Filmmakers have always seemed to love using amnesia as a plot device. There's nothing like a fish being in water and out of it at the same time. One example of this is the 1943 film, Random Harvest, starring Ronald Colman and Greer Garson. It's a movie that genteely declares itself a "prestige picture," with an important … Continue reading Try To Remember
Origins: Mission Impossible
Another reboot. Oh, Hollywood, how you do toy with us. No, really, you do. Stop it. Well, to be fair, Mission Impossible: Fallout isn't a reboot, but the latest in the long-running M:I film series. Which is an adaptation of the TV show. Which had its first run from 1967 until 1973, and which was then resuscitated from 1988 … Continue reading Origins: Mission Impossible
Deals With Destiny
Silent movies are tough to find on Netflix, unless a person knows what to look for. Every once in a while, though, one will pop up, and for some reason, the decision-makers seem have a thing for Fritz Lang. 1921's Destiny is the second of his movies I've seen on the streaming service, and after Metropolis, I wasn't … Continue reading Deals With Destiny
Two On the Aisle
Since we had a real royal wedding this year, I thought it would be fun to wind up my posts for Crystal and Michaela's blogathon with a look at the 1951 film, Royal Wedding. The film is a nod to Astaire's days of dancing with his sister, Adele, only set a few decades later. No buildup happening … Continue reading Two On the Aisle
Once More With Feeling
Fred and Ginger's RKO partnership ended after The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle in 1939. It wasn't that they hated each other, or had creative differences, or anything like that--they simply wanted to part ways. RKO's money problems were a determining factor as well. Ten years later, however, the two were reunited at MGM for a … Continue reading Once More With Feeling
I’ll Only Dance With You
Here come Fred and Ginger... What hasn't been said about these two? Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are the go-to's of both pairs dancing and Hollywood musicals. One of these was 1936's Swing Time, a light and airy film which was an escape for Depression-era audiences, as well as in the decades following. The movie opens at … Continue reading I’ll Only Dance With You
Paris, Here We Come
Ladies, kindly remove your hats... The end of the nineteenth century and the dawn of the twentieth were busy times as far as inventions and innovations went. Air, land, sea or sky--nothing was too big to be conquered, and naturally there were daredevils impatient to push the envelope. In 1908, after cars had caught the … Continue reading Paris, Here We Come
It’s Bobsled Time
Everyone enjoying the dog days of summer? Who doesn't love a good underdog story? In 1993 we got treated to one of the best in my opinion, Cool Runnings. Inspired by the real-life first Jamaican bobsled team, it's an enjoyable film about finding unlikely niches. Derice Bannock (Leon) is a teacher and track runner. He wants to … Continue reading It’s Bobsled Time
Shamedown #6: How To Steal A Million
Over halfway through my Shamedown list, people. New to the blog and mystified about Shamedowns? Go here. Previous Shamedowns can be found here. Audrey Hepburn is one of my all-time favorite actresses. Her filmography wasn't as long as some peoples' (only thirty-four film credits), but she had good taste in movies, and must have been … Continue reading Shamedown #6: How To Steal A Million
The Man We Knew When
I don't know what it is with some directors that they like to remake their own films. Cecil B. DeMille remade The Ten Commandments, for instance. Granted, one version was silent and one had sound, but they were still basically the same film. And of course, there's George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, but they're more … Continue reading The Man We Knew When
Between Silence and Sound
Good evening... It's always fascinating to revisit the nascent stages of icons' careers, and Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most intriguing. Before we knew him as the director of Vertigo, The Birds, Psycho, and other perennial classics of cinema history, Hitchcock was plugging away at making films in his native Britain, starting with silents and changing with … Continue reading Between Silence and Sound
July is #CleanMovieMonth!
Just thought I’d let you all know about Tiffany and Rebekah’s new blogathon. I can’t participate fully, but in August I will be recapping all the Code movies I reviewed in July. So, if anyone’s interested, here’s the info!
Announcing #CleanMovieMonth!
PEPS is officially announcing that July is #CleanMovieMonth! Many months are dedicated to celebrating history or bringing awareness. #CleanMovieMonth is dedicated to both. It’s a month-long celebration of Code films, specifically cinema sealed during the Breen era (1934-1954). Frequent PEPS readers know that PEPS is always dedicated to Breen era films. However, during #CleanMovieMonth, we are inviting you to join the celebration, too!
Why is July #CleanMovieMonth?
The idea of the Motion Picture Production Code was first announced by Martin J. Quigley at a meeting in Chicago in July of 1929, so the Code was really born in July. On July 15, 1934, the Code began to be enforced as the Production Code Administration, with Joseph I. Breen as its leader, was formed. Thus, July is dedicated to celebrating Code films and clean cinema!
How do I participate?
Watch only American films released between July 15, 1934, and…
View original post 714 more words
Stage To Screen: Something For the Boys
Happy Fourth of July, all! During World War Two, there was no shortage of entertainment that encouraged audiences to do their part and help the servicepeople. Movies, radio, magazines, Broadway...every platform was used to the fullest. Sometimes the results came off better than others, of course, and one example of the "others" is Something For the … Continue reading Stage To Screen: Something For the Boys
All the World’s A Stage
Happy birthday to Ms. de Havilland! I'll admit, while I'm very familiar with Olivia de Havilland in Gone With the Wind, I've never really had the opportunity to look at much of her other work. It's one of the reasons I love participating in blogathons--it's fun to explore new films and information. The 1937 film, It's Love … Continue reading All the World’s A Stage
Taking Up Room 