Ah, November and December. The holidays are upon us, everything is cozy, and for some, the Christmas decorations went up early. Oh, and movies suddenly get very interesting. Not necessarily good, but very interesting (Looking at you, Here and The Merry Gentlemen). Gotta love it when Oscar season is suddenly looming. So yeah, picking a Top Five was … Continue reading It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Oscar Bait
Songs, Schtick and Not Much Else
Remember the 1941 Abbott and Costello movie, Buck Privates? Maybe. Remember 1942's Private Buckaroo? No? There's a good reason for that. Two, actually. One, it stinks. Two, it has no plot, but we'll do our best. It all opens at a club, where Henry James is giving out with Helen Forrest and his orchestra on "You Made Me … Continue reading Songs, Schtick and Not Much Else
Luke Danes, Colorado Ranger
One thing's for sure: For the rest of his life, Scott Patterson will never be able to wear a baseball cap, backwards or otherwise, on any screen, big or small, without bringing Luke Danes to mind. While it's good for the legacy, it's frustrating for the career. Like everyone who becomes an icon, Patterson is … Continue reading Luke Danes, Colorado Ranger
During World War Two: Since the War
The end of the war is almost as overwhelming a topic as the war itself, as that's obviously where we are now, albeit with the war getting farther and farther into the past. Unfortunately, the war is barely taught in schools today, at least in the United States, and the number of people who directly … Continue reading During World War Two: Since the War
Where Will Henry Spend Eternity?
See you on the other side... Ernst Lubitsch was famous for what film people call "The Lubitsch Touch," that rather nebulous quality that makes a Lubitsch film special. No one can agree on what the Lubitsch Touch is and no one seems to really want to, but that's OK because it's Ernst Lubistch and it's … Continue reading Where Will Henry Spend Eternity?
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
An Ode To Sidekicks (Lemon Butter Orzo and Sauteed Mushrooms)
The holiday season has arrived! It's finally cold in my neck of the woods, and everyone I know is extremely happy about it. It's been a long, hot summer. I was going to do something about Gilmore Girls for this month's Club 15 post, but that will all have to wait, because a Campbell's Soup … Continue reading An Ode To Sidekicks (Lemon Butter Orzo and Sauteed Mushrooms)
It’s A Wash
We're most definitely in the thick of fall now, and I say that because Placer County is typically late with the fall weather--as I've said before, we generally don't cool off too much until mid-October--but now we're getting rain and wind and all that stuff. Coziness...woo hoo! Naturally, the movies are starting to reflect Award … Continue reading It’s A Wash
Eddie Poe Goes To Camp
Spooky, scary skeletons, and shivers down your spine... When we think of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, we all think of the forlorn, unnamed narrator trying to shoo away that pesky bird as it perches itself on the pallid bust of Pallas, always and only uttering that single word, "Nevermore." Thoughts of lost Lenore are shelved for … Continue reading Eddie Poe Goes To Camp
I Vant Your Shave Lotion
Bela Lugosi was, of course, typecast as Dracula and carried that with him all his life, but he did break out of the mold and play other characters as well. One of these was 1940's The Death Bat. Bela doesn't play a vampire, but there are bats. Big ones. The movie opens with Dr. Paul Carruthers working … Continue reading I Vant Your Shave Lotion
Meet William Cagney
Hangin' out with the family... James Cagney is a familiar and beloved face in Classic Movie World. His younger brother, William is not quite as familiar, but he still made his mark on film in his own way. William, along with his four brothers and sister Jeannie, moved out to Hollywood together in the early … Continue reading Meet William Cagney
When Stores Make Movies
I feel pretty safe in saying a lot of us have been to a Spirit Halloween store at least once. Right? If anyone's not familiar with them, they're an American Halloween superstore that pops up around mid- to late August or so, usually in some vacated store space. They not only have costumes and makeup … Continue reading When Stores Make Movies
If Movies Were Clickbait
We all know there are a lot of lame movies floating around out there, and the best ones are laughably bad. 2014's Treehouse, not so much. This monstrosity, which is set in the Ozarks, only garnered two critics' reviews and an abysmal thirteen percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, plus a whopping 3.8 rating on IMDb. … Continue reading If Movies Were Clickbait
During World War Two: The Strangest War Movie Ever
What if, God forbid, the Axis had won? It's safe to say that no one liked thinking about that too much. However, the possibility was always in the background waiting to rear its terrifying head. It didn't help that at the beginning of the war we were finding Japanese subs on America's west coast, or … Continue reading During World War Two: The Strangest War Movie Ever
Dining With Dracula (Mom and Grandma’s Baked Chicken)
Next to garlic, chicken is the food named more than any other in Bram Stoker's novel and in Dracula lore (See a list of other foods mentioned here). Why was it such a favorite? Who knows. Bram Stoker may have just liked it. When Bram Stoker's original novel was published in 1897, chicken was a … Continue reading Dining With Dracula (Mom and Grandma’s Baked Chicken)
Abbott and Costello Meet…
Abbott and Costello were quite the duo, of course, and they sure got around, even into some of Universal's best horror franchises. Actually, I should rephrase that. They met pretty much everyone, and if anyone hasn't seen the "Abbott and Costello Meet..." series, well, here's a treat. I've seen three of the five and the … Continue reading Abbott and Costello Meet…
Movie Critics Review Movies (Gasp!)
September wasn't bad, movie-wise. It definitely wasn't dull, that's for sure. Maybe it's a back-to-school thing and the busyness diluted the impact of what was on screens both big and small. Nah, not really. What I saw this month won't be diluted. So yeah, without further ado, here we go with this month's Top Five on … Continue reading Movie Critics Review Movies (Gasp!)
Taking Up Room 