A Royal Affair, Life of Pi, Chasing Mavericks

December 5, 2012 By Sister Rose

In 1766, the little sister of Britain’s King George III, Princess Caroline Mathilde (Alicia Vikander), is betrothed to her cousin, King Christian VII (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) of Denmark. The king, a mentally ill philanderer, has to be coaxed into fathering a child. The king’s ministers are concerned about the monarch’s instability, so they hire a German doctor, Johann Friedrich Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen), to be at his side. The king comes to trust the doctor. But when they return to court... Read more

‘The Rise of the Guardians’ an inspiring fantasy mash-up

December 3, 2012 By Sister Rose

Although it took me some time to figure out what was going on and what Dreamworks’ handsome, over-long film was trying to say, it became apparent about halfway through that I could easily make connections between the imaginative narrative and Christian beliefs. Seeing “Guardians” bears out the saying “You get out of a film what you bring to it” because you make meaning according to your own lens. The story opens with Jack Frost (the voice of Chris Pine) telling... Read more

Carrie Underwood to star in remake of “Sound of Music”

November 30, 2012 By Sister Rose

Although nothing should surprise me anymore, I was fairly amused when I read this news on Facebook today. CNN Reports: Raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens and Carrie Underwood as Maria? On Friday, NBC announced its plans to air a live broadcast of “The Sound of Music,” starring Underwood as Maria, based on the original musical. The three-hour telecast is expected to air sometime during the 2013 holiday season. “Speaking for everyone at NBC, we couldn’t be happier to... Read more

Susan Boyle’s best yet: “Standing Ovation: the greatest songs from the stage” CD

November 23, 2012 By Sister Rose

In 2009 I wrote a blog post “What should Susan Boyle sing next?” I said in part: Some may think a Disney soundtrack should be Susan’s first release, but I think she could sing“Send in the Clowns” that so many famous artists have voiced before: Judy Collins, Barbra Streisand, Shirley Bassey. “Send in the Clowns” was created for the British actress Glynis Johns (bn. 1923) who played Desiree in Sondheim’s 1973 “A Little Night Music” based on Ingmar Bergman’s... Read more

PBS to revisit ‘Downton Abbey’ with Sunday special Nov 25

November 22, 2012 By Sister Rose

“Who will marry whom?” and “Will Mr. Bates get out of prison?” are two of the driving questions that lingered as season two of PBS’s highest-rated Masterpiece series came to an end in 2011. As a teaser and fundraising event, PBS is airing a special, hosted by Angela Lansbury, that revisits key moments of the first two seasons, sums up where the series left off and entices with clips about Downtown Abbey’s upstairs/downstairs folks post-World War I, coming up in... Read more

Best Thanksgiving Movies (aka Sister Rose’s favorite Thanksgiving movies)

November 21, 2012 By Sister Rose

These are my all time favorite Thanksgiving movies. I will add comments as to why as soon as I can but I wanted to put up the list in case you were looking for a movie to see today or tomorrow. “Pieces of April”, “Planes, Trains & Automobiles”, and “What’s Cooking” are for more mature viewers; “The New World” is more contemplative in scope and may require more attention that kids can give. Pieces of April – click on the... Read more

Pianist brings mother’s Holocaust experiences to life

November 17, 2012 By Sister Rose

Live theater is always fresh even when the story breaks your heart. The actors pour themselves into the feat of becoming another and convincing us that their pain, joy, dilemmas, tragedy and triumph are real. Through the kindness of friends, Daughter of St. Paul Sr. Marie Hunt and I were able to experience “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” at the Geffen Playhouse at UCLA. The Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater within the playhouse is intimate at only 115 seats, or parlor... Read more

“Chasing Ice” glaciers matter and they are dying – update 12/16

November 15, 2012 By Sister Rose

James Balog is an avid adventurer, photographer and photojournalist who was born in Pennsylvania, went to St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey and on to Boston College. At a recent press day for his newest film “Chasing Ice” he described himself as some one who has always been interested in the intersection or “contact zones” between nature and humans. He started out photographing animals, then technology, followed by trees and then the role of human activity in climate... Read more

“Restless Heart: The Confessions of St. Augustine” theatrical screening 12/10/12 in Los Angeles

November 14, 2012 By Sister Rose

You are welcome to come in to purchase tickets or to call 310-397-8676. Tickets must be pre-purchased. All sales are final. No tickets will be sold at the door. This is a benefit screening of the film; proceeds will go to the Building Fund of the Daughters of St. Paul here in Culver City, CA (for repairs, new roofs, remodeling, new carpet, tuckpointing of chapel exterior wall if the budget can manage it). Bless you! Although there is nothing objectionable... Read more

Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream, PBS, check local listings & Hulu

November 12, 2012 By Sister Rose

The notice announcing Academy Award winning filmmaker Alex Gibney’s new documentary “Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream” included a photo of 740 Park Avenue, a luxury apartment building in Manhattan. I was rendered completely curious so I replied immediately to the publicist and requested a screener. (Gibney’s previous films include “Taxi form the Dark Side” and “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room”). You see, my great aunt lived at 740 Park Avenue for almost thirty years. Her... Read more