Movie Review of Gaslight (1944) Starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman & Joseph Cotten

The term "Gaslight" has become commonly used to describe a form of deceptive and cruel mental manipulation. A vunerable victim won't recognize what the other person is doing to them as they challenge their memory. It is not as simple as having a different perception of an event, or even a different opinion. It is a much more sinister, intentional manipulation of someone's memory or perception causing them to question their own sanity.

I'm not sure if I ever actually watched the movie "Gaslight" in the past, or if I am simply familiar with the movie plot from trailers.  Some of my favorite movies are classics (pre-1950).  When I was much younger, I often stayed up late watching old movies on the original AMC movie channel. I may well have seen the movie back then.

My husband & I recently decided to watch the 1944 version of the movie Gaslight, starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman & Joseph Cotten.  I was reminded of how much I loved the old classics where actors really had to carry the entire movie.  There were no special effects or colorful scenes to help captivate an audience.  It was all up to the writers and actors to entertain us.

I had not realized how much I missed the classics, or that fabulous Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer logo lion, until we watched "Gaslight".  We cut the cable cord nearly a decade ago and I no longer pull out our old vhs tapes to watch movies.  

Wow!  It has been so long that it is like rediscovering cinematic brilliance.  I plan to go in search of a new way to watch those old classics again.  If there is no channel available, I'll dust off my old vhs tapes and hope my player still works, but for now, I want to tell you about the movie "Gaslight".

Gaslight (1944)

 Gaslight
Available on Prime Video, DVD, Blu-ray, or VHSCheck PriceWhen the renowned singer, Alice Alquist is murdered, her niece and ward, Paula (Ingrid Bergman) is sent to live in Italy with her aunt's best friend, Maestro Guardi who spends years training her to sing professionally.  When Paula confides in Signore Guardi that she has fallen in love, he encourages her to embrace happiness, even take a break from her singing for a while.  He has no way of knowing that he is throwing her into the arms of an insidious predator with ulterior motives.

Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer) is lying in wait for her to come to him after she speaks to the maestro. He is thrilled to find that everything is going as he wishes and he pressures Paula to marry him even though she hasn't known him for very long.

After Gregory & Paula are married, he masterfully manipulates her into moving back to London, and back into her aunt's home.  That is when he fully commits himself to "gaslighting" her and she is very nearly convinced that she is insane until Joseph Cotten appears on the scene.

Now, you must watch the movie yourself to see what happens!

Interesting Facts About Gaslight

• Ingrid Bergman was actually singing in this movie
  
• Ingrid Bergman won the Academy Award Best Actress for this film
• Charles Boyer did not play the piano, but he did study psychology before he became an actor. 
• It is also worth mentioning that 17 year old, Angela Lansbury, was also in this movie.

To "gaslight" someone was not a psychological term prior to 2010.  The title of the movie actually refers to the gas lights in a home that would dim when additional lights were lit and demanded a share of the gas supply.  One of the things that made Paula think she was going insane was that the gas lights would dim even when no one else was home lighting more lights.   

The movie "Gaslight" provides an excellent example of the act of gaslighting someone.  After all, the movie/play is the origin of the term.

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Review of Favorite Christmas Decoration

 I love decorating for Christmas and after over 50 years of marriage, needless to say, I certainly have more than enough Christmas decorations.  I have gotten to the point where I rotate some of my decorations, so I don't end up with too many for our house.  But still, I enjoy getting a new decoration or two each year.  Last year some friends gave us the delightful snow globe lantern pictured in the photo above.  It can be used with batteries or plugged into any USB port, so I have it sitting on my desk in our family room plugged into my computer.  I love the silver snowflakes shimmering around the Santa, snowman and tree. When it is turned on the light catches the snowflakes, and they glisten as they twirl around inside the lantern.

A Variety of Christmas Lanterns Available

I enjoy my lantern so much that I have purchased several for gifts this year.  They can be found in a variety of styles and different features.

In searching Amazon, I found ones with angels, Santas, trees, snowman, trains, toy and a wide variety of Christmas subjects and scenes.  Here is one similar to mine.

 Christmas Snow Globe Lantern, Musical Snow Globe with Swirling Glitter, Battery PoweredCheck Price

Here is one with snowmen around a tree.  It is a different shape and also plays music.

 Eldnacele Musical Snow Globe Lantern with Timer, Lighted USB/Battery Operated Swirling Singing Water Glittering LanternCheck Price

I love birds so this one with a bright red Cardinal looking through a window is really appealing to me.

 12.6Inch Cardinal Christmas Snow Globes,Musical Light Up Glitter Red Cardinal Snow Globe Lanterns,6H TimerCheck Price

Features of Christmas Snow Globes

Some of the features of the snow globes that I find appealing are:

• Runs on either battery or USB plug in
• A timer that lets you set the snow globe to be on for 6 hours and off for 18 hours
• Music that can be turned on or off.  These usually include 8-12 different Christmas themed tunes.
• A subject or Christmas scene available for every taste.

Because of these great features there is some type of snow globe available for most everyone on your Christmas list.

Enjoy!  Merry Christmas!

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Air Fryer Italian Style Roasted Potatoes

 These Italian-style potatoes are a perfect complement to any main dish. I'm calling these roasted potatoes, but they were really air-fried in our Ninja Foodi Grill and Air Fryer.

Air Fryer Italian Style Roasted Potatoes Reviewed

Fran picked up a nice rump roast last week and cooked it in our Instant Pot. While it was cooking, I remembered the days when my mother would cook a roast in the oven for hours with these delicious roasted potatoes. So, I thought, why not try to duplicate these potatoes in the air fryer? 

Air-Fried Italian-Style Roasted Potatoes:

4 or 5 medium potatoes (washed and peeled)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove of garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning 

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. I washed and peeled the potatoes and cut them into quarters. 
2. Placed them in a one-gallon plastic freezer or storage bag.
3. Add the olive oil close the bag, shake and mix.
4. Open the bag and add the remaining seasoning, close and mix again.
5. Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees and set the time to 20 minutes.
6. After 10 minutes, I turned them over.

Although I set the timer for 20 minutes, I checked them again at 15 minutes and they were done. It's always a good idea to check the food when you're making it for the first time. Different air fryer brands may vary in temperature and cooking time.

Needless to say, these potatoes were a perfect side dish for the rump roast. They were crispy on the outside, tender and soft on the inside, and full of flavor.

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Ninja AG300 4-in-1 Indoor Grill with 4-Quart Air Fryer with Roast, Bake, and Cyclonic Grilling TechnologyBuy Now

 

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Reviewing Popover Recipes - Easy and Delicious Baked Treats

Once I was served warm popovers at a brunch I was obsessed. I had to have more. I had to be able to bake my own. These small baked treats are great with soups, stews, quiches, roasts, and so much more. They are surprisingly easy to throw together and throw into the oven. And they only require 6 ingredients: flour, eggs, salt, butter, milk, and eggs. There is a good chance you've heard of popovers. But just in case you haven't I want to make sure to spread the word.

photo: Fox Run Popover Pan

Earlier this year I was invited to a neighbors home for brunch. She served quiche and popovers. I had no idea what popovers were and when she shared what was on the menu I had a brief thought of "did she say PopTarts?".  It turns out that she did not say PopTarts. She was serving the most delicious quiche with these funny-looking biscuits called popovers. 

It is easiest for me to say that popovers are biscuits. They can be served in place of biscuits with breakfasts, roasts, soups, and stews. But for some reason, I want to call them a pastry. I don't know if baking experts would call them a pastry. But they are crispy on the outside while light and flaky on the inside. In fact, if you bake them on the shorter end of the recommended time, they are a bit like custard on the inside. 

The 6 Popover Ingredients

Popover recipes are all over the internet. They are basically equal (or almost equal) amounts of flour and milk. Added to 3 - 4 eggs, 2-3 tablespoons of butter, and a pinch of salt. The recipe I use is:

• 1 c flour
• 1 c milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp butter

Beat the ingredients until smooth. The batter is similar to pancake batter. You may think you've made a mistake and added too many wet ingredients. You haven't.

Martha Stewart uses 1 1/2 cup flour and 1 1/2 cup milk in her recipe. She also gives step-by-step instructions. Her recipe is here if you'd like to use that recipe. 

Popover Tips for Better Results

The same neighbor who served the popovers at the brunch also gave me a popovers pan. Popovers can be made in muffin tins but they do much better in a specific popover pan.

Spray just a small bit of cooking spray in the bottoms of the cups. 

Fill the popover pan cups only 1/2 full. They will rise and pop over the tops of the pans. If you are prone to overfill things, place the popover pan on a cookie sheet to catch any spillage. 

Hot oven. Popovers like 400 degrees or more. Some recipes call for a hotter over to begin with and lowering the temperature part way through. I don't mess with that. I do 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Remove the popovers from the pan as soon as they come out of the oven. 

The recipe I use makes almost 12 popovers. I tend to fill my popover cups slightly more than half. If I only filled them halfway the recipe would make 12 popovers. I also found that it makes it much easier to fill the cups using a glass measuring cup with a spout.

On the popover episode on America's Test Kitchen, they recommend bread flour and warming the milk and butter for better results.  I agree. When I remember to use bread flour and warm both the butter and milk (with the eggs at room temperature) I do have slightly better results. However, the recipe is forgiving. My neighbor sometimes uses almond milk and uses all purpose flour. I prefer whole milk and bread flour. 

Popovers are an excellent part of your daily menu and a wonderful item to serve to guests.

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Word Scramble for Teens, Adults, and Brainiac Kids - A Fun Word Jumble for the Family

This latest published word scramble is written explicitly for seniors, teens, and brainiac kids.

Designed with large print inside an 8.5" by 11" book, this word scramble is easy to hold and easy to read.

Nearly all of my 24 published activity books are designed with larger print and include various levels or challenges.

Why You Would Enjoy this Word Scramble:

It's not just a word scramble for self-challenge; it can also be played as a simple game. There's a place on each page to mark your start and finish times. Each person completes a puzzle page to see who can solve the puzzle the fastest.

There's also a place for working notes.

Here's a sample of each puzzle page:

What's Inside this Word Scramble Book

• 500 jumbled words to unscramble
• 10 words per page per topic
• There are 50 different, broad-ranging topics
• Each page is large and easy to read
• The answers are included at the back, with two answer bundles per page, making the solutions easy to read as well
• Record your start and finish times to compete with yourself or others
• Some scrambles are easier than others making it a fun activity for the whole family
• As you can see above, there's a place for notes in case you have to do further evaluations

This scramble book is ideal for:

• Personal use
• Stocking stuffers
• An affordable hostess gift for the family
• A significant loot-bag gift for teen parties
• An around-the-table game for family gatherings
• To take on trips for something to do when you're traveling
• For seniors to encourage mind exercise challenges
• For brainiac kids to keep their minds fresh, challenged, and growing

You Can Find This Word Scramble Book on Amazon or Via StumpedRiddles.com:

You can find all Stumped Activity Books on Amazon here.

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