I've written about Christian movies on here before and how they tend to be a mixed bag. However 2006's The Second Chance is one of the basically decent ones I wish would get made more often. Starring Grammy and Dove Award winner, Michael W. Smith, Jeff Obafemi Carr and J. Don Ferguson, the film is … Continue reading It’s Not Showbiz
Origins: Judy
Many of us in the film blogging world love Judy Garland. We pay tribute to this genius every chance we get. Judy could switch between comedy and drama with the barest flick of an eyelid. She felt so much deep emotion and gave the world glimpses into her busy mind. She had lashings of charisma … Continue reading Origins: Judy
And the Liebster Award Goes To…
So it's come to this...I got nominated for a Liebster Award! I've seen this award logo on many of the blogs I follow, so to be asked to join their ranks is quite flattering (See some of the Leibster's history here). To actually win it, though, I have to jump through a few hoops first: … Continue reading And the Liebster Award Goes To…
Go Ask Shirlee
Siskel and Ebert At the Movies... Dolly Parton is a versatile lady, and we all know how she likes dipping her big toe into Hollywood. She doesn't do a ton of acting, and most of her film credits are now behind the scenes, but she starred in some classics. One of her last movie appearances … Continue reading Go Ask Shirlee
Reading Rarities: Lunch Box
Carrying one's lunch to school or work is, of course, as old as the proverbial hills, and what we know today as lunch boxes became ubiquitous in the last century. Some of its history has been chronicled by Scott Bruce, author of the 1988 book, Lunch Box: The Fifties and Sixties. I can't remember how I … Continue reading Reading Rarities: Lunch Box
Shamedown #8: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
For those of you who would like to find out what all this strange Shame business is about, please visit Cinema Shame. Past 2019 Shamedowns can be found here. The timing of this Shamedown is ironic, as today we're remembering those we lost on 9-11. On the other hand, it's oddly appropriate. There are so … Continue reading Shamedown #8: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Form and Function
Time to talk shop. The costume shop, that is... Chinese cinema can be very interesting, and one of the most famous (sorta) recent films is 2000's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, directed by Ang Lee. This visually arresting movie is part romance, part traditional Chinese fantasy, part Hollywood, and all spectacle. It opens at a typical village on … Continue reading Form and Function
After Citizen Kane
The phrase, "sophomore slump" is common among public figures. When one's debut venture is excellent and celebrated, there's always a danger that anything following it will be a letdown. When one's debut film is Citizen Kane, the stakes are even higher. Orson Welles followed up that infamous firestorm with 1942's The Magnificent Ambersons. Based on the Booth Tarkington novel, … Continue reading After Citizen Kane
What the Code Means To Me
Tiffany and Rebekah at Pure Entertainment Preservation Society are the blogging world's co-queens of the Production Code. Parsing it, analyzing it, giving it context--these ladies know the Code inside and out, and their mission is to resurrect the Code in today's Hollywood. So when they asked us, their fellow bloggers, what we think of the … Continue reading What the Code Means To Me
Stage To Screen: As You Like It
As You Like It is one of Shakespeare's later and more mysterious works, although it contains a lot of famous lines, such as "All the world's a stage." Thought to be written in 1598 or 1599 and possibly not performed until 1603, the play is a comedy about finding freedom through disguise and breaking through barriers. … Continue reading Stage To Screen: As You Like It
The Angels of Bataan and Corregidor
Like Wake Island, Bataan and Corregidor were attacked by the Japanese while Pearl Harbor was taking place. Even more obscure than what happened to the servicepeople are the experiences of military nurses in the Philippines. These women tirelessly labored with little to no medicine or resources, and nevertheless provided major support and encouragement to Americans … Continue reading The Angels of Bataan and Corregidor
Remember Wake Island
Pearl Harbor wasn't the only locale attacked by the Japanese in December of 1941. Another was Wake Island. It's one of the most isolated islands in the world, but Wake Island was both a Marine base and a refueling stop for the Pan American Clipper, which made it strategically important and therefore no small target … Continue reading Remember Wake Island
God Bless This Ship
In tribute to those who fought and died for freedom throughout the world... On this day in 1939, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced in a slumped, defeated voice that Britain was at war with Germany. It was a supreme comedown for the man who blithely waved a copy of the Munich Pact in the … Continue reading God Bless This Ship
Taking Up Room 