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rogus2006
Rogus earned her college degrees when her two daughters were in high school, after co-owning two successful 1-hour photo developing businesses for twelve years. She was a Travel Agent prior to that and granted 1st class accommodations in her travels as part of the program. Her love for life, film, and words merged into one. She teaches college composition part-time and was a writer for the Times-Observer, PG…Magazine, & contributed to folklore in Mother Earth Magazine. She was also published in university annual literary magazines from 2006 to 2011 and won 1st place at the graduate level for poetry for two, consecutive years.
Rogus has been married to Paul Rogus since 1988. They have two daughters, one son-in-law, one son-in-law hopeful, and several grand-pets. Rogus enjoys making friends and connections, organizing her home, gardening, yoga, running, family and beloved camp, sightseeing, and cooking with her husband.
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
The Big Wedding (2013)
The Big Feel Good
Susan Sarandon, Diane Keaton, Robert DeNiro, and the late Robin Williams are marvelous in their roles and still "got it going on" to make you feel good. There are only a couple issues with The Big Wedding, written and directed by Justin Zackhman. For example, this movie is a big "white" in set-decoration and characters. The story does include about 25% diversity with Latino characters but sadly, no authentic Latino actors. It's not that they didn't try. An important character to the story is the adopted son Alejandro who was born in Columbia (real life British actor, Ben Barnes) and his biological mother from Columbia (Patricia Rae, US born and Columbian descent) & sister from Columbia (Ana Ayora, US born and Miami native). Patricia Rae is the closest we get to actor diversity. If you can forget all that, the issues raised in the story connect well with the audience because the sexuality is real, and the characters are believable - outlandish at times - but believable. My only other issue is that one scene is out of order after an intimate event between the DeNiro & Keaton characters. The next morning, the couple presents Alajandro with a meaningful wedding gift that began a long time ago and connects them emotionally. Th gift is the soul of the movie and no doubt will inspire real-life engaged couples to replicate. The problem with this scene is the next time we see DeNiro is at the wedding where he obviously fell-off-the-wagon. Wait, he was fine that morning and suddenly he's tormented. It's too much of an emotional shift, isn't it? The abrupt emotional shift within only a few hours could, but probably wouldn't happen in real life. Isn't it better that the DeNiro & Keaton's characters present the gift to Alajandro, go to the rehearsal dinner, have the sexual conflict, and then be tormented playout better logically? None the less, Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up), Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia, 2008), Topher Grace (That 70s Show) and Kyle Bornheimer (Marriage Story) help make the story come alive. Feel good endings are more important than ever because of the current pandemic, wildfires, inequality, and political climate. And The Big Wedding delivers a good ending. My husband and I laughed throughout the movie and we liked the happy, feel good ending that includes all the characters. With my husband related to the family values, issues raised, characters, actors, and the story and we wish there were more stories with this demographic appeal, but with diverse actors as well as characters. Shamelessly I will add that The Big Wedding reminds me of a Screenplay I wrote with Sarandon and Keaton in mind - in my dreams, I know. We watched on Netflix; September 8, 2020.
The Last Picture Show (1971)
Historically Funny
Director / Writer, Peter Bogdanovich nailed "location as a character" with the timeless theme of teen and grown-up angst in a dried-up dust bowl of a town in Texas, that has a unique charm of its own. Larry McMurtry's original book with the same title was destined to become this film. And it makes sense it would be shot in black and white to provide the depth of the characters and town, coupled with Bogdanovich's close ties to John Ford and Orson Wells, masters of black and white film.
The isolated charm of Archer City is shattered by the main characters' desires you feel in your gut. Dwayne's desire to go steady with Jaycee is overshadowed by Jaycee's path to explore her sexuality with a variety of partners and not just Dwayne, who either has no clue or will not admit the truth. As a result, Dwayne's loneliness is as desolate as the town. In a moment of frustration, Dwayne and Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) escape to Texas for the weekend and tell Sam the Lion with no shame (played by Ben Johnson, who said "I can't do this picture Peter, there's too many damn lines" and won the Oscar for his performance in this film). Here there is a pivotal moment of silence between these three characters, which portends Dwayne and Sonny's return to the silent deserted town that will now never be the same and mirrors the new hole in their lives. Sam the Lion has a big heart and protects those who need extra care. I fell in love with Johnson and his character, and as a screenwriter, strive to write characters as complex Sam.
Jeff Bridges plays Dwayne and Cybill Shepherd is Jaycee. Shepherd has a few nude-scenes she does alone with the extras edited in later, according to Bogdanovich and TCM's Ben Mankiewicz in The Plot Thickens podcast. The pool scene serves to bring a cast of characters together to escape the monotony of their deserted lives and life in the desert. Another character worth mentioning is Ruth Popper, played by Cloris Leachman who also won the Oscar for this film. Ruth has a guilt-free love affair with Sonny, who is a generation younger than her when her coach "significant other" pays little to no attention to her. The relationship between Ruth and her husband is as bleak as the town and the squeaky door to the pool hall, with an underlying reason subtly suggested, literally left in the dust when movie producers and audiences were forbidden to accept or explore (according to Bogdanovich interviews).
Other important characters include the lovable baseball-capped Billy (Sam Bottoms, Tim's brother in real life), Jaycee's mother (Ellen Burstyn), and Genevieve the waitress (Eileen Brennan). The main characters, like the desert, have no shame - the zeitgeist of the 1960s. I will not give away the ending but I will say, the desert wins.
~ by Martha J. Rogus
June 27, 2020
Gold (2016)
A Goldmine of Entertainment
Gold
Written by Patrick Massett and John Zinman
With Matthew McConaughey as Kenny Wells, Edgar Ramirez as Michael Acosta, and Bryce Dallas Howard as Wells' girlfriend, Kay
Directed by Stephen Gaghan
The movie Gold surprised me with good acting, a great story, and stunning scenery. The 2 hours flew by as the story, based on real events, takes us to Indonesia to look for a gold mine. The events come to life on the screen, real and authentic – from fighting malaria and mud, to the deals made in the high-rise offices of Manhattan's suited investors.
McConaughey especially surprised me with his Woody Harrelson-look as a disheveled alcoholic and gold mining addict. I waited for his transformation to heart-throb, and it came in different ways. McConaughey's fake tooth, greasy hair, potbelly, and unshaven face destroy my lady's man image, remnants of the J-lo movies. But it shows his professionalism as an actor. In Gold, McConaughey is a man's man and becomes Kenny Wells, friend to Mike Acostas – a mining geologist. These characters clash in both looks and goals throughout the movie.
The acting is so well performed that you feel the characters' elation when they find gold, sadness when the money is gone, and the frustration of not reaching their dreams. The end makes sense.
I give it 8 out of 10: 3 for the story, 3 for the acting, and 2 for the setting and scenery.
We watched on Netflix.
Adultish (2014)
I watched a few of the 10-minute (+/-) Web episodes of Adultish, and agree it will be a hit.
The first episode I watched was ADULTish 3.3 (#303), "TrendSetters." The Characters and antics include:
Bevin (played by Victoria Bennett) – there's real power in those thighs. The character of Bevin is authentic. She seems to follow a breeze that is not entirely there, has a big heart, and seems very bright – most of the time.
Bevin's Boss, Gerald (played by Solomon Shiv) – expect the unexpected with this character. He runs TrendSetters.
Bevin's co-worker Monique (played by Adrienne Lovette) says, "Justin Bieber's pants see more of him than America does."
Bevin's co-worker Dale (played by Philip Louis Calabro) replies: "Remind me to send his pants a thank You note."
Gerald facilitates the meeting and adds, "Put Bieber balls on all your posts today." That got my laugh.
Gerald's office is a tent in an office building. His grunge- assistant (Jasper, played by Nahuel Gorosito) sits outside the tent with a TV tray that serves as his desk.
The lovable assistant gets yelled at for stinking up the office with vaping, and doesn't seem to care about much other than his embroidery hoop while working.
In other scenes, Michel (played by Brendan Sokler) calls Eric (played by Brandon Scott Hughes) a sexual monk. Eric owns a bar and is the most mature of the group. He scoffs when Michael calls him a sexual monk, indicating deeper reasons for his chastity. Eric has higher values stashed in his coffee cup and NYC veranda overlooking Manhattan, among other things. I watched all ADULTish episodes and will leave some surprises.
In this episode, you'll see there is power in Eric's denial and paradox. Sexual monk is actually a sexual magnet who does nothing to attract a woman while crossing the street, another woman in a café, and a male who tells Eric he's pretty. It just happens. Sexual Monk escapes them all.
Next, I watched ADULTish episode 3.4 (#304) "Nerd Up"
If you conclude the ADULTish title suggests a level of immaturity, you are correct. I wanted to know what level of child- like behavior the ADULTish characters resort to, and that behavior is at the level most of us live out on a daily basis, whether we admit it, or not. For example, Bevin arrives to the office late. Monique tells Bevin, "Your interviewee showed up 20-minutes ago." Bevin asks if he is upset. Monique says, "I don't know
I can't see him," as she focuses her gaze on her laptop screen like an ostrich, without looking up. I call this the ostrich effect. We all do it, in one form or another.
The character of Michael (Brendan Sokler) has moves and a voice like an insightful Zack Knight Galifianakis. At first glance, Michael seams to suffer lethargy until excited about his new job as an intern. Michael discharges a surprising round of hysterical, deep & wide critical arguments of the craziest female character in Batman, and a dozen reasons why.
I also watched ADULTish episode 1.5 "Speed Dating" since my nephew (Chris Rogus) is in this episode and how I came to find out about this web series genre that is new to me.
The character named Rogus (played by Chris Rogus) is a speed dating participant. He brings surprises with answers to Bevin's questions one wouldn't expect.
The ADULTish cast and crew make me glad this generation of folks is producing something worth the time and effort to watch. It's refreshing. The episodes are short, funny, and with a different brand of humor for some of us. If you can sit through without being overly judgmental, you will find it enjoyable, and illuminating to the issues this generation faces. Dialogue is quick-witted intelligence that pokes harmless fun at human foibles.
Overall, I give the web series 7 out of 10. Two points each for witty dialogue, unexpected actions, and authentic characters. I give it an extra point for the setting and random surprises, like the tent for an office - inside a New York City office building. You can watch for yourself at ADULTish TV, or on YouTube where I watched.
Note - In September, ADULTish cast and crew attended the 2017 Seoul Webfest where they won Best Ensemble, Best Actress, and Best Web Series in All Genres. (They had been nominated for 6 awards: Best Director, Best Web Series in All Genres, Best Comedy Series, Best Actress, Best Ensemble, and Best Actor.)
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Woody Allen's unique tapestry of historical and intellectual interactions with 20th century's greatest creators.
The word clever comes to mind – a word my 1920's-born mother used. Clever defines Midnight in Paris, which is about a struggling millennial writer visiting Paris with his bride-to-be and her family, juxtaposed with artists and writers in Paris in the 1920's and earlier. Woody Allen's brilliantly creative mind illuminates this work-of- art.
Gil (Owen Wilson) negotiates his desire to please his bride-to-be, Inez (Rachel McAdams), with his longing to stay in Paris and write a novel. Tensions rise between Gil and Inez as ghosts of the past visit Gil, on several occasions, when he sits on cement steps of a building never revealed to the audience. When the church bells chime at midnight, Gil is invited to hang-out with artists and writers of the past.
For example, Gil hangs out in bars and goes to parties on different occasions with Hemingway and Fitzgerald – who are hilarious together. The writers are keenly interested in Gil and his writing, and some of them offer critiques to help him out. Owens' portrayal of Gil is authentic, as Gil gets excited with each visitor and has trouble believing the appearance of each one – like "How long have you been dating Picaso
my God, did I really just say that?" But Gil gets into trouble when he starts ditching his bride-to-be to hang out on the steps for more visits.
The fun includes: F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston) and his wife Zelda (Allison Pill), Ernest Hemingway (Cory Stoll), Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates), Pablo Picaso (Marcial De Fonzo Bo), Cole Porter (Yves Heck), Salvatore Dali (Adrien Brody), T. S. Eliot (David Lowe), Henri Matisse (Yves-Antoine Spoto), Toulouse-Lautrec (Vincent Menjou Cortes), Paul Gauguin (Olivier Rabourdin), and Edgar Degas (Francois Rostain). And there are others.
The movie is inspiring, and gives us a glimpse into the real-life struggles of these earlier artists and writers. Sure, the dialogue is re-created and well researched. When you hear how Brody repeats Dali's name in the movie, see if you don't chuckle the way I did, or the way Stoll speaks like Hemingway. The movie is moderately paced and catchy, and a nice tribute to these greats of the past.
The only part I didn't like was Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates) referring to "Hemingway" when she spoke about him and with him. I would have liked her calling him Ernest. And the audience can disregard the handicap sidewalks and curbs in the Paris streets, which would not have been there in the 1920's.
I give this movie a 9: 4 for Woody Allen's creative writing and brilliant directing, 3 for the acting, and 2 for shooting in Paris.
I watched on Netflix.
Papa Hemingway in Cuba (2015)
Papa: Hemingway in Cuba is the real-life connection between then budding journalist Denne Bart Petitclerc and Ernest Hemingway that makes this movie click.
Papa: Hemingway in Cuba was released in the U.S. in 2015, written by Denne Bart Petitclerc. It's the dumb-luck story about Miami Globe reporter, Ed Myers, who is the real-life Petitclerc, too shy to mail a fan letter he addresses to the American icon. When his love- interest steals and mails the letter, Myers receives a phone call from Hemingway that snowballs into a deep, trusting, faith-filled, and fruitful friendship.
The dates, photos, and video clips of Hemingway solidify his legacy. The opening credits chronicle moments in Cuba and foreshadow his death. If you know that Hemingway quickly left Cuba after 20 years of life in Finca Vigia near Havanna, like me you await that that moment when he abruptly leaves Cuba. I was disappointed his departure was overlooked in this movie, but it made room for sequences of Hemingway providing guns to Cuban fighters – which was unknown to me. The violent attack on the presidential palace as Castro gains power blazes Myers' career as a war correspondent. The action Hemingway and Myers experience ducking bullets and hiding near vehicles strewn in a Havana street, rivets Myer's dream of what it takes to become a good reporter of his time.
Touching scenes and dialogue include Myers' humble story of how he landed a job, was fired for an inability to spell, but hired back after typing all of Hemingway's books. This moment takes place on the beach with Hemingway and his wife as waves break in the background, mirroring Myers' break into journalism. The actors (Giovanni Ribisi as Myers, Adrian Sparks as Ernest Hemingway, and Joely Richardson as Mary Hemingway) are heartfelt, but sometimes lack conviction. None-the- less, your heart strings tug like undertow with Ribisi's convincing humility as Myers, and Sparks' persuasive affection as Hemingway. Myers later convinces Hemingway he loves and needs him, which undoes a near- tragic event. Director Bob Yari effectively steers the action as the dialogue booms.
Comical scenes include the Hemingway's swimming in the nude, Myers' first encounter with Mrs. Hemingway. The butt-shots are modest and fun, and Myers' first-blush is diminished by movie's end when he swims with the sharks, so to speak.
Conflicts include the Hemingway couple forgetting how to show love toward each other, as they deal with aging, writer's block, Hemingway's father's suicide, and Mary's loss of herself as she lives in his shadow. The birthday party sequence shows Mary's extremes to convince the audience that the weight of blame is hers for the couple's unhappiness.
Supporting cast includes close and longtime friend, Evan Shipman (Shaun Toub), who's real life bout with gangrene inspire The Hills of Kilimanjaro. Myers' girlfriend, Debbie Hunt (Minka Kelly), is gorgeous in her role. She tempts Myers to stay away from Hemingway. He almost does. Myers affection for her conflicts with his need for Hemingway, as Myers navigates explosive love scenes with Deb and a grandiose friendship with Hemingway.
J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI, duel plane crashes, revolution headlines, and guns dumped into the ocean sequence fast. I watched a second time to piece the implications.
The inclusion of the Finca Vigia, beautiful landscaping, and a swimming pool larger than their living room show the bountiful creativity of the Hemingways. The bar scenes and daiquiris add crunch and the palm trees calm. His yellow car moves about in the beautiful Havana countryside that lacks the sting of industrial growth and housing developments, with plant-life touched only by human hands and small tools. The architecture is lovely. And the ocean scenes reflect the depth and vastness of Hemingway's soul as a writer with the Havana skyline, smoky and depressing.
SPOILER ALERT: Papa
does not include Hemingway's life and death in Idaho.
I give it 8 stars: 2 for the acting, 2 for dialogue, 2 for the beautiful scenery and Hemingway's real-life former home, and 2 for showing the many facets of Ernest Hemingway (some which I never knew) as told by budding journalist, Denne Bart Petitclerc.
I watched on Netflix.
Manglehorn (2014)
Who doesn't love Al Pacino? You get 1 hour and 37 minutes of Pacino as A. J. Manglehorn in this drama that ends better than it starts – not that the beginning is all bad.
Manglehorn is a locksmith and key maker. One particular key is symbolic and rekindles love in Manglehorn's heart to move forward and love again. He's spent a lifetime nursing love for a woman he can't have, and stores her "returned to sender" letters in boxes and shelves that line his office like wallpaper. Claire's silence empties into the nothingness of Manglehorn's deep abyss as his unbridled passion for her destroys his marriage and relationship with his son in flashback sequences. Slow-motion minutes tick with a 7-car pileup, the result of a watermelon truck collision, a symbolical reflection of the hearts Manglehorn smashes like over- ripe fruit in the wake of his painful obsession with Claire.
Bank-teller Dawn (Holly Hunter) presents a challenge for Manglehorn. He struggles with the choice of a meaningful connection with the real, or his continued obsession with the imagined. Conflicts rage as tanning salon-owner, Gary (Harmony Korine), widens the divide between Manglehorn and his son. The audience will feel compassion for his son Jacob (Chris Messina) as Manglehorn proclaims, "I never loved your mother!" Horrible as it sounds, Pacino remains lovable as Manglehorn as you await the conclusion for this out-of-whack character. Manglehorn's concern for a cat reveals a heart capable of showing love that doesn't always follow through. A special key ultimately unlocks the solution for Manglehorn to be set free.
Like his relationship with his cat, Manglehorn nurtures his granddaughter Kylie, played by the adorable Skylar Gasper. The unique dialogue at the park as they eat ice cream conveys child-like beliefs are sometimes more meaningful than knowledgeable minds. The dialogue exchanges reinforce the notion that Manglehorn does have capacity to love those he chooses to as he goes along with Skylar's unscientific logic why leaves change color, for example.
There are 3 instances of supernatural activity in moments that cannot be explained and are as believable as the acting is. It's a good story, moderately paced, and worth the time. There is nothing offensive, other than Manglehorn's encounter at Gary's message parlor that show Manglehorn's intimacy issues and where his values truly are. It is here you'll agree the creators' phallic title Manglehorn, suggests a mangled heart is capable of trumping instant gratification when the will is strong.
I give this movie 7 stars: 3 for Pacino's acting, 2 for the grand-daughter/Manglehorn dialogue, 1 for the symbolic creativity of the harmless supernatural events, and 1 for the inclusion of the art of letter-writing in the plot.
I watched Manglehorn on Netflix.