We're back for another Shamedown, people, and may I say, this one is an especial doozy. If anyone is coming in late and would like to know what this Shamedown business is all about, CinemaShame's original post can be found here. Past 2023 Shamedowns can be found here. And now on with the show... We all … Continue reading Shamedown #7: Starcrash
My VR Will Go On
Birdemic is not James Nguyen's first movie. Oh heck, no. Seven years before that classic so-bad-it's-goodness came about, there was Julie and Jack. It's a romance. Yeah, that's it. The movie opens with footage of clouds. Lots of clouds. Two minutes of clouds. And then a shot of the Golden Gate Bridge and a guy driving … Continue reading My VR Will Go On
Revisiting the Campiest Western Ever
Saddle up, y'all... Westerns were very much a part of my growing-up years. Westerns and war pictures. I blame my dad and the advent of the VCR. After a while, I started tuning out when Dad would play a western because they all seemed alike, but when I saw 1969's Support Your Local Sheriff, it was … Continue reading Revisiting the Campiest Western Ever
Welcome To Camp Knockoff
Ah, summer camp. Ah, movies that rip off movies about summer camp. Ah, movies that rip off movies about summer camp while also ripping off movies about singing, dancing high schoolers. And mean, snobby high schoolers who need to learn manners. Oh, and there's a big wakeboarding competition, too. Buckle up, campers, because we're about … Continue reading Welcome To Camp Knockoff
Television Is Dangerous
As we've talked about on here before, it's pretty easy to forget that television was in its very early stages of development during the nineteen-thirties. And since it was such an unknown quantity, why not make a movie about it? Enter 1935's Murder By Television, starring one typecast former vampire, Hattie McDaniel, and a death ray. … Continue reading Television Is Dangerous
During World War Two: My Little Pin-Up Girl
Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth weren't the only stars who sat for pin-ups during the war; their photos were simply the most popular. The idea of pin-ups (technically, they were just photos of women) were nothing new by the Second World War. Victorians and Edwardians, of course, had French postcards, which ranged from fully-clothed women … Continue reading During World War Two: My Little Pin-Up Girl
Austen Goes To Amritsar
*opens book* We all know that of Jane Austen's six novels, Pride and Prejudice is probably the most frequently adapted (see some of the other versions here). And why not? It's got lots of intrigue, it's got love and the promise of love, it's got family drama, and it's got biting wit and intelligence. Oh, and it … Continue reading Austen Goes To Amritsar
Noir By Numbers
Not everyone who came back from the Second World War was an angel, of course, and the 1946 film, Nobody Lives Forever is about a fictional less-than-squeaky-clean type. While the movie is supposed to be noir, it's more noir-ish than anything. It may also feel a wee bit familiar. It's the tail end of the Second … Continue reading Noir By Numbers
Stage To Screen: 12 Angry Men
12 Angry Men is one of those stories that has to be seen at least once, whether it's the play or film, but no matter how many times it's seen, there's always something new to notice and something new to think about. It's fitting that the story can inspire such perennial freshness. As The Guardian once … Continue reading Stage To Screen: 12 Angry Men
The Betty Grable Blogathon: Wrapup
Happy Fourth of July to all the Americans reading this (and welcome to everyone else as well)! At the exact time this post goes up (9 AM PDST), my son and I will be sitting in on a 9 AM screening of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny at our local mall. I've heard … Continue reading The Betty Grable Blogathon: Wrapup
How To Make A Movie Out of A Pin Up (Or Not)
Here's Miss Betty... We all know Betty Grable's swimsuit pin-up got ginormously popular. It was a remarkably simple idea that took off because of its fun, playful mystery. Betty wanted all who saw her to follow her and see what she had in store. Even then, retouches were made; namely, the seaming on the back … Continue reading How To Make A Movie Out of A Pin Up (Or Not)
The Betty Grable Blogathon Has Arrived
It's time, y'all...woo hoo! Three days of celebrating Betty Grable, her many talents, her films, and the fun she brought to so many people. Who's ready for this? As always, if anyone would like to join us, please feel free to do so (here are the rules). Just leave me a comment either here on … Continue reading The Betty Grable Blogathon Has Arrived
Taking Up Room 