Bond. James Bond. Oh, wait... Pierce Brosnan is quite the elegant actor, whether he's Bond or not. I remember watching him when he was on Remington Steele and when he was a perfect Phileas Fogg in the Around the World In 80 Days miniseries. And of course, no one who's seen it can forget his Stuart Dunmeyer … Continue reading Pierce Brosnan, Diamond Thief
My Favorite Moments From “It’s A Wonderful Life”
Few movies, holiday or otherwise, are as iconic as 1946's It's A Wonderful Life, and I'm not going in for hyperbole here. We see this thing everywhere. It's parodied, excerpted, tributed, shown in the background in various languages (looking at you, Home Alone 2) and we know it like green bean casserole or Mom's sugar cookies. … Continue reading My Favorite Moments From “It’s A Wonderful Life”
Hanging Out With Felix Bressart
Felix Bressart was a familiar face on the big screen in the nineteen-forties. Affable, supportive, and a little goofy, Bressart was typically cast as the friend, the co-worker, the genius, sometimes the buffoon, or maybe a combination of all of those, but whatever shoes he landed in, he was always a welcome sight. Bressart was … Continue reading Hanging Out With Felix Bressart
Femme Dracula
I am woman, hear me roar... The Dracula universe is most definitely equal opportunity, and the sequel to the 1931 classic is 1936's Dracula's Daughter. Even though it might be nowhere near its predecessor in terms of quality or notoriety, it has some fun moments. It opens where the 1931 film left off. Two policemen … Continue reading Femme Dracula
Of Marriages and Mortgages
Hello, Mr. Brett... When Carissa announced this blogathon I felt a wee bit giddy because Sherlock Holmes always comes to mind when I think of Jeremy Brett. He IS Sherlock Holmes in my opinion, no offense to any of the other guys who have played the character. However, I wanted to look at Brett's other … Continue reading Of Marriages and Mortgages
The Distraction Blogathon: Wrapup
Welcome back, all! I hope everyone's enjoyed reading everything. I know I have, and I'm not nearly done yet. Already, though, I'm seeing a pattern: Everyone is distracted by something different, and distractions aren't always planned or come off well. Still, it's fun taking the ride, isn't it? If anyone is just joining is, this … Continue reading The Distraction Blogathon: Wrapup
Six Things You Might Not Know About “Psycho”
What in the world can that be? We all know 1960's Psycho is Alfred Hitchcock's most infamous movie. Even those who haven't seen the film feel like they have because that shower scene has been parodied and referenced ad nauseum over the past sixty years. Here's a famous example (one of several just in Simpsons … Continue reading Six Things You Might Not Know About “Psycho”
The Distraction Blogathon Has Arrived
OK, so remind me again why we're here? Just kidding. Welcome to the Distraction Blogathon, where, for the next three days, we're going to talk about all the different ways movies mess with us. Throughout this weekend I'll be updating this post with links to your wonderful reviews, so keep checking back. We'll also have … Continue reading The Distraction Blogathon Has Arrived
One Week Until the Distraction Blogathon
Seven days left until we get distracted, y'all. Are you ready? Are you excited? I am. Thanks again to everyone who's signed up, and I can't wait to read all your great posts! If anyone would like to join us, we'd love to have you. Find the details here. Also, if anyone has tried to join … Continue reading One Week Until the Distraction Blogathon
Another Night At the Museum
Mwahahaha... Ever have something show up on your Amazon list and you have no idea how it got there? That was me with 1933's Mystery of the Wax Museum. Maybe I hit the save button by accident, who knows. Anyway, I left it on there because it looked intriguing, and it is. Directed by Michael … Continue reading Another Night At the Museum
Five Reasons To See “The Day the Earth Stood Still”
Hello, Mr. Herrmann... OK, I know I just did one of these "Reasons" posts, but 1951's The Day the Earth Stood Still is another classic movie that deserves to be discovered or re-discovered. The film starts out pretty basic, with a flying saucer, a Cylon-ish robot named Gort, and a spaceman in a silver suit saying he … Continue reading Five Reasons To See “The Day the Earth Stood Still”
Hammer Tries Singing the Blues
Hammer, meet Amicus. Amicus, meet Hammer... Hammer and Amicus films might seem like they're mostly pulpy horror movies, but they managed to work in quite a variety of subjects. Naturally, there has to be blood somewhere, and in the case of 1954's The Black Glove, the blood belongs to a doomed blues singer named Maxine. American … Continue reading Hammer Tries Singing the Blues
Put the Blame On Mame
Here's Mr. Ford... Our guest of honor sure had a way of landing some interesting roles, and one of the most iconic films he did by far was 1946's Gilda. It might be more iconic for Rita Hayworth than Glenn Ford, but it's a tossup as to who makes the bigger impression. The film was tumoultous … Continue reading Put the Blame On Mame
Thirty-one Days Until the Distraction Blogathon
One month to go until the Distraction Blogathon, people. One month until we talk about the twists, turns, dead ends, rabbit holes, and all the other things that grip us when we see a good movie. Thanks heaps to everyone who's signed up so far! I'm so glad to see all the enthusiasm for this … Continue reading Thirty-one Days Until the Distraction Blogathon
Joni Finds Her Feet
Biopic time... Biopics are very common--we all know this. However, it's not often that the subject of a biopic actually stars in their own film. Joni Eareckson Tada is one of the few. 1979's Joni was based on her book of the same title and covers the first five years or so after Tada's life-changing accident. … Continue reading Joni Finds Her Feet
The Rest of the Movie
Happy Silent Movie Day! Anyone who's ever watched a documentary about film history, especially of MGM, has probably seen a shot of John Gilbert lunching with a group of his fellow stars. That clip comes from 1928's Show People, a fantastic Marion Davies vehicle that's beloved by film buffs and geek bait for historians. Peggy Pepper … Continue reading The Rest of the Movie
My Favorite Lord of the Rings Character
Love it, like it, or not, it's pretty safe to say no one's indifferent to Lord of the Rings, and people are pretty precious about their favorite characters. Remember the uproar when Tom Bombadil was left out of the movies? It's still a slightly touchy subject because there are LOTR fans who are that committed. Me, … Continue reading My Favorite Lord of the Rings Character
Taking Up Room 