Friends, here we are for our fifth trip down the Great White Way, and I have mixed feelings because we missed the Tonys this year. Yeah. I've been laboring under the impression that the Tonys were going to stay in September for the time being, but in March the Broadway League and the American Theater … Continue reading The Fifth Broadway Bound Blogathon Has Arrived
If I Were A Broadway Musical
Here we go... Guys and Dolls is quite the show. I first heard the music in college when my voice teacher showed us clips from the 1992 revival starring Peter Gallagher, Faith Prince, Nathan Lane, and Josie de Guzman and liked it so much I bought the soundtrack album. However, I've never seen the 1955 movie … Continue reading If I Were A Broadway Musical
They’re Watching Us
Time to crack open those books... H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds seems to be the Michael J. Fox of sci-fi in that plenty of other sci-fi stories want to be it really, really badly, and some are more overt about it than others. John Christopher's wonderful Tripod series is definitely an homage to … Continue reading They’re Watching Us
My Tolkien Blog Party Tag Answers
We've been talking about Tolkien a lot lately on Taking Up Room and Taking Up More Room, which I'm completely good with, even though the latest buzz centers around the abhorrent new Rings of Power series (read my Substack review here). Groan. Anyway, since I don't want to repeat myself, I thought I would jump … Continue reading My Tolkien Blog Party Tag Answers
Five Reasons To See “A Hard Day’s Night”
Britannia rules the waves (again)... We all know 1964 was a huge year for the Beatles. Their careers and collective fate suddenly shot to the top. They made two appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. They toured America for the first time. John wrote and published In His Own Write, which he also promoted on … Continue reading Five Reasons To See “A Hard Day’s Night”
One Week Until the Fifth Broadway Bound Blogathon
It's coming up quick, guys. The cast has been off book for months, everything is set, and dress rehearsal will come and go. Are you all ready for the curtain to rise on our little production? Seriously, thanks as always to everyone who's signed up so far--you all are awesome! And if any of you … Continue reading One Week Until the Fifth Broadway Bound Blogathon
Chomp, Chomp, Chomp
Nice to see Mr. Johnson again... I'm starting to see a pattern in my reviews lately, kind of, and that is American actors starring in foreign-to-them films. We all know how this goes. They speak English while everyone around them utters their lines in their native languages, which only get dubbed into English in post-production. … Continue reading Chomp, Chomp, Chomp
One Month Until the Fifth Broadway Bound Blogathon
We've got a month to go, guys. One month until we head back to Broadway. Are you excited? I sure am, and it's cool to see the way my wonderful participants have gotten into our little theme this year. Everyone's enthusiasm is very much appreciated--you all are awesome! If any of you equally awesome people … Continue reading One Month Until the Fifth Broadway Bound Blogathon
That’s Show Business
Welcome back, Miss Esther... Esther Williams was no stranger to hazards, naturally, since her movies typically involved dangerous stunts, but in the case of 1948's On An Island With You, things were just annoyingly blah. The movie was blah, the swimming scenes were blah, and spirits were blah. Still, the show must go on, and there's … Continue reading That’s Show Business
Adventures With Tuco
Saddle up yer horses... I knew it was just a matter of time before I crossed paths with Mr. No Name again, and here we are with 1967's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. There are more faces and more bounty hunting, but this time there's a Civil War angle to cap things off. No … Continue reading Adventures With Tuco
Happy Again and Again: The Filmography of “Singin’ In the Rain”
The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love... Who can forget Singin' In the Rain? Who can forget Gene Kelly dancing down the street singing the title song? It is magic. Pure film and pure magic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAI6hhsDNxc The 1952 movie is far from the only time the song has been featured on the … Continue reading Happy Again and Again: The Filmography of “Singin’ In the Rain”
Parker. Penny Parker.
Calling all Bond girls... We all know that before Bond, and even before Wysteria Lane, Teri Hatcher was best known as Penny Parker on MacGyver. She was good-natured, a little daffy, winsome, and gorgeous to boot. She was never really a love interest for Mac and more like an adoring little sister. There's not much … Continue reading Parker. Penny Parker.
Sold: The 1970 MGM Auction
*Insert lion's roar here* There's no such thing as being too big to fail. MGM was always one of the biggest and most successful studios in Hollywood, but when they fell, they fell hard. Not that it was a surprise to anyone in the post-Production Code, post block-book era, seeing as MGM's fortunes had been … Continue reading Sold: The 1970 MGM Auction
Announcing the Fifth Broadway Bound Blogathon!
Can you believe the Broadway Bound Blogathon is turning FIVE? Oh my word. That's kind of amazing. A lot of people have been asking me when we're going down the Great White Way again and here's our chance. However, this year our jaunt is happening in September because those wacky folks at the Tony committee … Continue reading Announcing the Fifth Broadway Bound Blogathon!
Show Me the Money
Saddle up... The Man With No Name is back in 1965's For A Few Dollars More, only this time he's called Monco, and the world is a different place. The bounty killer is king, and his kingdom is built on taking out murderous, grabby bad men who think nothing of killing women and children if … Continue reading Show Me the Money
Beauty On A Budget
Let the strangeness begin... Roger Corman liked the out-of-the-ordinary to say the least, and 1959's The Wasp Woman is no exception. It's a quick movie and very straightforward, so we're going to dive right in. The movie starts with a guy collecting wasps from a hive in the woods, because of course it does. His name is … Continue reading Beauty On A Budget
Aviation In Film: Wrapup
We're back on the tarmac, guys, Can you believe it? Thanks so much to everyone who contributed--you really made this an awesome event! I hope everyone's had a great weekend and enjoyed all our wonderful posts. I know I am. If anyone is just joining us, here are Days One, Two, and Three. And if … Continue reading Aviation In Film: Wrapup
Taking Up Room 