Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel! ¡Feliz Navidad! Fröhliche Weihnachten! Feliz Natal! Erry-may Istmas-chray! 🙂 Before the advent of TV, studios invested in movie serials, and one of MGM's most popular franchises was the Andy Hardy series, which followed the adventures of its young protagonist in the Midwestern (?) town of Carvel. The films were sure bets … Continue reading Christmas In Carvel
Announcing the Leap Year Blogathon!
Anyone have a birthday on February 29th, or know someone born on that day? It's an interesting concept, having a birthday every four years--it must feel a little surreal. I'll bet people born on that day celebrate like no one's business. In that vein, I thought it would be fun to commemorate Leap Day next year by … Continue reading Announcing the Leap Year Blogathon!
The Realm of the Invisible
Well, hello, Mr. Bridges... Timing is a funny, funny thing. As I'm sure a lot of you have heard by now, the YouTuber world is in an uproar over COPPA, or the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (If you haven't, here are a few of the details). Suffice it to say, content creators may see … Continue reading The Realm of the Invisible
Your Face Is Bogart’s
Nice to have you back, Ms. Bacall... Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart made five movies together. Their chemistry was so electric that no matter what the story was about, she would always smolder and he would always appraise her coolly and wordlessly. The 1947 film, Dark Passage, however thinks outside of the box due to one simple … Continue reading Your Face Is Bogart’s
The William Goldman Blogathon Wrapup and Thank You
Our William Goldman Blogathon, sadly, has officially ended, but the examination of Goldman's work doesn't have to. Speaking of which, if anyone has late entries for us, please feel free to spirit them my way and I will post them here. A huge heap of thanks to my wonderful and talented participants who sent in posts this … Continue reading The William Goldman Blogathon Wrapup and Thank You
The William Goldman Blogathon Has Arrived
We've made it to the blogathon! Inconceivable! OK, maybe not, but it's here, and it's gonna be awesome. I will be updating this post throughout the weekend, so please send me your wonderful entries and I will add them here. Happy reading! MovieRob brings us three reviews with this look at the 1966 film, Harper, 1978's Magic, and Heat from 1986. … Continue reading The William Goldman Blogathon Has Arrived
A Dangerous Story
Mr. Goldman, I presume... To those of us who are older than thirty-five, the name, "Watergate" is rather charged, as it's one of the most notorious incidents of the last fifty years. I remember my high school history teachers talking more about Watergate than about World War Two or the Civil War. For those who … Continue reading A Dangerous Story
Ten Hut
From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli... My uncle is a Marine. Well, he's not on active service, but they say a Marine is never really out, so he's technically still a Marine. He's also a Vietnam vet, and he always flies the Marine flag outside his house. So, I have a … Continue reading Ten Hut
Announcing the Second So Bad It’s Good Blogathon!
It's back, it's badder than ever, and it needs you to make it shine in all its cringeworthy glory. Yes, Round Two of the So Bad It's Good Blogathon is going to take place from February 21st until February 23rd in the year of our Lord, 2020. If you missed last year, here's the premise … Continue reading Announcing the Second So Bad It’s Good Blogathon!
Walking the Tightrope
Mr. Rains is back... Claude Rains had a lot of classic roles, and one of his best in my opinion is that of Senator Joseph Paine in the 1939 film, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. This movie is well-trod territory for film buffs and Frank Capra fans, and it's definitely James Stewart's show, but he's effectively matched … Continue reading Walking the Tightrope
The William Goldman Blogathon Is One Week Away
Seven days to go, people. Are you ready to take the plunge? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyR7XB0VBPM There's still plenty of room left if anyone wants to sign up. Click here for the rules and comment if you're interested, and I hope you are, because it's gonna be awesome. All righty, see you later, all...
One Month Until the William Goldman Blogathon
Thirty days, friends, until the William Goldman Blogathon has arrived. Thirty days until we pay tribute to this great man of letters. Have you signed up yet? Need a little inspiration? Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lISBP_fPg1s Don't even think about rebooting this one, Hollywood. Just don't. Not even a sequel. Princess Bride fans everywhere will give you stinkeyes … Continue reading One Month Until the William Goldman Blogathon
Mr. Blandings and Mr. Breen
Surprise! Those of us who have big families or have lived in apartments and dorms know what it's like to not have a lot of space. Being on top of each other all the time is a constant occurrence, and it can be a pain in the neck. Ideally, though, when the going gets tough, … Continue reading Mr. Blandings and Mr. Breen
Curing Box Office Poison
Miss Hepburn is back... Joan Crawford wasn't the only Golden Age actress to garner the dreaded Box Office Poison label; Katharine Hepburn also got stuck with it. What's interesting is how differently these two women handled the setback. Joan's response was to smolder in her posh mansion while waiting for good parts to come along, … Continue reading Curing Box Office Poison
Shore Is Awful
Brother, can you spare a dime? I've been on a John Steinbeck kick lately. In the last couple of months I've read Travels With Charley and Cannery Row (again), plus I have Sweet Thursday and The Pastures of Heaven lined up. I think the man was an absolute genius. We're all aware of one of … Continue reading Shore Is Awful
Shelley Makes A Statement
And here's Ms. Winters... I don't know about everyone else, but when I think of Shelley Winters, I think of a funny lady who also looks like she could pop someone, like a cross between Lucille Ball and Betty Hutton. When Winters played Petronella van Daan in 1959's The Diary of Anne Frank, it combined everything the … Continue reading Shelley Makes A Statement
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
Taking Up Room 