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
January Movies Are Fun. So Much Fun.
Ah, January, that notorious cinematic wasteland. The repose of the How Did This Get Greenlit? movies. The repository of the Are We There Yet? flicks. The refuge of the Will Never Win Anything But Razzies pictures. So yeah, this list isn't exactly a rave. Heh. We're just gonna dive right in (click the images for … Continue reading January Movies Are Fun. So Much Fun.
It Wasn’t Terrible
How was everyone's November? In terms of the movies I saw, things went from meh to less than meh to not bad to not too shabby, with a slight dash of What the Heck Did I Just Watch (Looking at you, Freelance). In fairness, though, November's offerings could have been much, much worse. For one thing, I tried to review Netflix's All the Light … Continue reading It Wasn’t Terrible
Page To Screen: Emma
While it's hard to touch Pride and Prejudice in terms of screentime, Jane Austen's 1815 novel, Emma comes pretty close. Like Pride and Prejudice, one of Emma's major themes is marriage, but unlike that august work, there isn't the looming spectre of home passing to someone else in the event of Father's death. There is, however, the looming spectre of … Continue reading Page To Screen: Emma
Page To Screen: The Bridge of San Luis Rey
While Thornton Wilder is best known for his 1938 play, Our Town, he was by no means a one-hit wonder. Eleven years before Our Town, his novella (and only his second published work), The Bridge of San Luis Rey would release to wide acclaim and win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature the following year. For those who aren't … Continue reading Page To Screen: The Bridge of San Luis Rey
During World War Two: John Huston
We've come to the last of our five directors who went overseas during World War Two. John Huston was the youngest of the lot. Like his contemporaries, Huston distiguished himself during the war by making documentaries, and while they mostly did all right, one was too fake while another was too real. John Huston was … Continue reading During World War Two: John Huston
School’s Out For Summer
If anyone now has a certain Alice Cooper song in their heads, I'm heartily sorry...oh, wait, no, I'm not. 🙂 So yeah, as of today I am DONE with work until August tenth and I feel fine. It's been a good school year. Wild and crazy, but good. I'll miss the kids and the cat … Continue reading School’s Out For Summer
An Embarrassment of Superhero Movies
The Pick My Movie Tag is back, guys, and it won't be the last time this year. This go-round, J-Dub of Dubsism nominated me (thank you, J-Dub!) because backsies are not only acceptable but encouraged. The challenge, should I choose to accept it, is to review a movie everyone likes but I can't stand. While … Continue reading An Embarrassment of Superhero Movies
During World War Two: Frank Capra
Frank Capra often stood alone. He was an underdog. He had no choice. He was, however, also a teacher of high ideals and human worth, and connected with his audience in ways the more cynical were always surprised at and maybe a little jealous. Born in 1897 in the Sicilian town of Palermo, Italy, Capra … Continue reading During World War Two: Frank Capra
Stage To Screen: Much Ado About Nothing
One of Shakespeare's most popular plays (and one of my favorites, too), is Much Ado About Nothing. Written in either 1598 or 1599, it's full of biting wit, passionate romance, and manipulation of both the shameful and shameless varieties. While it has a long production history, it has a short filmography. For those who might not be … Continue reading Stage To Screen: Much Ado About Nothing
During World War Two: William Wyler
William Wyler was born Willi Wyler on July 1, 1902 in Mülhausen in the Alsace-Lorraine region of what used to be Germany and is now France. He was initially not supposed to work in movies, as his apparent destiny was to inherit his father's haberdashery business. His training included college in Paris and a job … Continue reading During World War Two: William Wyler
Page To Screen: Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre is a very personal heroine who, once encountered, is hard to forget, and everyone has their own ideas as to how she should be portrayed. The proof is in the dozens of film and TV movies made about her over the past century (see a complete list here). For those who might not … Continue reading Page To Screen: Jane Eyre
In the Year of Our Shame, 2023
We're back for another twelve doses of Shame in 2023, and since last year's jaunt through Poverty Row was so much fun, I thought it would be cool to go back there--it's kind of unexplored country in terms of blogging and film history. Plus, over the past year I've found a lot of intriguing titles … Continue reading In the Year of Our Shame, 2023
Five Unusual Christmas Movies
OK, last year in my "Christmas Movies Are All the Same (And I'm Still Here For It)" post, I said that every Christmas movie ends idyllically. All i's are neatly dotted and all t's neatly crossed, with everyone holding a cup of cider or hot chocolate and smiling prettily while Grandma hands out cookies. Heh, … Continue reading Five Unusual Christmas Movies
Stage To Screen: Peter Pan
Who's up for a trip to Neverland? I know I could sure use one. J.M. Barrie's immortal story has been delighting children and children at heart for over a century with its joyful, sparky melée of pirates, mermaids, Lost Boys, Native Americans (although the story calls them Indians), happy thoughts, fairies, and of course, the … Continue reading Stage To Screen: Peter Pan
The Remake of the Remake
It takes two, baby... There's much more to The Parent Trap than meets the eye. While it might seem like the beloved 1961 Disney film is the original, and in a way it is, it's actually a remake of a 1950 German film, Das Doppelte Lottchen, which was based on a novel of the same … Continue reading The Remake of the Remake
Page To Screen: The Three Musketeers
It's been a long time since we've looked at a literary leviathan, adapted countless times for the large and small screen, part of our cultural lexicon, and something we can't imagine life without. The 1844 Alexandre Dumas classic is an absolute titan in that regard, right up there with Robin Hood, King Arthur and Romeo and … Continue reading Page To Screen: The Three Musketeers
Taking Up Room 