Surprise blogathon time... From the 1925 Lon Chaney classic to the beloved Andrew Lloyd Webber leviathan of a musical, The Phantom of the Opera is a perennial showstopper with its soaring music, swinging chandelier, and all-around creepiness. Sandwiched among the many onscreen iterations is the 1943 version starring Claude Rains as the Phantom with Nelson … Continue reading Less Phantom, More Opera
Before the Rainbow
Judy Garland is so tied to the role of Dorothy, and pretty much every role that followed it, that it's easy to forget what her career was like before she clicked her Ruby Slippers together. One of my favorites of her pre-Oz movies is 1938's Listen, Darling, a fun road trip-meets-Parent Trap dramedy that features durable … Continue reading Before the Rainbow
The Man With No Name
Yee haw... Ah, 1964's Per Un Pugno Di Dollari, better known as A Fistful of Dollars. I've never seen it until now, but I always felt as if I had since it's pretty notorious. If Stagecoach is the Bela Lugosi of westerns, A Fistful of Dollars is Christopher Lee with a generous dash of Kung Fu. Or something like … Continue reading The Man With No Name
Introducing the Pick My Movie Tag!
If you've ever wondered what your blogging friends think of certain movies, this is the tag for you. That's right, it's your chance to be in charge. Well, kind of. One of the things I love about blogging is bouncing ideas off of others, and after posting a review of a favorite movie of a … Continue reading Introducing the Pick My Movie Tag!
I Honestly Like This Movie
Sometimes you just need a good popcorn flick. Or any popcorn flick. Even the guilty pleasure variety. For me, one of those guilty pleasures is 2001's The Wedding Planner, a movie in which the titular character has always been outside looking in at happy endings. For those who aren't familiar with the plot, it's this: Mary … Continue reading I Honestly Like This Movie
The Imperfect Nature of Existence
My hometown of Auburn, California is not unfamiliar with Hollywood or celebrity culture. Neither is Placer County. Among other distinctions, Mary Pickford bought the bar in one of our Old Town saloons (today Carpe Vino) and installed it at Pickfair. A train carrying some crystal candlesticks she ordered derailed in Auburn. A young John Steinbeck … Continue reading The Imperfect Nature of Existence
Reading Rarities: Silent Echoes
Southern California and LA in particular are notoriously cavalier about architectural history. Everything's got to be new and fresh. With all the movies that have been made there over the past hundred-plus years, not to mention the periodic earthquakes, it's amazing anything stands longer than a few decades. Still, remnants of old Hollywood manage to … Continue reading Reading Rarities: Silent Echoes
Everyone’s Just Stuck
We're back on Amazon Prime, guys. I hate to look like a shill, my Affiliate stuff notwithstanding, but The Map of Tiny Perfect Things has been intriguing me for a while, and now the time has come to answer that call. Based on a 2016 short story by Lev Grossman, who also wrote the screenplay, it's … Continue reading Everyone’s Just Stuck
Six Reasons To Go “Legally Blonde”
I know any guys reading this might be groaning already, so this post is probably for the ladies. Come to think of it, some of the ladies might groan, too. *wicked chuckle* 😉 Anyway, Legally Blonde is twenty years old today. How time does fly. For those who aren't familiar with the plot, it's simply … Continue reading Six Reasons To Go “Legally Blonde”
We’re Being Invaded…Again
OK, so it took me a little longer than I thought to get a new review up, but I've been a wee bit tired, although it's a good kind of tired. If you've been following my Instagram, you probably know I just went on a wonderful trip to Rapid City, South Dakota with my son … Continue reading We’re Being Invaded…Again
Stage To Screen: Chicago
A year or two ago my friend Gill of Realweegiemidget Reviews fame asked if I would review one of her favorite movies, 2002's Chicago, and I wanted to, but I kept putting it off and putting it off. Now the time has finally arrived, and I'm not only going to review Chicago but give it … Continue reading Stage To Screen: Chicago
Keep It Simple, Sweetheart
We're back on Broadway, people. Eleanor's back. George Murphy's back. Fred Astaire's back...oh, wait. This was his first and only Melody, although he did dance on the real Broadway, so there's that. After the rather confusing and lackluster Broadway Melody of 1938, MGM went for a less-is-more approach with what became the final film in the Broadway Melody series, The Broadway … Continue reading Keep It Simple, Sweetheart
Trend Pimps and Style Junkies
Funny how these reviews happen sometimes. When I was working on another post last month I thought I'd have 2001's Josie and the Pussycats on in the background as white noise. Heh. Yeah, no. Josie and the Pussycats begs to be noticed. It's either one of the smartest movies ever made or one of the … Continue reading Trend Pimps and Style Junkies
Taking Up Room 