Hammer-Amicus time... Vampires are so common in the Hammer-Amicus universe as we all know, and Dracula is no stranger, either. One of the first ones of these, at least for Christopher Lee, was the 1958 film, Horror of Dracula, which nails a lot of its marks. Mostly, anyway. Also starring the equally durable Peter Cushing as … Continue reading Dracula Goes Hammer
The (Fictional) Birth of Rock
1956 was quite the banner year for music and culture. Rock was really starting to grab the public at large and the bottom was falling out of the swing and big band genre. People like Harry James, who were treated the way rock stars are today, suddenly couldn't get bookings or draw audiences the way … Continue reading The (Fictional) Birth of Rock
In the Navy
Esther Williams always said that MGM had to keep coming up with excuses to get her out of her clothes and into the water. Some excuses were definitely better than others, though, and 1952's Skirts Ahoy! isn't one of them. It did, however, result in a far-reaching benefit for the WAVES, who ended up owing Esther … Continue reading In the Navy
Lucy and Desi Hit the Road
Who hasn't heard the buzz about tiny homes, glamping, van life, and so on? It seems like those videos are everywhere on YouTube, and some are better than others, to be honest. That's why it's always interesting to see that trailer life isn't a new phenomenon, and one of the best movies about that in … Continue reading Lucy and Desi Hit the Road
Of Giant Crabs With Plastic Eyelids
Roger Corman never failed to impress in one way or another, and schlock seemed tailor-made for him, one example of which is 1957's Attack of the Crab Monsters, which is every bit as bad as it sounds, yet so much better than anyone could have predicted. It all opens with a small group of scientists and Navy … Continue reading Of Giant Crabs With Plastic Eyelids
I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas Sandwich
When we think of White Christmas, we naturally think of the great music and the comedy and all the elements that made that movie the classic that it is. What's not as readily apparent, though, is that these characters do a lot of eating. There's food all over this movie. We can't always tell what it is … Continue reading I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas Sandwich
Unfinished Business
Hello, Miss Grace... Grace Kelly may have had a short-ish filmography, but she's got quality over quantity, and that's not too shabby. One of them, of course, was 1952's HIgh Noon, a classic of the Western genre that doesn't hit a single false note. Well, at least the movie doesn't. High Noon opens in the tiny town … Continue reading Unfinished Business
It’s Alive…Sorta
The nineteen-fifties were, of course, notorious for all the sci-fi and schlock that got churned out, and with all the new technology and prosperity available to people around the world, anything was fair game for the sci-fi and schlock treatment. Even mysterious creatures that spring forth from seemingly inert substances and somehow become radioactive. This … Continue reading It’s Alive…Sorta
Judy’s Last MGM Movie
Miss Judy is back... It's no secret that Judy's life got difficult towards the end of her time at MGM, which was an endless push-pull between her trying to take control of her health and well-being and the studio wanting her back at work. Judy was fired from two movies in 1949--Annie Get Your Gun and The … Continue reading Judy’s Last MGM Movie
Bing and Bob’s Bumpy Road To Bali
It's Der Bingel and Der Bob... As all us classic film fans know, something Bob Hope and Bing Crosby were most famous for were the seven "Road" pictures they made between 1940 and 1962. Number six in the lineup was Road To Bali, a 1952 jaunt that was not without its charms but not with a … Continue reading Bing and Bob’s Bumpy Road To Bali
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
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, which was released … Continue reading Hitch Films Another Play
Shamedown #12: Trapeze
Our last Shamedown of 2023! Yipe--hard to believe 2024 is right around the corner. Did 2023 feel long to anyone else? It did to me, but anyway... As always, if anyone is coming in late on this Shamedown business and wants to know what it's all about, CinemaShame's 2023 statement can be found here. Past … Continue reading Shamedown #12: Trapeze
Judy and Sid vs. Warner Bros.
What's up, Doc? As the cliche says, "Money makes the mare go." That metaphorical mare is often a picky eater, especially when art and money meet, and not even one of the greatest purveyors of the art we call film, Warner Bros., is immune. Judy Garland's 1954 movie, A Star Is Born is at once one … Continue reading Judy and Sid vs. Warner Bros.
Ma and Pa In Paris, Mais Oui
Wheels up, y'all... One of the fixtures of nineteen fifties cinema was the Ma and Pa Kettle series. My parents grew up on it, they introduced me to it, I grew up on it, and I've introduced it to my son. These movies have their own brand of charm. Marjorie Main plays herself except that … Continue reading Ma and Pa In Paris, Mais Oui
Stage To Screen: 12 Angry Men
12 Angry Men is one of those stories that has to be seen at least once, whether it's the play or film, but no matter how many times it's seen, there's always something new to notice and something new to think about. It's fitting that the story can inspire such perennial freshness. As The Guardian once … Continue reading Stage To Screen: 12 Angry Men
Women Really Are From Venus, Dahling
Hello there... As promised, we're off to Venus to meet the Queen of Outer Space. Oh boy, people, this 1958 movie's quite the stunner in more ways than one. This is the movie Lorelai and Rory watched at the Black, White, and Red Theater in the "Emily In Wonderland" episode of Gilmore Girls, only they got to … Continue reading Women Really Are From Venus, Dahling
Taking Up Room 