Two TRUE Spy Movie Recommendations: FREE ON TUBI

THE CATCHER WAS A SPY

https://tubitv.com/movies/684147/the-catcher-was-a-spy

I enjoyed this so much. It's a true story about a Princeton educated catcher for a baseball team who became a spy. I recommended it to a friend who had also read the book but didn't know it was a movie.

RED JOAN starring Judi Dench

https://tubitv.com/movies/100000249/red-joan

It's mostly flashbacks to her student days and early employment. The actress who plays her then reminds me of a young Laren Becall. This is a must-see movie before seeing OPPENHEIMER that comes out this week about The Manhattan Project.

Hope you are all having a nice summer and have found ways of staying cool. I didn't turn on my central air until July 2nd. My house is very comfortable. I have mine set at 79° and that seems to be perfect unless I am doing something strenuous. I only have two zones, my main floor and the attic. I find that if I leave the basement door open it removes the humidity from down there too. I turn it off completely at night because the condenser is just outside my bedroom window and the noise would keep me awake. So far this system is working perfectly. I also turn it off completely when I go out. I changed the filter too. 

Let me know if you watch either or both movies and if you liked them. TUBI is wonderful and has a really vast catalog of great movies. They say it has surpassed YouTube in popularity. https://tubitv.com/home There are commercials but they aren't very distracting.

Enjoy. xo, Rosemary

1953 Movie Recommendation

"Peanut vendor and washed-up baseball player "Coop" Cooper teaches his 9-year-old son all the game's finer points. When Christy becomes the new bat boy, the youngster passes on his father's advice to the teammates and soon the team is winning. The team owner then names Christy the team's head coach as a publicity stunt."

This movie is playing this morning on MOVIES! channel on my air antenna TV but I have too much to do to sit and watch it. I found it on YouTube here in case you can't see the movie above. This is NOT an April Fool's joke, I love old movies with children. This one is about baseball and it looks very good. Enjoy! xo

UPDATE: I watched the film above and there were no commercials. I loved it. Another baseball movie started playing automatically after the first movie ended. It was the true story of Dizzy Dean, the pitcher. It grabbed my attention immediately and I ended up staying up until almost midnight. I loved it too.  Here's the link. 

The title of the movie is: The Pride of St. Louis.

Good Night Mr. Tom - Movie with John Thaw

This is a must watch film if you love John Thaw. When I finished all 5 seasons of Kavanaugh QC on Tubi I researched films starring him and I knew immediately this was a movie I would love and I did. It's heartbreakingly beautiful. Click on the link for the film on YouTube: GOODNIGHT MR. TOM 

Great Movie to Watch (FREE)

I woke up early this morning and watched this movie on my laptop from ShoutFactoryTV and it was simply wonderful. It is a free service with ads but this movie only had one at the beginning. I cannot figure out how to stream to my TV on my Chromecast but luckily my laptop has a good screen for viewing movies. Use the link provided below to go directly to this movie.

A HANDFUL OF DUST

All of the actors we know and love from Britain were so young!

https://www.shoutfactorytv.com/a-handful-of-dust/5c05ad3def995e14a6012272

Enjoy. xo

First Grocery Store Run in Months

I ventured into the real world today at 10:00 this morning and went to the grocery store. The timing was perfect as was the experience. I found everything I needed and the store wasn't crowded. I have been shopping with curbside pickups at local small markets but they don't have coffee, avocado oil, and things like that. My local Shoprite had it all including Gold Medal Flour. My wire holder is full of fresh fruit and my pantry is well stocked once again.

I mentioned Tubi.TV, a FREE streaming service, in the comments recently and I am loving it. The movies are great, the commercials are short and the TV shows are amazing. I am watching Midsomer Murders in the TV section and they offer all 19 seasons. I suggest jumping in with season 14 with the new DCI (Detective Chief Inspector) Barnaby. He is a cousin of the old Barnaby who retired. He and his dog Sykes are alone in the first few episodes like two bachelors before his wife joins him. In short time she gets rid of all the boxes and decorates their charming cottage in Oxfordshire. She has great taste; I could move right in and not change a thing! The village is full of quirky characters and each episode has a crime that is solved. Set in the Cotswolds, the fictional town called Causton is actually filmed in the market town of Wallingford in Oxfordshire.

Let me know how you like Tubi. Download the app for your phone or iPad from the Apple App Store or Google Play for android devices. Watch on a computer too with my link. Enjoy. xo

North Side Photo of My Yard

I mowed day before yesterday and took this photo from the North side of my cottage. The white clapboard you see on the far left is the side of my cottage with no windows. The headboard of my bed is pushed against this wall. The two windows in this room overlook the front and the back. The sky was overcast in the back but the sun was shining in the front as you can see from the shadows. I was determined to beat the rain.

I mowed the front late in the afternoon yesterday and it rained overnight, as predicted. So far I am keeping up with lawn maintenance and still enjoying the exercise. 

I downloaded TUBI from the App Store on my phone and iPad. It is also available on a computer here: https://tubitv.com/ Tubi is a free streaming service with movies and tv shows. There are commercials but they are only 15 seconds in length and do not interfere with the shows or movies at all. I have been watching Season 19 of Midsomer Murders, the last PBS season with the original DCI Barnaby. Season 20 with his replacement isn't available yet. I have watch several good movies too but I honestly cannot remember the names. I watch a movie every day and can recommend ENCHANTED APRIL and MRS. PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT. Quite accidentally, both of these movies had Joan Plowright. and now I must look for more of her movies. Her body of work is incredible. Those were offered on HOOPLA through my public library. 

It is a dreary day today with rain on and off, perfect for watching 2 movies. xo

THIS BEAUTIFUL FANTASTIC movie

This exciting news deserves a blog post all of its own! My favorite movie, pictured above, is now streaming free "on demand" on PLUTO TV under the ROMANCE category. I know many of you were disappointed when I blogged about its being on Kanopy through my library card. Sadly, not all libraries offer this free streaming service but PLUTO TV is free to everyone with a WiFi connection.

Here is the movie trailer for this charming film. I have seen it three times but I just might watch it again tonight in bed on my iPad. You are welcome!!! So far, everyone on this blog has enjoyed it and I hope you will like it too. 

xo, Rosemary

Cutting the Cord: I did it!

My two year contract was up with Verizon and I absolutely could not get my monthly bill down to a reasonable amount so I decided to get rid of my landline and cable and have WiFi only. A wonderful supervisor helped me. I decided to buy a new router from them because they will stand behind it should I have problems plus on new contracts they have started charging $12 per monthly rental fee. The new router came in 2 days and I hooked it up my self easily. With this new system, I can always add on services if I change my mind or feel deprived but I don't think I ever will.

I returned all of my old equipment for my three television sets and my multi room DVR to UPS with my order number and they boxed and returned everything. This was very painless. Last September I purchased a new in the box indoor HDTV antenna. The box is pictured above. I paid $1.00 for it and it works! At Walmart, it costs around $18.00. I moved my kitchen TV to the attic where I have a wonderful work space and so far, this is the only TV that works in my home. I stream everything else to my iPad(s). I get all of the networks including PBS and so much more. The only thing I have sacrificed is Turner Classic Movies but I can live without it. It took me a while to find the perfect way to position the ears and the circle and the direction (towards NYC) for bringing in PBS. I was able to get all the other stations easily but I guess PBS was the farthest away. Now I get several PBS stations and I won't miss anything on Sunday nights. I even found a local TV guide on "nocable.org".

I have found Pluto.TV to be much better than I ever imagined for streaming movies ON DEMAND. I honestly didn't ever explore anything on Pluto other than live TV. The on demand movies are awesome and the two or three commercials are extremely short. REALLY. I watched a 2006 movie with Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson called "Last Chance Harvey" and it was wonderful. Pluto is a free streaming service for your computer, ipad, phone, and other devices too for android users. I don't have a password or anything. It's so easy. One of these days I will get a ROCU or other device so I can stream to my TV but for now I am fine. I actually love watching movies on my iPad in bed. You can pull up all the movies on your computer here. Look at the banner across the top to switch to "live tv". You will need to download the app from the APPLE APP STORE for iPhone or iPad. Or Google for android devices. If your devices are too old, you might not be able to get all the services available. On my iPad 3 I cannot get on demand movies, just live tv. On my new iPad 6th Generation I get everything and can use my Apple Pencil which is amazing. Later. Ask me questions. I shall try to answer. xo

This is a view from one of my attic windows this morning showing my beautiful geraniums. Sorry this is a little rushed. I haven't been present in your lives lately with all my tree work and more. Have a great weekend. I will try to fill in the details about cord cutting and let you know how it's working out for me. xo, Rosemary

Our Vines Have Tender Grapes: Movie Review

An endearing and quietly rhapsodic slice of Americana about a single year among the Norwegian immigrants in a Wisconsin farm town, Our Vines Have Tender Grapes enthralled 1945 audiences and critics with its timeless joys. Told from the viewpoint of little Selma (Margaret O’Brien), the film explores grand childhood adventures: making friends, a pet calf, Christmas, a terrifying trip down a flood-swollen river, a barn fire and a ride on a circus elephant’s trunk. In a change-of-pace role, Edward G. Robinson is a revelation of wisdom and compassion as Selma’s father, leading a fine cast that illuminates the profound power of everyday triumphs and sorrows.

I have watched this movie twice on TCM and love it. It follows the life of a close Norwegian family in a Wisconsin settlement. The family values of the whole village are wonderful and Margaret O'Brien is a treasure. I love her telling of the Nativity in the church Christmas pageant.

Maybe you can find the DVD at your library. You can stream it on Amazon and iTunes. This is a must-see movie. I have never read the book but it must be wonderful too.

Mostly Martha + Zodiac : Two Great Kanopy Movies

MOSTLY MARTHA is a very entertaining movie about a controlling chef who is definitely not in control of her life. 

This might be too violent for some or most of you but I like true crime movies. Click here to view the 2007 movie trailer before you decide to watch it. 

'Zodiac" is the "All the President's Men" of serial killer movies, with Woodward and Bernstein played by a cop and a cartoonist. It's not merely "based" on California's infamous Zodiac killings, but seems to exude the very stench and provocation of the case. The killer, who was never caught, generously supplied so many clues that Sherlock Holmes might have cracked the case in his sitting room. But only a newspaper cartoonist was stubborn enough, and tunneled away long enough, to piece together a convincing case against a man who was perhaps guilty. read more here

August 1st + Two Legal Drama Movies

August is a month to try to enjoy in spite of the heat because once September rolls around the rest of the year flies by.

I enjoy legal dramas and two that I have enjoyed on Kanopy are shown below.

Emma Thompson is wonderful. View movie trailer here. I loved the interior design of her London apartment too.

This movie is based on a true story and the legal trial takes place in England. 

Based on the acclaimed bookDenial: Holocaust History on Trial, DENIAL recounts Deborah E. Lipstadt’s (Academy Award® winner Rachel Weisz) legal battle for historical truth against David Irving (BAFTA nominee Timothy Spall), who accused her of libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier. In the English legal system, in cases of libel, the burden of proof is on the defendant, therefore it was up to Lipstadt and her legal team, led by Richard Rampton (Academy Award® nominee Tom Wilkinson), to prove the essential truth that the Holocaust occurred. View video movie clips here.

BREATHE: True Story Movie with Claire Foy + Andrew Garfield

My blog is turning into a movie review site. I couldn't find anything interesting to watch on TV last night so Kanopy came to the rescue again with a fabulous movie with Claire Foy (The Crown). Just seeing that she was in it made me want to watch and I'm so glad I did. It's the love story of all time and every frame is true. The son of the couple is the producer of the film so it is partly his biography too.

After contracting polio at the age of 28, Robin Cavendish is confined to bed and given only months to live. But with the help of his wife Diana and her twin brothers, and the groundbreaking ideas of inventor Teddy Hall (played by Hugh Bonneville), Cavendish emerges from the hospital ward and devotes the rest of his life to helping fellow patients and the disabled. Click here find 8 videos about the film and the official movie trailer.

Google images has many photos of the real Cavendish Family

STORM BOY: Another wonderful movie

I never thought of pelicans as cuddly birds until watching this movie. I am amazed it is already offered free on Kanopy as it was only released in theaters in April. I have never watched a movie with Geoffrey Rush I didn't like. The book is based on an Australian children's book and repenned for the big screen as a multi-generational bittersweet film. Image found here.

Two Good Movies from Kanopy via Your Public Library

Do you have KANOPY yet, the free movie streaming service accessed by your library card number? It is amazing. I watched these two movies this week and loved each one. If your library doesn't offer it yet, please ask them to consider getting it for the patrons. It's the best thing ever. It is also available through universities for students and faculty. I watch on my iPad because I don't have a smart tv or any of those attachments like Apple TV, Rocu, Chromecast, etc. Between Turner Classic Movies and Kanopy, I am never without a movie to watch. xo

Kanopy: Free Movies w/ Library Card

The public library from my old house is much closer to my cottage than the public library of the town where I pay taxes. Last month I turned in my old library card from 1975 (sniff) and got a new one from The Library of the Chathams because they had just gotten the KANOPY streaming service for card holders. I can stream 10 free movies per month and many of them are current Golden Globe winners.

These photos are screen shots from my laptop. Click either photo to enlarge. I pulled up Kanopy from the Madison NJ library so it wouldn't show my log-in information. Click here to see the website. Don't try to log in because you will need to log in to your own local library to see if they have Kanopy https://www.kanopy.com. Hope this isn't too confusing. Read the articles below first.

The New York Times wrote a great introduction to this service that streams 30,000 movies and documentaries. My librarian told me academics love it for the meaty content and many colleges offer it to students and staff. Even die-hard movie fans who see everything that comes out at movie houses will still find something they haven't seen. Read the article and be amazed. You can call your library to see if they have it or are planning on getting it. I am happy my library picked 10 as the number of free movies for members. The Morristown library near me only offers 6 to their members. It's an arbitrary choice for each library. If you live in a small town where they will never get this service, I remember reading somewhere that you can get it as an individual for $150.00 annually. That is about the same price as Amazon Prime though it doesn't stream TV shows. I would imagine an individual membership might offer unlimited access but I'm not sure. 

Anyway, I just wanted to make you aware that this exists. It streams to your computer, iPad, or phone or other mobile devices. You can stream through your TV with Apple TV or Roku or Chromecast too.

Check it out, I know you will love Kanopy. Hooray for Libraries!

PS: I had to mail something today and the postmaster said first class stamps are going up to 55 cents each starting 1/27/19 so buy some forever stamps before then. 

RBG Movie on CNN Tonight 9/09/18

I know I must sound like a broken record to keep repeating the fact that this movie is being repeated TONIGHT on CNN. Set your DVR or sit down and watch after you find out what time it's playing in your area. I live 35 minutes from NYC and it is being repeated twice at my cottage at 8PM and 10PM. I have heard it's only on once, at 9PM, in other areas. (Thanks again Vickie H.)

So many of you missed it two weeks ago. I have been putting little blurbs in various places on my blog to remind you. In case you missed all of them, here it is again.

See the Official Movie Trailer here. Enjoy ! ! !

My Cottage Kitchen w/ Farm Table

I refuse to take any photos of Mother Nature's current temper tantrum aka known as Toby and Foureaster. Instead I took this photo of my kitchen. I finished my taxes on Monday and have put away all the papers and files I had spread out in categorized piles on my farm table. What a relief to have that task behind me for another year. 

The storm hasn't been bad so far (only a couple of inches) but the fine snow is supposed to continue for possibly another 12 hours. I'll give you an update tomorrow morning.

I watched a great movie on Netflix last night -- TULIP FEVER. 

Click here to view the video if you cannot see it above.

Cozy Snow Day at My Cottage

I am all set for a lovely snow day. My cottage is right on the line between 5"-8" of snow and 1"-4" of snow. I think we have about 2" so far but it's hard to tell because of the wind blowing sideways. I added another blanket to the top of my fireplace and I'm all set with a stack of DVDs from the library and a good book. I went grocery shopping yesterday too. I hope you are all safe and can stay indoors until it stops. That's my plan. I live on a county road and the snow plows come by really often. My roof got finished yesterday so I am all buttoned up and can report the blanket is working nicely to keep the heat in my room instead of up the chimney. Why didn't I think of this sooner? I actually hired a plumber to put in a gas line so I could get gas logs and have a fire anytime I wanted. But you know me, I have to research everything to the Nth Degree and I learned a lot. You have to install a clamp that keeps the damper open a little in case you forget to open the flue when you want a gas fire. Actually, it was highly advised to keep your flue open ALL the time if you have a constant pilot light burning. So I talked myself out of this notion and canceled the plumber. The money I saved was applied to my new roof which turned out to be a better investment. See you later. xo

To Serve Them All My Days DVD set

To Serve Them All My Days You can thank me later for this DVD recommendation. It was first broadcast by the BBC over 13 episodes in 1980 and 1981, and in 1982 by PBS in the United States as part of their Masterpiece Theatre anthology series. I don't remember watching it back then. It's timeless and I promise you will enjoy it too.

Sorry about the stickers on the cover. It's from the Madison NJ public library. Each disc contains multiple chapters. I can hardly bear to tear myself away since I am about to begin the last DVD in the set. If you liked Goodbye Mr. Chips with Peter O'Toole, you will love this and it's much longer! Based on the novel by R. F. Delderfield for those of you who prefer to read. The acting is superb. I absolutely cannot wait to hear from you after you watch the whole thing.

My library allows a two-week period for long videos like this but once I get started, I can usually whiz thru in a weekend.

If you can't find the DVD set at your library, you can watch the entire series on YouTube. Chapter One is featured here. You will have to hunt around to find the other chapters. Look in the Right Side bar as a guide. To Serve Them All My Days Episode 1 Part 1 click on this link to go directly to YouTube so you can watch it full screen. Enjoy!!! xo

Ladies in Lavender -- DVD Movie Recommendation

I watched this movie over the weekend and LOVED IT. For some reason I decided to look in the Foreign Films section at the library and it was filled with movies made in Great Britain in English with no subtitles. I was so happy!

Maggie Smith and Judi Dench are wonderful as is the story and the scenery. Look for it at your library or find it on Netflix. You can thank me later! Click the second photo to enlarge and read the description. xo