I can't believe I own The Disaster Artist on Blu-ray. I can't believe I own The Room on DVD. Heck, I can't believe I've seen The Room in the first place. Strange things happen when we become film bloggers. So yeah, The Disaster Artist, the 2017 flick which stars not one, but two Portuguese American actors, James Franco and his brother, … Continue reading Those Fabulous Franco Brothers
The Land of Un
Zoikes, April has been a busy month. Movies, school stuff, appointments, the usual things. A little cat named Brutus who climbs my leg when he's ready to eat (No, he's not mine. I just feed him sometimes when I'm at the crosswalk. He likes Sheba's seafood cuts and Rachael Ray LoveBites, in case anyone's wondering). … Continue reading The Land of Un
A Most Unusual Midwife
Miss Agnes is back... Some movies don't deserve to be forgotten, and 1962's Jessica is one of those. While it's not a great film, it's a charmer and well-worth a watch. While our guest of honor has a pretty memorable, albeit minimal part, in it as an Italian grandmother, this is definitely Jessica's movie. The film opens … Continue reading A Most Unusual Midwife
Dealing For Life
In the nineteen-thirties and early nineteen-forties Errol Flynn was a lithe, magnetic romantic lead, but as the forties went on his reputation was tarnished by a statutory rape trial, drug abuse, rampant alcoholism, running after women, and other sordid activities. By the nineteen-fifties hard living was catching up to him, plus his finances and his … Continue reading Dealing For Life
No Room Is Truly Empty
The 1948 film, Enchantment has been on my Amazon watchlist so long that I kind of block it out, but this year I decided to take a chance on it. Put it this way: What seems familiar can still surprise us. Enchantment opens in London during the Second World War, with a towncar pulling up to a … Continue reading No Room Is Truly Empty
That Day In September
Mr. Holden is back... William Holden had a long career right up until his death in 1981, and one of his very late credits is 21 Hours at Munich, which chronicles the fateful Munich Massacre on September 5, 1972, right in the middle of what were being called Die heiteren Spiele or Die fröhlichen Spiele, which … Continue reading That Day In September
Hitch Films Another Play
Good evening... Hitchcock was no stranger to filming plays. His first one was the limp Juno And the Paycock, a depressing affair that was only made bearable by Sara Allgood. Almost a quarter of a century later, Hitch was feeling a little stagnant, so he decided to film another play, Dial M For Murder. Although it bears a … Continue reading Hitch Films Another Play
It’s Wabbit Season
Here come the B's... Hollywood was desperate to bring people back into the theater starting in the fifties. There was also that pesky problem of once-guaranteed revenue streams disappearing, so belts had to be tightened in so many respects. MGM was no different than any other studio, but given what they had been for audiences … Continue reading It’s Wabbit Season
Inspiration, Imagination, and Intrepidation
We all know what they say about March: It comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, or vice versa. My neck of the woods seemed to get a mixture of that this year, but in terms of movies, the "I's" had it. Lots of inspiring stories of intrepid people. Lots of … Continue reading Inspiration, Imagination, and Intrepidation
Sergeant Dodo Goes To Camp
Nowadays, of course, B-pictures are not a thing, but at one time in Hollywood they were a staple. Also at one time in Hollywood, Hal Roach worked with the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, and Harold Lloyd. In the nineteen-thirties he was especially known for his Little Rascals series, also known as Our Gang, but … Continue reading Sergeant Dodo Goes To Camp
Schmidt, You Build Us A Shapel
Opposites attract...or do they? Lillies of the Field is a pretty significant movie. While it was low-budget, it doesn't look it, and it helped its male lead, Sidney Poitier, win a Best Actor Oscar, the first such achievement for a black man. It's also a pretty personal movie for a lot of people. I've grown … Continue reading Schmidt, You Build Us A Shapel
Carl’s Favorite Movie
When I started on Twitter, ahem...X, back in 2011, one of the first friends I made was a guy named Carl. He was older, a grandpa, a Christian, lived in Virginia, and seemed very down-to-earth. Somehow or other, we got to talking about movies, and Carl told me his favorite movie was 1963's Spencer's Mountain. Like, … Continue reading Carl’s Favorite Movie
During World War Two: Women, Children And Animals First
We all know that the home front during the war was by no means idle and everything changed almost overnight. Women did the jobs that men left behind, often in addition to maintaining a household. Children sold war stamps and organized scrap drives. No one was ever supposed to quite forget the war, not that … Continue reading During World War Two: Women, Children And Animals First
Five Jane Powell Films
Time to run that marathon... Jane Powell was born Suzanne Lorraine Burce on April 1, 1929 in Portland, Oregon, and her story echoes that of many of her contemporaries: Her parents wanted her to be the next Shirley Temple. As such, Suzanne was pressed into singing lessons starting at age five. At fourteen, Suzanne won … Continue reading Five Jane Powell Films
It’s Not January
As we all know, January is generally the dumping ground of the year's mediocre and bad movies, or at least the most forgettable ones, and there were some real stinkers this year. So yeah, that means February's got to be better, right? Right? Well, yes and no. The bright spots were definitely brighter, and I … Continue reading It’s Not January
Another Day, Another Asylum Mockbuster
Asylum films seem to hit very similar notes. No matter what the subject matter is or who directs it, certain bits will always be there, and 2012's Super Cyclone is no different. It's kinda like Sharknado with the wind going whirly-twirly, only there aren't any sharks. Or Tara Reid. Or Ian Ziering. More on that in a bit. I … Continue reading Another Day, Another Asylum Mockbuster
The Worst Titanic Movie Ever Made (So Far)
This isn't the first time I've reviewed a Titanic film for Taking Up Room, or for a So Bad It's Good Blogathon (Remember that Asylum monstrosity where the Statue of Liberty was facing the wrong way? Or how about Raise the Titanic? Yikes.). It is, however, the first time I've reviewed a Titanic film with a dog that … Continue reading The Worst Titanic Movie Ever Made (So Far)
Taking Up Room 