OK, I'm kind of excited about this Rarity. Well, I get excited about most of the stuff I review, but this book is a little different. The Victorian era and Victorian women in particular are such enigmas. Sure, we have novels and other works from Victorian women, and we have a pretty good idea of … Continue reading Reading Rarities: The Diary of A Victorian Lady
Shamedown #11: Bright Star
We've made it, friends--the last Shamedown of 2019. Can you believe it? I sure can't. Anyone who's wondering what the heck I'm talking about can find answers at Cinema Shame. Past 2019 Shamedowns can be found here. John Keats is part of every English major's academic diet in one way or another. Born in 1795 … Continue reading Shamedown #11: Bright Star
Shamedown #8: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
For those of you who would like to find out what all this strange Shame business is about, please visit Cinema Shame. Past 2019 Shamedowns can be found here. The timing of this Shamedown is ironic, as today we're remembering those we lost on 9-11. On the other hand, it's oddly appropriate. There are so … Continue reading Shamedown #8: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Stage To Screen: As You Like It
As You Like It is one of Shakespeare's later and more mysterious works, although it contains a lot of famous lines, such as "All the world's a stage." Thought to be written in 1598 or 1599 and possibly not performed until 1603, the play is a comedy about finding freedom through disguise and breaking through barriers. … Continue reading Stage To Screen: As You Like It
Origins: Yesterday
We've all heard of the Beatles. That goes without saying. Today's bands have to be some kind of something to be compared to them, and even if they're not, it's not uncommon to bask in Beatle glow (Bay City Rollers, anyone?). But what if someone woke up in a world where no one had heard … Continue reading Origins: Yesterday
Page To Screen: Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen's single most famous novel is, of course, Pride and Prejudice. All six of her novels are famous, but there's something about P&P that puts it above the others. It's been adapted more than any other Austen novel, that's for sure. I toyed with the idea of asking the Twitterverse which versions of Pride and Prejudice were their … Continue reading Page To Screen: Pride and Prejudice
You Oughta Be In A Lifetime Movie
And here we go... It's hard to believe the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been married for almost eight years now and have three kids. Who doesn't remember all the excitement leading up to the wedding? There were Will and Kate masks, Will and Kate dolls, Will and Kate teaspoons, and let's not forget … Continue reading You Oughta Be In A Lifetime Movie
Origins: Mary Poppins Returns
Full disclosure: I was all set to announce that this would be the last installment in the Origins series, because there are only so many ways to say today's Hollywood mostly stinks. However, that was before I peeked at what's lined up for next year. Put it this way: 2019 may reveal whole new levels … Continue reading Origins: Mary Poppins Returns
Wings On Our Heels
Off to the jolly olde sod... When the First World War ended, Great Britain was feeling worn-out. The loss of life had been heavy, and everyone, young men in particular, had to learn how to operate in a strange new world. In 1981, the world was reeling from the malaise of the 1970s. America had … Continue reading Wings On Our Heels
Shamedown #7: The Memphis Belle
Another month, another Shamedown. If anyone would like to know what a Shamedown is, please visit Cinema Shame here. Previous Shamedown posts can be found here. The 1990 film, Memphis Belle, is fairly widely known. An ensemble piece starring Matthew Modine, Sean Astin, Harry Connick, Jr., D.B. Sweeney, Tate Donovan, and John Lithgow, among others, the film was produced … Continue reading Shamedown #7: The Memphis Belle
Page To Screen: Nella Last’s War
In 1937, a rather gargantuan project of compiling England's social history commenced: Mass Observation. Its aim was and is to chronicle day-to-day living in the United Kingdom, and that can mean anything from sending in diaries to filling out questionnaires to writing poems or taking photos. One of their most enthusiastic participants was Nella Last … Continue reading Page To Screen: Nella Last’s War
Try To Remember
Filmmakers have always seemed to love using amnesia as a plot device. There's nothing like a fish being in water and out of it at the same time. One example of this is the 1943 film, Random Harvest, starring Ronald Colman and Greer Garson. It's a movie that genteely declares itself a "prestige picture," with an important … Continue reading Try To Remember
Two On the Aisle
Since we had a real royal wedding this year, I thought it would be fun to wind up my posts for Crystal and Michaela's blogathon with a look at the 1951 film, Royal Wedding. The film is a nod to Astaire's days of dancing with his sister, Adele, only set a few decades later. No buildup happening … Continue reading Two On the Aisle
Between Silence and Sound
Good evening... It's always fascinating to revisit the nascent stages of icons' careers, and Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most intriguing. Before we knew him as the director of Vertigo, The Birds, Psycho, and other perennial classics of cinema history, Hitchcock was plugging away at making films in his native Britain, starting with silents and changing with … Continue reading Between Silence and Sound
Shamedown #5: The Longest Day
Time for my monthly dose of shame. If you've missed the previous Shamedown posts and want to know what it's all about, please visit Cinema Shame. Seventy-four years ago as of June sixth, the largest amphibious invasion in history took place. Officially called D-day, and codenamed Operation Overlord, it goes without saying that it was … Continue reading Shamedown #5: The Longest Day
Musical Hammer
Well, what do we have here? I've said it before: I'm not a huge fan of horror films. I always thought most of the stuff put out by the Amicus and Hammer companies seemed like pulpy slasher stuff, with the exception of Dr. Who, of course. Again, not really my thing, but to each his own. What I … Continue reading Musical Hammer
Shamedown #2: Bridget Jones’s Baby
Ah, Numero Dos. Again, for those of you who are new to the Shamedown thing, please see Cinema Shame for the whys and wherefores. Everyone has a guilty pleasure, and one of mine happens to be Bridget Jones. Sometimes. Normally, R-ratings are a turnoff, but I'll make an exception now and then, and Bridget has grown on … Continue reading Shamedown #2: Bridget Jones’s Baby
Taking Up Room 