The One With the Somerville Film Fest

 

 

Today, Kif and I went to Somerville to see student movies as part of the Independent Film Festival of Boston.

We journeyed to the Somerville Theater. It is actually a pretty neat theater - very old fashioned and cozy. In fact, I learned that they play a lot of old Sci Fi movies there, including my favorite, the Gamera series from the 1970s. That was awesome!!!

The student portion of the film festival was about 2 hours and a ton of fun to watch. There were clever movies made from college students all over Massachusetts, including BU, UMass Lowell, Fitchburg State, and Emerson (where Kif thinks he wants to go).

There were a variety of interesting movies there - one about a boy who creates a superhero, a sad clown, an angry couple, and a fox turned human (Kiff's favorite and one of mine, too). At the end, they had a quick Q and A with the film-makers and Kiff was hooked.

When it was done, not only were we happy to go, but hope to go next year, too.

The One With the 40th Anniversary of Return of the Jedi

 

 

 

We found out earlier this week that, in honor of Star Wars Day on May 4, Lucas Film was releasing Return of the Jedi in honor of the 40th anniversary of the film. So, we decided to see it.

 

It was the first time that Bri and Kiff saw one of the "Original Three" in a theater. And, it did not disappoint. It was an amazing show...as always. We all enjoyed it. In fact, I had never seen an Original Three in the theaters with Emmie. I did not realize just how much she loved the Ewoks.

 

It is funny that I actually picked up on something I had never seen before while watching this movie. Both Obi Wan and Yoda disappear when they die - which must be a Jedi thing.

When we left, we did hear some people who were a little disappointed at the updated graphics (which had actually been in the movie since they were updated right before The Phantom Menace debuted). They were definitely upset that a new ending song, instead of the weird Ewok victory song, had remained in the updated version. I, personally, am happy that it was. Back in 5th grade, when I saw the original movie, although I did not know what the word meant, I knew that the song was soooooo anti-climactic to what happened in the movie.

The One With the Maine Overnighter

 

 

It's April vacation and you know what that means.... we always do an overnighter some where to escape. This year we visited a place Emmie and I went to years ago - Stage Neck Inn. And it did not disappoint.

 

We had an amazing room (in fact I am in the room as I type this) complete with electric fireplace and ocean view from a balcony) overlooking an inlet in York Maine. We just had an amazing breakfast buffet with homemade donuts (apple cider variety, which were phenomenal).

 

We also ate at a local riverside restaurant last night, where Bri got a beet salad, Kiff got prime rib, and Emmie and I had chicken teryaki. The food was pretty good.

 

Bri and I visited the gym - the first time we ever did that - and had a grand time, too. I showed her how to use some of the equipment and did my own workout with weights.

 

The One With The Boston Marathon

 

It is April vacation, and we have decided to do some fun things each day. On Patriot's Day, we decided to see the Boston Marathon. While I have seen it dozens of times in person, Emmie, Bri, and Kiff have never seen it in person. 

 

We drove down to Natick, where we went to the end of Boden Lane - the historic spot that I used to watch it with my Dad, my Mom, Mark, and Debbie - as well as my friends. It brought back lots of memories.

Kiff and Bri had a good time. We got down just in time to see the women's elite leaders go through. We saw some of the wheelchair athletes as well as some of the men's runners, too.

 

It was interesting to see how security has changed over time along the route. There were tons of police motorcycles and intermittent state police cars going by.

 

Although we only stayed for 30 minutes or so because it was rainy...but it was fun to see. When we got home, we actually saw the women's runners that we watched in Natick pass through the finish line.

 

Definitely a great memory.

The One With Dungeons and Dragons

 

We saw Dungeons and Dragons today. It turned out to be an amazing movie. Starring Chris Pine - and a lot of fun other actors - it actually shows the different types of characters that someone might encounter, or play with, in a D & D game.

 

Having just learned how to play in the past year, Kiff, Bri, and I found it both fun, and interesting. Emmie, who has played for years, helped us understand the roles of the different characters. There was a rogue and musician (Chris Pine), and warrior, a magician (who was not great at magic), and half elf/ half druid, and a paladin (sort of like a D & D knight, which Emmie said Eric used to be when he played D&D).

The plot was fun, fast paced, and exciting. And, it had Hugh Grant as a villain, which doesn't happen to often. It also had some amazing monsters as well. Definitely happy to have seen this.

The One With Trevor Noah at the Chevalier

 

 

Today, we went to see Trevor Noah, the comedian who used to host the daily show.  Needless, to say, it was an amazing show!!!

We started off the night by going to the Double Bar Grill in Peabody. Although we were running late - they weren't. We had a super supper - and even caught the end of the Game 1 win by the Celtics over the Hawks in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Then, we were off to the Chevalier Theater in Medford. We didn't know what to expect from the theater, but we were pleasant surprised at how amazing it was. It is an old school theater, literally. It was attached to an old school which is now an apartment building. Parking on the street proved to be easy - so much easier than going to Boston. And it was easy to get in and out of.

The show itself was fantastic, too. The opener was hilarious - one that Kiff is hoping to see in the future. Trevor Noah's set was spot on, too - from discussions about sports, national anthems, to Bostonians, to politics, to trials, he had one great series of jokes after another.

When the night was over, we all left hoping to see him again on his next tour.

The One Where the Bruins Set the New Record for Most Wins in a Season

 

 

Today may have been Easter Sunday, but it also is now an important day in Boston sports history. Today, the Bruins beat the Flyers in a late afternoon matchup, setting the record for most wins in a single season with 63 (the previous record had been 62).

It has been an amazing season, with the Bruins having an unheard of +100 goal differential. They team has four legit lines, two amazing goaltenders, and awesome defense.They truly are an amazing team.

On a day when the Boston sports teams ran the tri-fecta - the Celtics won in their season finale and the Red Sox also won - this win caps a memorable season...and there is still a game to go.

Congratulations on a job well done Bruins.

The One With a Happy Easter

 

 

Today is Easter 2023....and it has been a fun one so far.

 

We opened baskets around 8:00 AM. The Eastern Bunny was great to everyone.

We had a nice brunch with pancakes (I made them), quiche, strawberries, and sausage

We watched It's The Easter Beagle Charlie Brown.

Bri and I went to Easter Mass at 12:00 PM. 

We are watching the Celtics game now at 1: 26 PM

Happy Easter to all.

The One With Shazaam!

 

 

Today, we went to see the Shazam! movie. We went, in part, because Kif was at a nearby movie with friends (they debut of Mario Brothers) and we wanted to be there if he and his friends needed anything. 

 However, although we weren't expecting much from the movie - after all, it was in the Home Movie sized theater - we were pleasantly surprised. It was DC's new approach, complete with a Marvel style beginning with  the different characters scrolling through.

The movie was well put together and had a light, but appealing, storyline where Shazam! is trying to see himself as a leader while helping to make sure his adopted family sticks together. It was juxtaposed against the battling daughters of Atlas. 

The end had two easter eggs as well - pretty neat allusions to things in the future. And, Wonder Woman made a cameo as well. 

Definitely a cute movie.