No one is indifferent to David Hasselhoff. He's the dude from Baywatch and Knight Rider, and his popularity is far-reaching. In fact, David Hasselhoff is to Germany what Jerry Lewis was at one time to France. 2012's The Christmas Consultant, which sports a great cast and plenty of awkward but good-hearted moments, seems to be one … Continue reading David Hasselhoff Will Make It All Better
Keanu Reeves Sings
I've always been ambivalent about Babes In Toyland. I know it exists in several forms, including the charming 1961 movie starring Annette Funicello and Tommy Sands and the original 1934 movie of the same title, which was based on a 1903 operetta. Then there's the 1986 Babes In Toyland, starring Drew Barrymore, Keanu Reeves, Eileen Brennan, Richard … Continue reading Keanu Reeves Sings
Fly Me To Montana
We all know that holiday travel is notoriously hectic and possibly a headache-inducer. And of course, it's fodder for movies, good, not so good, and ill-advised. One of the latter is 2015's The Flight Before Christmas, although it might seem promising at the outset. It's a Lifetime movie, so expectations are low as it is, but … Continue reading Fly Me To Montana
Cooking With (Another) French Chef: Three Favorite Jacques Pepin Recipes
Jacques Pepin, one of my all-time favorite chefs, is turning ninety this month. His skills would be almost intimidating if he wasn't such a nice person and so down to earth. He can cut up a chicken in thirty seconds and he'll show the rest of us how to do it too. Maybe it'll take … Continue reading Cooking With (Another) French Chef: Three Favorite Jacques Pepin Recipes
Cooking With the French Chef: Quenelles
Welcome back to Cooking With the French Chef, in which I review episodes of Julia Child’s original show, cook out of the new edition of the French Chef Cookbook and share the results with you. Past posts can be found here. What does the word, "quenelles" bring to mind? If anyone is like me, not much, but once … Continue reading Cooking With the French Chef: Quenelles
Five Very Random Christmas Movies
It's kinda funny how blog posts come about. I figured I'd just review Snowed Inn Christmas, but then I saw that the algorithm was seeing fit to autoplay A Furry Little Christmas next. I figured, "Why not?" and decided to let the algorithm pick some movies for me. Well, five, anyway. Whatever I got, I would watch. … Continue reading Five Very Random Christmas Movies
Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Movie
Who hasn't heard of Thomas Kinkade, the "Painter of Light"? At one time, and still to some extent, his work could be found on everything. Furniture, rugs, throws, coffee mugs, stationary, ballpoint pens, embroidery kits, T-shirts, purses. Pretty much anything that can hold an image. I myself still use a Kinkade Bible cover and my … Continue reading Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Movie
Where Have We Been?
I can't believe we're in December already because 2025 has seemed really long and really short at the same time. Who knows how that happens, but I'm not complaining. Movie-wise, November turned out to be another theme month. I don't think anyone planned it as such, but anyway, it was all about history and memory. … Continue reading Where Have We Been?
Ten Years Ago
Yipe. Ten years. Where has the time gone? How in the world do I commemorate something like this? When I started this blog I didn't know what shape it would take or where it would go. Heck, those of you who have been around for a while know that Taking Up Room began as a … Continue reading Ten Years Ago
When Sci-Fi Goes “Splat”
No one is immune to low-budget turkeys, of course, not even in the distinguished United Kingdom, and one of the most lackluster examples of the 1960s, or of sci-fi in general, is 1969's The Body Stealers. Not The Body Snatchers but The Body Stealers. It's an important distinction, and unfortunately that's where the distinctiveness ends because the movie … Continue reading When Sci-Fi Goes “Splat”
After Stars Hollow
It's hard to believe that Gilmore Girls premiered twenty-five years ago. Maybe it's because the show hasn't dated all that much, probably because most of the references aren't linked to the turn of the twenty-first century, plus great writing doesn't age. Of course, everyone wonders what the cast has been up to since the show … Continue reading After Stars Hollow
Announcing the Eighth So Bad It’s Good Blogathon
It's that time again. So Bad It's Good time. Well, it will be in a few months, anyway. Isn't it amazing that this blogathon is going into its eighth year? I hear from people pretty frequently that this is one of their favorite blogging events, and I hope it stays that way. For those who might … Continue reading Announcing the Eighth So Bad It’s Good Blogathon
Welcome To the Fun House
Who says a horror movie has to be scary? 1932's The Old Dark House sure isn't. Any horror is purely coincidental. Any real plot is purely coincidental as well. But danged if it isn't fun as all get-out. It all opens on a dark and stormy night, of course, with Philip Waverton (Raymond Massey), his wife, Margaret … Continue reading Welcome To the Fun House
The Hands of Suggestion
We're here... The idea of reconstructing the human body has intrigued the scientific community for over a century now, and we all know that it can be done with varying degrees of success. Even face transplants. No one ever thinks those body parts will cause people to do things the previous owners might have, though. … Continue reading The Hands of Suggestion
Who Likes Leftovers? (Turkey Shepherd’s Pie and Turkey Pockets)
As those of you who read my "Cooking With the French Chef" post yesterday know, for this month's installment, I transformed three chickens into five meals. We're all looking for ways to use up leftover turkey for the holidays, and I thought I'd throw my hat into the idea ring, only using chicken as a … Continue reading Who Likes Leftovers? (Turkey Shepherd’s Pie and Turkey Pockets)
Cooking With the French Chef: Feasting On the Remains
Welcome back to Cooking With the French Chef, in which I review episodes of Julia Child’s original show, cook out of the new edition of the French Chef Cookbook and share the results with you. Past posts can be found here. It's the holiday season! Woo hoo! The natural question for everyone during this season of large dumb … Continue reading Cooking With the French Chef: Feasting On the Remains
Dracula Goes Hammer
Hammer-Amicus time... Vampires are so common in the Hammer-Amicus universe as we all know, and Dracula is no stranger, either. One of the first ones of these, at least for Christopher Lee, was the 1958 film, Horror of Dracula, which nails a lot of its marks. Mostly, anyway. Also starring the equally durable Peter Cushing as … Continue reading Dracula Goes Hammer
Taking Up Room 