FEBRUARY FOLLIES: FILMS, FOOD, FAVORITES, LITERATURE & PODCASTS

Winter is in full swing and for me that means more indoor time to read, listen, shop on line, and then venture out to gather sustenance and see movies. The Oscars are fast approaching so let's do the Flicks first.


FILMS


A Star is Born-**** Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper star. Very good remake. Won't win for best film.


Ben is Back-**Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges. Good, but depressing. Watch it on demand.


Black Klansman-****A Spike Lee film starring Denzel's son, John David Washington. True story. I predict this will win Best Director. Spike has never won, and in this politically charged moment, I think he'll finally get the recognition he well deserves.


Black Panther-can't rate it, because I haven't seen it yet. But this is the major contender for
Best Film.


Bohemian Rhapsody-****Fun to watch from beginning to end. The story of the band Queen and Freddy Mercury. Rami Malek may just nab Best Actor for his role as Mercury.


The Favourite-***About Queen Anne and her friend Lady Sarah. Starring Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Colman. Colman is a strong contender for Best Actress. Film was good, not great.


Green Book-****Fabulous film but it will be overlooked. Great performances by Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen. Ali should win for best supporting actor. Think Driving Miss Daisy in reverse.


If Beale Street Could Talk-***Based on James Baldwin's story of a woman who seeks to clear the name of her wrongly accused lover and prove his innocence. Acting was superb.


On The Basis of Sex-**Entertaining, but not as good as the television documentary about RBG.


The Mule-****. One of my year's favorites. Clint Eastwood is spectacular. Don't miss this one!


The Vice-****. Although this received only fair reviews, I thought it was quite good. Christian Bale as Cheney, Sam Rockwell as George Bush, and Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney give stellar performances. Adams may nab Best Supporting Actress for this.


The Wife-****. An older woman questions her choice of husband and abandoning her career for him. Glenn Close will take the Best Actress Award for her role.


The Upside-**. Not a great movie, but I still liked it.  Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart are terrific.


So my predictions are: Black Panther/Best Movie; Black Klansman/Best Director; Rami Malek/Best Actor; Best Supporting Actor/Mahershala Ali; Best Actress/Glen Close; Best Supporting Actress/Regina King; Best Song/Lady Gaga.


PODCASTS


Mobituaries-Fans of Mo Rocca will love this series. Tune in to hear about Audrey Hepburn, or the fascinating story of famous JFK impersonator, Vaughn Meader.  Each episode is about 45 minutes long. Listen to and from work. Most enjoyable!


Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist-Listen to interesting interviews with the likes of Trevor Noah, Bradley Cooper, and other big names in music and pop culture. Willie is the bomb-love him and his interviews. Next superstar in the news-he is super talented.


PRODUCTS


Double Good Popcorn-delicious and a great way to give to charity. 50% of each item goes directly to your favorite charity. Sixteen flavors-Check out their website at Doublegood.com.


Heatonist.com-hot sauce gifts for those who want to spice it up. Tons of options starting at $14.


Fairytale Brownies-This is my "go to" gift. I send these all the time. There are 12 fudgy flavors in 3 different sizes and the best part is they are individually wrapped. Everyone loves them. Check out their site and also available on Amazon. Prices start at $20.95.


Kopari Coconut Body Glow-Skin illuminator for dry, dull skin. You can mix it into your favorite lotion for a subtler shimmer. $44 Sephora. Also available on QVC.


Carter and Jane Everything Oil-Prickly pear oil that replaces all other products. Can be used as eye, face, lip, neck and décolletage moisturizer. Also comes in a body oil. Before purchasing read about the aroma-no fragrance is used but prickly pear has a distinct aroma. $52 for the body oil, and $128 for the everything oil. CarterandJane.com.


Hammitt Limited Edition Bryant Bag-Soft leather purse with coveted external cell phone pocket. Stylish and a great purse for travel. Comes in different sizes and cross body option. $495


LITERATURE PICKS


Golden Child-Debut novel by Claire Adam. Sara Jessica Parker's second pick for Hogarth Publishing.
The Plot is about twin boys growing up in Trinidad and their struggles.


The Tournament-by Matthew Reilly.  A thriller that takes place during Ottoman Empire and the story involves chess and a murder.


Where The Crawdads Sing-by Delia Owens. A murder mystery and a coming of age novel.


Becoming-by Michelle Obama. Superbly written by the First Lady. I am told the audio is even more fabulous because she narrates her memoir.


In Pieces-by Sally Field. Also a memoir which covers her lonely childhood and how it shaped her life as a daughter and a mother.


They Can't Kill Us-Pulitzer Prize Winner Wesley Lowery discusses the "totality of the American devaluation of black lives.  Inspired by Ferguson Uprising and fatal shooting of Michael Brown in 2014.


FINALLY-LET'S EAT: LOCAL RESTAURANTS


Bottle Hill Tavern-13 Waverly Place, Madison. Formerly Poor Herbie's, this was taken over by Pal's owners. Yes, they have the mushroom soup, Burgers, and open hot turkey sandwich from the West Orange Establishment. Lots of great fare for lunch or dinner and a bar too. No reservations.


Central and Main-3 Central Ave., Madison. American eatery by the same owners of South and Pine in Morristown. Vegetarian friendly. Open for lunch and dinner. BYO.


Da Pepo-54 Fairfield Street, Montclair. Small plates, pasta, salads and paninis. 19 seats and no reservations. Go early! BYO.


Fox and Falcon-19 Valley Street, South Orange. Formerly Ricaltons. Burgers, steaks, fish. Craft Beers and fun cocktails. The chef's pasta is supposedly beyond fabulous-he was the executive chef at Del Posto in the city.


Grain and Cane-250 Connell Drive, Berkley Heights. Raw Bar, steaks, seafood, burgers and fun sides. Has a bar.


Moe's Bistro-535 Central Ave., New Providence. Varied menu for dinner, less options at lunch. They take reservations and it's BYO. Don't be fooled by it's Best Western location!


Montclair Social-499 Bloomfield Ave. Montclair. Short Hills lawyer opened this with the idea of music, cocktails and varied menu of nibbles or entrees. Opened for brunch on weekends as well.


The Pasta Shop-13 First Avenue, Denville. Handmade pastas. Papperdelle Bolognese and the garlic bread are not to be missed. Only 36 seats which are always full. Be prepared to wait. BYO.


Pucciarello's-34 Ridgedale Ave., East Hanover. Good, hearty Italian food. Try the chopped salad and the inside out meatball stuffed with spaghetti. Lots of options. Nicely managed. Great for Saturday night or Family dinners on Sunday. They take reservations and it's BYO.


This ought to keep you busy until Spring! Peace Out. One B

FEBRUARY'S FILMS, FOOD, PRODUCTS, PODCASTS AND LITERATURE

Winter is upon us and for me that means even more indoor time to read, listen, shop on line, and venture out to get sustenance. It's almost Oscar time so I will start the list with Films.


FILMS


A Star is Born-**** Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga star in this remake. Loved it.
Ben Is Back-

February Follies

With Winter upon us and the winds a blowing, I have seen lots of movies, watched lots of great television