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Blu-ray Review: Notorious – The Criterion Collection

Spine # 137
blu-ray cover

Distributor: Criterion Collection (USA)

Release Date: January 15, 2019

Region: Region A

Length: 01:41:37

Video: 1080P (MPEG-4, AVC)

Main Audio: English Linear PCM Audio (48 kHz, 1152 kbps, 24-bit)

Subtitles: English SDH

Ratio: 1.37:1

Bitrate: 29.73 Mbps

Notes: This title is also available both individually and as part of The Premiere Collection boxed set (both with different cover art) in the DVD format and was given an incredible release in the same format by The Criterion Collection several years before that release.

The film was later given a lackluster Blu-ray release by MGM Home Entertainment both as part of a three-film set entitled, The Classic Collection and as an individual release. This new Criterion edition is from a new 4K restoration transfer of the film and represents an upgrade in quality.

“In spy films—in all spy films—we have what is called ‘The MacGuffin.’ The MacGuffin, if you go way back, can be the plans of the fault over-looking the pass if it’s in the time of Rudyard Kipling. Or it can be, at the end of [The] 39 Steps, a lot of jumble concerning an airplane secret. It doesn’t matter what you put in. It’s the MacGuffin…

…And the word MacGuffin comes from two men in an English railway compartment, and there’s a baggage rack overhead, and one of the men looks and says, ‘Excuse me, sir. What’s that strange looking parcel above your head?’ And the man looks and says, ‘Oh, that’s a MacGuffin.’ ‘What’s a MacGuffin?’ ‘Well, it’s an apparatus for trapping lions in the Scottish Highlands.’ So the man says, ‘Well, there are no lions in the Scottish Highlands.’ He said, ‘Then that’s no MacGuffin.’ It doesn’t mean anything.” –Alfred Hitchcock (Hitchcock, Interview, September 1974)

The MacGuffin doesn’t concern the audience, but it certainly created trouble for Alfred Hitchcock and Ben Hecht when they were working together on the script. It took them quite a bit of time to come up with it, and many of the most suspenseful and iconic sequences in Notorious were born out of their eventual choice. Their source material—a story by John Taintor Foote entitled The Song of the Dragon—wasn’t any help at all.

“At the beginning the producer had given me an old-fashioned story, ‘The Song of the [Dragon]’ that appeared in The Saturday Evening Post. It was the story of a young woman who had fallen in love with the son of a wealthy New York society woman. The girl was troubled about a secret in her past. She felt that her great love would be shattered if ever the young man or his mother found out about it. What was the secret? Well, during the war, the government counterspy service had approached a theatrical impresario to find them a young actress who would act as an agent; her mission was to sleep with a certain spy in order to get hold of some valuable information. The agent had suggested this young girl and she had accepted the assignment. So now, filled with apprehensions about the whole thing, she goes back to her agent and tells him all about her problem, and he, in turn, tells the whole story to the young man’s mother. The story winds up with the aristocratic mother saying, ‘I always hoped that my son would find the right girl, but I never expected him to marry a girl as fine as this!’

…Well, after talking it over with Ben Hecht, we decide that the idea we’ll retain from this story is that the girl is to sleep with a spy in order to get some secret information.” –Alfred Hitchcock (Hitchcock/Truffaut, 1966)

saturday evening post - november 12th and 19th, 1921 (part 1 and 2 of the story)

John Taintor Foote’s “The Song of the Dragon” was a two-part short story that was serialized in the November 12th and 19th, 1921 issues of The Saturday Evening Post.

It’s interesting to note how incredibly well Hitchcock remembered the details of this particular story considering how little he and Hecht actually borrowed from it (although he incorrectly remembered the title of “The Song of the Flame”). However, there is quite a lot that he doesn’t mention. Matthew H. Bernstein provided an even more detailed synopsis in an essay entitled “Unrecognizable Origins,” but those hoping to find similarities between it and the film will find themselves at a loss.

“Foote’s tale is narrated by veteran stage producer William Kinder, who begins the story pondering the impossibility of casting for an ingénue in a new play: experienced actresses are too old to be plausible in the part, and new actresses are too inexperienced to pull it off. He is interrupted by a visit from federal Agent Smith, who asks Kinder to ask an accomplished stage star with whom Kinder worked and was in love to sleep with the German head of a ring of saboteurs, who currently pretends to be a British playboy living the high life on Fifth Avenue. Meanwhile, Kinder grants an audition to an unknown actress on whom he takes pity when she is knocked out in his office.

Kinder’s former paramour rejects the idea angrily and stomps out; the ingénue, Sylvia Dodge, auditions and turns out to be an astonishing performer; and as Kinder is making plans with her for their box office success, Agent Smith turns up again to follow up on his request. Though Kinder gives him the bad news, both men witness Dodge’s spontaneous expression of her intense desire to do something to help the young American recruits marching through Manhattan before going off to fight in World War I. Before Kinder can stop him, Smith has whisked Dodge away for the assignment. Part 1 of the story ends here.

Part 2, published a week later, picks up with Kinder angry that Dodge, having accomplished her espionage mission, has not returned as she has promised to his office to resume her incipient career. He chews out Agent Smith because she has chosen to entertain the troops instead. A scene follows between Dodge and her new beau, Captain Eugene Weyeth. The son of a wealthy New York family, Weyeth proposes to Dodge; she holds him off with the promise of eventual marriage and shows up in Kinder’s office to ask his help. She rightly suspects that the captain’s parents will be suspicious of her and will reject her when they learn, as they will, of her sleeping with the enemy. Kinder accompanies Dodge to the Weyeths’ apartment, where she tearfully explains her past service to her country, producing a letter of commendation from the president as proof. The Weyeths accept her with enthusiasm, and the story ends.” –Matthew H. Bernstein (Unrecognizable Origins, Hitchcock at the Source, 2011)

Obviously, the Academy knew what they were doing when they chose to nominate the film in the Best Original Screenplay category—this was truly an original story that owed very little to Foote’s work. It is no wonder that Alfred Hitchcock and Ben Hecht struggled with the film’s plot for such a long while. They simply couldn’t figure out what their Nazi villains would be trying to accomplish in Rio. What would Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) discover when behind enemy lines? Countless ideas were tossed around, and one of these even made it into the earliest drafts of the script. Unfortunately, that earlier MacGuffin lacked simplicity.

“As always, we proceeded by trial and error, going off in several different directions that turned out to be too complex… Our original intention had been to… show groups of German refugees training in secret camps in South America with the aim of setting up an enemy army. But we couldn’t figure out what they were going to do with the army once it was organized. So we dropped the whole idea in favor of a MacGuffin that was simpler, but concrete and visual: a sample of uranium concealed in a wine bottle…

I had only one clue. A writer friend of mine had told me that scientists were working on a secret project some place in New Mexico. It was so secret that once they went into the plant, they never emerged again. I was also aware that the Germans were conducting experiments with heavy water in Norway. So these clues brought me to the uranium MacGuffin.” –Alfred Hitchcock (Hitchcock/Truffaut, 1966)

Of course, both Alfred Hitchcock and Ben Hecht were precisionists in many respects and wanted their idea validated by some higher authority. What’s more, they had a number of questions about various details concerning their then-hypothetical bomb.

“…As I’m not sure about this uranium and how big an atom bomb is, I put my hat on and go to the California Institute of Technology, where the most important scientist is working: Doctor Milliken, director of the Manhattan project. Naturally, I don’t know that he’s directing the Manhattan project. I don’t even know the Manhattan project exists. I only know that in New Mexico there exists a secret place where everyone goes in and no one comes out—a journalist told me about it. So I go in, ‘Good day, doctor. How are you?’ I shake hands with the doctor, who has a bust of Einstein in the corner of the room, and I ask him, ‘Doctor, how big would an atom bomb be?’ The scene that follows! He jumps up, yelling, ‘Do you want to be arrested? Do you want to get me arrested too?’ Then he spends an hour explaining to me that it was impossible to make the atom bomb, that the atom bomb never would be made, and that consequently I should not make the atom bomb my MacGuffin. I said all right. But I still had the bottle of uranium in the scenario, [and it was] a dramatic sequence. I didn’t want to give up the uranium, and so I made the MacGuffin the Atom Bomb anyway, and two years later the bomb exploded on Hiroshima.” –Alfred Hitchcock (Alfred Hitchcock: Mr. Chastity, The Egotists: Sixteen Surprising Interviews, 1963)

Interestingly, the director later learned that the FBI had him under surveillance for three months after that fateful visit. In any case, the entire script seemed to fall into place once they finally decided upon using Uranium for as their gimmick.

“The MacGuffin sparked the writers. Tossing out the opera house scene where Sebastian first realizes that Alicia is a spy [in earlier drafts of the script], Hecht and Hitchcock devised a suspenseful episode that chillingly involved Alicia. Late one night, having learned that Sebastian keeps in his basement a mysterious substance pertinent to the group’s scientific research, Alicia explores the wine cellar alone. She accidentally breaks a bottle and spills its contents—‘sand’—to the floor. American intelligence identifies the substance as uranium. In April 1945, a month before the military began work on the deployment of the atomic bomb, two months before certain of Churchill’s advisors knew of it, and three months before the Alamogordo test that demonstrated its efficacy, Hecht and Hitchcock brought uranium and atomic warfare to Notorious.” –Leonard Leff (Hitchcock and Selznick: The Rich and Strange Collaboration of Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick in Hollywood, 1987)

The aforementioned sequence would be fine-tuned in a number of ways. Most importantly, T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) was eventually incorporated into this portion of the film, and the idea of hiding the uranium in a wine bottle suggested a motif that Hitchcock employed throughout the film’s duration. Better yet, the details and minutia regarding the atomic bomb ended up being completely unimportant as the only element that was used in the plot was the uranium ore. Unfortunately, none of this kept David O. Selznick from raising an eyebrow at the idea.

“…The producer said, ‘What in the name of goodness is that?’ I said, ‘This is uranium; it’s the thing they’re going to make an atom bomb with.’ And he asked, ‘What atom bomb?’ This, you must remember, was in 1944, a year before Hiroshima… The producer was skeptical, and he felt it was absurd to use the idea of an atom bomb as the basis for our story. I told him that it wasn’t the basis for the story, but only the MacGuffin, and I explained that there was no need to attach too much importance to it. Finally, I said, ‘Look, if you don’t like uranium, let’s make it industrial diamonds, which the Germans need to cut their tools with.’ And I pointed out that if it had not been a wartime story, we could have hinged our plot on the theft of diamonds, that the gimmick was unimportant. Well, I failed to convince the producers, and a few weeks later the whole project was sold to RKO. In other words, Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, the script, Ben Hecht, and myself, we were sold as a package.” –Alfred Hitchcock (Hitchcock/Truffaut, 1966)

This is undoubtedly an oversimplification as there were a variety of factors that contributed to Selznick’s decision to sell the project (the biggest of which was likely the producer’s financial situation at the time). He was pouring money and energy into Duel in the Sun as he felt that this film could best Gone with the Wind. In any case, the producer simply wasn’t as invested in the project and decided to shop the package around to various studios. He tried selling the film’s to the largest studios in Hollywood before finally selling it to RKO for $800,000 and fifty percent of the film’s gross earnings.

In all fairness to Selznick, he wasn’t the only producer in Hollywood to be put off by the film’s use of uranium.

“I was sailing on the Queen Elizabeth, and I ran into a man called Joseph Hazen, who was an associate of producer Hal Wallis [of Warner Brothers]. He said to me, ‘I’ve always wanted to find out where you got the idea for the atom bomb a year before Hiroshima. When they offered us the Notorious script, we turned it down because we thought it was such a goddamn foolish thing to base a movie on.’ … I answered, ‘Well, all it goes to show is that you were wrong to attach any importance to the MacGuffin. Notorious was simply the story of a man in love with a girl who, in the course of her official duties, had to go to bed with another man and even had to marry him. That’s the story. That mistake of yours cost you a lot of money, because the movie cost two million dollars to make and grossed eight million dollars for the producers.’” –Alfred Hitchcock (Hitchcock/Truffaut, 1966)

Despite Hitchcock’s insistence that David O. Selznick hated the uranium MacGuffin, Leonard Leff argues that this is an erroneous claim in the pages of “Hitchcock and Selznick: The Rich and Strange Collaboration of Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick in Hollywood.

“Selznick not only called the decision to use uranium and the bomb ‘a tremendous thing,’ he even urged Hecht and Hitchcock to devise a culminating scene in which the Germans reveal the power of their discovery: they use ‘a bomb that could be held in the palm of one’s hand’ to blow up an entire mountain. An earlier draft had contained an allusion to such an experiment. Selznick now wanted to use the trick department to realize it. Exploding the bomb ‘makes the whole thing real,’ he told Hecht and Hitchcock, ‘and will give the picture size and spectacle.’” –Leonard Leff (Hitchcock and Selznick: The Rich and Strange Collaboration of Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick in Hollywood, 1987)

It is true that Selznick eventually came around to the idea of the uranium, but there are two very important points that Leff manages to glaze over. The first of these points has to do with the fact that he seems to have become enthusiastic about this idea after selling the project to RKO (who had taken over the project in mid-July). Selznick’s newfound enthusiasm seems to have come soon after the fateful events that occurred soon after this in early August. After the United States dropped a bomb on Hiroshima on the sixth and then on Nagasaki on the ninth, the producer began seeing dollar signs (remember, that he would still receive fifty percent of the film’s profits).

The script was still being developed at this time and even saw an unused polish by Clifford Odets before Ben Hecht returned to the project to undo his alterations. This setback added to an already lengthy writing period, and Selznick urged RKO to light a fire under Hitchcock and Hecht so that Notorious could be one of the first films to the box-office to exploit this topical atrocity. What’s more, he wanted to build up the MacGuffin with the aforementioned embellishments. He wanted spectacle—and this brings us to that second “glazed over” point—the producer’s desire to build up and elaborate upon the MacGuffin betrays his misunderstanding of what a MacGuffin actually is and also what the film was supposed to be about. This was the point that Hitchcock was trying to make: Notorious isn’t about uranium ore. It isn’t about atomic warfare. The audience isn’t concerned with such things beyond the fact that it puts the film’s heroine in mortal danger.

The story itself concerns itself with another kind of politics: sexual politics. Many critics and scholars prefer to discuss the film’s themes regarding the conflict of “love versus duty,” but there are more interesting conflicts at the heart of Notorious. It is a film about the toxicity of male insecurity, passive-aggressive behavior, and the games that couples tend to play with one another. Of course, there are moments of serenity in the film—including a celebrated kissing sequence that represents the calm before a storm that lasts throughout the rest of the film’s duration. It is one of the film’s most remarkable passages, and the audience hates to see the couple part when it is over:

screenplay excerpt - the kissing embrace

The scene was so much more than a way around the censor’s rule that no kiss should last longer than three seconds. It was born out of an understanding that such moments are fragile and fleeting. Alicia doesn’t want anything to interrupt this moment, because she knows that the wall of ice that Devlin has built around his heart is melting. She also knows that another cold front could blow through at any moment. It is no wonder why the director seemed to relish discussing the scene with journalists throughout the rest of his long career.

“It’s always seemed to me that when two people embrace, they don’t want to let go… I distinctly remember where I got the idea of not letting them go—of having the woman not let go of the man, even though he was on the telephone. It was long before I made the film. Before World War II, and I was on a train in France going from Boulogne to Paris and it was on a sunny Sunday afternoon when the train was going through the station of Etapes, moving quite slowly, when I saw a man and a woman, arm in arm, and he was urinating against a wall but the girl never let go of him. She was glancing around, looking at him and what he was doing now and then, but she would not move her arm away from his, she did not want to break that [moment].” –Alfred Hitchcock (Remembrance of Murders Past: An Interview With Alfred Hitchcock, New York Times, December 14, 1969)

Unfortunately, the moment is eventually broken as Devlin dutifully leaves to meet with his superiors so that they can give him Alicia’s assignment: she is to “land” Alex Sebastian (Claude Rains), who was once an associate of Alicia’s father. The agents hope that this will allow her to learn his secrets. The scene that follows shows us a side of Devlin that he doesn’t show Alicia—he stands up for her, but he isn’t resolute in his argument:

screenplay excerpt - defending her honor

In the filmed version, Prescott doesn’t ask “Have you some personal interest in Alicia Huberman?” He replaces this with “Why do you think she won’t do it?” When Devlin answers that she hasn’t had any experience, Prescott cheekily responds, “Come now. What experience does she lack, do you think?” Of course, this question cuts to the heart of Devlin’s own insecurities, and he gives up his argument completely when he is told that Sebastian was once in love with Alicia. His thawing wall of ice freezes back completely upon hearing this information.

This sets up what is one of the key scenes (no pun intended) in the relationship between our two primary protagonists wherein both Alicia and Devlin play a game of emotional chicken. They love each other, but Devlin does not want to tell Alicia his feelings and later learn that she cannot be true to him. He has given Alicia her assignment: She is to bed a Nazi agent in order to find out secrets about his organization:

screenplay excerpt - testing each other

Alicia is angry at Devlin for not speaking up for her to his superiors. Why would he not tell them that she is the wrong woman for such a job? We happen to know that he did speak up for her, but he refuses to admit this to Alicia. Devlin does not want her to accept the assignment and will not let these feelings be known. He needs to know if he can trust her and can only know for sure if she refuses the assignment. Alicia wants Devlin to tell her that he believes in her and not to take the assignment because he loves her. Neither character will budge. They are testing one another and both of them fail miserably. As a result, Alicia ends up bedding the agent, and Devlin resents her for this choice (even though she is only doing it because she believes it is what he wants). These games intensify later when Alicia baits Devlin during a rendezvous at the races:

screenplay excerpt - racetrack love test

The scene as it appears in the film is more streamlined, but all of the important beats are there and each beat hits hard. The characters in Notorious have a habit of testing one another’s love and devotion. Even Alexander Sebastian plays emotional games with Alicia as he is every bit as insecure as Devlin. At a dinner, Alicia apologizes to Sebastian for her behavior the last time that they were together. He responds by saying, “Well, then I’ll test your repentance immediately.” Sebastian worries that she has feelings for Devlin, and dances around the subject in order to get information out of her. He even pretends at one point to forget the issue and secretly continues to worry. Even his proposal to Alicia is simply a form of manipulation. When Alicia claims that Devlin means nothing to her, Sebastian’s replies, “I’d like to be convinced. Would you maybe care to convince me, Alicia, that Mr. Devlin means nothing to you?

In The Art of Alfred Hitchcock, Donald Spoto discusses the obvious motif of wine bottles and alcohol in the film and then elaborates on Alicia’s habit of using alcohol to mask her emotional pain. Devlin is also protecting himself from feeling emotional pain, but he does this by pushing Alicia away in a variety of ways (including verbal jabs about her past). Of course, this behavior is what pushes Alicia directly into the arms of Sebastian. Self-preservation becomes self-destructive in Notorious.

claude rains

“Claude Rains and Ingrid Bergman made a nice couple, but in the close shots the difference between them was so marked that if I wanted them both in a frame, I had to stand Claude Rains on a box. On one occasion we wanted to show them both coming from a distance, with the camera panning from him to Bergman. Well, we couldn’t have any boxes out there on the floor, so what I did was to have a plank of wood gradually rising as he walked toward the camera.” –Alfred Hitchcock (The Cinema of Alfred Hitchcock, 1963)

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What makes the film’s incredibly well drawn characters and rich subtext all the more remarkable is that they are rendered without sacrificing any of the suspenseful set pieces that Hitchcock has built his reputation upon. In fact, the brilliant crane shot that begins with an incredible overview of a party being held at the Sebastian mansion and ends with an extreme close-up of the famous UNICA key in Alicia’s hand is one of the most celebrated in Hitchcock’s career.

“That’s again using the visual. That’s a statement which says, ‘In this crowded atmosphere there is a very vital item, the crux of everything.’ So taking that sentence as it is, in this crowded atmosphere, you go to the widest possible expression of that phrase and then you come down to the most vital thing—a tiny little key in the hand. That’s merely the visual expression to say, ‘Everybody is having a good time, but they don’t realize there is a big drama going on here.’ And that big drama epitomizes itself in a little key.” –Alfred Hitchcock (The Cinema of Alfred Hitchcock, 1963)

Notorious is full of incredible moments like this one, but the film isn’t about these iconic moments; it is merely elevated by them. Every scene is either rich in subtext, suspense, or both all at once. It has been discussed and dissected endlessly and from a variety of different viewpoints, but there is still so much more to discover with each respective viewing.

The Presentation:

5 of 5 MacGuffins

The Criterion Collection houses their disc in the same sturdy clear case that has become the standard for their releases (we actually prefer this to their digipaks). The cover sleeve includes thematically appropriate cover artwork that has been credited to Greg Ruth. It’s a nice design that captures one of the film’s most memorable moments. Also included in the case is a pamphlet that includes more attractive artwork and an interesting essay by Angelica Jade Bastién entitled, “Notorious: The Same Hunger.” Information about the transfer and technical credits are also included therein.

Criterion’s static menu features film-related art and is in the same style that collectors have come to expect from Criterion’s Blu-ray releases. It is attractive and should be intuitive to navigate.

Picture Quality:

4.5 of 5 MacGuffins

Criterion includes detailed information about the film’s digital restoration in their included pamphlet:

“A new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a Lasergraphics Director Film scanner at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging in Burbank, California, from three elements: the 35mm original camera negative and a 35mm nitrate fine-grain, both held by the Museum of Modern Art, and a 35mm safety fine-grain held by the British Film Institute. Several sections of the original camera negative, the primary source for this restoration, have sustained damage over the years and been replaced by duplicate negatives; for some of these portions, the fine-grains were used. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, and warps were manually removed using MTI Film’s DRS, while Digital Vision’s Phoenix was used for jitter, flicker, small dirt, grain, and noise management.” –Liner Notes

Their efforts have resulted in a noticeable upgrade in terms of image quality when compared to the earlier MGM Blu-ray. It has a sharper appearance and the image isn’t slightly squeezed (and was on the MGM disc). The cleaner appearance of this new image certainly stands out as does an improvement in density. It seems like the restoration team took more care with this transfer, and the grain seems to be healthier here as well. Clarity is okay as well but doesn’t seem to be much better here than on the MGM disc. Stability is respectable and the movie looks great in motion. The overall experience feels just a bit more filmic.

Sound Quality:

4.5 of 5 MacGuffins

Interestingly, the film’s soundtrack was taken from a different source than the image as explained in the included pamphlet:

“The original monaural soundtrack was first restored in 2001 from a 1954 35mm acetate release print and a 35mm nitrate fine-grain master. Additional restoration work was performed by the Criterion Collection for this release using Pro Tools HD and iZotope RX.” –Liner Notes

It’s a nice job and the Linear PCM Audio track sounds much better than one might think it should. Music suffers the most from the film’s dated production techniques, but it certainly represents the film’s original Mono elements admirably. Anomalies that might distract have been minimalized so that hiss, hum, crackle, pops, and other assorted nonsense is never allowed to take viewers out of the movie.

Special Features:

4 of 5 MacGuffins

In addition to two feature-length commentary tracks and an hour-long radio drama, Criterion has included over two hours and thirty-one minutes of video-based material that should thrill fans of the film. In fact, this supplemental package would have earned a perfect score if not for the fact that there are a number of supplements from previous releases of Notorious that haven’t been carried over to this disc.

It almost seems ungrateful to even mention the missing supplements considering the embarrassment of riches that have actually been included here.

Feature Length Audio Commentary by Marian Keane (2001)

Anyone who has listened to Marian Keane’s other commentary tracks will have a decent idea what they can expect from this one. What we are given here is a feature-length audiovisual essay that discusses what is happening on the screen in a manner that dissects it in terms of Keane’s personal interpretation. It’s somewhat dry and scholarly, but it will interest those who enjoy theoretical analysis (even if they disagree with her interpretation). However, I imagine that there are plenty of people who will prefer Behlmer’s track.

Feature Length Audio Commentary by Rudy Behlmer (1990)

Rudy Behlmer’s track is more information based as we earn a bit about the production and its backstory. There are a lot of anecdotal tidbits, excerpts from production memos and correspondence, various books about the director, biographical information, and certain technical details. There is the occasional theoretical comment, but this one is largely about the film’s production and the various people who were involved with it.

Once Upon a Time: Notorious (2009) – (52:02)

This interesting episode/documentary was originally a part of the French series Once Upon a Time. A variety of archival footage is utilized throughout the duration as are interviews with scholars and other pertinent subjects; including David Thompson, Bill Krohn, Charlotte Chandler, Sidney Gottlieb, Claude Chabrol, Peter Bogdanovich, Stephen Frears, Isabella Rossellini, and others. We even hear from Alfred Hitchcock and Ingrid Bergman via the aforementioned archival footage. However, it should be made clear that the made clear that the subject of Notorious isn’t discussed in broad general terms. Topics discussed certainly cover the film’s production—including script development, Selznick’s sale of the package to RKO, and production information—but the program’s objective is to examine the sociopolitical environment of the era in which the film was made and how these things influenced the film. It’s an incredibly interesting documentary that is essential viewing for fans of both this film and Alfred Hitchcock’s other work. It is the disc’s best supplement.

Writing with the Camera – (19:54)

Writing with the Camera is the disc’s second-best supplementary program, and focuses on Alfred Hitchcock’s visual style and the various ways that he planned his productions. There are a few contradictory comments as to how the director worked throughout this piece, but this only makes it more interesting and worthwhile. Daniel Raim includes a number of interviews with some of Alfred Hitchcock’s collaborators as well as a number of scholars; including Steven Katz (who literally wrote the books on the visualization process in film directing—“Film Directing, Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen” and “Film Directing, Cinematic Motion: A Workshop for Staging Scenes Film”), Bill Krohn (who wrote Hitchcock at Work), Robert F. Boyle (production designer), Henry Bumstead (production designer), Harold Michelson (storyboard artist), and a number of other experts. The program begins discussing Hitchcock’s use on the visual in Notorious, but there is quite a bit of material on The Birds, and it mentions a few of the director’s other films throughout the duration as well.

Poisoned Romance – (21:01)

Donald Spoto—the man who invented the revisionist biography—discusses the film’s story and production in this conversation recorded specifically for this release. We learn about the film’s “source material,” the story and its narrative structure, Alfred Hitchcock’s frustrating relationship with David O. Selznick, the director’s collaboration with Ben Hecht, and Spoto’s own observations. It’s a nice interview but pales in comparison with the previous two programs.

Glamour and Tension – (23:25)

John Bailey’s interview adds enormously to the value of the disc, but this is mainly due to a very short portion of the program that discusses the challenges of the film’s famous crane shot. His comments on the shot are incredibly technical but his explanation is coupled with illustrations that make it incredibly easy for any layperson to understand. Less interesting are his observations about the rear screen work in Notorious. It’s nice to have a well-respected cinematographer discuss Hitchcock’s visual style, but it is a bit more uneven than some of the disc’s other offerings.

Powerful Patterns – (29:42)

The final sequence is broken down by David Bordwell as is how this sequence is set up throughout the entire movie. It’s both an informative and engaging half hour.

Pathe Reporter Meets… Ingrid Bergman and Alfred Hitchcock (1948) – (00:48)

The Pathe newsreel footage is actually more relevant to Alfred Hitchcock’s Under Capricorn as it cover’s Bergman’s arrival in the United Kingdom to shoot the film. However, it is a nice artifact that should be of interest to fans of both the actress and the director.

Lux Radio Theatre Adaptation of Notorious (1948) – (59:56)

This radio play originally aired on January 26, 1948 and starred Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotton. It’s certainly interesting but has nothing on the actual film. Notorious is such a visual film experience that the radio version simply falls a bit flat. It is certainly great to have it included here for comparison. The show is played over a still image of Ingrid Bergman.

Theatrical Trailers and Teasers

There are four trailers for the film included on the disc:

A Notorious Woman of Affairs – (02:09)
Gems in Her Hair and Ice in Her Heart – (00:55)
Notorious! Notorious! Notorious! – (00:52)
All She Was Was All She Wanted – (00:16)

Some of the director’s other movies were promoted by much more interesting and creative trailers. The four trailers for Notorious are typical of the hyperbolic trailers of its era. It’s nice to have them included as one likes to see how classic films were marketed.

We are missing a number of textual supplements from the previous Criterion DVD release (excerpts from “Song of the Dragon,” production correspondence, letters from the government, script excerpts of deleted material, and an essay). However, these text screens would have been much better had they been included as part a booklet instead of on the disc and it is doubtful that many will prefer those to the video-based material that has been included on this release. However, there are a number of features included on the earlier MGM Blu-ray that could and should have been carried over to Criterion’s disc (or as a part of a 2-disc release).

That release included a commentary track by Rick Jewell that wasn’t discussed a wide variety of topics—including the political landscape of post-war America and what the film meant to RKO at the time of the film’s release. A second commentary by Drew Casper was more theoretical and could even be described as an “audio essay.” There was quite a bit of history on these tracks that would have been a terrific asset to this new disc. Even more sorely missed is a half-hour documentary entitled The Ultimate Romance: The Making of ‘Notorious.’ We admit that some of the material revealed during this program is discussed on the various supplements that have been included here, but it is still unfortunate that it wasn’t included as it does contain a wealth of information that wasn’t included. The same can be said for a thirteen-minute featurette entitled Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Spymaster as it focused on the director’s influence on the espionage genre. The omission of the clip from the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony is also sorely missed as it included portions of Alfred Hitchcock’s “thank you” speech and Ingrid Bergman’s presentation of the famous UNICA key that featured in Notorious.

It was rather surprising to discover that this release didn’t include audio excerpts from Hitchcock’s infamous interviews with François Truffaut and Peter Bogdanovich as they have included them on a few of their previous Hitchcock releases. It’s very difficult to understand why they weren’t here and they are sorely missed. There was also an isolated music track and a restoration comparison included on the MGM disc, but the comparison isn’t pertinent to this release and the music track isn’t as essential as the various supplements already discussed.

Final Words:

The next time someone tells you that Alfred Hitchcock films are all style and no substance, simply suggest to that poor misinformed soul that they watch Notorious. It is one of the director’s masterpieces and is essential viewing not only for Hitchcock enthusiasts but for anyone who enjoys great cinema.

Criterion’s Blu-ray transfer is a significant improvement over the earlier MGM disc and includes a great supplemental package. However, those who own that earlier release may wish to keep these discs as they contain a number of supplements that haven’t been carried over to this release.

Review by: Devon Powell

Source Material:

John Taintor Foote (Song of the Dragon, Saturday Evening Post, November 12 and 19, 1921)

Unknown (Harrison’s Reports, July 27, 1946)

Unknown (Grant, Bergman, Hitchcock, Hecht—Wow, Film Bulletin, August 05, 1946)

Bosley Crowther (Hitchcock Thriller Opens at Radio City, New York Times, August 16, 1946)

Various Authors (What the Newspaper Critics Say About New Films: Notorious, Film Bulletin, August 19, 1946)

Frank S. Nugent (Mr. Hitchcock Discovers Love, New York Times, November 03, 1946)

Unknown (The Times, February 1947)

Peter Bogdanovich (The Cinema of Alfred Hitchcock, 1963)

Oriana Fallaci (Alfred Hitchcock: Mr. Chastity, The Egotists: Sixteen Surprising Interviews, 1963)

François Truffaut (Hitchcock, 1966)

H. E. F. Donohue (Remembrance of Murders Past: An Interview With Alfred Hitchcock, New York Times, December 14, 1969)

Rui Nogueira and Nicoletta Zalaffi (Hitch, Hitch, Hitch, Hurrah, Écran, July-August 1972)

Andy Warhol (Hitchcock, Interview, September 1974)

Donald Spoto (The Art of Alfred Hitchcock, 1976)

John Russell Taylor (Hitch: The Life and Times of Alfred Hitchcock, 1978)

Ingrid Bergman (My Story, April 01, 1983)

Leonard Leff (Hitchcock and Selznick: The Rich and Strange Collaboration of Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick in Hollywood, 1987)

Bill Krohn (Hitchcock at Work, 2000)

Patrick McGilligan (Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light, 2003)

Sidney Gottlieb (Alfred Hitchcock Interviews, 2003)

Barton Palmer and David Boyd (Hitchcock at the Source, 2011)

Matthew H. Bernstein (Unrecognizable Origins, Hitchcock at the Source, 2011)

Lesley L. Coffin (Hitchcock’s Stars, 2014)

Angelica Jade Bastién (Notorious: The Same Hunger, 2018)

One Sheet.jpg


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by Airfix
$36.39 USD $45.49 USD

This is an injection-plastic aircraft model kit.

From the manufacturer:

Of the RAF bombers involved in operations over Germany during WWII, the Avro Lancaster must rank as the most famous of them all. As the strategic bomber offensive gathered momentum, it was the Lancaster that came to the fore after entering service with the RAF in 1942, overshadowing its other four-engine contemporaries, the Handley-Page Halifax and the Short Stirling.

The Lancaster flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 608,612 long tons of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Just 35 completed more than 100 successful operations and 3,249 were lost in action. It was the Lancaster that spearheaded the battles for Berlin and Hamburg, and it played a vital role in the devastating raid upon Dresden. The Lancaster has become the symbol of Bomber Command, and as such, a symbol of British air power during WWII.

Completed kit measures 294mm long and 432mm wide.

Code: ARFA08013
Release Date: Jul 2016
Item Size/Weight: 45.2cm x 25.2cm x 5.8cm / 700g
Manufacturer: Airfix

Assembly Guide

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description: Wide crawl of the web for February 2019
operator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)
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software: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)
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text:
Air Model Special No.010

by Model Art
$17.06 USD $17.06 USD

This is a Japanese-language book or magazine about aircraft and/or aircraft modeling. Some Japanese aircraft books, such as the Aero Detail series contain complete English text as well. See the product description below for details.

Softcover. All text is in Japanese.

Code: MDAAMS010
Release Date: Jul 2015
Item Size/Weight: 29.6cm x 21.0cm x 0.6cm / 460g
Manufacturer: Model Art


text:
There is no substitute for expertise.HOA law is what we do.

New Client: Mission Grove Community Association

Published on:

Mission-GroveWe are proud to announce that Mission Grove Community Association has selected Tinnelly Law Group as their associations’ legal counsel.

Mission Grove, by D.R. Horton, is a brand new condominium community located in San Marcos.  Conveniently located near Cal State San Marcos and Palomar Community College, the community features tot lots, pool, BBQ and picnic benches for residents to enjoy.

hoa laws Our HOA attorneys and staff look forward to working with Mission Grove’s Board and management.


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Holistic Divorce Counseling

Holistic Divorce Counseling Nicole S. Urdang, M.S., NCC, DHM. Free support, resources, and comfort for all life's issues and transitions.

Is Your Depression Really Grief? April 26, 2016

The following is a list of symptoms associated with major depression:

A persistent feeling of sadness

Loss of interest

Changes in appetite

Decreased energy level

Thoughts of suicide

General discontent

Inability to feel pleasure

Mood swings

Early awakening

Excess sleepiness

Restless sleep

Excessive hunger

Loss of appetite

Excessive crying

Social isolation

Lack of concentration

Weight gain or loss

All of these symptoms can also be caused by grief. Why bother differentiating between grief and depression? Because grief is a natural reaction to loss and the accrual of losses as one ages. Depression can be exogenous (catalyzed by external events) or endogenous (come from within, like a mid-life crisis, or existential depression). It can be acute or chronic, mild to severe, difficult or debilitating. The most compelling reason to make the distinction between grief and depression is:  If you know you are suffering from grief your expectations are different from those you might have if you think you are depressed. Grief is a natural reaction to loss. Everyone experiences it, though some with more awareness, compassion, and patience for themselves than others. If you mistake your grief for depression you might take antidepressant medication. Conversely, if you don’t pathologize your experience and recognize it as grief, you could ride its waves.

Grief is not a mental illness, even though it may look like one; especially, if you are experiencing complicated grief. Grief can result from obvious life experiences, like death of a loved one or pet, and less obvious experiences, like job loss, diagnosis of illness, a move that takes you away from friends and family, divorce, retirement, and even the natural effects of aging.

Another major reason to figure out whether you are dealing with depression or grief is that with depression it is all too easy to create a second layer of feelings such as anger, guilt, anxiety, and even more depression as you think things like:

I shouldn’t feel depressed.

I should be stronger and fight this.

I am such a failure.

I will always feel this lousy.

It’s horrible to feel depressed.

I can’t stand it!

You can also have secondary issues with grief if you think:

I should be over this already.

I hate it when I cry in public, it’s so shameful.

What’s wrong with me?

I’ll never stop feeling this sad and that will be awful.

The difference is that secondary issues are far more common with depression than with grief because grief is a healthy, human reaction to loss. Any loss, and the accumulation of losses over a lifetime. Depression effects some people, grief effects everyone.

Depression typically hides anger. Grief, on the other hand, may shape-shift into anger, but it isn’t usually hiding other emotions. The kaleidoscope of feelings grief can mimic simply appear as they are felt.

If you know you have experienced a recent loss, or something has triggered all your losses to coalesce into a hard knot of sadness, remember: grief is a normal, natural process that helps process raw emotions. No doubt, you will feel it physically as well as emotionally; but, this is just one of the ways the body-mind reboots your system. It happens on all levels: emotional, physical, and spiritual.

Imagine this scenario: you go to the doctor with a variety of symptoms fearing you have some dreaded disease. She tells you you are healthy as a horse, but you may want to adjust your diet, sleep schedule, work load, and make more time for leisure, nature, and rest. You leave the office feeling buoyant. Why? Because there was nothing wrong. You may have had symptoms and issues, but you are really OK. The same is true of grief. It can feel pretty awful and disrupt the flow of life, yet it’s benign. You’re fine.

How can you figure out if you are depressed or dealing with grief? Ask yourself what has recently happened in your life. Write a list of any changes you can think of, both internal and external, over the past 6-12 months. Look at your list. Did you move? Get divorced? End a relationship or become estranged from a family member? Change jobs? Face an illness? Have a sudden drop in income? If so, it is likely you are dealing with grief, not depression. Grief is the consummate shape-shifter and can mimic depression, anxiety, anger, worthlessness, and guilt. By taking the time to truly assess whether you are in grief or depression you can wisely choose a course of action tailored to what is really going on.

Copyright Nicole S. Urdang

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Holland Circular Hotspot

Protix – Nature and technology working together

With a rapidly increasing world population and limited resources for food production, we need smarter methods of producing much needed proteins. Protix tackles the challenges of food security for both humans and animals, reducing organic waste in the process. The Dutch company Protix has developed a sustainable and circular way to harness the power of insects. Protix produces insect-based meals and high-concentration protein products, which are used to produce aquaculture and animal feed, food and pharmaceuticals.

"Smart protein production - including through insects - provides an answer to increasing food and feed demands"

The power of insects

Protix uses an innovative way to breed the larvae of the black soldier fly. The larvae eat food leftovers and store it as proteins. After its life cycle, the larvae become a source to produce protein powder. In turn, the powder is, for instance, used to feed cultivated salmon. Before the protein powder, the salmon would be fed with fish powder made from other fish- which is unsustainable.

Protix’s technology provides an answer to increasing food and feed demands on limited land surface. The technology also helps to dispose food leftovers in an effective manner, creating value from waste.

The World Economic Forum acknowledged Protix by presenting them to Technology Pioneer Award.


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Open Letter to Rosie O’Donnell

Dear Rosie,

As someone who has to at least some extent defended and supported you in the past, I can’t begin to tell you how disappointed I am with what you have done.  I haven’t listened to everything you’ve always said, but as someone who is comfortable with your personal choices and as someone who enjoys hearing someone give an exuberant opinion, I have at the very least been a borderline fan. However, this time you crossed over from exuberance to idiocy, and as a result you are now hearing from me.

Here’s the thing Rosie.  As someone who opines on a regular basis I understand that in doing so I open myself up for criticism if and when I do or say something wrong.  Subsequently it takes a degree of confidence in one’s ethical approach to choose to be a voice.  Over the years you have been one VERY loud voice.  In doing so however, you’ve also reached a point where you are required to be responsible.  Many people have paid attention to at least some of what you have said, and many continue to listen to you.  To be very blunt, I hope they stop doing so.  Any credibility you may have had in my eyes, is now gone.  And here is why.

This is wrong on so many levels that I  am almost embarrassed to say I once liked you.  Your Limited Edition Acrylic Artwork designed and drawn by Rosie is one, everything people legitimately criticize about Americans. Two, so incredibly irresponsible in its inaccuracy.  And three, so focused on putting down Israel it is downright gross, not to mention offensive.  I will break it down for you.

You have a picture of a man holding a wounded baby and you write, “Israel beings bombing Gaza-This man carries a baby about the same age as the one I sit next to, watching Frozen”.  CLICK HERE TO SEE.

Rosie, I love America. Even when I disagree with the government or see stupidity that can be interpreted as indigenous to our society, I am proud to be an American.  Those who criticize Americans will say that we commercialize everything and often do so in shallow and ignorant fashion.  I suspect that many will use your “art” as a prime example of this shallow ignorance. Then again, if they are haters of Israel and the Jews they will gravitate to it, because shallow stupidity is forgivable when done to put down Israel and the Jewish people.

That’s not even the biggest problem with all of this Rosie.  That picture wasn’t taken in Gaza and this man is not holding a baby wounded in an Israeli attack.  This is the aftermath of a Syrian government attack on its own people.  An attack that is just one of many in a civil war that has killed almost 200,000 people.  Once again you show it is easier, and in some people’s minds hipper to attack Israel than to go after the real evil.

On a side, but rather mind-boggling note, maybe you can answer this question for me.  Why on earth would someone who has fought hard for the rights of the LGBT community go after the one government in the entire Middle East where gays and lesbians are allowed to live freely and without persecution?  Not to mention the fact that you did so in such blatantly inaccurate fashion.

I want an apology Rosie.  I want one for the entire Jewish community and I want one for the State of Israel.  If we do not get one from you, your integrity is gone for good.  You’ve always been a loud voice and one who has always claimed to be a straight shooter. Well in this case you are shooting wildly, inaccurately, and with a mean and subtle venom.  I want an apology and a retraction. Anything short of this will show you to be part of the very hypocrisy you’ve always claimed to fight against.

Do the right thing or stop talking, because if you don’t, you’re just another dumb voice without any substance.

David Groen

Follow Holland’s Heroes on Twitter @hollandsheroes

6 responses to “Open Letter to Rosie O’Donnell

  • lana

    you should tell her that ISIS is murdering people by thousands…and Rosie is not loosing sleep over is she? she can paint mutilated girls genitals, women stoned to death, Saudi Arabia accusing women because they were raped and executing people on public display by cutting off their heads. If she ignores all atrocities committed in this region by Muslims against Muslims and Muslims against infidels, children and women, then she is not for human rights, she is against Israel. Boco Ha-ram is kidnapping girls and Rossie is not painting it? You can go to her face book and post this letter directly on her page. I am blogging there already

  • Jake

    she has the Oprah syndrome

  • Jj Gross

    Your first mistake was to respect her in the first place. Yoir second mistakes to expect a reply, let alone an apology.

  • brianoflondon

    Just this week there is footage of ISIS throwing an allegedly LGBT person from a building.

    And thanks for taking up this issue with Rosie.

  • lori effert

    Rosie,, do you understand you being gay,and going against Israel and the Jewish people,if you dont repent you are going to hell. Read the bible Rosie its eternal, no way of ever getting out of hell. There is forgiveness with Jesus.

  • Adam

    She’s not reading this. And “open letter” format is for attention-seeking idiots.

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text:
Best “Nice” Movies

Niceness is not something that is generally held up as an upper-tier virtue in society. Instead we just got through another nasty election season consisting of battle-lines drawn, weapons hurled, and an election night that resulted in a “choose-your-own-story” victory narrative in which the only real consensus reached was that we are an increasingly divided people. We haven’t even been graced with the usual post-election cool-down when we sort of resume normal lives as a week later we are knee deep again in outrage, anger, and fighting words again as we hurtle towards the next election and curate our battle lines for perpetuity. And to top it all off, Thanksgiving – that time of year when family members of different political, social, and religious persuasion who hardly speak to one another the rest of the year famously try (badly most of the time) to get along for one meal – is right around the corner.

And lets be frank, no matter what side of the aisle you fall under, it’s exhausting. Scanning our social feeds provides us ample reasons to get up in arms, to dig into our already presupposed position, and vent behind the veneer of relative anonymity. Meanwhile all of the big media companies know outrage sells (just look at all the programming on ESPN, where outrage over games played for our entertainment reach vitriolic levels) and pumps us full of reasons legitimate and trivial to get angry and self-righteous about our beliefs and ways of life. All we do is prove that this axiom is true: “Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for someone else to die.”

It is perhaps no surprise that it is in this climate that a spate of movies have come out are explicitly humane and optimistic. Indiewire critic David Ehrlich calls this new movie trend “nicecore”; a slate of movies that “argues that kindness can be a transformative force upon itself.” These aren’t movies that refuse to look away from the darker aspects of humanity and ignore our penchant for badness as a form of escapism, but they are an affirmation that kindness and goodness are the key to overcoming what ails the world. They are optimistic not in the naive sense of the word, but with the profound understanding that whatever is life-giving is ultimately also going to be death-defeating as well.

These new movies like Paddington 2, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, and Hearts Beat Loud  stand as counter-factuals to our modern narratives and counter-offensives to the conventional wisdom of how we should operate in our hostile and divided world. But I also think that while the general meanness of 2018 has perhaps helped these movies stand out, “nicecore” is not a new trend – “nice” movies have been made for ages. So I figure I might as well put out a list of the best “nice” movies as a panacea for an increasingly hostile world:

25. THE PEANUTS MOVIE (2015) dir. Steve Martino

I will grant, The Peanuts Movie is only serviceable as a big screen adaptation of Charles Schulz’s legendary comic-strip. but really this movie – which is still a decent adaptation mind you – is a placeholder for just about every Peanuts TV-special and movie ever made. Even though the series is known for its melancholic brand of humor, Schulz’s warm, sympathetic, and complex understanding of human life is a soothing balm for me no matter what format it shows up in, and this movie is no different.

24. LITTLE WOMEN (1994) dir. Gillian Armstrong

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is a classic “nice-core” novel, so it is of no surprise that almost every film adaptation similarly falls into that category as well. I picked Gillian Armstrong’s version because it is the one I grew up with, and is a sharp and intelligent adaptation of the novel (you really can’t go too wrong with any version though). This version also features, apart from the already famous Susan Sarandon, a surprisingly stellar cast of would-be A-listers in Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes, and a young Christian Bale among others.

23. YOUR NAME (2016) dir. Makoto Shinkai

The premise of this movie, in which a high school boy and girl from different cities inexplicably find themselves switching bodies periodically, would have been played for slapstick laughs in a Western context. And while there is comedy in the premise, there is also pathos and drama as the switch allows them a chance to adventurously and vicariously live another person’s life, while also getting what is beautiful about their own lives illuminated. It is a melodramatic romance that veers into truly fantastical territory that will come as a shock to all those whose only exposure to anime is from that weird kid who talks endlessly about My Hero Academia (that kid would be me), but I promise you it will be worth it.

22. JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (2011) dir. David Gelb

There is something incredibly inspiring about following a man who has devoted his life to perfecting a cuisine that is literally designed to be eaten in one bite. That this man Jiro, the undisputed master of sushi-making, also happens to do his work in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in a subway, eschews all the prestige that comes his way, and is seemingly truly focused on simply bettering his craft is as satisfying as it sounds. Fair warning though: one might want to actually have sushi available while watching this sumptuous feast.

21. LILO & STITCH (2002) dirs. Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders

Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten.” It is somewhat ironic that a movie about a rogue space alien crash landing on earth is the most contemporary Disney movie to date. Lilo & Stitch focuses on a couple of sisters, orphaned by an unknown tragedy, and on the verge of being separated by child protective services, and an alien beast who is programmed to be bad and destructive even when it leaves him feeling alone and lost. That they ultimately find their salvation not through some fairy tales means but by following ohana instead also makes this a movie whose heart is somewhat grounded in reality.

20. WAITRESS (2007) dir. Adrienne Shelley

A perfectly bittersweet romantic comedy that’s packaged with all the usual trappings of the genre, but hides a subtle empowering punch. When Jenna (Keri Russell) finds out she is pregnant to her abusive husband, it prompts her quickly and quite hormonally to fall for her gynecologist (Nathan Fillion) which on the surface seems to set up a typical romantic comedy scenario. But the difference is that director Adrienne Shelley seemed much more interested in Jenna and her agency than in her romantic fulfillment, leading to a movie that deftly shifts tones between fantasy and reality, is familiar without resorting to cliche, and is about as sincere and sweet as any of the handmade pies featured on this list (warning: you are going to want pie after watching this movie). Thanks to the recent Broadway musical and Keri Russell’s phenomenal turn in The Americans, the profile of this previously indie-darling has never been higher – and thus worth checking out.

19. ONCE (2007) dir. John Carney

Yes, at the centre of this movie is a love story between two wandering souls. But what makes this movie so dynamic and enlivening is that it shows, better than any other movie I can recall, the wonderful alchemy that happens when people create art together. When Guy (Glen Hansard) and Girl (Marketa Irglova) discover that they both play music, it sparks a glut of collaboration between the two of them. Music is usually seen as a mysterious and powerful entity, with non-musicians assuming we who write music must be endowed with special powers. But Once pulls back the curtain to show the nuts and bolts. We see music develop as each collaborator bounces ideas off the other, we see songs take skeletal shape and the grow into different beasts when more musicians come round the table. And rather than demystifying the process of creating art, the ordinariness with which the music finally comes to fruition makes it seem all the more miraculous.

18. THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979) dir. James Frawley

Again, like with The Peanuts Movie, this is basically a stand-in for just about every Muppets movie (except Muppets in Space, you can safely ignore that one). But unlike The Peanuts Movie, the difference is that the original Muppet Movie is arguably the best of the lot. Yes, the movie is zany, the humour is surreal, and its brand of meta-humor does not initially seem to be a place for the sort of “niceness” this list requires. But take a listen to “The Rainbow Connection”, and tell me that there isn’t a core of warm kindness hiding underneath all of that felt. Also, Orson Welles!

17. MONSIEUR HULOT’S HOLIDAY (1953) dir. Jacques Tati

In stark contrast to a lot of American comedies, whose primary source of comedy does come from a bit of meanness, Jacques Tati’s humour is one built on good cheer. When his Monsieur Hulot takes his vacation out by the French seaside it becomes an opportunity to laugh at all the myriad ways we seem to work so hard in order to relax. Just about every vacation type gets a chance to get lampooned here, and with such affection and love that you never feel Tati is ever mocking them. Instead it is a gentle comedy that truly embodies the phrase “a slice of life.”

16. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006) dirs. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris

You don’t get to choose your family. Perhaps no movie illustrates that fact better than Little Miss Sunshine, in which a literal family of misfits each very different from the other are forced to come together first in pursuit of their slice of happiness promised to them by the American dream, and then in absolute rejection of that empty promise. This movie represents the high point of the quirky-indie movement of the mid 2000s before it descended into parody and features one of the best ensemble casts ever assembled (Greg Kinnear, Steve Carrell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano).

15. BABE (1995) dir. Chris Noonan

Babe is a story about an innocent pig who is born into a cruel world. From the moment the movie opens just about every viable path for Babe should lead to him being turned into bacon. And yet, miraculously, through a fortuitous (ordained?) set of events, because he meets the right farmer on the right farm, Babe finds himself not only escaping becoming breakfast meat but on a path to discover his true calling and take his place as a member of the family. That this journey happens without Babe ever losing his innocence and kindness makes this easily one of the most heartwarming movies on this list.

14. HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE (2016) dir. Taika Waititi

Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) is a “bad egg”, at least according to his social services officer. Hec (Sam Neill) meanwhile is cantankerous loner living at the edge of New Zealand wilderness. The only reason these two meet each other is because Hec’s wife Bella (Rima Te Wiata) has a heart that’s big enough to take in these two wayward souls, so much so that even when she passes unexpectedly it is her love for them that keeps this unlikely duo together as they run through the New Zealand wilderness is this warm and funny comedy.

13. WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? (2018) dir. Morgan Neville

Perhaps no human being on the planet perfectly encapsulates the ethos of “nicecore” better than Fred Rogers and this documentary goes a long way in showing why this is the case. The most heartening aspect of this documentary Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood and find out that he is genuinely as kind, generous, loving, and caring as his onscreen persona. But more than just being a cushy portrait of a living saint, what is most remarkable is that this portrait is willing to examine Rogers at his most frail, disillusioned, doubtful, and heartbroken – and yet shows him a man of principle above all who believed that the “greatest thing that we can do is to let someone know that they are loved and capable of loving.”

12. DEPARTURES (2008) dir. Yojiro Takita

In most cases, death is tragic, and the antithesis of the kind of humane and optimistic outlooks required for movies on this list. And yet Departures is the exception. It follows Daigo, a cellist who gets let go by his orchestra when it goes bankrupt and, in order to make ends meet, signs up to be an apprentice in encoffinment – the art of preparing a body for cremation. In Japan, where death is even more of a taboo than in the West, it is a necessary but shameful practice, but thanks to his the tender care Daigo and his master give they endow a dignity and grace to the deceased that cannot feel anything but life-giving.

11. WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT (2005) dirs. Steve Box & Nick Park

The mild mannered but admittedly silly antics of Wallace and his trusty dog, and much wiser sidekick, Gromit had long been a cornerstone of stop-motion animation and the epitome of silliness long before they got their chance for their big screen debut. Their jump to the big screen is a seamless one as here they play a couple of pest exterminators tasked with guarding the vegetable gardens of a sleepy English village when mysteriously the village gets hit with a horrible string of veggie-related carnage. Naturally this causes this oddball dynamic duo to swing into action with their unnecessarily complex machines, usual communication issues, visual punnery, and all-round charming package carrying the movie through.

10. INSIDE OUT (2015) dir. Pete Docter

Once again I gave myself the horrible limitation of choosing only one Pixar movie for this list, thus shutting out the entire Toy Story franchise, Monsters Inc., WALL-E, Ratatouille, Up, and Finding Nemo among others from this list. But ultimately I went with the cerebral and emotionally complex Inside Out, not least because it is a movie that makes empathy the focus of its dramatic thrust. It explains emotions in a way that is simple enough for children to understand and yet profound enough to cause revelations in fully grown adults, with its central message that our negative emotions are vital for our growth especially important for the young to hear and the old to remember. And, in typical Pixar fashion it provides plenty of opportunity for the traditional cathartic cry for those needing it.

9. FACES PLACES (2017) dir. Agnés Varda

After spending nearly half a century behind the camera directing such classics like Cleo From 5 to 7 and Vagabond among others, living legend Agnés Varda has in recent years turned the camera back on herself in the 21st century with a series of personal documentaries, much to our benefit. Where The Gleaners and I found Varda finding some kindred spirits and The Beaches of Agnes is a wonderful retrospective of her cinematic career. But where bothe of those documentaries found Varda look back and inwards Faces Places sees her amazingly looking forward as she works with JR, a French photographer on an art project. The subject of their joint collaboration, trying to create portraits of the forgotten villages and small towns of France, is inspirational enough but the true joy is in seeing a 90-year old woman have so much joy for life that she still has the energy and desire to create something new.

8. ANOTHER YEAR (2010) dir. Mike Leigh

To quote the great Roger Ebert (again), Mike Leigh’s Another Year, about a happily married elderly couple who find themselves being the most stable relationship to a bunch of troubled and hurt people, is a “long, purifying soak in empathy”. Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) are the rare breed of movie couple: they are happy and content, intelligent and thoughtful, and most importantly share a love for each other that is so complete that it can welcome their wayward friends in. And they are no fantasy couple either, for we all know a couple like that in our live. Leigh has always been a director who revels in down-to-earth, messy beauty, and Another Year just might be the perfect epitome of his filmmaking philosophy.

7. AMELIE (2001) dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Amelie purpose is to make people happy. Like a silent guardian angel she finds and returns lost things to people, brings wayward souls together to find love, and quietly fights back against the rude and impolite around her, but in ways that are nothing short of whimsical and amusing to her. And if Amelie’s purpose is other’s happiness, that seems to be the movie’s purpose as well. It is funny, sassy, whimsical, and endlessly charming. It’s breezy pace and picturesque setting (Paris, where else?) make this easily one of the most effortless movies you’ll ever encounter; a perfect showcase for Audrey Tautou unique charisma and perhaps one of the best introductions to the world of foreign cinema for the uninitiated.

6. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) dir. Frank Capra

Granted, for most of this Christmas classic, it fails to live up to the “nice” label. After all, this is a story about a George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), a man who believes in doing the good, right, and honorable right thing, and time and time again seems to come off worse for doing it. He periodically finds his ambitions derailed, his body hurt, his happiness compromised, and ultimately his livelihood threatened, all because he is incapable of acting for his own selfish interest when the chance to help others presents itself. But of course, if the movie were truly a downer, it would not have earned its place as a mainstay every holiday season.

5. LARS AND THE REAL GIRL (2007) dir. Craig Gillespie

This is the movie that I love the most that also represents my hardest sell to anyone who hasn’t seen it.  When the painfully shy Lars (Ryan Gosling) buys his doll Bianca, he does so not for any carnal reasons but because he truly struggles with human connection, and like a pet, Bianca gives him unconditional love. But miraculously, the entire community around him sees this not as a reason to mock his dysfunction but as a chance to help him get out of their shell, and so they all play along and by doing so sees Lars slowly come to life. Admittedly a movie about a man who buys a life-sized sex doll to be his companion has about a million ways to go horribly wrong, but it is to the entire filmmaking crew’s credit that it instead manages to find the one right path: by making it a life-affirming treatise about the power of community.

4. PADDINGTON 2 (2017) dir. Paul King

You knew the moment I put out this list that this movie was going to end up on it, right? And while my never-ending quest of campaigning for this movie to be declared the best sequel since The Godfather: Part II may go overboard at times, let it not diminish the fact that stripped from my hyperbole, this is still a really good movie. It’s picture book aesthetic is perhaps the greatest example of supreme control outside of a Wes Anderson movie while also being the perfect approach for its completely sincere tone. But it is also quietly counter-cultural, giving a firm stare to the quarters of humanity who argue that homogeneity is a strength and that diversity represents a threat; but instead of preaching that message Paddington 2 is content to show us not just how loving and kind that bear is, but how loving and kind we could be too. (It should also be noted that the original Paddington is a fine substitute here).

3. CITY LIGHTS (1931) dir. Charlie Chaplin

Perhaps there isn’t a character who embodies the characteristics of “nicecore” better than Chaplin’s “Tramp” who spends most of his time trying to act like a gentleman, even when he finds himself mostly down and out of his luck. And while this is certainly up for debate, my favorite movie in which the Tramp makes an appearance is City Lights if only because it seems to contain everything that made Chaplin’s brand of comedy great. There is the slapstick, the pantomine, and the physicality of Chaplin’s comedic performance that makes him most recognizable. But this movie is also filled with pathos, grace, and compassion not just for the Tramp but the people he comes in contact with, including the Blind Girl who manages to see more in him than he sees himself. And it is these latter qualities that make his comedies, and City Lights especially, endur

2. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952) dirs. Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly

It is literally impossible not to see Gene Kelly splash around in the rain singing the titular song and not find yourself with a grin planted across your face. It’s just not possible. And that infectious joy is what Kelly brings to the rest of this giddy and breezy musical. While most musicals definitely veer on the brighter side of life, Singin’ in the Rain seems to distill the movie musical to its purest form, giving us a light hearted story led by what might be the most charming trio of leads in Donald O’ Connor, Debbie Reynolds, and Gene Kelly, a behind-the-curtain look at Hollywood that is both willing to lampoon the industry without necessarily stripping it of its allure, and stunning musical number after musical number that seem to go on for days. I can think of only one other movie that makes me happier.

1. MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (1988) dir. Hayao Miyazaki

It is a minor miracle that My Neighbor Totoro exists. It is a children’s movie without a conflict-dependent plot (quick, name me another one). It is a movie in which the strange and mystical is not seen as a threat to be afraid about. It is filled with adults who believe the worlds of children, and  believe in giving them agency. And most importantly it is a movie that depicts children not as little adult, but as children – filled with wonder and endless imagination, who explore the world simply for the joy of new discoveries, and who see things that are strange and new – like the mythical Totoro – not as a threat but as opportunities to experience something new and make new friends. It is also a movie that allows a mother to be ill without exploiting it for wrenching emotion, children to be sad because it is a valid emotion, and so beautifully accurate to the experience of being a child as to resemble a documentary. In other words, as close to perfect as a movie can get.

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RAND Report: Veteran Caregivers are America's Hidden Heroes | Generations Home Care
Veteran Caregivers

Caregivers play a critical role in our country’s health care system. A 2015 study commissioned by the AARP found that approximately 34.2 million Americans had provided unpaid care for an adult age 50 or older in the previous 12 months. These unpaid workers often provide help with the non-medical tasks of daily living like dressing, bathing, or meal preparation — the important tasks frail patients can’t accomplish for themselves and doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals can’t provide. Now imagine the scale of suffering that would occur if these caregivers ever disappeared.

Nestled within that large pool of caregivers is a smaller subset of people who care for our military veterans. The Rand Corporation recently completed a study documenting the needs of this unique cohort and found that some 5.5 million U.S. adults currently act as veteran caregivers. The study also found that, “military caregivers consistently experience worse health outcomes, greater strains in family relationships, and more workplace problems than non-caregivers.” What’s more, as the Vietnam generation continues to age into retirement and the United States continues to fight in protracted conflicts in the post-9/11 years, the number of veterans requiring in-home care will grow as will the needs of their caregivers.

Two Different Groups of Veterans

The RAND study divides veterans into two distinct groups: those that served before 9/11 and those who served after. The study found the veterans and their caregivers in these two groups had very different needs.

Pre-9/11 Veterans

These veterans are obviously much older than their post-9/11 colleagues, with a rapidly diminishing number having served in World War II or the Korean Conflict. The largest group of pre-9/11 veterans served in Vietnam and are joining the retirement ranks in large numbers. These veterans most often struggle with mobility-limiting disabilities or chronic conditions like heart disease. As a result, their caregiving needs closely mirror those of aging Americans at large, like getting in and out of chairs, dressing, or eating.

The typical caregiver for a pre-9/11 veteran also closely resembles a civilian caregiver. They will most commonly be the veteran’s child who is older than 30. They’re also less likely to be employed and more likely to have some kind of support network in place. By comparison, post-9/11 veterans and their caregivers face much different circumstances.

Post-9/11 Veterans

Post-9/11 veterans served in the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Global War on Terror. These veterans tend to be much younger and suffer more often from traumatic brain injury (TBI), hearing and vision problems, and mobility-limiting disabilities than their pre-9/11 colleagues. Their caregivers are also very different.

Post-9/11 caregivers are most commonly the veteran’s spouse, a large number of which are under age 30. They also work more often than their pre-9/11 counterparts, and are less likely to have outside support. Post-9/11 caregivers help their veterans administer medication or physical therapies and manage finances more often than other recipient groups. A full 75% of post-9/11 caregivers also help their care recipient cope with stressful situations, which dwarfs the needs of other recipient groups.

Report Recommendations

The RAND report lays out four recommendations for ways we can help veteran caregivers be more successful in their important jobs:

  1. “Efforts are needed to help empower military caregivers, and should include ways to build their skills and confidences in caregiving, mitigate the potential stress and strain of caregiving, and raise public awareness of the caregivers’ value.
  2. Creating contexts that acknowledge caregivers’ special needs and status — particularly in health care and workplace settings — will help caregivers play their roles more effectively and balance the potentially competing demands of caregiving and their own lives.
  3. Programs relevant to the needs of military caregivers are typically focused on the service member or veteran, and only incidentally related to the caregiver’s role, and there are specific gaps in needed programs, particularly for programs that help reduce the time spent performing caregiving duties, provide health care to caregivers, and offset lost income. Therefore, eligibility issues and these specific programmatic needs should be addressed.
  4. Ensuring the long-term wellbeing of caregivers and the agencies that aim to support them may each require efforts to plan strategically for the future, not only to serve the dynamic and evolving needs of current military caregivers, but to anticipate the needs of future military caregivers in a changing political and fiscal environment.”

Generations Home Care Serves Veterans

As one of Arizona’s leading in-home care providers, Generations Home Care is well acquainted with the unique needs of veterans and their families. In response, we’ve recently partnered with Veterans Care Coordination to ensure all our veteran clients and their family members receive the benefits, and care, they earned through their brave service. We’ll share more about this exciting new program in future posts. Until then, let’s all do what we can to make sure America’s veterans — young and old — feel appreciated and cared for in their times of need.

About Generations Home Care

Generations Home Care can help provide the quality in-home care and support services seniors need to live fuller, healthier, independent lives.

We offer levels of care ranging from companionship, to respite for the primary family caregiver, to homemaking services, to assistance with activities of daily living, to Alzheimer’s and dementia care. We take a holistic approach and emphasize a consistent, client-centered plan of care.

Our Specialty Services Include:

  • Rehab or hospital-to-home programs for safe discharge.
  • Short-term post-operative care during recovery periods.
  • Non-medical life management services for people with chronic conditions.
  • Veteran’s connection to care program.
  • Live-in services and couples care.

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you, contact us today at 602-595-HOME (4663) or by filling out the contact form on our website.

About the author - Josh Friesen

February is American Heart Month


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Looking On The Bright Side of Resources

Procedures To Follow When Relocating To A New Home

Work issues, family obligations, and education matters are some of the reasons that make people move to other destinations. Relocating to another house together with your family is a good experience. It will be a good idea for your family to shift to a new location but you have to deliberate about some things. Children do not easily adapt to moving to a new house when they were already used to their old neighborhood. Find a house where everyone will feel comfortable staying in. You should, first of all, include your children in the decision making process about relocating to a new location. The main reason why it is necessary to involve your children is that they could be used to the current home and be taking them out could make them sad.

It will be good if your children knew that they would be relocating at the end of the month or year. When you break the news early, they will absorb that and try to get used to the idea. While telling them that they you will be moving, remember to tell them the good things like a good backyard, bigger room and nearby recreational facility. Make your children part of the decision making the process by asking for their views before choosing a house. The process of acquiring a house that your children like will be easy when their opinions count. While looking for a house with the help of your kids, inquire from them what they would like to have in a new house. Your children will not be surprised about the new destination because they were part of the hunting process.

The whole family should like the house apart from the children alone. You need to begin by getting the best schools in the locality and then focus on the neighborhoods that utilize those schools. Beware of the budget that you have before you commence the process of looking for a house. However, you should place a lower price for the house so that if there are any improvements to be done, then it is possible. You should also be aware of your needs when you are out looking for a house.

Get the house checked for pests, wood rot, and unstable foundation and solve the immediate issues quickly. For instance if the house is pest infested, request for a lower price as you look for a solution. You should also move to a new house when your children are expecting a transition. There are many things that you will have to do when you are finally settled in the new home.


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Where Do I Go to Refinance My Mortgage?

Lowering your monthly mortgage payment can do wonders for your personal finances. Clearly knowing your goals is important when determining what type of refinance to apply for. If your goal is to pay off your home, inquire about refinancing into a shorter-term loan. Fifteen-year mortgages have lower interest rates than 30-year mortgages and pay off the loan in half the time. The monthly payment may be higher, but it isn't twice as high.

Ask friends, family and trusted business contacts for a mortgage lender referral. Your CPA or insurance agent may recommend trustworthy mortgage lenders who will treat you right and offer you a fair deal. Do not rely on only one or two referrals, however. You should obtain additional quotes as well.

Local Banks

Most banks offer mortgage loans. Talk to a mortgage loan officer at the branch where you have your bank accounts. Banks sometimes have special programs for its existing customers. Even if they have no special programs, they may charge an existing customer less for a loan.

Mortgage Brokers

Mortgage brokers have access to multiple banks and lending sources. Banks typically have only their own programs to offer, while a mortgage broker may have dozens of lenders and hundreds of programs to choose from. Contact your state's agency that regulates mortgage brokers to ensure your broker is properly licensed and in good standing.

The Internet provides a way to research many lenders. Some websites specialize in providing you quotes from multiple lenders. Be careful not to give out sensitive personal information, such as your Social Security number, over the Internet. Know whose site you are using before giving personal information.

Current Lender

Call your current lender. If you have made all your payments on time, it may have a simplified refinance program available only to current customers. Some of these programs do not require proof of income, assets or even an appraisal. If the lender does not have a special refinance program, ask it to provide you a quote anyway. Remind the lender you are a current customer and there is no cost to them to keep you as one, only the risk of losing your business. This may encourage the lender to keep your settlement fees and interest rate lower than it normally would.

About the Author

David Rouse, currently residing in Raleigh, N.C., has been writing and teaching home owners about the mortgage industry since 1997. Rouse has written training manuals for mortgage professionals and conducted informational first-time home-buyer seminars, providing make-sense answers for a long and confusing process. He studied at Western Kentucky University.

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How to Shape a Possumhaw Holly

Possumhaw holly is deciduous, displaying its berries prominently after leaf drop.

Possumhaw holly is deciduous, displaying its berries prominently after leaf drop.

Possumhaw holly (Ilex decidua) adds fall interest to the garden, becoming most bold after leaf drop when berries clothe the stems. Growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, possumhaw holly is a deciduous shrub or small tree, requiring a male bush in close proximity for fruiting. Sprouting from the roots, possumhaw holly is grown most often as a multi-trunk small tree, shrub or hedge. Shape and prune your possumhaw holly in late winter through radical pruning methods to maintain the beauty of your bush.

Remove canes growing outside the designated perimeter to control the width of your possumhaw holly. Make cuts at the ground level.

Cut out spindly or weak canes at the ground to remove these inferior branches completely.

Prune out canes that are bigger than a thumb-width thick. Pruning of interior canes, both weak and thick, should not exceed more than one-third of the canes of the holly.

Control the height of your possumhaw holly by tip pruning. Make cuts within 1/4-inch of an outward facing bud to remove up to one-third of the length of a branch. Unchecked, a possumhall holly can reach 25 feet tall, depending upon the cultivar.

Rid the bush of dead, diseased or crossed branches during any season to improve the appearance and health of the holly.

Things You Will Need

  • By-pass blade hand pruners
  • Pruning loppers

  • Use hand pruning shears for small canes and branches, and pruning loppers for larger canes.

References (4)

About the Author

For Judy Kilpatrick, gardening is the best mental health therapy of all. Combining her interests in both of these fields, Kilpatrick is a professional flower grower and a practicing, licensed mental health therapist. A graduate of East Carolina University, Kilpatrick writes for national and regional publications.

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Archive for the 'ensure' Category

Left in the cold

February 8, 2008

Ensure can in snow

“I got you some stuff. Here’s a bottle of ibuprofens, and here’s one of those cans of strawberry-flavoured Ensure drink. How about that, eh [!]?”

“Great. I appreciate it. I’ll be using that ibuprofen right away, thank you — and I’ll put that can in my refrigerator for dinner.”

Brand new day

October 30, 2007

Brand new

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from Home:Word, track released June 8, 2010
[D. Kan, C. Kim, T. Na, T. Vu]
Composed and Produced by Charles Kim
Engineered and Mixed by Derek Kan
Additional Chorus Engineering by Steve Francis of Stush Music
Mastered by Michael Sarsfield
Derek Kan: rap vocal
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Charles Kim: bass guitar, keys, rhythm guitar
David Lee: lead guitar
Taiyo Na: rap vocal
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Welcome back people!

WOW WOW WOW, the last few weeks have been incredibly exciting here so I’ll kick off sharing some news in case you’ve missed it on social media.

***Drumroll and hair swish please…I’ve signed to Herbal Essences as an ambassador (whoop) attending their launch at the Hoxton yesterday where I shared the news. It will go to press along with details of the other epic ambassadors, next week and if I’m honest, I feel pretty emotional about it all. It’s a dream come true for me!

Honest Mum signs to Herbal Essences UK

My hair story is a funny one as I had poker straight hair as a child and I desperately wanted curls so ate all my crusts and slept in plaits then my dreams were answered at 13 when my hair went curly overnight (apparently due to hormones) and I promptly wanted straight hair again. Argh. I’ve since embraced my big hair and I love it.

I think my 11 year old self might be high-giving the fact I now represent a global hair brand.

Feeling emotional. Thanks guys for all the love and support you have for me

This week I’m sharing a post on playing tennis with the legendary Tim Henman OBE on a fabulous Robinsons’ campaign, along with a competition where you can win Centre Court Ladies Singles Finals tickets too (how epic is that prize?)!

Vicki Honest Mum with Tim Henman OBE

I’ve also recently interviewed the wonder woman that is Emma Bunton so am linking up two posts this week, my exclusive with Baby Spice and my Wimbledon competition.

Emma Bunton

As always, come link up your posts and videos, all or new, the more the merrier!

Thanks for all your support, for reading my work, watching my films and championing me.

Love Vx

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Mumboss: The Honest Mum's Guide to Surviving and Thriving at Work and at Home

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18 Responses

  1. Bianca Cox

    Amazing, amazing, amazing Vicky! Not sure how you have enough hours in the day 😉 but am so pleased to read about your ongoing success story, I know how bloody hard you work and you so deserve all the good that comes your way as a result. An inspiration! xxx

  2. Midge @Peachicks' Bakery

    Sounds like a busy couple of weeks! Why is it having kids does such odd things to our hair?? Mine used to have loads of red in it and since the Ginger Peachick was born it is just brown!! Although thankfully it doesn’t get greasy anymore so I guess I can’t complain!

  3. Rebecca Smith

    My goodness, I’m exhausted just reading that Vicki, what adventures you have! Thanks for the opportunity to link again this week xxx
    Rebecca Smith recently posted…June Round-Up: Got 2 Be Gluten Free Linky #G2BGFMy Profile

  4. Susie/So Happy In Town

    What an amazing couple of weeks Vicki – so thrilled for you that you are now ambassador for Herbal Essences and loving your hair history. Can’t believe you had poker straight locks and dreamt of curls and your wishes came true then you wanted straight hair again. I don’t think I know one woman who hasn’t at some point wanted the exact opposite of the hair they have. And tennis with Tim Henman – now that one I am truly green-eyed about. What an amazing opportunity. Like you, I grew up playing a lot of tennis and playing the circuit in Scotland so that would be a dream come true. Awesome. xxxx
    Susie/So Happy In Town recently posted…S.H.I.T. Made It To The BiBs2017 Finals!My Profile

    • Honest Mum

      Oh wow, you are so talented Susie, tennis is awesome. It was such a magical day! My hair story is funny isn’t it-so true about us wanting what we can’t have xx

  5. Victoria - Lylia Rose

    What a week you’ve had! It sounds great 🙂 Linking up for the second time and think I’ll be a regular from now on! So pleased I’ve started reading your blog, I’ve lots to catch up on #brillblogposts
    Victoria – Lylia Rose recently posted…Blog Giveaway: Win a Lugano Green Clutch Handbag #winitwednesdayMy Profile

  6. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie

    Wowsers! Sounds like you’ve been having a totally epic couple of weeks… only ‘slightly’ jealous ? Can’t wait to read all about it later. Xx
    Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie recently posted…Easy No Mayo Coleslaw (Dairy Free, Egg Free & Vegan)My Profile

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Pure Lavender Oil Gift Set

Pure Lavender Oil Gift Set

3 unique varieties of True Lavender oils from 3 corners of the world!

This very unique and beautiful 3 pack of Fine Lavender angustifolia oils is truly a “flight” around the globe!

  • Some of the finest examples of the world’s lavender varieties, including “Angustifolia Blend” from Oregon, “Maillette” from France,  and “Royal Purple” from the U.K.
  • Each unique, intriquing and extremely therapeutic
  • All grown and distilled here at Hood River Lavender Farms under identical conditions, the varietal differences of these oils really stand out.
  • This is a great start-up pack for beginning Aromatherapy at home, and a very special assortment of some of the world’s best Fine Lavender oils
  • Packaged in a mesh fabric bag
  • Quantity of 3, 5ml. bottles

Additional information

Weight 0.4 lbs

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25% off Total Purchase | Use Coupon code valentine, MT HOOD, ROYALPURPLE | Spend $60 get FREE Shipping Dismiss


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Feb 28

Finding Hope in the Last Words of Jesus Women's Study Group

The Finding Hope in the Last Words of Jesus Women’s Study meets on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. and runs for seven weeks from February 28th – April 11th.

Jesus was known for his attention-commanding teachings, but his dying words were extraordinary. Simply uttered, yet profoundly meaningful, they resonate even today with revelations about his spiritual nature, his human character, and his divine mission. The author, Greg Laurie, mines each statement for its treasure and presents insightful nuggets that give this compact volume multiplied value.

This study will run concurrently the Exploring Series entitled End Quotes which begins the last weekend of February.  The messages presented during the End Quotes series will complement this study by uncovering how the last sayings of Christ on the cross have served as a catalyst for personal challenge and increased faith.  Click here to access the current Exploring Series.

Join this study to find core truths for daily life, and to learn to use Christ’s last words to help keep first things first.

  • You may pick up the book at the Registration Desk in the Atrium beginning Feb. 21st.
  • Read the introduction and statement four before the first session.
  • Click on the button below to download the Weekly Topic Schedule.
  • Homework: Read assigned statement and come prepared to discuss.

Event Details

Date: Tuesday, February 28
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Location: Horizon Community Church
Map It3950 Newtown Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45244
Contact: Carol Dunham

513 272-5800
Childcare: Childcare is not offered for this group.
Downloads: Weekly Topic Schedule