Welcome back, Ms. Bergman! What hasn't been said about Casablanca? What hasn't been asked about Casablanca? This is a film that's been parsed, analyzed, memorialized, quoted, parodied, and collected more homage than most films in history, with the exception of Citizen Kane and The Wizard of Oz, of course. What's left to be said? Plenty. It's a classic film that we … Continue reading Ingrid’s Casablanca
We’re Going To Mars
The Atomic Age didn't always mean doom and gloom and total annihilation. People also saw a whole new world of possibilities opening up to them. Like living on Mars, for instance, which Ray Bradbury explored in his 1950 novel, The Martian Chronicles. Well, it's not exactly a novel. The book is culled from some of Bradbury's … Continue reading We’re Going To Mars
After the Bomb
Usually, the 1950s conjure up images of poodle skirts and James Dean, drive-ins and sock-hops. And probably Elvis. However, it was also the decade in which the Cold War went into deep freeze. Some people were affected by it more than others, and by far the biggest fear was of nuclear annihilation. The period was … Continue reading After the Bomb
Hostage Hotel
Even after his mobility became limited, Lionel Barrymore had a busy career right up to his death in 1954. While he was with MGM for decades, he was loaned out on many occasions, one of the later ones being the 1948 film, Key Largo. Barrymore's role is definitely memorable, and shows his power as an actor even … Continue reading Hostage Hotel
Rockets, Auks, and Arch Oboler
If you've been hanging around my blog for any length of time, you know I'm a big fan of radio playwright Arch Oboler. Best-known for his work on Lights Out and his own series, Arch Oboler's Plays, Oboler could take the most mundane ideas and make them fresh and compelling. He had a busy mind, and like many writers, … Continue reading Rockets, Auks, and Arch Oboler
Clean With Breen
So it's come to this... As promised, I'm recapping all the Breen-friendly films I reviewed in July for Tiffany and Rebekah's #CleanMovieMonth blogathon. How did they meet the Breen Code standards? Let's find out: It's Love I'm After (1937) This film played it dangerously. Basil and Joyce were so passionate I thought they were a … Continue reading Clean With Breen
Wings On Our Heels
Off to the jolly olde sod... When the First World War ended, Great Britain was feeling worn-out. The loss of life had been heavy, and everyone, young men in particular, had to learn how to operate in a strange new world. In 1981, the world was reeling from the malaise of the 1970s. America had … Continue reading Wings On Our Heels
What’s Tubealloy?
The single most controversial part of the Second World War is the use of the atomic bomb. We know that Germany and Japan both had such weapons in the works, and that their efforts were narrowly thwarted by circumstances. As for the United States' development program, called the Manhattan Project, most think of the testing site … Continue reading What’s Tubealloy?
Shamedown #7: The Memphis Belle
Another month, another Shamedown. If anyone would like to know what a Shamedown is, please visit Cinema Shame here. Previous Shamedown posts can be found here. The 1990 film, Memphis Belle, is fairly widely known. An ensemble piece starring Matthew Modine, Sean Astin, Harry Connick, Jr., D.B. Sweeney, Tate Donovan, and John Lithgow, among others, the film was produced … Continue reading Shamedown #7: The Memphis Belle
Page To Screen: Nella Last’s War
In 1937, a rather gargantuan project of compiling England's social history commenced: Mass Observation. Its aim was and is to chronicle day-to-day living in the United Kingdom, and that can mean anything from sending in diaries to filling out questionnaires to writing poems or taking photos. One of their most enthusiastic participants was Nella Last … Continue reading Page To Screen: Nella Last’s War
Try To Remember
Filmmakers have always seemed to love using amnesia as a plot device. There's nothing like a fish being in water and out of it at the same time. One example of this is the 1943 film, Random Harvest, starring Ronald Colman and Greer Garson. It's a movie that genteely declares itself a "prestige picture," with an important … Continue reading Try To Remember
Origins: Mission Impossible
Another reboot. Oh, Hollywood, how you do toy with us. No, really, you do. Stop it. Well, to be fair, Mission Impossible: Fallout isn't a reboot, but the latest in the long-running M:I film series. Which is an adaptation of the TV show. Which had its first run from 1967 until 1973, and which was then resuscitated from 1988 … Continue reading Origins: Mission Impossible
Deals With Destiny
Silent movies are tough to find on Netflix, unless a person knows what to look for. Every once in a while, though, one will pop up, and for some reason, the decision-makers seem have a thing for Fritz Lang. 1921's Destiny is the second of his movies I've seen on the streaming service, and after Metropolis, I wasn't … Continue reading Deals With Destiny
I’ll Only Dance With You
Here come Fred and Ginger... What hasn't been said about these two? Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are the go-to's of both pairs dancing and Hollywood musicals. One of these was 1936's Swing Time, a light and airy film which was an escape for Depression-era audiences, as well as in the decades following. The movie opens at … Continue reading I’ll Only Dance With You
Paris, Here We Come
Ladies, kindly remove your hats... The end of the nineteenth century and the dawn of the twentieth were busy times as far as inventions and innovations went. Air, land, sea or sky--nothing was too big to be conquered, and naturally there were daredevils impatient to push the envelope. In 1908, after cars had caught the … Continue reading Paris, Here We Come
It’s Bobsled Time
Everyone enjoying the dog days of summer? Who doesn't love a good underdog story? In 1993 we got treated to one of the best in my opinion, Cool Runnings. Inspired by the real-life first Jamaican bobsled team, it's an enjoyable film about finding unlikely niches. Derice Bannock (Leon) is a teacher and track runner. He wants to … Continue reading It’s Bobsled Time
The Man We Knew When
I don't know what it is with some directors that they like to remake their own films. Cecil B. DeMille remade The Ten Commandments, for instance. Granted, one version was silent and one had sound, but they were still basically the same film. And of course, there's George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, but they're more … Continue reading The Man We Knew When
Taking Up Room 