11 Oct 2009

FROM E.T. TO KNITTING GRANNIES.

As many of you are aware nearly every Saturday morning sees Hubby and I off to the Breakfast Club where a group of us discuss that days newspapers over a cuppa and light breakfast. Amongst other items of news (including the bizarre announcement that The Simpson's Marge Simpson is to be the latest celebrity to bare all in Play Boy magazine), these two articles caught my attention.

E.T. Voted Greatest Alien Flick.

On Friday E.T. was voted the best alien movie of all time.

The 1982 classic, starring Drew Barrymore, told the story of a friendly extra-terrestrial stranded three million light years from his home planet.

The Stephen Spielberg movie was a huge worldwide hit and spawned the immortal catch-phrase "E.T. phone home."

It beat Will Smith's Men In Black to the title in a poll of 7675 film fans. Another film starring Smith, Independence Day, took third place.

The 1979 blockbuster Alien, starring Sigourney Weaver, was fourth and Transformers, released in 2007, was fifth.

Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was sixth. Star Trek was seventh, War Of The Worlds was eighth, Fifth Element was ninth and Aliens was 10th.

A spokesman for the phone recycling website which carried out the study said "E.T. is funny and engaging and will never be equalled in terms of originality and global appeal."

SOURCE: The Mirror.

Rent-A-Granny.

Grannies and knitting are inextricably linked, but only now has heightened demand meant that they can charge for their woolly creations. By getting customers to order exactly what they want as opposed to letting the ladies go wild with lime green.

Katie Mowat, 27, has taken the knitting phenomenon to it's logical conclusion and founded Grannies Inc. (http://www.granniesinc.co.uk/). The website harnesses the knitting power of time-rich grannies across the country, to produce made-to-order, hand-knitted beanies for the younger generation without the time or patience (prices start at £20.)

A keen knitter herself, Katie left her job in the City to start her business and found that when she tried to recruit knitters to fulfil her orders, they were all of an older generation. "I decided to take advantage of their experience and turn it into a quirky element of my company" she says. So not only do customers get the benefit of decades of knitting knowhow, but grannies make extra money through their hobby. And hopefully there will will be fewer reindeer jumpers around this Christmas.

SOURCE: Alexia Skinitis reporting in The Telegraph.

13 comments:

Bad Alice said...

I prefer Men in Black myself, although ET is probably a national treasure by now.

As for the Knitting Grannies, I would like to rent more than the knitting. I would like a nice round of play bingo and bake cookies with the kids.

Kelly said...

I saw ET when it first came out and remember thoroughly enjoying it. However, I don't think I've watched it in its entirety since then.

As you know from my FF Movie entry, there are other films containing aliens I like better! (Signs and The Fifth Element)

serendipity_viv said...

I tried to tempt my mother with Grannies Inc, but she was having none of it. I thought it might be a nice hobby to earn money out of, as she is always knitting.

Nina said...

ET on number one! I totally agree, what a great movie. I wasn't born when the movie came out, but watched it afterwards and thought it was great. I think that my oldest sister had a aliendoll called ET. :)

Felicity Grace Terry said...

Alice: Good idea.

Kelly: Was Signs the film with Mel Gibson and the crop circles? I seem to rememeber enjoying that and especially the bit where they had tin foil hats on their heads for some reason or other (or am I thinking of something totally different?)

Vivienne: My mam, also a knitter, wouldn't be interested either.

Nina: Now you are making me feel old. Yes, I had a doll as well as a lunch box - come to think of it, I probably still have the doll somewhere.

Kelly said...

Yes! That's the one! Mel Gibson & Juaquin Phoenix.

Hazra said...

I love ET. I must have watched it a million times and I still go "awwwww" when ET points to the sky and says "ET phone home".

Melissa (My World...in words and pages) said...

I am glad I can admit that I know and have seen all the movies on the list. Yeah for me!! I usually can't say that about things, so I feel glad to be able to.

I also hate to admit... I could not make it through E.T. when I was younger at the movie theater. Truth be told I don't know if I have really ever seen the ending of the movie. I made my mom take me out of the movie theater half way through the movie. I am not sure what bothered me, I think it was just the way E.T. looked. I never did that with any other movies she took us to, or anyone else for that. I just didn't like that little guy.

I do have to say this is a great list.

Alexia561 said...

Have to admit that I never really cared for E.T., so am surprised that it was voted number one. What about Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Does that count as an alien movie?

Love the Rent-A-Granny idea! Do the orders come with fresh baked cookies as well? *L*

Great topics! You must have fun at your Breakfast Club! :)

Felicity Grace Terry said...

An interesting question Alexi - does Invasion Of The Body Snatchers count as an alien film? Not according to Wikepedia it doesn't.

(M)ary said...

In my opinion, ET is SOOOO not the best alien movie...i can think of a few i would put before ET:

The Blob with Steve McQueen

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (original and remake)

Alien III...which is dark, depressing and not scmultzy like ET

Probably, I would put War of the Worlds first if I were choosing.

Unknown said...

Hope you don't mind - I would like to use this in my Christmas special 'Rob's Bits and Bobs Page'

Felicity Grace Terry said...

Christmas special? This sounds interesting. Please feel free to use it, thanks for asking.