Probably the most infamous scene in Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland is the Mad Tea Party, and we all know how it happens. Alice comes upon the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and the Doormouse, sits down to have tea with them, and is rather put out at their rudeness. Here's an audio version of … Continue reading Tea In Wonderland
Ronald the Rapscallion
Early talkies are rather infamous, as we all know. Actors often huddled around a microphone, in some cases stiff and wooden, afraid to move too much lest they mess up the take or the mikes pick up weird sounds. 1930's The Devil To Pay is a typical early talkie, but it's also pretty danged funny. The … Continue reading Ronald the Rapscallion
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
Nine Smeg-tastic Red Dwarf Episodes
I have a love-not-love relationship with Red Dwarf. It can get pretty bawdy at times and the humor is generally of the masculine variety, but I still have a soft spot for some of it because it can be a ton of fun. And we can't forget the theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV0hwZwNQZc For those who might not be … Continue reading Nine Smeg-tastic Red Dwarf Episodes
Reading Rarities: Eating For Victory
OK, if you're thinking we've been here before, you'd sort of be right. It's World War Two-themed and it centers around food and family. Heck, I even did a review of a Marguerite Patten cookbook three years ago that had this exact title, sans the "Reading Rarity" part. Still, there are a few differences here, … Continue reading Reading Rarities: Eating For Victory
Dance, Vicky, Dance
Hello there... I don't know why I never saw The Red Shoes. TCM showed it several times during the brief period my family had cable, but I never watched it. Too distracted, I guess. Well, that's all changed now, so let's hop into this 1948 gem, shall we? The Red Shoes was based on a story by Hans … Continue reading Dance, Vicky, Dance
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
Taking Up Room 