Few movies, holiday or otherwise, are as iconic as 1946's It's A Wonderful Life, and I'm not going in for hyperbole here. We see this thing everywhere. It's parodied, excerpted, tributed, shown in the background in various languages (looking at you, Home Alone 2) and we know it like green bean casserole or Mom's sugar cookies. … Continue reading My Favorite Moments From “It’s A Wonderful Life”
Mr. Rains, I Presume
One of the most intriguing movies I have seen in a long time is 1933's The Invisible Man. Starring Claude Rains and loosely based on the H.G. Wells novel, it's considered part of Universal's stable of horror but it isn't all that scary. More like it's wryly funny and cerebral and outside the norm. The film … Continue reading Mr. Rains, I Presume
Bette’s Secret Win
Welcome back, Ms. Davis... 1939 is deservedly called the single greatest year in motion picture history, because more classics were produced in that period than in any other. The juggernaut was, of course, Gone With the Wind, but there were many, many movies that stood out more quietly. One of these was Dark Victory. It was an unusual subject … Continue reading Bette’s Secret Win
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
Stage To Screen: You Can’t Take It With You
Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a great December, too. My vacation was fun. 🙂 Lots of movies. Lots of Sims. Lots of reading. Lots of trying to resurrect my long-dormant piano skills. And yes, if you saw my social media, we went to see The Last Jedi. Bliss. Okay, let's get down to business. You Can't … Continue reading Stage To Screen: You Can’t Take It With You
Taking Up Room 