year 3 books, which means I don't have a lot of breathing time. I have to get that first draft finished in 3 months so I have time to polish and promote. Which means I write every day, weekends included... unless there is something really big like a family birthday. I try to get my work done in the morning so I have some time to work out, relax and shop in the afternoon.

All goes well until I have a month like this one and I'm on the road, trying to get snippets of work done on planes. Not easy. I don't know how Hank does it. I feel like I'm running on a wheel all the time and it must be much worse for her.

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: I work 9 to 3, but after 3 comes my other job — being mom to a nine-year-old. I make up for this by working pretty much seven days a week, having a daily word count, and taking intensive "off-grid" weeks where I go somewhere quiet and just work pretty much round the clock. However, I just do one book a year, so Hank and Rhys — wowza! But I do use the freelancing thing as a reason to go places at "off-peak times," so Debs, I'm with Rick on that one!

HALLIE EPHRON: I write every day so if it weren't for my husband's work week I'd have no idea what day of the week it is. On weekends he's around to bother me and make me feel guilty if I'm chasing a deadline and don't feel like I can stop and play. But most days I'm fried by afternoon so that's when errands get done.

Two books a year? No way. One every two years is more my speed, and even then I'm crunching at the end.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Hallie and I are on the same production schedule.....:-)  I'm a M-F worker,  for much the same reason as Susan - weekends are for family and kid time. Of course, since home and office are the same thing, it's not unusual for me to dip into some sort of work on Saturday and Sunday, even if it's just commenting on our blog. Oddly enough, in the summer, I often boost my schedule and work six or seven days a week. Why? Because Ross is home for the school vacation (all author-moms should have a teacher for a spouse!) and can take care of all the stuff that I'm usually responsible for when school is in session. Also,  because I know I'm going to want to take guilt-free days off when we go on our summer weekend trips or our week at the shore.

I'd like to try that off-grid week thing, Susan. I've gone to friends houses once or twice to get away from it all and have found that to be very productive.

DEBS: I never said I didn't work on weekends, only that I didn't like to take time off M-F and schedule a weekend day as a work day. As it turned out, I've worked on and off all weekend--as happens most weekends. There is, somehow, a little sense of play to it, as if you are sneaking in a treat. Or so I tell myself...

And I, too, love the off-grid thing. Even between my upcoming trips to Tucson and Monterey (Tucson Festival of Books and Left Coast Crime) I've given myself three days in Monterey just to write. Really. I am SO looking forward to it.  And London is a huge "off-grid" time for me. I've finished two books there--a fabulous experience. The only schedule I keep in London is Saturdays at Portobello Market!

My conclusions from this impromptu survey? Rhys, I have my knickers in a twist, to say the least, over all my upcoming trips, and trying to figure out how to meet all my commitments AND write. I don't know how you do what you do. And I'm going to drink a toast to you when I see you in Scottsdale... and Tucson... and Monterey... Maybe you can give me a Rhys-stamina booster??? 

And Hank, where were you in that last post I saw on Facebook? Palm Springs? Can I even ask?

And the final consensus? Writers are dull, dull, dull. If you want a good time girl--or guy--look somewhere else. We pretty much work all the time--although some of us are obviously more efficient than others...

So how about you, readers? If you are mistress or master of your own time, do you work a five-day week? Or if you only wish you had the option (assuming you realize it's not the cakewalk we would all like to imagine) would you set the weekly clock??

P.S.: And Hank really needs to take a vacation!!!!