Saddle up, everyone... Westerns are a notoriously cheap genre, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's just that they always have a lot of the same design and story elements. Horses. Dusty streets. Weathered buildings with board sidewalks. Open spaces. Various firearms. A saloon. A bar brawl or a shootout, possibly both. Maybe … Continue reading Crooning Cowboys and Low-Cost Capers
The Norman Jewison Blogathon: Wrapup
We have come to the end of the blogathon, folks, and I hope everyone has enjoyed themselves! I'm working through all your posts and am looking forward to reading your thoughts on Mr. Norman Jewison. If anyone is just joining us, all our posts can be found here. Also, of course, if anyone has any … Continue reading The Norman Jewison Blogathon: Wrapup
Two Marriages, Two Divorces
Curtain... Norman Jewison's filmography is nothing if not diverse, and one of his early 2000s credits is 2001's Dinner With Friends, which was a TV movie for HBO. Based on the successful 1998 Donald Margulies play of the same name, the film follows two couples as infidelity and divorce become part of the conversation, and then … Continue reading Two Marriages, Two Divorces
The Norman Jewison Blogathon Has Arrived
We're here, all! It's time to celebrate that great director, Norman Jewison, on the weekend of what would have been his ninety-eighth birthday. You all are more than familiar with the usual procedure. Please send me your wonderful posts throughout the weekend and I'll post them here as soon as possible, and check back often … Continue reading The Norman Jewison Blogathon Has Arrived
During World War Two: Victory!
Victory. Everyone knew it would come sometime. The Allies just didn't expect the war to end when it did, at least not in the Pacific. To be sure, there were clues, especially in Europe. The Battle of the Bulge is commonly thought to be the Nazis' last-ditch effort to gain back their stolen ground, but … Continue reading During World War Two: Victory!
One Week Until the Norman Jewison Blogathon
It's almost here, everyone, and I don't know about anyone else, but I'm getting excited. Who else is ready to celebrate Norman Jewison? If anyone is just hearing about our upcoming fete and want to join us, well, you know what to do. The details can be found here, so let me know and I'll … Continue reading One Week Until the Norman Jewison Blogathon
Cooking With the French Chef: French Onion Soup
Welcome back to Cooking With the French Chef, in which I review episodes of Julia Child’s original show, cook out of the new edition of the French Chef Cookbook and share the results with you. Past posts can be found here. Yep, this time we're making one of the Quintessential French recipes, French Onion Soup! Who doesn't love … Continue reading Cooking With the French Chef: French Onion Soup
Robin Hood Gets the Spaghetti Treatment
Westerns weren't the only movie genre to receive an Italian spin in the nineteen-sixties and seventies of course. Another film to come out of that lovely and varied country is 1976's Robin Hood, Arrows, Beans and Karate, or Storia di arcieri, pugni e occhi ner in the original Italian. Does the title give anyone Men … Continue reading Robin Hood Gets the Spaghetti Treatment
The Longest Month
Happy Independence Day! June was a weird month this year, although not in a bad way. It felt long but it didn't feel long. Maybe it's because I'm not at the crosswalk. Maybe it's because we can't really go anywhere this summer, and the weeks have taken on a quasi-lockdown feel. Except for trips to … Continue reading The Longest Month
Don’t Fear the Repo Man
I'm always amazed at how many microbudget, public domain B-movies are floating around out there on streaming services like Amazon, and it's probably a good thing, because the odds are good no one would see them otherwise. One movie that just popped up on my Recs is 1940's Hold That Woman!, a PRC film that's surprisingly exciting, … Continue reading Don’t Fear the Repo Man
Like A Trip To the Ice Cream Store
We're no stranger to shark movies in the movie-loving world, but it's always funny to see how many of these movies are out there. While the vast majority are pretty bad, one of the most unique ones is 2021's Noah's Shark, a microbudget passion project from the Polonia Brothers, who have apparently been making films since … Continue reading Like A Trip To the Ice Cream Store
One Month Until the Norman Jewison Blogathon
One month to go until we celebrate Norman Jewison, friends. Thanks so much to everyone who's signed up to celebrate this amazing, and in some ways, underrated director who has brought us so many classic films and TV shows and sadly passed a few months ago at the age of ninety-seven. Of course, if anyone … Continue reading One Month Until the Norman Jewison Blogathon
During World War Two: War Fatigue and Winding Down
It's pretty common knowledge that people on the home front during the war were fed almost constant reminders of what was at stake, told that the war was happening, that they needed to buy and keep war bonds, and so on. While it was understandable and in many cases necessary, it did get a bit … Continue reading During World War Two: War Fatigue and Winding Down
The Seventh Broadway Bound Blogathon: Curtain Call
We have come to the end of the blogathon, all, and while I haven't gotten to read everyone's entries yet, you all have made this a great event! Bows, applause, and bouquets for all! Thank you, everyone! That goes for anyone I may have forgotten to include. I knew this blogathon would coincide with the … Continue reading The Seventh Broadway Bound Blogathon: Curtain Call
Sniffing Out Moral Infection
House lights down... Heinrik Ibsen is a highly respected Norwegian playwright, and his most famous play is, no doubt, 1879's A Doll's House, a before-its-time story that made a huge sensation during the Victorian Era. It was not without controversy, as it presented some scandalous ideas for the time. Less known to the public, though, was … Continue reading Sniffing Out Moral Infection
The Seventh Broadway Bound Blogathon Has Arrived
The curtain is rising, all, and it's time for our seventh trip down Broadway. Hope you're ready, and if you're not quite there yet, no big deal. We've got a great weekend ahead with wonderful bloggers regaling us with all things Great White Way. So yeah, it's the usual thing: Please send me your posts … Continue reading The Seventh Broadway Bound Blogathon Has Arrived
Cooking With the French Chef: Brains, Aspic, and Other Gross Stuff
Welcome back to Cooking With the French Chef, in which I review episodes of Julia Child’s original show, cook out of the new edition of the French Chef Cookbook and share the results with you. Past posts can be found here. We all like to wax lyrical about Julia Child, but there are some recipes of hers I … Continue reading Cooking With the French Chef: Brains, Aspic, and Other Gross Stuff
Taking Up Room 