Yeah. February was just OK and March was even worse. April, on the other hand, went by so easily I had to wonder if it was playing a month-long joke on me. But no, it shaped up to be a pretty good month, moviewise and otherwise, and after a while I simply sat back and … Continue reading Okay, April Wasn’t Bad. Not Bad At All.
You Saw It Here First
Remember that TV show, Early Edition? The one about the guy who always got tomorrow's news a day early? Well, 1944's It Happened Tomorrow is a pretty similar concept, and as King Solomon once said, there's nothing new under the sun. It all opens in the then-present day, when Lawrence and Sylvia Stevens are celebrating … Continue reading You Saw It Here First
So-Bad-It’s Bad Shakespeare
Happy birthday to the Bard! It seems odd to say, but not every Shakespeare adaptation is wonderful and worthy of attention, even when it features topflight talent and suitably melodious classical delivery. Sometimes they just stink. The 1980 BBC TV movie of The Tempest is unfortunately one of those. It mostly sticks to the plot, and the … Continue reading So-Bad-It’s Bad Shakespeare
During World War Two: 1943 Movie Recs
1943 was, obviously, the height of the war, and it was also the year in which the most war-related movies were released in the United States, with a whopping one-hundred eighty-seven films. Yep, it was pretty hard to get away from the war, but escapism was occasionally a thing as well, and there were a … Continue reading During World War Two: 1943 Movie Recs
Some Things Were Lost (Three Out-of-Print Recipes)
It seems funny to us in this age of DVDs and Blu-rays, but there was a time when studios thought the moviegoing public wouldn't be interested in deleted scenes. In the documentary, When the Lion Roars, Debbie Reynolds remembered that MGM and other studios would burn trimmed scenes in trashcans. It's amazing any of it … Continue reading Some Things Were Lost (Three Out-of-Print Recipes)
Bob and Lucy, Together Again
Here we go... Bob Hope and Lucille Ball seem like a dream pairing, right? They really are. These two made four movies together, and the third was 1960's The Facts of Life, a cautionary tale about messing with the status quo. The film opens at the airport in Monterey, where Kitty Weaver (Lucille Ball) is waiting for … Continue reading Bob and Lucy, Together Again
My Top Ten Documentaries and Docuseries
I don't know about anyone else, but I like documentaries almost as much as movies. History is fun anyway, and a good documentary can be just as much of a cinematic experience as any movie. Here are some of my favorites. Not all, of course, but some, and in no particular order... Social Animals (2018) … Continue reading My Top Ten Documentaries and Docuseries
Life Is Pain
Westley in The Princess Bride once declared, "Life is pain. Anyone who says differently is selling something." Who doesn't remember that line, right? Something about March brings it to mind, because pain was definitely a theme last month. Pain for the characters. Pain for the audience. Pain for the box office. Oh golly, this month … Continue reading Life Is Pain
Calling Barranca
As we all know, 1939 was certainly jammed with classic hit movies, and one of the quieter ones in my opinion is Only Angels Have Wings. I first became aware of this film via the Lux Radio Theater version, but the movie itself is well-worth a watch, has a great cast, and is full of some … Continue reading Calling Barranca
When Tropes Feel New-ish
Here we go... We all know tropes can be really tiresome and that every genre has them. There are times, however, when tropes don't feel like tropes, even in B-movies, and 1963's The Haunted Palace is one of those times. Directed by Roger Corman, it's at once a typical American International Pictures low-budget horror movie and … Continue reading When Tropes Feel New-ish
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
During World War Two: 1942 Movie Recs
1942 was quite the year for obvious reasons. America had entered the war, and while we were raring to go, morale was very low and the news was worse. Bataan fell to the Japanese in April of that year, followed a month later by Corregidor, and many Americans were wracked with guilt that we had … Continue reading During World War Two: 1942 Movie Recs
Five Movies That Get Nature Calling (In More Ways Than One)
We all know that movies can do funny things to us. And some say that the test of a good movie, or a good performance in general, is how much it keeps a person in their seat, even when nature calls. Sometimes nature calls in a different way, of course, but either way, it calls. … Continue reading Five Movies That Get Nature Calling (In More Ways Than One)
Talking To Moonyeen
Absolute silence... The title, "Smilin' Through" seems to have a lengthy history. The song, "Smilin' Through," was written by Arthur A. Penn and published in 1919. The song is vaguely connected to a play of the same name from the same year by Jane Cowl and Jane Murfin. The play was adapted into a feature … Continue reading Talking To Moonyeen
It Thinks It’s January
February has come and gone...hard to believe, isn't it? Things are going too fast, and I don't really want them to. My son is graduating from high school in May, and right now it's all about applying to college and going for scholarships and all that type of stuff. I'm not ready for this. In … Continue reading It Thinks It’s January
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
Yikes, Yikes Baby
Review number two... Question for parents, well, anyone, really: If a guy like Vanilla Ice showed up on your doorstep, what would you do? 1991's Cool As Ice attempts to answer that question, but mostly it's a vanity project for decidedly one of the most polarizing rap artists of the late twentieth century. I don't want to … Continue reading Yikes, Yikes Baby
Taking Up Room 