The bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans is tomorrow, January 8, 2015. In honor of that occasion, here’s an Andrew Jackson trivia question: the most famous literary work on Jackson is the novel The President’s Lady, about Jackson and his wife Rachel, written by Irving Stone, author of other biographical novels like Lust for Life and The Agony… Continue reading Trivia Question for January 7
Movie Review – Wild by Jean-Marc Vallée
[av_image src=’http://jayruud.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/3-12.jpg’ attachment=313′ attachment_size=’square’ align=’left’ animation=’left-to-right’ link=” target=” styling=” caption=’yes’ font_size=” appearance=’on-hover’] Ruud Rating WILD Three Tennysons/Half Shakespeare[/av_image] Last year, director Jean-Marc Vallée directed Matthew McConaughey into a Best Actor Oscar for his uncharacteristic role in Dallas Buyers Club. This year, he threatens to repeat that success on the Actress side with his direction of… Continue reading Movie Review – Wild by Jean-Marc Vallée
“I Sing of a Maiden”
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Trivia Question for December 31
What is the exact LITERAL translation of the title of Robert Burs’ New Year’s Eve poem/song, “Auld Lang Syne”? [av_button label=’ Use The Comment Form Below To Submit You Answer’ link=’http://jayruud.com/trivia-question-for-december-31/’ link_target=” color=’theme-color’ custom_bg=’#444444′ custom_font=’#ffffff’ size=’large’ position=’center’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue83b’ font=’entypo-fontello’]
Movie Review – Into the Woods by Rob Marshall
[av_image src=’http://jayruud.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/SusannTennyson.jpg’ attachment=313′ attachment_size=’square’ align=’left’ animation=’left-to-right’ link=” target=” styling=” caption=’yes’ font_size=” appearance=’on-hover’] Ruud Rating INTO THE WOODS Two Susanns/Half Tenneyson[/av_image] The much anticipated Disneyfied version of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s revered musical Into the Woods, opened on Christmas Day nationwide and pulled in millions of fans of the musical or of Broadway in general, as… Continue reading Movie Review – Into the Woods by Rob Marshall
Trivia Question for December 26
December 26 is Thomas Gray’s 298th birthday. Perhaps his most often-quoted line is “ignorance is bliss,” from his “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.” But the line is almost always taken out of context. The actual line begins “Where ignorance is bliss….” For TRIVIA BRAGGING RIGHTS, what is the line that follows it and completes the sentence?… Continue reading Trivia Question for December 26
Clement Moore’s “A Visit From Saint Nicholas”
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Movie Review – The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies by Peter Jackson
[av_image src=’http://jayruud.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Susanns.jpg’ attachment=’78’ attachment_size=’square’ align=’left’ animation=’left-to-right’ link=” target=” styling=” caption=’yes’ font_size=” appearance=’on-hover’] RUUD RATING The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies 2 JACQUELINE SUSANNS [/av_image] If you see The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies—Peter Jackson’s farewell to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth—you really should go to see it in HFR 3D, the new 3D projection introduced… Continue reading Movie Review – The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies by Peter Jackson
Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach”
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Trivia Question for December 17
On this date in 1843, Charles Dickens’ classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL was published. There have been at least 21 film versions of the story (not counting those made for television). No actor has ever won an Oscar for playing Scrooge. However, one has won a Golden Globe award. Can you name this Golden Globe winning… Continue reading Trivia Question for December 17