Room 635

On the... TV

2012-02-22T22:51:00.007-05:00

Where has Toy Hunters been all my life? Toy Hunters is a new series that debuted last month on a channel normally devoted to perverse gluttony and vacations that attack, the Travel Channel. Toy expert Jordan Hembrough is on a mission to uncover the rarest and most collectible toys of the 1970s and 1980s for resale at New York's Comicon. In this week's episode, he headed to Ohio, former headquarters of Kenner, to rummage through former employees' private stashes of mint in box wonders and some toys that never even made it to store shelves. There are plenty of original Star Wars, MASK, and Carebears treasures, but the real gems include the mythical prototype of a never-produced (unpainted even!) Boba Fett action figure with a real shooting missile that was deemed unsafe and a rare Thundercats bubble action toy. My choice item of the episode was a top-secret Ewok figure that had been deliberately packaged with a Squid Head backing card. The back of the card that normally shows a selection of the line had the new Ewoks characters blacked out since Return of the Jedi hadn't been released yet. Toy collectors will salivate over this show, even though it is true that, like most 1970s-80s toy and collectible references, it could have included much more in the way of girls' toys. Just as I couldn't get enough of gawking in toy stores when I was a kid, I sure hope there's more Toy Hunters coming up! I'm still unsure of how many episodes of Toy Hunters have already aired, but apparently it has just been picked up for a season of twelve half-hour episodes. [Speaking of wondering what happened to a great collectible show: Hey Syfy, when will there be more Hollywood Treasure? AND I still love Discovery's Auction Kings. These three shows would be so good together.]

Read a Q&A with Jordan Hembrough at Nerd Bastards.

Blur at the BRITS 2012

It felt as if it were 1994 again! Legendary britpoppers Blur (champions of the famed Britpop wars) were honored at the 2012 Brit Awards with an Outstanding Contribution to Music award. After Adele's humble gesticular hissy fit, the quartet blasted onto the stage with a rousing five-song medley of their hits, including 'Girls and Boys;' 'Song 2;' 'Parklife' (oi, complete with actor Phil Daniels as in the original version); 'Tender;' and 'This Is A Low.' Audience members who were old enough to remember the 1990s greeted our boys with enthusiasm, and there were few who didn't sing and dance along with their entire set proving that some Brits still like a good song. I guess modern life is even more rubbish. The BRITS were shown in the U.S. on the Fuse music network (and ITV2 in the UK). It's possible they might air it again; check your local listings. In other Britpop news, Pulp has continued its reunion and is slated to tour America for the first time with its full classic line-up (including guitarist/violinist Russell Senior) since Different Class in the mid-1990s.

Michael Feinstein's American Songbook

2012-02-09T22:13:00.002-05:00

Before watching the first two episodes of Michael Feinstein's American Songbook, I merely thought of him as an extremely talented singer and entertainer. After watching the first two episodes of American Songbook, I was in awe of how much Michael Feinstein has done to preserve our musical heritage. In fact, I have deemed Michael Feinstein the ambassador of America's Musical Heritage. He is the ultimate collector; a cultural conservationist and preservationist; a tireless archivist; and a cat lover. A kindred spirit! That's a whole lot of responsibility for one man, but he makes a case for his life's passion in his three-part PBS series. In the new season, which began last Friday, he shares his penchant for great music and, best of all, he opens up his personal archives.

The first episode, 'Time Machines,' weaves together Feinstein's brilliant performances and other contemporary renditions of classic songs with older (often 'lost') footage of both famous and forgotten artists into a fascinating tapestry that sheds light on the American experience whilst simultaneously telling Feinstein's story of cultural self-awareness through his discovery of our musical legacy. He introduces several interesting personalities, all collectors sharing their preference for bygone eras and endangered media. We meet a film collector with a museum devoted to Mills Panoram machines, which played Soundies, proto-music videos of jazz-era musicians. Through the passage of time, many of the faces are forgotten, and the rousing music is more like a novelty. However, a few faces that had yet to make names for themselves emerge in the collection, including a rare clip of a promising pianist named Walter Liberace.

Next, Feinstein visited the University of Michigan - Kansas City, home of the Marr Sound Archive, which includes a vast collection of orphaned formats. The Marr Archive is one of the largest of its kind outside the Library of Congress. Only 30% of its gigantic collection has been fully cataloged.

Hugh Hefner's segment was surprisingly endearing and perceptive. Apparently, he cares passionately about art, music (especially jazz), film, and preserving our cultural heritage. His 1960s syndicated television show, Playboy's Penthouse, was a landmark musical achievement at a time when segregation was still a standard. It was a gutsy move to host a show that brought many African-American entertainers into predominantly white living rooms. His show was meant to be a swanky cocktail party showcasing live jazz. He championed many unknown black performers, including an extremely charming Bobby Short singing 'The Likes Of You.' Hefner also curates his own jazz festival, and last year, his financial contribution rescued the Hollywood sign from near destruction. He is an avid collector and offered several insights on the importance of our cultural legacy. Hefner's assertion that young people no longer have a sense of cultural history is tragically spot-on. Since fewer people are interested in our past, there is less motivation towards conservation and preservation. He and Feinstein agreed that a sense of cultural history is essential to understanding oneself and that the past defines the present. For me, this was the most poignant segment of the first episode. Now, Hugh would have guessed that!?

The second episode, 'Putting On The Tail Fins,' dealt with the emergence of rock n' roll in the 1950s and how that reinvigorated the American songbook. Feinstein referred to Nelson Riddle's reinterpreting of Frank Sinatra's classic repertoire of the 1930s as 'Putting On The Tail Fins.' He illustrated the endurance of these timeless songs by exemplifying Cole Porter's 'Begin The Beguine.' The song rose to popularity as an Artie Shaw instrumental. Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell danced to a different musical arrangement in Broadway Melody of 1940. Frank Sinatra was the first to popularize a version of the song with lyrics. And, in this episode, Michael Feinstein did his own rendition in the style of Nelson Riddle. Feinstein explored how, at the time, the star was the song rather than the performer. Popular songs were performed by many artists who could all have a hit with their own version of the same song. It wasn't until the rise of pop idols like Frank Sinatra that the popularity of the singer superceded the songs.

A recurring theme in the American Songbook series is the destruction and disappearance of recorded media. As technology has progressed and few people have maintained older formats, aging media has become obsolete and often unplayable. So, as with film, instead of being archived or conserved, they are just tossed in the junk pile or, in some more hopeful cases, packed into storage units which may eventually make it to archives, preservationists, and collectors who facilitate the transfer of the priceless for posterity. This is a tragedy. They are often the only recorded document of some of the artists and their work and the only link to an era that was culturally rich and alive. As Feinstein said of the endangered media that must be saved, they 'capture a moment in time...To be able to revisit that moment fifty or one hundred years later is spectacular.' Perhaps the worst scene of the second episode was a quick shot of the 405 freeway in Los Angeles where M-G-M dumped thousands of pounds of irreplaceable records from their archives to serve as the basis for the construction of the road.

Michael Feinstein claims his motivation for performing is his fear that if he doesn't perform the songs he loves so much and bring them back to a modern public, they will become relics of the past. Performing also gives him the means to build up his own music archive. His aural repository is filled with all manner of music, personal recordings, broadcasts, and the ephemera that complements his archive. He spends much of his free time scouring markets, shops, and storage units for hidden gems; meticulously transferring recordings to modern media; and archiving and cataloging the original source material. Nothing must ever be disposed of because one must always return to the source material to transfer to the newest medium.

While other individuals have concentrated their efforts on saving our film heritage, Feinstein has concentrated on preserving music. It's an admirable labor of love. Regardless of what aspect of our cultural history one chooses to preserve, archive, and share, it is important work. There are no collections too small and no archivists too minor. Every time music, film, and other ephemera is destroyed, a little bit of our collective history is lost forever; it's as if it never existed. As we erase our past, we are slowly obliterating the present and making our own existence obsolete. Perhaps that is why I find relinquishing our past so scary and tragic. What was once so alive and vital can be snuffed out in the blink of an eye. 'Time erases many things that are important to a current generation but that becomes entirely meaningless to future generations.' American Songbook is fascinating, entertaining, and extremely urgent.

Watch Michael Feinstein's American Songbook on PBS. Check your local listings for times. The third installment, 'Lost And Found,' a musical treasure hunt uncovering the songs that almost got away, is scheduled for Friday at 9 PM EST. You can purchase a DVD of the series at the PBS shop and on Amazon. Finally, learn about Michael Feinstein's Great American Songbook Initiative.

Whipping Whimseys

2012-01-19T00:29:00.004-05:00

New Notions!

Have you ever?...

Made earrings and lapel pins from feathery fishing lures?

Considered keeping Cleo (your goldfish) in a hanging fishbowl over your bed?

Adorned your wedge heels with colorful tacks?

Why not?...

The results will wow you speechless!

[Drawings by Jay Warmuth for Woman's Home Companion, May 1947]

Do you ever...?

Let your woo-woo gams run your life? If so, let this 3 cent pamphlet advise you how to reassert your independence!

...I'm not even sure what the last pamphlet is about! It's either golf or something that can only be hinted at...

[Offer from Woman's Home Companion, June 1947]

Cyberlink Monday (3 links for the price of 1!)

2011-11-28T23:30:00.000-05:00

I'm bursting with excitement over three articles I read online this holiday weekend, and despite the fact that I have posted links to them on Twitter (follow me @cwblog!), I want to recommend them in a more proper ramble.

1) Department Store Movies: A $ign Of Our Times is a timely post-Black Friday article written by suzidoll [at TCM's Movie Morlocks blog]. It explores the depiction and symbolism of the department store ("a landmark of urban life") in twentieth-century cinema. Department stores are seen as "an ideologically rich setting in our pop culture for understanding attitudes, issues, and problems related to our economy and the differences among the classes." I've always been attracted to old movies that are set in department stores because, even on a subconscious level, they come across as emblematic of a less stylized view of daily life. You get a better sense for what it was like to live in a certain place at a certain time.

2) Sweet Emulsion: Why The (Near) Death Of Film Matters is a fantastic article by Scott Tobias about how the film industry is forcing 35mm prints into obsolescence and the effects that will have on repertory film houses, the fate of our film heritage, and, ultimately, the future of film preservation (a topic that I find worrisome). I hope the AV Club's readers take heed because it's rare to see younger writers expressing the urgency for cultural and media preservation using formats that are mistakenly considered outmoded by audiences who are more comfortable with cutting-edge technologies. What especially concerns me is, since the concensus has been that digital formats cannot replace the original film source in preservation, what will happen if studios start to destroy the vast archives they have of irreplaceable reels stored in warehouses, if they cut funding to preservationists, and, eventually bypass backing up movies to film at all? To quote author Scott Tobias, "there's a warmth and vitality to film prints that's lost in the transfer to ones and zeroes." Roger Ebert and Leonard Maltin have been especially vocal about issues of film preservation, but it's refreshing to read such an insightful article on such a popular website. I also appreciated Tobias' phrasing about the "numbing automization of society," which perfectly describes a troubling feeling that has been gnawing at me for some time.

3) Another AV Club article I found to be very admirable (actually, 'overly exciting' might be more apt) is We Need A TCM For Television by Noel Murray. Frankly, I wish I wrote this article because it's everything I've ever thought as I click robotically from channel to channel searching for something to watch on cable. I will now quote from the article liberally. Once again, the article is by Noel Murray, and he is a genius, apparently.

"Let's take a little trip through time, back to the bygone days of the late '90s and early '00s [when] TV Land was still showing top television shows of the '50s-'70s, and regularly airing special programming blocks like 'Box Set,' which dug up TV obscurities. Local stations and basic-cable [filled] afternoons and late nights with the best of '80s and '90s sitcoms, while Trio had its 'Brilliant But Cancelled' series, in conjunction with a daily schedule of television curios. Game Show Network was staying true to its name, almost exclusively showing beloved old game shows, along with packages of rarities. And the major studios had just figured out that fans would rather buy complete seasons of TV series on DVD than slim 'best of' collections."

[I can't believe I missed this golden age of cable!]

The article goes on to lament cable's move away from classic television: "As someone who fervently believes that television is...a vital art form, I worry that a major part of our pop-culture heritage is being consigned to the archives and going unseen by the younger generations." His proposed solution is to have a TCM for television. I LOVE this idea and mentioned a similar notion in my many posts regarding the HUB channel, 90s Nickelodeon programming, and Cartoon Network's Boomerang off-shoot. I recall pointing out that there should be a package of channels that run specially selected vintage comedies, dramas/sci-fis, cartoons, and children's programming, including PBS. Murray's article made me long for a better treatment of the golden age of television that has been passed over for sub-par junk.

And his article made me extremely proud of everything TCM represents. It's no wonder that TCM has so many misty-eyed fans. It is nothing short of a cinephile's paradise and, the endearing thing is that, unlike other channels, TCM programmers clearly have respect and affection for both the movies that they show and their audience. The movies are not just commodities and their audience is not just numbers. TCM takes pride in presenting the movies the way that they deserve to be shown. It's a channel for movie lovers run by movie lovers. It's the only channel I watch that I feel actually cares about how it presents itself, how it presents and treats the movies, and how it treats its audience. The painstaking attention goes beyond the channel itself to its vast web community; live events (including movie festivals, screening events, and vacation packages); its connection to Movies Unlimited (a wise choice!) and its own online store; magazine and book publications; and its special DVD box sets. Their mission has been to provide the best possible experience for their fans and to give the films the sort of presentation and exposure that they deserve, and their success is commendable.

Anyway, back to applying the TCM model to classic and retro television:

"What we don't have is a channel that treats television with the respect that TCM affords to cinema. The programmers at TCM have access to an impressive library of movies to begin with, and they work to make deals with other media conglomerates so that they can air an ever-changing variety of quality films, arranged into little mini-festivals, frequently introduced by people who are knowledgeable and passionate about movie history...No one's ever done a classic television channel the way I think it should be done. The emphasis...has been on nostalgia as an end in itself, where I'd rather see the 'fun' side of TV integrated more closely with the 'quality' side."

On programming:

"My ideal retro-TV...channel would de-emphasize completism in favor of highlights. Not 100 percent, because some shows really do play better if they're watched from start to finish, and some shows have such a high batting average that it'd be silly to reduce them to their best...episodes. But I'd dispense with the mindset that says we have to air every episode of Bewitched at the same time every day until we complete the series (at which point we start all over again); and I'd definitely ditch the newer variation on this, which has TBS showing three hours of Family Guy on Monday nights, three hours of The Big Bang Theory on Tuesday nights, and so on, ad infinitum. What's wrong with showing WKRP In Cincinnati, The Bob Newhart Show, Taxi, The Slap Maxwell Story and Lou Grant in prime-time one night and then Green Acres, Police Squad, Mannix and Homicide: Life On The Street the next? And what’s wrong with changing that lineup every month or two?"

Nothing at all! He also suggests that tv movies, talk shows, one-off specials, game shows, documentaries, variety shows, Saturday morning tv, and the like should also receive special attention.

Finally, Murray discusses recent television snobbery stemming from the popularity and accolades of such shows (mostly cable-only fare) as The Sopranos. Comparing the mindset of these tv elitists to the broader sentiments of TCM fans: "On any given week of TCM, viewers see masterpieces of world cinema side-by-side with goofy short subjects, weird cult films, forgotten silent movies, matinee serials, and recurring series featuring the likes of Dr. Kildare and Andy Hardy. Movie buffs are encouraged to go mining for gold...Frankly, there's so much gold gathering dust in the vaults of the TV networks and production companies that it wouldn't take that much mining to fill 24 hours a day. And it's not like the veins are tapped either. There's so much good television...that it's hard to keep up sometimes. They just keep making more of this stuff, even though they haven't yet figured out where to put it all."

[Besides its reference to TCM, I also liked the article's shout out to Shout! Factory, which, when combined with Rhino Records, Taschen, and Chronicle Books equals pop culture heaven.]

4) On a far less serious note, the full 1978 movie of The Star Wars Holiday Special with the original commercials is on YouTube!

Fluorescerama: Equinox (1970)

2011-11-27T00:08:00.003-05:00

In the tradition of the Peter Fonda cult classic Race With The Devil, Equinox is a supernatural thriller that satisfies on every level. The ludicrous plot seems stitched together at random by someone suffering from short term memory loss, and the characters' motivations are illogical at best. The acting is hollow, and... it was a real laugh riot! Although I might have found this movie amusing for all the wrong reasons, watching Equinox is a recommended treat!

[WARNING! This post contains a full plot synopsis that will spoil the movie for you!]

Equinox begins with one of the most familiar thriller scenarios: two male students bring their girlfriends to a remote locale to meet their favorite professor. I'm not sure why men always think their female companions will be overjoyed to spend a day with an unknown, and ultimately eccentric or maddened, old man. This seems to be an even more significant step in the courting process than bringing the girl home to meet mother.

The quartet plan to picnic in the forest where the professor has a rustic cabin and then pay their mentor a visit. As soon as they arrive, a creepy and intimidating park ranger emerges from the dense forest with a message that conveys, more or less, 'abandon hope, all ye who enter here.' He clearly doesn't want the kids around. But if ants and bees won't spoil a good picnic, neither will the grim lurking presence of Beelzebub. Before the gang sits down to their platter of cold cuts, they happen upon their professor's cabin, recently imploded and definitely uninhabitable. Momentarily, the stunned pupils express their concern for the professor's whereabouts, and the reemerging ranger (soon to identify himself as 'Asmodeus') insists the professor must have sought refuge in town where the kids should go to find him. Before they can follow through with the mystery of the professor's fate, they spy a very medieval castle way off in the distance. They were sure it hadn't been there a moment before, and decide to get a closer look. However, before leaving the picnic grounds, they happen upon something even more significant: a cave, mouth agape, maniacal laughter emanating from its depths. Should they check it out? For sure! Torches ineffectively lighting their way, the kids foolishly head into the cave following the sound of a manic, hyena-like giggle. Soon enough, they discover the giggler is an old man brandishing an ancient tome. He has been waiting to pass this book off to whatever dumb schmuck would be dopey enough to enter a cave echoing with mad laughter. The schmucks have no inkling of the evils the book represents, but they are only too eager to take it away from its owner. The book is protected by a flimsy lock that is easily picked open (apparently the only skill among the four is picking book locks), and they crowd around to see the pages of unreadable glyphs and symbols. Though they seem to lack any common sense between them, they conveniently guess that the book is a valuable deterrent to a demon attack. And, hey, they all just happen to possess all the sketched holy symbols already! The boys hadn't been aware of the professor's connection to the book or the studies of the dark arts, so they are flummoxed to find a page of his handwritten notes tucked into the pages of the book.

Still scratching their heads over the pages of strange doodles and stranger languages, they are barely fazed by the sudden appearance of the professor who tears out of the dark forest to rend the tome from their possession. You'd think they'd be thrilled to see their professor alive, but they are more interested in regaining the mysterious book. This is the pivotal scene in the movie when the four decide they should go separate ways alone in the forest as often as possible, and that alone is the only goal that they see through to the end of the movie. Why, it seems like every other line from any of the characters after this point is that they should split up, and the suggestion is always met with incomprehensible enthusiasm! Anyway, the fellas go to chase their professor and follow him to a shallow stream bed where he falls and dies. The guys scoop up the book and head back to the girls but momentarily decide that maybe they shouldn't leave the professor's body. They turn back and... his body is missing! The boys are hardly shaken by this new occurrence. Meanwhile, in their absence, Asmodeus the park ranger has attempted to assault one of the girls (all the while with a laughable slobbery expression on his face which looked more like a Jim Carrey character than the devil), and one of the boys flatly recalls, "Oh yeah, I just remembered. Asmodeus is another name for the devil.' Um. How could one forget that?! It's as if Asmodeus were one of the most unmemorable names!

'The look of love is in your eyes'

The fact that their picnic has been irrevocably cursed isn't enough to convince the gang that they should really pack up their stuff and move on. It's not even really clear what they're attempting to do in the woods. The memory of the professor has long since ceased to be a concern. Once in a while, they remember that ornate European castle, incongruous in the distance of the American forest. There seems to be a vague agreement that they want to hang on to the book, but they never manage to give a good reason why. Ranger Asmodeus senses their foolishness and realizes he needs to flex a more evil muscle to scare them off. This is when, heavens to Harryhausen!, the stop-motion monsters start to run amok. The devil apparently conjures up these infernal stop-motion beasts in a show of his might. The frightened foursome witness amusing gorillamen (that reminded this viewer more of the Rankin/Bass Abominable Snow Monster) and all creatures great and evil for their rassling amusement. The best beast of all happens to resemble Jolly Green Giant's grounchy bigger brother. The best thing is that all these mighty savages of mythological proportions are seen looming in the distance, but after they tear their victim to bits, the group slays them a little too easily with flimsy weapons made of saplings. When they inch towards the dead monsters for a closer look, the gargantuans definitely appear smaller than the humans. After a spate of these attacks, Asmodeus tries a new tactic. The girl who was nearly assaulted by the evil one becomes possessed and attempts to reenact her assault on one of her companions with the same slobbery face the devil wore.

Ho, ho, ho!

Towards the end of this fateful film, the story returns to the mysterious castle. The boys discover it is hidden behind some kind of force field which sometimes renders it invisible. They don't care what the force field is or why it's there, but they play around with it for a few minutes. Asmodeus can take no more of this tomfoolery, and he turns himself into a bright red pterodactyl with a taste for human blood. Only one character makes it out of the showdown alive. As Asmodeus takes his human form for the final time, he lets that survivor know that, though he will let him live in exchange for the ancient tome, he is cursed for ever possessing it. He promises the boy that he will die in one year and one day. While trying to flee, a driverless car attempts to run him over, but he manages to escape and is picked up and brought to the local sanatorium. He spends the next 366 days straitjacketted until a reporter requests to hear his story, and, in a rare moment of lucidity, he acquiesces. The reporter and caretakers muse that this is the doomed day that Asmodeus foretold his death. In the final scene, the crazed man struggles against his guards as a very familiar woman approaches the hospital with a mischievous grin...

The End.

Or is it?

?

Yes, it is.

Stylistically, Equinox is an intriguing yet inconsistent experiment. To me, it almost seemed like a student film or an experimental piece for a bunch of young filmmakers (trivia: Ed Begley, Jr. was one of the cameramen!). The plot is haphazard and many of the young actors seem less than amateur. But, for all the unintended entertainment value, there really is never a dull moment with Equinox. Unless I've misinterpreted the trivial plot, there really wasn't any philosophical basis to the plot nor any real explanation as to why it was even called Equinox. I'm sure many of the movie's apologists would bristle at my shallow response to the movie, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to fans of this genre of b-movies.

READ more about it on Wikipedia
WATCH the theatrical trailer on YouTube

DVD Drive-In offers a better review that is more informed and complete than my own. It discusses the technological merits of the film for a person already familiar with the plot, and, in particular, the Criterion edition. Yes, you read that right, the Criterion edition! Scraping the bottom of the barrel? Finally, WGON Helicopter has a more balanced review ('Equinox - The Movie That's So Awesome It Doesn't Care If You See The Strings').

Macy's 85th Thanksgiving Day Parade

2011-11-23T23:06:00.004-05:00

Chances are, while you're waiting for your turducken to heat up, you will be one of the 44 million people who will tune in to this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. After all, it's tradition! What you might not realize is that this year is the 85th anniversary of the holiday institution. And this oldster is showing no signs of slowing down! The parade will add at least six new balloons and floats as well as a controversial new route. In honor of the milestone, here are eleven trivial nuggets about America's favorite parade that you can use as conversation fodder around your dinner table.

1. While Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is the one most associated with the holiday, it is actually the second oldest Thanksgiving parade in the U.S. (the first being Philadelphia's Gimbels parade, now known as the 6ABC IKEA Thanksgiving Day parade, which began in 1920). The history of Macy's parade is more circuitous. The first parade was in 1920, but it didn't become known as an organized annual event until 1924. This year marks the 85th annual AIRED parade which is why it's a noteworthy anniversary. It was first broadcast on local New York radio from 1932-1941 and 1945-1951 (there was no parade between 1942 and 1944 because rubber and helium were needed for the war effort). It was first televised locally in 1939 but wasn't televised again until 1945. CBS-TV was the parade's first national broadcaster in 1948, and NBC became its official broadcaster in 1955. Due to technical broadcasting regulations, CBS maintains 'unauthorized coverage' under the generic title 'The Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS'. They cannot mention 'Macy's' in their name. The other major difference between networks is timing. NBC uses tape delays in broadcasting so all time zones watch the parade simultaneously, while CBS airs its unauthorized coverage live in most time zones. Broadcasts have been in color since 1960. The official duration of the parade is three hours, but it wasn't aired in its entirety until 1969.

2. The original route was a six-mile stretch from 145th Street in Harlem to Herald's Square at Macy's flagship store on 34th Street. Rerouting in 2009 eliminated Broadway, and this year's further rerouting has sparked controversy.

3. The beloved Christmas classic, Miracle On 34th Street, shows actual footage of the 1946 parade.

4. Live animals from Central Park Zoo marched down Broadway in the first parades but was hastily phased out in favor of large animal-shaped balloons. Another early tradition was the anticipated Santa Claus finale. At the end of the first parade, St. Nick was coronated 'King of the Kiddies.'

5. The wonderful, wonderful first balloon was Felix the Cat in 1927. Balloons are a highlight of the parade, but they have required much trial and error since their introduction. The first balloons were produced by Goodyear and filled with air. Helium became the standard in 1928. The following year, Macy's had address labels sewn into them so errant balloons could be returned for a $100 reward.

6. Mickey Mouse first joined the festivities in 1934 (there have been four versions). The character with the most balloons has been Snoopy with a total of six different versions since 1968. The third Superman balloon (1980) was the largest balloon ever, but his feat was bittersweet; he lost his hand in a tragic entanglement with a tree branch.

7. Other early balloons included the Marx Brothers (minus Zeppo) and Eddie Cantor, one of only two balloons based on living persons. Ad men must have been hard at work on promotions. An impressive array of pop culture spokescharacters have been immortalized in balloon form including Elsie the Cow (1963); Smokey Bear (1966); Nestlé Quik Bunny (1986); Ronald McDonald (three versions between 1986 and 2009); Snuggle Bear (1987); Honey Nut Cheerios Bee (1999); Kraft Cheesasaurus Rex (2001); M&Ms (2003); 'Healthy Mr. Potato Head' (2005); Energizer Bunny (2006); and the Pillsbury Doughboy (2009). Three balloons will be introduced in 2011: the second version of Sonic the Hedgehog, Julius (is that the wide-mouthed monkey?) and Tim Burton's 'B'.

8. Falloons are float-based balloons and balloonicles are self-powered balloon vehicles. The first falloon was 1991's Humpty Dumpty, and the first balloonicles were a set of Weebles in 2004. Other pop culture notables have included a 'Jello' falloon (1997); an Energizer Bunny balloonicle (2006); and, OHH YEAH!, a Kool-Aid Man balloonicle (2010). This year, keep your eyes peeled for the Aflac Duck!

9. While balloon characters seem to have more pop cultural significance, floats tend to be more current, ephemeral, and promotional in nature. Many floats don't sound like crowd-pleasers. Remember the Oneida Indian Nation True Spirit of Thanksgiving (2008); Jimmy Dean Shine On (2008); or Hamburger Helper Local Heroes Helping Every Day (2009) floats? What about 2010's popular quartet Mount Rushmore's American Pride; Morton Salt Home Baked Goodness; Homewood Suites On The Roll Again; and Office Max Elves Raise The Roof? This year, you might spot the Universal Orlando Resort P.B. Polar Bear, the Zhuniverse, and a Frozen Fun Ball!

10. Live music has always been an important part of the day's celebration. Besides the legions of marching bands, there are Broadway showstoppers and popular live acts. The telecast in front of the 34th Street Macy's uses pre-recorded music. This year, we can look forward to performances from Neil Diamond, Michael Feinstein, and the Muppets and Sesame Street cast. Performances from Broadway shows include How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying; Spider Man; Sister Act; and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Making the most of New York's talent, the past decade's parades saw performances from 42nd Street; Oklahoma!; The Producers; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Spamalot; Young Frankenstein; and South Pacific. How's that for entertainment!

11. While every effort has been made to prevent accidents, there have been some grizzly incidents through the years. Most involve balloons snagging on lampposts resulting in shredded sides and, sometimes, broken glass. The Great Tragedy of 1986 included a rampaging Raggedy Ann, who knocked down a lamppost, and Superman's hand being torn off by a tree. Sonic the Hedgehog attacked an off-duty police officer in 1993. Most reported injuries have been minor, but there have been a few that resulted in serious hospitalizations.

Forecasts suggest that wind will probably be an issue this year, so be careful if you're in the crowd!

A Selected History of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

A Brief History of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade by Claire Suddath via TIME.com
New York Daily News' balloon slide show
Pictorial of old balloons at Gothamist
A vintage photo archive at Black Watch
More vintage photos at Design Related
Vintage 8mm home movies of the 1954 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on YouTube

NBC will air a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 85th Anniversary Primetime Special hosted by The Today Show's Matt Lauer, Ann Curry, and Al Roker on Thursday, November 24th at 10:00 PM EST (check your local listings). It will be reshown on Saturday night at 8:00 PM EST. This sounds like 'must see' tv to me!

Finally, Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!

Happy Haul-idays from Chronicle Books!

2011-11-17T21:39:00.005-05:00

Welcome to my second annual Chronicle Books Happy Haul-idays submission post (last year, I actually posted from my other blog, Curly Wurly)! Chronicle Books (my favorite publisher!) has upped the ante this year. This year's winner will score $500 worth of books handpicked from the publisher's vast catalogue. What's even more exciting is one of the triumphant blog's readers (who comments on their submission post) will receive a matching set of the winner's handpicked selections. And, Chronicle Books has decided to be even more generous this year! They will also donate $500 worth of books to a charity of the winner's choice. So, without further ado, here is my official submission post to Chronicle Book's Happy Haul-idays contest. If you're interested in winning my picks, please comment on this post. [NOTE: Obviously, your winning these books depend upon my winning the contest.] If you know anyone who might like my selection, feel free to link them to this post. (If you entered this contest, too, and think I might be interested in your list of books, let me know!) Finally, if you have a blog and want to enter the contest for yourself, simply click on this link and follow the simple directions. [All submissions and entries must be received by December 2, 2011. Read the official rules! Good luck!]

1. Lennon Legend: An Illustrated Life Of John Lennon by James Henke [40]
2. The Beatles Anthology [paperback - 35]
3. F In Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers by Richard Benson [10]
4. The Book of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks: A Celebration of Creative Punctuation by Bethany Keeley [15]
5. Hello, Please!: Very Helpful Super Kawaii Characters from Japan by Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda [15]
6. TCM Classic Movie Trivia: Featuring More Than 4,000 Questions to Test Your Cinema Smarts by Turner Classic Movies [23]
7. TCM Classic Movie Crossword Puzzles by Turner Classic Movies [10]
8. Art Of The Modern Movie Poster: International Postwar Style and Design by Judith Salavetz, Spencer Drate, and Sam Sarowitz [75]
9. Leading Couples: Unforgettable Screen Romances of the Studio Era by Turner Classic Movies [20]
10. Picture Show: Classic Movie Posters from the TCM Archives by Dianna Edwards [20]
11. Catalog: The Illustrated History of Mail Order Shopping (Princeton Architectural Press) by Robin Cherry [35]
12. Holidays on Display (Princeton Architectural Press) by William L. Bird, Jr. [25]
13. Stewardess: Come Fly With Me! by Elissa Stein [15]
14. Cartoon Modern: Style and Design in Fifties Animation by Amid Amidi [40]
15. The Games We Played: The Golden Age of Board and Table Games (Princeton Architectural Press) by Margaret K. Hofer [25]
16. America's Doll House: The Miniature World of Faith Bradford (Princeton Architectural Press) by William L. Bird, Jr. [25]
17. ASPCA Complete Guide To Cats by James R. Richards, DVM [25]
18. Let's Bring Back: An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious, and Otherwise Commendable Things from Times Gone By by Lesley M.M. Blume [20]

[total approximately $473]

Now, for the charitable portion of this post:

I've often wondered what gift could possibly be better than a book. A favorite book can spark your imagination, challenge, and inspire you. At best, it can be a lifelong friend that you turn to again and again. However, I think I have finally found a more fulfilling gift! The only thing better than a book of one's own would be to ignite a passion for reading and learning in kids who might otherwise have limited access to books at home and at school. I am reminded of how blessed I was to grow up in a house packed with books, to have been read to every night, and to have had a family that went to the library together every week (surely the reason why reading has always been one of my greatest joys in life!). It seems unfathomable to me that there are children who may not own one book and don't have a library card. But that is exactly what is happening in Philadelphia. I chose the local literacy program Reach Out and Read, run by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, as my charity because, as a lifelong Philadelphian, I'm only too aware of the problems the city has faced with regards to education, literacy, and funding for programs to benefit children. As the economy has continued its decline, education and literacy have suffered intolerably. The fate of Philadelphia's public library system has been in jeopardy, and many of its branches have narrowly avoided closure. This is a growing problem for the entire city and its citizens, but, ultimately, it is the children, who are also at the mercy of a failing educational system, that will bear the brunt of this dire situation. I believe in Reach Out and Read's mission that 'fostering literacy and a love of reading opens countless avenues for success and lifelong joys for children,' and it's my honor to designate them as my charity in this contest. Please take the time to read their website and support this and other like-minded groups.

Please comment on this post if you would like to be considered an entrant for my prize package (should I win). Please spread the link to this post if you think you know people who would be interested. If you are a blogger, consider entering the contest (see information above). If you have entered the contest, feel free to point me in the direction of your submission post. And, thank you again!

This week on... TCM (November 14 - 19)

2011-11-12T22:07:00.003-05:00

Monday, November 14, 2011
The Glass Key (1942) 3:00 PM - It might not be The Blue Dahlia, but this one is worth watching every time it's on, too.
Shanghai Express (1932) 10:00 PM - Marlene Dietrich on a train.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939) 4:00 PM

Thursday, November 17, 2011
Ship Of Fools (1965) 1:15 AM

Friday, November 18, 2011
Ziegfeld Girl (1941) 3:30 PM
Equinox (1970) 2:00 AM - 'Four friends are attacked by a demon while on a picnic due to their possession of a mystic tome.' This sounds like a cross between Buffy The Vampire Slayer and one of the best movies I've ever seen, Race with the Devil [2]

Saturday, November 19, 2011
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1961) 4:30 AM

This week on... TCM (November 6 -12)

2011-11-05T22:00:00.005-04:00

TCM's November schedule has officially broken out of the graveyard of Halloween horror movies. While this month doesn't promise wall-to-wall thrills and chills, there are some really good selections. Also, I'm looking forward to Robert Osborne's return to the hosting chair on December 1! It was just announced that Drew Barrymore would be taking over Alec Baldwin's co-hosting duties for TCM's Essentials series. I'm disappointed that Alec Baldwin won't be continuing because he was an insightful co-host, but I think that Robert Osborne and Drew Barrymore should be an interesting pair.

Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) 4:00 PM
Critic's Choice (1963) 8:00 PM - Bob Hope and Lucille Ball team up for a match made in comedy heaven.

Monday, November 7, 2011 (theme: Battle of the Blondes -- Veronica Lake and Lana Turner)
This Gun For Hire (1942) 8:00 PM - One Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake movie and...
The Blue Dahlia (1946) 9:30 PM - ...My favorite Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake movie (I'm so excited!)! TCM doesn't bring this movie out frequently, and it's not on DVD (nor does it appear that it will be anytime soon). Definitely plan to watch or tape this if you like film noirs. [2]
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) 11:15 PM - This Lana Turner / John Garfield noir is one of the finest of the genre, I guarantee.
The Bad And The Beautiful (1952) 1:15 AM

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 (theme: Jean Harlow)
Dinner At Eight (1933) 6:00 PM - I get too hungry for dinner at eight, so I'm glad they scheduled this for six instead.
Bombshell (1933) 12:00 AM
Platinum Blonde (1931) 1:45 AM
Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell (1993 documentary) 3:30 AM

Thursday, November 10, 2011
Mr. Skeffington 5:30 PM
Love Affair (1939) 8:00 PM - You can watch the full movie anytime at the Internet Archive
Now, Voyager (1942) 10:45 PM

Friday, November 11, 2011
Marlowe (1969) 12:00 AM - James Garner takes on the role of Raymond Chandler's P.I., Philip Marlowe. It will be interesting to see Garner's take on one of the characters that is so deeply associated with Humphrey Bogart.
The Iron Rose (1973) 2:00 AM - 'A young couple is trapped in a cemetery and soon fears begin to overtake them.' - Perhaps more appropriate for last Friday, this French horror movie piques my interest. I hope it's not as slow-paced as the last foreign horror/suspense movie I watched (Roman Polanski's Repulsion)
Carnival of Souls (1962) 3:30 AM - This movie reminds me a lot of the Twilight Zone episode, The Hitch-Hiker (which first aired in 1960). Sure, there are plot differences, but the overall atmosphere, theme, and Inger Stevensesque blonde are somewhat similar.

Saturday, November 12, 2011
The Producers (1968) 11:00 PM
Hot Millions (1968) 2:15 AM

The Haunting Of Room 635

2011-10-30T01:28:00.004-04:00

Sometimes guests in Room 635 claim they see mysterious links hidden in dark corners or behind the heavy drapery. Others have insisted they've seen them reflected behind them in the bathroom mirror, but, when they turn around, there's nothing there. One guest, 'Joel Cairo' -- who I believe was besotted -- told the maid that he received a particularly disturbing phone call in the middle of the night by one such link. He insisted the phone call was coming from INSIDE his room! Now, I personally don't believe in such childishness. However, I have compiled a list of some of the most ghoulish sitings that have been reported to my extremely gullible staff. Until we can gather enough money to hire those Ghost Hunters people, you'll have to judge for yourself. Click if you dare.

Just in time for Halloween home viewing, Rod Serling's 1969 series, The Night Gallery. There are many episodes on YouTube and a few choice links can be found on this Metafilter post. Guest stars include John Astin, Carl Reiner, and Joan Crawford (the directorial debut of Steven Spielberg).

Also at Metafilter: The CBS Radio Mystery Theater is now online in both streaming and downloadable formats. The original Metafilter post suggests some holiday titles.

Gary Larson's brilliant comic, The Far Side, was made into a 1994 Halloween special for CBS (that somehow I don't remember)! More information about the short-lived Tales From The Far Side can be found at Wikipedia. Vinnie Rattolle's blog has download links (and spoilers!) for the television version of the special, but I didn't watch it (so download at your own risk).

What does Garfield have in common with Michael Scott? Apparently, they have the same greatest fear (not the bankruptcy of Sbarro's). In 1989, a series of Garfield strips was published where Jim Davis posited a sort of parallel universe where Garfield was left in a dark, cold house devoid of Jon and Odie. What results is an unsettling and surprisingly philosophical story arc that seems as much a hallucination to the reader as to the lasagne-loving cat himself. As Garfield plunges into the the depths of madness, he begins to question his very existence. Not since the 'Nermal is Dead' (complete with various 'clues' surrounding his death and its cover-up) plot of the previous year had the Garfield strip delved into such murky waters. Read the original stories here (and at the Retro Junk link above). And follow up with analysis from Jim Davis at Boing Boing.

Secret Style Icon: Edward Gorey and Everyone He Has Ever Drawn. Interesting post from an up-and-coming post-Sassy Sassyesque magazine. Warning: Teenage clothes and pictures of Edward Gorey covered in sleeping cats.

How To Make Magnetic Googly Eyes. (see also: All Googly: The #1 Source for Pictures of Things with Googly Eyes)

This week on... TCM (October 30 - November 4)

2011-10-29T23:48:00.005-04:00

Sunday, October 30, 2011
Dial M For Murder (1954) 2:00 PM
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1966) 10:30 PM

Monday, October 31, 2011
Village Of The Damned (1960) 8:00 PM - Interesting movie to have coinciding with mobs of sugar-addicted kids banging on your door
The Innocents (1961) 12:15 AM
The Haunting (1963) 2:00 AM
Repulsion (1965) 4:00 AM - I've wanted to see this Roman Polanski movie for a long time. Stars Catherine Deneuve, who - can you believe it - just turned 68! Q: What follows Repulsion? A: Tension! (see Tuesday)

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 (theme: hilarity?)
Tension (1950) 4:00 PM - 'A man who had planned to murder his wife's lover becomes the prime suspect when somebody beats him to it.' I feel like I've seen this movie a thousand times, but it sounds good and stars Cyd Charisse.
The Big Sleep (1946) 6:00 PM
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) 8:00 PM - Hilarious movie with Gene Wilder as the great Sigerson Holmes, Madeline Kahn, and Marty Feldman. Hey, it's better than the terrible new steampunk franchise!
Sleeper (1973) 9:45 PM
Modern Times (1936) 1:15 AM - Eating Machine! Eating Machine!
Jour de fête (1949) 3:00 AM - 'A small town postman tries to adopt modern efficiency techniques.' Jacques Tati

Wednesday, November 2, 2011 (theme: Battle of the blondes - Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield)
Niagara (1952) 8:00 PM - Excellent film noir starring Marilyn Monroe and Joseph Cotten. I never really appreciated Marilyn Monroe (with the exception of the next movie), but I've since realized what an underrated actor she was. She not only had comedic talent but also remarkable dramatic abilities. I was especially impressed with her performances in Niagara and Don't Bother To Knock (with Richard Widmark). Apparently, she was something of an intellectual, too. She was not just a pretty face! Surprisingly, I think I'm most disappointed that we have been denied seeing what Marilyn could have achieved in other mature acting roles.
Some Like It Hot (1959) 9:45 PM - Billy Wilder's classic

Thursday, November 3, 2011 (theme: Hit the deck with Doris Day)
Screen Directors Playhouse: The Life of Vernon Hathaway (1955) 4:00 PM - 'Meek daydreamer starts living his dreams in real life.' TCM will be showing many episodes of Screen Directors Playhouse over the coming months. This one sounds interesting if a tad Mittyesque (or, if you prefer, Billy Liar). This one stars Alan Young (yes, Wilbur!) and Cloris Leachman (geez, how old IS she!?). Many of the stories and cast lists sound very interesting. It's hard to imagine a time when such high calibre programming was on television.
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955) 6:15 PM - Smart gentlemen, anyway.
Romance On The High Seas (1948) 8:00 PM
April In Paris (1952) 10:00 PM

Friday, November 4, 2011
Gold Diggers Of 1935 (1935) 9:30 PM - While this is not as good as '33, this is the one with the fifteen minute spectacular 'Lullaby of Broadway' sequence. 'Lullaby of Broadway' was Busby Berkeley's masterpiece.

Pop Culture Documentary #5: A Flea Market Documentary

2011-10-24T00:18:00.003-04:00

A Flea Market Documentary is a cross country celebration of cool junk and the people who frequent these ragtag tag sales. The documentary was made for Pittsburgh's WQED PBS by my favorite pop culture filmmaker, Rick Sebak. His series of regional documentaries, including Sandwiches That You Will Like and A Hot Dog Program, have more warmth and depth than similar shows featured on the Food and Travel channels. This is his most exciting work to date.

Americans may think of flea markets as gatherings that are unique to our culture, but similar open-air street markets are said to be of French origin (from 'marché aux puces'). Such markets became popular in Paris from 1880 through 1900 when rag-and-bone men set up shop selling their wares in the fortifications between Paris and the town of Saint-Ouen. Eventually, flea markets hopped a ride to North America and set up shop in urban neighborhoods and suburban and rural spots across the country. They hit their peak in late 1960s but have remained wildly popular community events ever since.

Sebak's documentary attempts to articulate the continuing appeal of flea markets from coast to coast. Through entertaining and passionate vox pop candids, he interviews serious collectors scouring antique booths for bargains to those apian casual shoppers who buzz from table to table, browsing the items for sale. Many seasoned bargain hunters attribute their love of flea markets to childhoods when their families would spend their weekends going from market to market (like mine!). They might have a largely nostalgic and emotional response to discovering lost treasures from their youth. Others say they love meeting new people and learning the stories behind the sellers and their wares. Flea markets are truly the American melting pots. One interviewee suggested that they are the perfect place to people watch. The multicultural appeal of flea markets makes them a sort of mini-metropolis. The unlikely juxtaposition of things spanning every generation and variety combined with a mass of people of every age, race, and social standing makes these gatherings a fascinating spectacle that keeps some shoppers coming back every year. Still, we can't discount the bargains! Kids will still say the darndest things, as one observed, 'People will buy anything!'

A Flea Market Documentary gives its audience a virtual tour of the best of the fleas. Imagine hitting some of the biggest, oldest, and longest markets in an hour! The whirlwind flea market crawl takes us from Manhattan's 26th Street Flea Market with its selection of vintage jewelry and clothing; antique furniture; and prosthetic legs to the Fremont Market, a Seattle Sunday institution. The Fremont Market is said to be a great spot for twentieth century Americana and curios. In fact, one Seattleite described flea markets as a museum where everything's for sale. Next, we dip to the south in search of the World's Largest Flea Market at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Since 1968, the stadium has been packed with over three hundred vendors every month! America's oldest flea market is just a few states over. The people of Canton, Texas call their market First Monday Trade Days. While Cantonites argue that theirs is the largest in America, one thing remains uncontested: the market that began in the 1850s is the oldest continually operating outdoor flea market. Back in California, the San Jose Flea Market [2] [video] is more like an outrageous promenade than a market place. They even have a frozen banana guy!

Before we leave for a zip up the East coast, we make a short stop at the Swap Meet at Orange County Fairgrounds. Since the completion of Rick Sebak's documentary, this favorite destination has, allegedly, met its end. The forty-two year old Swap Meet was evicted last month from the fairgrounds due to declining revenue and repeated clashes between the venue and the event's owners. According to the LA Times blog, 'The Swap Meet has experienced a 50% drop in vendor spaces rented, rental revenue, attendance and admission revenue since 2007, with no clear indicators that the trend will reverse in the long term.' It's scary to think that this harsh economy could be the death knell for flea markets, a symbol of frugality and reuse. One would expect the popularity of flea markets and similar sales of used items to be booming when finances are strained.

The Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop is more than just a flea market. It's a destination! The Swap Shop is located at a fourteen-screen drive-in that opened in 1963. The drive-in expanded to encompass a flea market three years later. It's considered the largest daily flea market in the world. The lot also hosts a food court and, until a few years ago, a daily circus performance. The documentary ends with an anomaly, the 127 Corridor Sale, known as the World's Longest Yard Sale. This event runs a four hundred mile stretch along Highway 127, from Kentucky to Alabama, every August. And the sale seems to grow by the year! The route now extends through Ohio and Michigan, and who knows to what lengths it will go! What a brilliant way to spend your weekend! [video]

A Flea Market Documentary is the next best thing to actually being at a flea market. Or, perhaps for the well-traveled collector, it is a prefabricated itinerary for next summer's vacation. If your PBS should happen to air this festival of fleas, unfold your lawn chair and get your roll of quarters ready for an incredible deal!

This week on... TCM (October 24 - 29)

2011-10-23T00:21:00.006-04:00

TCM is looking to disturb your sleep this week with several nights of terror, intrigue, and, of course, the macabre. Will you be brave enough to make it through this schedule?

Monday, October 24, 2011 (A night of TERROR!)
Carnival Of Souls (1962) 8:00 PM - I'm not a fan of the zombie genre, but I recall liking this title a bit better than Night of the Living Dead.
Strait-Jacket (1964) 12:00 AM
Pit And The Pendulum (1961) 1:45 AM
The Masque Of The Red Death (1964) 3:15 AM
The Devil's Bride (1968) 5:00 AM

Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Irma La Douce (1963) 3:00 PM - One of the two great movies pairing Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Bad Seed (1956) 5:45 PM - Ooooh, this movie is GOOD! Weird but good.
Undercurrent (1946) 3:30 AM - 'Sheltered woman realizes either her husband or his mysterious brother is a psychopath' - Interesting cast for such a plot: Katharine Hepburn, Robert Taylor, Robert Mitchum

Thursday, October 27, 2011
Screen Directors Playhouse: No. 5 Checked Out (1956) 4:15 PM - Teresa Wright stars as a deaf woman confronting desperate crooks using one of her resort cabins as a hideout. The premise reminds me of Wait Until Dark (worth watching for Alan Arkin's manic performance!).
Fiddler On The Roof (1971) 8:00 PM - I've still never seen this musical, and there's probably no justification for that.
The Boy Friend (1971) 11:15 PM

Friday, October 28, 2011 (The night of a thousand evil twins)
Dead Ringer (1964) 8:00 PM 'Woman murders rich twin and tries to take her place' - Sounds like the new CW show, Ringer? Well, hopefully it's a little better since it stars Bette Davis.
The Black Room (1935) 10:00 PM - 'Evil twin disposes of his enemies in secret death chamber on his estate' - Boris Karloff
The Other (1972) 11:15 PM

Saturday, October 29, 2011
Cat People (1942) 8:00 PM - Recommended!
Martin Scorsese Presents Val Lewton: The Man In The Shadows (2007 documentary) 9:30 PM
The Body Snatcher (1945) 11:00 PM
Bedlam (1946) 2:00 AM
The Seventh Victim (1943) 3:30 AM

This week on... TCM (October 17 - 22)

2011-10-15T23:07:00.007-04:00

Monday, October 17, 2011 (Horrors!)
The Lady From Shanghai (1948) 2:15 PM - If people are wondering why you're watching a movie in the middle of the afternoon on Monday, you can tell them you're doing a little tarrrrr-get practice.
Horror Of Dracula (1958) 8:00 PM
House On Haunted Hill (1959) 9:30 PM
The Tingler (1959) 11:00 PM - Scream, ladies and gentlemen! Scream as loud as you can! (also, read my review of Spine Tingler!: The William Castle Story)
House Of Wax (1953) 12:30 AM - If you've got your 3-D glasses on, make sure you don't get hit by the paddle ball.
Curse Of The Demon (1958) 2:15 AM - I've never seen this one.. It's a Jacques Tourneur film starring Dana Andrews as an anthropologist investigating a devil worshipper. Typical Dana Andrews movie!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011
On Moonlight Bay (1951) 3:00 PM - A fun Doris Day / Gordon MacRae musical that will delight fans of Oklahoma! and Meet Me In St. Louis

Friday, October 21, 2011
She (1965) 8:00 PM - From the H. Rider Haggard book

Also, 'the vacationing Robert Osborne' will return in December!

The Encyclopedia of Guilty Pleasures

2011-10-12T02:56:00.002-04:00

The Encyclopedia of Guilty Pleasures: 1,001 Things You Hate To Love by Sam Stall, Lou Harry, and Julia Spalding (Quirk Books, 2004) is the most opinionated and infuriating pop culture encyclopedia I've ever read.

The book is meant to be a satirical compendium of bad taste which plumbs the depths of trash culture and regurgitates the curiously popular bits. I found the writers' descriptions of the skewered subjects to be shallow and misguided and the writing style to be unnecessarily scathing.

I found Guilty Pleasures objectionable in two ways:

1) The book insinuates that the reader secretly imbibes in an endless array of cerebral junk in the guise of noxious foodstuffs and televisual, musical, and cinematic pap, as well as other various popular culture taboos. Its snarky, all-knowing tone accuses the reader of sheepishly enjoying the lowest of the low brow but assumes one should be so insecure about their pop predilections that they should be hidden for private consumption (or only publicly embraced under the credible sheen of hipster 'irony'). That's all well and good, but sometimes assumptions fall flat. The book does not allow for individuality and personal tastes. Personally, I found that I truly liked enough of the 'pap' culture entries, but many did not apply to my personal tastes.

2) The book, also, matter-of-factly pronounces all 1,001 entries as being equally shameful. Many of the entries are pretty tasteless, I'll agree. Still, I think the writers have a lot of nerve asserting that all of these entries maintain the same level of repulsion and that its audience shares a secret love/hate for the bulk of these phenomena.

Further, the book asserts that, not only do I secretly love these pop culture missteps, but I should be sick with fear that someone should find out my dirty secret. Why? What do I care whether someone judges my taste? So what if someone doesn't agree with what I find enjoyable? So what if I don't like what you find enjoyable?

In many cases, I agree that specific entries have become bafflingly enduring contributions to the American popular cultural landscape, but that doesn't mean that every reader was necessarily duped into loving, say, Kenny G, the perennial punchline. Bad taste doesn't hurt anyone at all, and they use the term 'schmaltzy' as if that were a decidedly bad thing. I suppose I am the type who bristles at being told what's in and out, what's hot and not, what I should and shouldn't like. I highly value individualism in all its glory and misfortune, and I don't appreciate being guided by imposing 'tastemakers.' I realize the book is meant to be a silly bit of entertainment, but it would have been far more interesting if the writers would have toned down the blasé snark and attempted to provide some insight into why we are attracted to these so-called horrors. I think nostalgists know that their tastes often err on the garish side, but there's an underlying affection, even if it's just in pinning a junk food or a cloying pop song to an almost forgotten memory. It's a part of their past they wish to hold on to. Sometimes it's merely mental comfort food.

Now, dear reader, you are probably thinking that I'm the one who took this tongue-in-cheek book too seriously, and that it was meant to be an entertaining satire that should have taken me all of three or four days to finish rather than the weeks I spent seething over some of the postulations. You might even say, 'take it easy, Maria, this book wasn't a personal attack of your tastes and interests. What's wrong with you anyhow?' The truth is, the jarringly self-righteous and knowing tone became more and more unpleasant as I progressed through the book. It was not lighthearted in the least; in fact, I found it to be a little nasty. It made me want to do the unthinkable: defend the merits of Anna Nicole Smith and Big Mouth Billy Bass! Humor books shouldn't send its readers to the brink of such insanity!

If you'll look at the Amazon site, the book has gotten some rave reviews, so it really is just me. I highly suspect the intended audience of this book was meant to overlap with the hipster hells of McSweeney's and Pitchfork, and those people might very well enjoy carting this book around and pretending that they're reading it.

Honestly, there isn't much to recommend this book. It's really just a random list of crap with a short taunting jab at the reader's ego. There have been 1,001 pop culture encyclopedias (and I've read them all), and most have had some glimmer of merit even while stomping over the same well-worn ground. Some really are laugh out loud, others are meticulously categorized, and others have cool trivia tidbits. This book can't claim any of these assets. Not a one. There's not a lot of new ground covered in its pages, and it's not a highly factual book that you would want for pop reference. If it doesn't tickle your personal funny bone, there's really no reason for it to exist.

In my opinion, Guilty Pleasures can't compare to any of the other pop culture encyclopedias on the market. I have two recommendations depending upon which style of guide you prefer. If you're interested in a one-volume book to consult when you're in need of pop culture minutiae, you can't improve upon From ABBA To Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century by David Mansour. However, if you're in the market for a short, fun book with more than a touch of humor, you want to get your hands on Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops?: The Lost Toys, Tastes, and Trends of the 70s and 80s [read my review!]. As far as The Encyclopedia of Guilty Pleasures, I feel a little guilty that I disliked it so much.

This week on... TCM (October 9 - 14)

2011-10-09T00:44:00.004-04:00

Boy, was American Horror Story creepy or what? I don't know that I can watch any more of that. Oh well, at least there's always the trusty TCM. Here's their very laudable October 2011 schedule.

Sunday, October 9, 2011
Critic's Choice (1963) 4:00 PM - 'A Broadway critic must write a negative review of his wife's play' - Fun with Bob Hope and Lucille Ball!
Limelight (1952) 1:30 AM - I've been interested in seeing this late Charles Chaplin movie which features Claire Bloom and Buster Keaton

Monday, October 10, 2011
Fiddler On The Roof (1971) 4:45 PM - It's hard to believe, but I've never seen this.
The Uninvited (1944) 9:15 PM - This is a really good Ray Milland supernatural thriller.
Dead Of Night (1945) 11:00 PM - Another good British supernatural movie. This is like a gentler Simpson's Treehouse of Horror (various vignettes weave together into a central psychoanalytical story).
Cat People (1942) 2:15 AM - Excellent Simone Simon tale
The Curse Of The Cat People (1944) 3:45 AM - This is a sort-of, kind-of sequel to Cat People, except it really has nothing to do with the first movie. Personally, I found it to be much more haunting.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The Glass Key (1942) 12:15 AM - You can't go wrong with this film noir starring one of the best duos of the genre, Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. The plot is taken from a Dashiell Hammett book. Stay tuned for next month's airing of my (2nd) favorite, THE BLUE DAHLIA!
All The King's Men (1949) 2:00 AM - I read the Robert Penn Warren book in high school but never saw the movie. I've read nothing but rave reviews of Broderick Crawford's portrayal of Willie Stark.

Friday, October 14, 2011
The Third Man (1949) 8:30 AM - It's a favorite and I'll recommend it every single time it's on!
Some Like It Hot (1959) 10:30 AM
The Apartment (1960) 12:45 PM - Poor Jack Lemmon..
Far From The Madding Crowd (1967) 5:00 PM - A fine collection of actors: Julie Christie and Terrence Stamp (inspiring the 'Terry and Julie' lyrics of the Kinks' Waterloo Sunset?), Peter Finch, and Alan Bates (who was quite good in the Merchant Ivory movie Quintet)!

On the... Television in... October

2011-10-05T01:36:00.005-04:00

Right about the time when the air starts to give off a satisfying chill, so too does the television, in the form of Halloween specials, horror movies, and monster marathons. I love this time of year and all its corresponding thrills, and my interest is piqued by a few new shows airing this month. I don't know much about any of them, and I'm not fond of being spoiled, so I haven't looked at a lot of clips or websites about any of them. In fact, it can be said that I know next to nothing about any of these series, but what I have seen has me anticipating some high quality creepiness. First up is American Horror Story. I know little about FX's new horror series which debuts tonight [Wednesday, October 5 at 10:00 PM] (other than the fact that it stars Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton), but I've read some positive reviews. I hope it will live up to the hype! I've also seen intriguing ads for NBC's Grimm, which appears to be a darker, more adult fairy tale (though not to be confused with the new ABC series Once Upon A Time?). Grimm officially airs on NBC on Friday, October 28 (I'm not sure when Once Upon A Time makes its debut), but it looks like Syfy might be showing the pilot episode on Monday, October 24 at 8:00 PM. Check your local listings!

The trusty TV Tango has posted its Halloween/October programming list. Here's the best stuff I've gleaned from the list. Cartoon Network's better sibling, Boomerang, is doing a Super-Spooky Weekday Block all month. Various Scooby-Doo incarnations, The [Animated] Addams Family, The Munsters, and Funky Phantom will be shown from 10:30 AM to 3 PM every week day. Also, it looks like Boomerang has an Addams Family/Munsters marathon scheduled for Monday, October 10 (6 AM to 5:30 PM). Wish I still got that channel! AMC and TCM will be showing a LOT of horror movies all month. TCM is, naturally, the channel you want to tune to for the best in classic thrills and chills. FYI, here is TCM's October 2011 schedule (I haven't watched too many movies for a few weeks, but next week's schedule is really packed.)

O-o-o-oh Ro-o-o-ob!

On the less terrifying side of the dial, I discovered that TV Land is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of one of the best comedies ever, The Dick Van Dyke Show, with a week of marathon programming. Check your local listings. The channel advertises hour blocks starting at 7:00 PM, but I've seen alternate airing times, as well. Unfortunately, I already missed one day's worth of programming since I didn't check their schedule! Don't miss this rare occasion of TV Land actually showing a classic show! Edit: There will be a two-day marathon on TV Land starting at noon on Saturday.

Televisual Miscellanea

My favorite television show of all-time, The Wonder Years, is now on Netflix Streaming. This is great news for anyone who has that service and/or has not been watching it religiously on The Hub.

The modern classic Arrested Development ~~will~~ could return by 2013 with ten new episodes (each focusing on one of the whacked out Bluths) (a premise that sounds more webisodic to me) and culminating with the long-promised movie. I fear resurrecting something as close to perfection as Arrested Development will be the biggest little mistake Mitch Hurwitz could make. Check out the New Yorker Festival's Arrested Development reunion panel where these unholy promises were made.

Here's something to look forward to: Stephen Fry, Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd), and David Mitchell and Robert Webb (the duo behind Peep Show and The Mitchell and Webb Look/Sound/etc.) are collaborating on a new show for the BBC called The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff. It's a Dickensian spoof by Mark Evans that will air in the UK around Christmas. I got a chuckle out of Robert Webb's quote in the linked press release: "I'm really looking forward to working with my all-time hero David Mitchell. Apparently Stephen Fry is in it too, which is nice." The premise sounds very promising and the cast is a guarantee for quality street comedy. I just hope it makes it into wider release eventually (ie BBC America, the Internet).

Survey says: Game Shows!

2011-09-14T01:35:00.009-04:00

Dumb Dora is so dumb..

How dumb is she?

She's so dumb that she watched three specials on the Game Show Network about [BLANK]

You don't need to be Charles Nelson Reilly to guess that a three-part special on GSN about the most memorable game shows of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s would be right up my alley! Hollywood square Caroline Rhea hosted three hour-long specials that originally aired in 2008 but are frequently dusted off to complement their Wayback Playback retro block.

Game Shows: The 1970s

The gang's all here!

Polyester. Afros. Wide lapels. Wider sideburns. People talking about makin' whoopie. And that's just a sample of what you'd expect to see on game shows in the 1970s! Play it Back: 70s Game Shows highlighted the most wild and crazy the decade had to offer. The 1970s is still considered the height of game show mania, and 1975 goes down in history as the year with the greatest number of game shows on air (26!). Star-studded who's who panel shows of the 1950s and '60s (I've Got A Secret, What's My Line?) peaked in the 1970s with a revamped version of The Match Game which boasted the wild guesses of Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly, and Richard Dawson. The appeal of The Match Game wasn't merely the off-the-wall celebrity panel and the equally nutty host, Gene Rayburn. Rayburn and the panelists seemed to be having a hoot, sometimes appearing completely oblivious to the rolling cameras. As Somers and Reilly tried to one-up each other with their zingers and their gigantic eyewear, the suave Richard Dawson was always left to hold the show together as best he could. Otherwise, it would all fall apart in hysterical pandemonium, not that anyone would have minded. (Richard Dawson proved so popular on the Match Game that he was soon offered a job hosting his own game show. Survey says: 'Family Feud'!)

Sample of many Match Game clips on YouTube
The Match Game at TV Party
Sporcle quiz - Can you name the Match Game 70s panelists?

The 1970s also popularized dating/romance game shows. The Dating Game had many armchair matchmakers yelling at their tv sets while a trio of eligible bachelor(ette)s were grilled by their unseen date. A roster of celebrities appeared on the show before they became A-list names, including the oddball comic Andy Kaufman. Here's a clip from his 1978 appearance. For the couples who were a little more advanced in their relationships and willing to humiliate themselves further, there was the Newlywed Game hosted by Bob Eubanks. Classic Eubanks clips inevitably crop up on every 'wackiest tv moments' show that has ever aired, though they hardly seem salacious now.

While the Match Game was clearly the pinnacle of the genre, the 1970s wasn't considered the decade of the game show for nothing. Only in the 'anything goes' 70s could you tune in to the see the likes of Chuck Barris' anarchic Gong Show and, of course, Mr. Center Square, Paul Lynde! Play it Back: 70s Game Shows also showed clips from Name That Tune, The $20,000 Pyramid (namely Billy Crystal's record-breaking 1977 climb to the top of the pyramid in 26 seconds!), and 3's A Crowd (pitting the missus against the secretary).

Game Shows: The 1980s

Game shows remained a popular commodity in the 1980s. While the new decade couldn't top the popularity of the 1970s, it could promise bigger and better thrills. Play it Back: 80s Game Shows centered on the biggest S-T-A-R of them all, Vanna White. In 1980, Wheel Of Fortune debuted with host Pat Sajak, but the show didn't become a daytime favorite until 1982 when an unknown bombshell named Vanna White was introduced as his resident 'letter turner'. Vanna had caught game show mogul Merv Griffin's eye when she was a contestant on another daytime hit, The Price Is Right.

No really, it's true!

The 1980s saw the emergence of a slew of revamped and updated game shows with bigger prizes, younger hosts, and new twists. Pyramid got a huge bonus with the introduction of Dick Clark's $100,000 Pyramid, and the perennially popular Password returned with Super Password and Password+ Plus. Rip Taylor literally flipped his wig on Super Password. Password Plus is the game show known for having the longest blooper in television history (on YouTube: parts 1, 2, 3, 4). Betty White and Dick Martin were the celebrities giving the clues. Who would have thought the words 'French' and 'pate' could disrupt the momentum of a show so well?

Jeopardy! also returned to the airwaves in 1984 when Alex Trebek took over for Art Fleming. Trebek was no stranger to game shows as he was most notably host of High Rollers. It was, however, Wink Martindale who held the record for hosting the greatest number of game shows (a total of six!).

In addition to these classics, Play it Back: 80s Game Shows also showed clips from Card Sharks, Hollywood Squares, Tic-Tac-Dough, and Love Connection with Chuck Woolery. Unfortunately, they didn't show one of my favorites, Win Lose Or Draw! Wheel of Fortune kissed the 1980s goodbye with the end of daytime Wheel Of Fortune, though its prime-time counterpart is still going strong. By the close of the decade, America was ready for a new crop of game shows with a new set of gimmicks to draw in the audience.

Game Shows: The 1990s

Play it Back: 90s Game Shows entered the internet age in style with digital sets and even bigger payloads than the previous decade! Graphics were computerized and producers amped up the drama (and ratings!) with heart-pounding soundtracks. Wheel Of Fortune saw the most dramatic makeover. Vanna White was promoted from 'letter turner' to 'letter toucher'. She certainly does her letter touching and/or turning with aplomb, but that's just about the cushiest sounding job I've ever heard of! Interestingly, before the 1990s digitization of the puzzle board, the letters for each puzzle had to be manually loaded in slots behind the set during filming (much like the wooden printing blocks at a newspaper). Vanna would walk across the set to actually turn the letters. Now, puzzles are computerized and appear instantly without interrupting the shows' taping. The new squares are heat-activated touchpads that Vanna has to tap to reveal the letters. Comparatively, Jeopardy!'s 1996 update was less impressive. The new set was sleeker, but it was Alex Trebek's new face that was most remarkable.

Game shows became must see events again with the debut of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Millionaire defined edge-of-your-seat entertainment and became an American obsession as viewers continued to tune in for that first million dollar winner. Finally, John Carpenter broke the bank in 1999. Audiences thrilled as he played along with Millionaire's patented psychological mindgames by calling his father at the last question just to tell him he was about to win top prize (YouTube playlist). I would bet that many pop culture fans knew the million dollar answer! Millionaire ushered in the big money trivia show, but Jeopardy! topped it with Ken Jennings' [2] amazing winning streak in 2004 (winning a total $3,172,700 with a record 74 wins).

Less dramatically, Hollywood Squares returned to the air with a new host, Tom Bergeron. Whoopi Goldberg was the center of the new celebrity board, which also included Caroline Rhea, a bevy of Baldwins, and Gilbert Gotfried. Other popular 1990s game shows featured on Play it Back: 90s Game Shows included Win Ben Stein's Money, Studs (the dating game's tackier cousin with all those hokey hearts), and Rock & Roll Jeopardy! (hosted by a pre-Survivor Jeff Probst). Well, the 1990s may not have been more fun than the '70s, but at least they made the game show genre its own with typical '90s garishness!

New game shows are still being churned out by the channelful, but they've mostly lost their innocent charm. There was a time when we would thrill to see Gene Rayburn hopping around barefoot on rust colored shaggy carpet and ponder the identity of the Gong Show's Unknown Comic (Murray Langston). Now we're taken in by shows that offer multi-million dollar prizes (Greed's $2.2 million) in exchange for bigger humiliations. It's all about the money. Game show contestants don't even look like they're having fun anymore! At least home viewers can still have fun watching the Game Show Network and their vintage Wayback Playback blocks every weekday morning and late night! [Check your local listings for daily 1970s-80s programming, the Play it Back specials, and, less frequently, 1950s-60s shows]

This week on... TCM (September 11 - 16)

2011-09-10T22:01:00.002-04:00

Sunday, September 11, 2011 (celebrating New York and honoring the ten year anniversary of 9/11 with movies chosen by two of New York's many heroes, first responders on that day)
42nd Street (1933) 10:00 AM
Guys And Dolls (1955) 11:45
The Clock (1945) 2:30 PM
Annie Hall (1977) 4:15 PM
On The Town (1949) 6:00 PM

Monday, September 12, 2011
Don't Bother To Knock (1952) 8:00 PM - Marilyn Monroe is GREAT in this movie as an unstable young beauty, co-stars Richard Widmark
Niagara (1952) 9:30 PM - Another great noir with Marilyn Monroe, co-stars Joseph Cotten.
The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) 11:30 PM

Thursday, September 15, 2011 (theme: Merchant Ivory)
The Remains of the Day (1993) 8:00 PM
Howards End (1992) 10:30 PM
A Room With A View (1985) 1:00 AM
Maurice (1987) 3:00 AM

Friday, September 16, 2011
Harper (1966) 4:45 PM
Carry On Sergeant (1959) 8:00 PM
Carry On Nurse (1960) 9:30 PM
Carry On Teacher (1962) 11:00 PM
Carry On Constable (1961) 12:30 AM
Corruption (1967) 2:00 AM - 'When a plastic surgeon accidentally disfigures his model girlfriend, he becomes obsessed with restoring her face.' Peter Cushing
Wicked, Wicked (1973) 3:45 AM - This is one of the worst movies I saw last year. It's a split-screen headache starring an Ian Curtis lookalike who is obsessed with a blonde-wigged hotel singer. The title song will burrow into your subconscious and you'll never be rid of it!
Delicious Dishes (1950) 5:45 AM - 'Experts demonstrate such innovative kitchen gadgets as the cheese slicer and the melon baller.' - 13 minutes

This week on... TCM (September 5 - 10)

2011-09-03T22:58:00.003-04:00

Monday, September 5, 2011
Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood [2] - 12:45 PM - 8 PM (roughly) - Labor Day marathon of TCM's 2010 documentary series. Seven hour-long episodes spanning the rise and fall of the studio system. I watched this when it first aired over seven weeks, and TCM did an admirable job (as usual)!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) 8:00 PM - A night of noirs
Out Of The Past (1947) 10:00 PM - A stylish Jacques Tourneur noir starring young Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and a typically sleazy Kirk Douglas.
A Letter To Three Wives (1948) 1:30 AM

Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Follow The Fleet (1936) 8:00 PM
The Big Street (1942) 12:00 AM - Oh no, it is Damon Runyon! Luck be a lousy Lucy tonight.
The Lady Of Burlesque (1943) 1:45 AM

Thursday, September 8, 2011 (theme: Merchant Ivory)
The Europeans (1979) 8:00 PM 'A New England household is upset by the arrival of two cousins from Europe.' Lee Remick
The Bostonians (1984) 9:45 PM - 'A bored lawyer and a suffragette vie for the attentions of a faith healer's charismatic daughter.' Christopher Reeve, Vanessa Redgrave
Roseland (1977) 12:00 AM - 'Three stories set in the famed dancehall center on the search for a perfect partner in dancing and life.' Teresa Wright, Lou Jacobi
Quartet (1981) 2:00 AM - 'When her husband's arrest leaves her penniless, a woman accepts an invitation to move in with a strange couple.' Isabelle Adjani, Maggie Smith

Friday, September 9, 2011
Breakin' (1984) 2:00 AM - Unfortunately, there's NO electric bugaloo in this movie. Starring Shabba-Doo. Yes, THE Shabba-Doo. Stay tuned for my ode to Shabba-Doo next week!
Roller Boogie (1979) 3:30 AM - Linda Blair was already used to spinning in her acting roles by the time she made this movie.

Saturday, September 10, 2011
The Kennel Murder Case (1933) 9:30 AM - William Powell as society sleuth Philo Vance. I wonder if there are any movies where a society sleuth comes head-to-head with a gentleman-thief. I hope so.
The Loneliness Of the Long Distance Runner (1962) - 8:00 PM - I LOVE THIS MOVIE! It stars the seminal Angry Young Man, Tom Courtenay (except in a rare turn, you actually learn WHY he's an angry young man. Usually that's not addressed.) and Michael Redgrave. Oh man, Michael Redgrave's sullen face at the end!! HIGHLY recommended. Tom Courtenay is a gem!
The Innocents (1961) - 'A governess convinces herself the children in her charge are haunted.' Wait, the CHILDREN are haunted? Can a person be haunted? Or are they possessed? Or is it just that the children's rooms are haunted? I might have to watch this to find out.
Dead Of Night (1945) 12:00 AM - 'Guests at a country estate share stories of the supernatural.' Perfect midnight movie!

This week on... TCM (August 28 - ??)

2011-08-27T22:01:00.004-04:00

The weather outside is frightful, so why not ride out the rest of the hurricane indoors with Ben Mankiewicz and the TCM team? Lights are flickering a lot, so I'll just post the first half and edit this later to include the beginning of September.

Sunday, August 28, 2011 (CAROLE LOMBARD)
To Be Or Not To Be (1942) 6:15 PM
My Man Godfrey (1936) 8:00 PM - A highly rated comedy starring real-life couple William Powell and Carole Lombard in which an aristocrat is mistaken for a forgotten man. I can only take so much Carole Lombard, though..
Mr. And Mrs. Smith (1941) 1:00 AM - This Hitchcock movie has nothing to do with that Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie movie. At all.

Monday, August 29, 2011 (ANNE FRANCIS aka Honey West, who died earlier this year)
Funny Girl (1968) 5:00 PM
Blackboard Jungle (1955) 8:00 PM - My Mom recommends this movie about hoodlums.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011 (HOWARD KEEL)
Lovely To Look At (1952) 12:30 PM - The Roberta remake
Annie Get Your Gun (1950) 4:30 PM - Except for that ONE song, this is a fun musical!
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) 9:30 PM - Bless yore beautiful hide! I only recently discovered that my favorite bride, Dorcas, was played by Julie Newmar!

Here's the TCM September 2011 schedule as I've seen it..

Friday, September 2, 2011
To Sir With Love (1967) 6:30 AM - You know you're a pretty great teacher if Lulu sings a song about you! Possibly Sidney Poitier's best movie, and that's saying something since he's pretty great!
Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948) 8:00 PM - This sounds like Splash starring William Powell and Ann Blyth.

'I'm hep, daddy-o. I'm into the Ramones!'

2011-08-23T01:10:00.003-04:00

The Ramones might not have cared about history (it just wasn't where they wanted to be), but they made it in August 1979 when they exploded on to the big screen with the cult favorite, Rock 'N' Roll High School [2]. The Queens, New York-based band shared screen time with PJ Soles (Carrie, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble), Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard in this apocalyptic teen comedy.

The premise is an easy A: PJ Soles is Riff Randell, typical Ramones-obsessed teen who ditches school to secure a ticket for the Ramones concert. But when her tickets are confiscated by Vince Lombardi High's newest and nastiest principal, Miss Togar, she has to find a replacement. Proving once and for all that teachers and parents just don't get it, an auditorium of concerned authority figures rile up the student body with a massive record burning that must have been more painful to endure than a teenage lobotomy. But, don't worry, the PTA gets it in the end! What results is a fun-fun (oh ba-by!) teen comedy for the ages that should send everyone Gabba Gabba Hey-ing all the way to the cineplex. It's a blast, literally!

Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy pack their soundtrack with some of their best and most memorable songs, though there are quite a few non-Ramone contributions (Fleetwood Mac?!). The best movie scenes are the ones that actually feature the red-hot rockers. In a sequence that is surely every teen girl's fantasy (?), Joey serenades a barely-dressed Riff with 'I Want You Arou-ound.' Later, the quartet bursts on the scene with their lamentation, 'I Just Wanna Have Something To Do' (Might I suggest having some chicken vindaloo?).

Rock 'N' Roll High School Forever was the 1991 bomb of a sequel starring Corey Feldman and a handful of lesser California punk icons. I mean, who would choose Mojo Nixon over Joey Ramone??

This week on... TCM (August 21 -27)

2011-08-20T22:24:00.008-04:00

A month just isn't enough for TCM's Summer Under The Stars series. If only it could be expanded to June through August! This month has been a real joy, and TCM did a stellar job with their twenty-four hours of thirty-one stars challenge!

Sunday, August 21, 2011 (CARY GRANT)
My Favorite Wife (1940) 9:00 AM - 'A shipwrecked woman is rescued just in time for her husband's re-marriage.' Another Irene Dunne romantic comedy!
The Bachelor And The Bobby Soxer (1940) 10:30 AM
The Philadelphia Story (1940) 3:30 PM - Most comedies from 1940 were about women remarrying Cary Grant, in fact!
North By Northwest (1959) 5:30 PM
Gunga Din (1939) 8:00 PM
Only Angels Have Wings (1939) 10:15 PM - 'A team of flyers risks their lives to deliver the mail in a mountainous South American country.' I'm told by a Tales Of The Gold Monkey expert that this was one of the major influences to the underappreciated series!
Bringing Up Baby (1938) 4:15 AM - Most comedies from 1938 were about Cary Grant and leopards!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011 (CONRAD VEIDT)
Whistling In The Dark (1941) 2:45 PM - 'A radio detective is kidnapped and forced to plan the perfect murder.' With Red Skelton and Ann Rutherford
The Hands Of Orlac (1925) 8:00 PM - 'An experimental graft gives an injured concert pianist the hands of a murderer.'
Casablanca (1942) 11:45 PM
Nazi Agent (1942) 1:45 AM - 'An Allied sympathizer discovers his twin brother is a Nazi spy.' Directed by Jules Dassin.
The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1919) 3:15 AM - 'A carnival performer uses a hypnotized sleepwalker to murder his enemies.' Oooh!
Dark Journey (1937) 4:30 AM - 'Rival spies fall in love during World War I.' With Vivien Leigh

Wednesday, August 24, 2011 (JOAN BLONDELL)
Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) 2:45 PM - 'Three chorus girls fight to keep their show going and find rich husbands.' Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell. This is the Gold Diggers that has Ginger Rodgers' 'We're In The Money' number. I generally found this one to be better than the later Gold Diggers movies, but it's the 1935 edition that has Busby's brilliant fifteen minute 'Lullaby Of Broadway' spectacle.
Footlight Parade (1933) 4:30 PM
Dames (1934) 9:15 PM - The last in the series of Busby Berkeley movies!
Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957) 2:30 AM - 'A lowly adman tries to better his lot by courting a glamorous Hollywood star.' That's quite a cast with Tony Randall, Jayne Mansfield, and Betsy Drake! Factoid: About 20 years later, Joan Blondell's character in Grease has the same name!

Thursday, August 25, 2011 (BURT LANCASTER)
The Leopard (1963) 8:00 PM - This movie is filled with beautiful people, namely the gorgeous Alain Delon.. also Claudia Cardinale. Directed by Luchino Visconti.
The Killers (1946) 11:30 PM - 'An insurance investigator uncovers a string of crimes when he tries to find a murdered boxer's beneficiary.' This movie, co-starring Ava Gardner and Edmond O'Brien, is Burt Lancaster's first movie.
Scorpio (1973) 3:45 AM - Burt Lancaster works with Alain Delon again!

[Unfortunately, TCM didn't schedule his BEST movie, Judgment At Nuremberg -- HIGHLY recommended]

Friday, August 26, 2011 (PETER LAWFORD)
It Happened In Brooklyn (1947) 6:00 PM - The song's gotta come from the heart!
Good News (1947) 8:00 PM
It Should Happen To You (1954) 10:00 PM - Kind of a silly romantic comedy with Judy Holliday, but Jack Lemmon is always so good.
Salt And Pepper (1968) 11:45 PM - Co-stars Sammy Davis, Jr

Saturday, August 27, 2011 (LINDA DARNELL)
Fallen Angel (1945) 6:00 PM - 'A man is accused of killing a waitress he had tried to seduce with his wife's money.' It's Otto Preminger so it oughtta be pretty good. Oh, and Dana Andrews stars.
A Letter To Three Wives (1948) 8:00 PM
Hangover Square (1945) 11:30 PM - 'A composer who can't control his creative temperament turns to murder.' This sounds like EVERY George Sanders movie!

Happy viewing!

Eau d'Orson

2011-08-20T00:20:00.006-04:00

[Note: I am by no means a film student or critic, and I certainly am not a Wellesian expert. These are the inexperienced impressions of a fairly new Orson Welles fan.]

Orson Welles [2] has the reputation of being one of the earliest American auteurs known for elevating his films to an artform. It's almost inconceivable that his ultra modern camera techniques, which have retained a startling freshness that hasn't diminished with age, first graced theater screens almost seventy years ago. His innovative camera work stands out as his cinematic signature: endless long-distance shots, daring single-shot pans, and light trickery.

Welles populates his world with smugglers of illegal goods, black mailers, crooked cops, murderers, and immoral men of importance who will stop at nothing to get ahead. His aren't your average b-movie baddies. Even the beautiful women are neither the typical two-faced seductresses nor the helpless dames of the noir genre. There's a fragility that the hardened femme fatale eschews tempered with a worldliness to which truly distressed damsels cannot relate. And, of course, there are the innocent men who collide with these characters, and stumble away, dazed, by the stingle of madness. Welles' characters regularly toe the line between humanity and insanity. Perversity lurks behind many a thin veil of prosthetics, masks, and facial hair, just barely concealing the character's lunacy.

What elevates his movies above basic b-rated noirs is his cynical philosophy. In fact, his allegorical oeuvre may be more illuminating today in our age of mega-corporate corruption, bureaucratic waste, and a failing society that embraces fame and power at any price.

These are philosophical tales that relish building up a man to his ultimate greatness, always careful to expose his single vulnerability (often a dame). Then, allowing enough room for the character's inevitable madness to rise to a crescendo, he topples his entire legacy into ruins before your stunned eyes. Wealthy financiers, media moguls-turned-politicos, celebrated cops: none are safe from this terrible fate. Money, fame, power, and influence are nothing in those final moments that bring every man back down to the level of the everyman. These are Welles' exotic meditations that take us on a tour of the world, to strange ports of call, and introduce us to all manner of eccentric character, many with jarringly unpronounceable names. And, like his intricate play of lights, what's important isn't hidden away in the darkest shadows or exposed by the brightest lights; the pulsating neon, the double negatives, and the shades of gray serve as a cinematic underscore to his ruminations.

Even when Orson Welles was disappointed with his end result -- which was, apparently, always -- the audience really knew better. How he chastised his audience for loving him so, as if we were the duped, like his Michael O'Hara in The Lady From Shanghai, the outsider invited into a floating madhouse. And, perhaps in Welles' harshly critical eyes, the cult of Wellesian scholars are his cast of prosthetic noses, a meaningless pretension that adds nothing to the plot or O'Hara's Irish brogue, a show-off that sticks out like a sore thumb.

For your consideration, my three favorite Orson Welles films, three exemplary film noirs (Note: You should assume that this post and any links on this page will spoil the movies! Read at your own risk if you haven't seen any of the movies yet!):

The Lady From Shanghai (1948)

Welles and Hayworth sizzle in The Lady From Shanghai

After appreciating the sleek, never-ending opening shot of Touch of Evil that sweeps us across a bustling Mexican town, constantly changing focus from various people or vehicles, keeping the viewer guessing where our eye is ultimately meant to rest, it was strange to experience the unfortunate state of The Lady From Shanghai. The poor editing is choppier than the waters on which Michael O'Hara and his shipmates sail.

How 'bout a little tarrrrr...get practice?

Real-life couple (at the time), Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth sizzle as the hapless Michael O'Hara and the mysterious Elsa Bannister, a married woman who seems to harbor a dark past of exotic exploits. O'Hara is instantly infatuated with the smoldering Mrs. Bannister and seems powerless to her advances. Bannister hires her lover as a seaman to accompany her and her sadistic husband aboard their yacht. Also on board is Mr. Bannister's loopy business partner, who has a headful of proposals that makes the insistent 'criss-crossing' of Robert Walker's character from Hitchcock's Stranger's On A Train seem comparably normal. Their plans soon go awry, and the plot becomes more and more convoluted, leading up to the memorable fun house scene. While sources state that the theatrically-released Lady From Shanghai failed to capture Welles' vision, the choppiness does add a level of disorientation that complements the spiraling plot.

Lady From Shanghai at the AMC Filmsite.
Lady From Shanghai at Doctor Macro - There are a lot of goodies at Doctor Macro's (summary, pictures, old radio shows and clips)!

The Third Man (1949)

'What can I do, old man? I'm dead, aren't I?'

Cue that cynical zither music! The Third Man follows boyish Harry Lime's (Welles) Viennese escapades. Lime is a popular figure in the underworld and garners a lot of influence with the wrong sort of people. His longtime friend, a writer named Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), travels to Vienna to take his friend up on a business offer. Unfortunately, Martins just misses him as his funeral happens to be that very day. Martins is told several stories about the tragic accident that claimed his friend's life, but he soon begins to question whether the death was accidental when news of a third witness is quickly hushed up. Martins sets out to unravel the mystery of Lime's death but uncovers disturbing details of shady business deals. And, what of this alleged third man? Fans of this movie might enjoy listening to the prequel radio series The Lives Of Harry Lime, which aired two years after the release of the movie. The film, Mr. Arkadin [on Hulu!] was derived from three episodes of this radio series.

'In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed -- but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock!'

The Third Man at the Criterion Collection
The Third Man at the AMC Filmsite
The Third Man at Doctor Macro

Touch Of Evil (1958)

'I don't speak Mexican...Let's keep it in English, Vargas.' (My favorite scene has Vargas, a Mexican cop, speaking to a Mexican criminal in Spanish, and the criminal asks him to speak English. That's realistic!)

Charlton Heston is impressive as Miguel 'Mike' Vargas, a respected Mexican narcotics officer targeted by a crime family he has been working on. Janet Leigh plays his lovely American bride, Suzy. Unfortunately, their honeymoon is cut short when a car bomb goes off over the border, and Quinlan (Welles), an imposing American cop with some 'hunches' and an inclination towards prejudice, is put on the case. Vargas puts up with Quinlan's verbal abuse, but, when he starts to have a hunch that Quinlan isn't exactly on the straight and narrow, Vargas decides to investigate. Can Vargas expose the police corruption before Quinlan brings him down? Interestingly, Touch Of Evil parallels yet pre-dates Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). In both films, Janet Leigh is victimized in out-of-the-way motels managed by creepy 'night men' (notably Gunsmoke's Dennis Weaver in Touch Of Evil).

'You should lay off those candy bars.'

I'm not much of a Marlene Dietrich fan, but she steals every scene away from Orson Welles, which is very hard to do!

Touch Of Evil at AMC's Filmsite
Touch Of Evil at Doctor Macro
Touch of Genius: An Interview with Charlton Heston (an interview from 1998 about working with Orson Welles)

Other links:
Orson Welles: Great Directors series at Senses Of Cinema
Lilly Library Guide to the Orson Welles Collection
Wellesnet, which is apparently closing, but I don't know if the site will remain intact.

Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

2011-08-16T01:43:00.010-04:00

[clockwise from top left: Matt Holness as Garth Marenghi as Dr. Rick Dagless; Richard Ayoade as Dean Learner as Thornton Reed; Alice Lowe as Madeleine Wool as Dr. Liz Asher; and Matt Berry as Todd Rivers as Dr. Lucien Sanchez. Confused??]

Fans of those lovable misfits in the basement at Reynholm Industries (The IT Crowd) will want to direct their attention to Richard Ayoade's earlier series, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace [2]. In this series-within-a-series, real-life actor Matt Holness plays Garth Marenghi, an extremely prolific horror writer who has, by his own admission, written more books than he has actually read. Marenghi was too much of a dream weaver to be bound to the written page and was commissioned by the UK Channel 4 to create a television program based on his popular tales of the strange and the macabre. He set his supernatural medical drama in a doomed hospital called Darkplace and called on the (lack of) talents of his literary agent, Dean Learner (played by Richard Ayoade), and the actors Todd Rivers (Matt Berry) and Madeleine Wool (Alice Lowe). The resulting series is a masterpiece with all the hallmarks of a typical action-drama from the 1980s, including slow-motion action sequences (special effects thanks to deanamatronix!) and cheesy electronic music ('based on melodies originally whistled by Garth Marenghi'!). Not to mention the terrible, terrible acting and ridiculous plots! The inside story goes that the series was so controversial and outre when it was first produced in the 1980s, that Channel 4 locked it up in its vaults. Twenty years after its production, the channel was finally brave enough (read: ran out of better programs) to air the series, and they quickly cobbled together a few talking heads of the living actors to complement the six unaired episodes. I don't want to spoil the plots or comment on the backstory any further. I know that it seems like a convoluted premise for a comedy series, but it pays off in many respects. Though it doesn't have much in common plot- or production-wise with one of my favorite American comedies of the past decade, Arrested Development, I feel that the two shows share a densely layered vision that is truly glorious when considered in its entirety.

Unfortunately, despite a few laps on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block, the show hasn't seen much interest in the U.S. The existing DVD package is Region 2 PAL, and there doesn't seem to be much hope that any further package will be released soon. Interested viewers must either hope to catch episodes on late night Adult Swim or turn to YouTube to get a taste of this underappreciated comedy. Until it's next turn on Adult Swim, here is a playlist of the six episodes on YouTube:

[most uploaded by Mondonitis]
Once Upon A Beginning (episode 1) - part one, two, three [thanks to Flea01]
Hell Hath No Fury (episode 2) - complete episode
Skipper The Eyechild (episode 3) - part one, two, three
The Apes Of Wrath (episode 4) - part one, two, three
Scotch Mist (episode 5) - part one, two, three
The Creeping Moss from the Shores of Shuggoth (episode 6) - part one, two, three
Select DVD extras [thanks to carthagefield]

A bit of Garth Marenghi fun is that any interviews or promotions that Richard Ayoade and Matt Holness did for the show were done in character. For the purposes of Darkplace, Holness and Ayoade don't even exist. There was even a sort of spin-off show called Man To Man With Dean Learner. Richard Ayoade reprised his character for this celebrity interview show complete with clips of fictitious movies and television shows. Matt Holness portrayed all the guests, including one appearance by Garth Marenghi himself! Each guest is creepier than the last, and, while the show isn't quite as funny as Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, it would be nice for Adult Swim to pick this one up as well. Unfortunately, YouTube doesn't appear to have any full episodes of the show at the moment.

[Richard Ayoade as Saboo on The Mighty Boosh]

There are quite a few familiar faces on a small handful of superb British comedies of the past decade. Richard Ayoade has been one of the most sought actors. He doesn't only star on the aforementioned Garth Marenghi's Darkplace; Man To Man With Dean Learner; and The IT Crowd. He also voiced the nefarious Dixon Bainbridge in the original Mighty Boosh radio show. The character only showed up on the first series of the television production, and Ayoade handed the role over to Matt Berry (also seen as Douglas Reynholm beginning on the second series of The IT Crowd). Richard made a few appearances on The Mighty Boosh, though, as the shaman Saboo. He also made some amusing appearances on various satirical Chris Morris (Denholm Reynholm), Armando Iannucci, and Charlie Brooker projects.

[The Mighty Boosh's Julian Barratt on Garth Marenghi's Darkplace]

The Mighty Boosh will require an eventual post of its own, but, for now, I will say it consists of the mod wolf, Noel Fielding (Richmond of The IT Crowd), and his jazz-loving compadre, Julian Barratt (seen above as Darkplace's priest). The Boosh is wild by comparison to both Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and The IT Crowd and may defy description. All three series of the Boosh are available in the US, and I encourage its viewing.

Other Garth Marenghi links:
Official Garth Marenghi website
Channel 4's program site

This week on... TCM (August 14 - 20)

2011-08-14T00:28:00.005-04:00

TCM's Summer Under The Stars series has been so wonderful that I'm sorry to see this week will mark the half-way point! So far, the highlight for this movie fan was last Monday's Orson Welles marathon when I watched an unprecedented twelve hours' worth of his movies. (More on cinematic behemoth Orson Welles in my next post!) It looks like this week promises some great escapes! Here are some of my recommendations (check your local listings for the latest schedule).

Sunday, August 14, 2011 (RALPH BELLAMY)
His Girl Friday (1940) 8:00 PM
The Awful Truth (1937) 9:45 PM - The awful truth is this is one of my favorite Cary Grant movies!
The Narrow Corner (1933) 2:00 AM - 'A man on the run for murder tries to escape fate in the Pacific islands.' Another attempt to satisfy my desire for more Tales of the Gold Monkey.
West Of Hollywood (1931) 4:30 AM - 'A millionaire doesn't remember getting married but can't forget how much he hates his new wife.'

Tuesday, August 16, 2011 (JOANNE WOODWARD)
Paris Blues (1961) 9:45 AM - Despite the fact that this is Joanne Woodward's day, it's a good way to get caught up on the Paul Newman movies, too!
The Drowning Pool (1975) 4:00 AM - Here's a later movie she made with her husband.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011 (HUMPHREY BOGART)
To Have And Have Not (1944) 11:00 AM - One of Bogart's best (after this blog's namesake, The Maltese Falcon, of course). And you don't even need to know how to whistle!
The Big Sleep (1946) 12:45 PM - You can't ever go wrong with Chandler!
They Drive By Night (1940) 4:30 PM - 'Truck driving brothers are framed for murder by a lady psycho.' A lady psycho!?!
In A Lonely Place (1950) 6:15 PM - 'An aspiring actress begins to suspect that her temperamental boyfriend is a murderer.' There was a time when I thought Gloria Grahame's best role was Ado Annie (and Rod Steiger's was Jud Fry). I cain't believe they were in other sorts of movies!
The Maltese Falcon (1941) 8:00 PM - This is the best movie ever made. It's an adaptation of one of the best books ever written. No arguments! I won't hear it.

Thursday, August 18, 2011 (JEAN GABIN)
Pepe Le Moko (1941) 8:00 PM - I've wanted to see this for a long time.

Friday, August 19, 2011 (DEBBIE REYNOLDS)
The Gazebo (1959) 8:00 PM - 'A suburban couple tries to cope with a murder victim whose body refuses to stay put.' This sounds a bit like a FUNNY version A Slight Case Of Murder but with Carl Reiner instead of Edward G. Robinson!
The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) 10:00 PM - That sounds like a challenge!
Divorce American Style (1967) 12:15 AM - Co-starring Dick Van Dyke!
Singin' In The Rain (1952) 2:15 AM - You can't have Debbie Reynolds without this movie. She's the cat's meow!

Saturday, August 20, 2011 (MONTGOMERY CLIFT)
Raintree County (1957) 6:00 AM - A tepid disappointment with a great cast, including Elizabeth Taylor and Eva Marie Saint, vying for Monty's affections. Unfortunately, this movie is known more for being the beginning of Clift's downward spiral. He incurred debilitating injuries after an off-set accident during the making of this movie, and he never recovered physically or mentally from them.
Lonelyhearts (1958) 9:00 AM - In this quality drama, Monty catches Myrna Loy's eye, and she gets him a job at her husband's newspaper as a lonelyhearts columnist.
The Big Lift (1950) 11:00 AM
Red River (1948) 1:00 PM - Montgomery Clift played opposite the Duke in one of his first big roles.
From Here To Eternity (1953) 3:30 PM - Clift plays a tormented GI on the eve of the attack on Pearl Harbor in this well-acted movie. Co-stars Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra, and Ernest Borgnine.
The Misfits (1961) 5:45 PM - An oddly-cast Western starring a trio of quickly descending stars: Clift, Marilyn Monroe, and Clark Gable.
A Place In The Sun (1951) 8:00 PM - The pinnacle of Montgomery Clift's career, in my opinion. At the least, this was the beginning of his lifelong friendship with Elizabeth Taylor, and there was never a more beautiful couple.
The Heiress (1949) 10:15 PM - Fans of a Jane Austenesque genre would probably enjoy this one.
The Search (1948) 12:15 AM - This was Clift's first big screen motion picture.
I Confess (1953) 2:15 AM - Montgomery Clift played a priest in this Hitchcock thriller.
The Defector (1966) 4:00 AM - The week wraps up with Clift's final movie. Also starring Roddy McDowall.

This week on... TCM (Aug 7 - 13)

2011-08-06T22:21:00.006-04:00

Hope you're all enjoying TCM's Summer Under The Stars series! I saw more movies this past week than I had the entire summer! The upcoming week is really jam-packed full of fun and brilliant movies. Note: the schedule I consulted to piece together my recommendations/personal viewing list might be incorrect now. I have Ralph Bellamy as Sunday's star, but according to commercials airing on TCM, Sunday might actually be Charles Laughton (including The Hunchback of Notre Dame at 8:00 PM). This is why you should always double check the site or look at your cable/satellite's tv guide for up-to-the-minute programming! I'm going to post according to the list I consulted. Anyway, my recommendations aren't obsolete even if the scheduling is slightly off!

Sunday, August 7, 2011 (RALPH BELLAMY)
Carefree (1938) 6:00 AM - A Freud and Ginger movie with Astaire playing a hypnotizing psychoanalyst. This is the strangest work of their pairing, but it's worth watching this oddball just for Ginger's surreal dream sequence!
His Girl Friday (1940) 8:00 PM - Cary Grant matches wits with Rosalind Russell
The Awful Truth (1937) 9:45 PM - If this is really scheduled, it's a must-watch. Ralph Bellamy plays a yokely midwestern millionaire trying to help the newly-divorced Irene Dunne forget married life with Cary Grant. Easier said than Dunne! One of the most delightful Cary Grant comedies I've ever seen (and that's really saying something!), and it also stars everyone's favorite cinematic pooch, Asta.
The Narrow Corner (1933) 2:00 AM - 'A man on the run for murder tries to escape fate in the Pacific islands.' Still looking to fill the void left by Tales of the Gold Monkey.
West Of Hollywood (1931) 4:30 AM - 'A millionaire doesn't remember getting married but can't forget how much he hates his new wife.'

Monday, August 8, 2011 (ORSON WELLES -- This is the best day of the entire Summer Under The Stars series! I can't wait!!!)
Trent's Last Case (1952) 4:30 PM
Mr. Arkadian (1962) 6:15 PM - 'A private eye investigates a millionaire's mysterious past before a murderer can get to the witnesses.'
The Third Man (1949) 8:00 PM - Exciting movie #1! I can practically hear the zithers right now!!!
Citizen Kane (1941) 10:00 PM
Touch Of Evil (1958) 12:15 AM - Exciting movie #2! Charleston Heston is a Mexican narcotics agent who gets mixed up in a dangerous case made more complicated by a crooked cop (Welles). With Janet Leigh as Heston's wife. This is a cinematic treat!
The Lady From Shanghai (1948) 2:00 AM - Exciting movie #3! Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles clash over the Lady From Shanghai (Rita Hayworth). While Orson Welles was allegedly unhappy with aspects of this film, the fun house scene is considered one of the finest of the genre. This and The Third Man are my picks for the evening (although, Touch Of Evil isn't far behind!)
F For Fake (1977) 4:00 AM - 'Director Orson Welles examines the career of a notorious art forger.'

Tuesday, August 9, 2011 (ANN DVORAK)
Three On A Match (1932) 9:45 PM - 'A woman's childhood friends try to rescue her from gangsters.' A great cast with Joan Blondell and the inimitable Bette Davis.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011 (SHIRLEY MACLAINE)
Irma La Douce (1963) 2:00 PM - I thought this Jack Lemmon / Shirley MacLaine movie about a down-and-out gendarme and his (ex-) streetwalker girlfriend was kind of cute...
The Apartment (1960) 8:00 PM - ...so much so that I'm going to finally watch Wilder's beloved classic The Apartment that features the same pair (plus Fred MacMurray).
Some Came Running (1958) 10:30 PM - 'A veteran returns home to deal with family secrets and small-town scandals.' A popular plot. Directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

Thursday, August 11, 2011 (BEN JOHNSON)
The Last Picture Show (1971) 1:15 AM - One of those 1970s movies that has a large cast of actors before they became very famous.

Friday, August 12, 2011 (CLAUDETTE COLBERT)
Midnight (1939) 8:00 PM - 'An unemployed showgirl poses as Hungarian royalty to infiltrate Parisian society.'
It Happened One Night (1934) 11:30 PM - You can never go wrong with this Frank Capra winner.
Since You Went Away (1944) 1:30 AM - 'A mother and wife struggle to cope while her husband is off serving in World War II.' With Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten

Saturday, August 13, 2011 (JIMMY STEWART)
Vivacious Lady (1937) 12:45 PM - My favorite Jimmy Stewart comedy! Professor Stewart brings home his new wife, a nightclub singer (Ginger Rogers), to meet his conservative family.
Bell, Book And Candle (1959) 4:15 PM
Anatomy Of A Murder (1959) 12:00 AM - Great courtroom thriller with a cool jazzy Duke Ellington soundtrack
The Murder Man (1935) 2:45 AM - 'A hard-drinking reporter specializes in murder cases, until he becomes a suspect in one himself.' With Spencer Tracy and Virginia Bruce.

Whatever Happened To Pudding Pops?

2011-08-03T00:07:00.004-04:00

Pop Culture Encyclopedias

X-TINCTION RATING: Revised and revived.

Revised and revived by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper and Brian Bellmont's new book Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops?: The Lost Toys, Tastes & Trends of the '70s & '80s (Perigee Books, 2011).

My bookcase dips in the middle under the weight of my pop culture library. From the massive, all-inclusive ABBA To Zoom to the pocket-sized Guilty Pleasures and bridging the gap between the anecdotal, countercultural RetroHell [1970s-1980s] from the writers of the Ben Is Dead zine to the pseudo-intellectual snooze that is alt.culture [1990s], you would think that another paean to pop cultural memories would be as necessary as a new Planet of the Apes movie.

Naturally, I had great interest to see what new insights could possibly be gleaned from a rehashing of pudding pop culture and McDonaldland memories, yet I was eager to take to the familiar froth of Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific and TAB soda lamentations. What I found was better than a long-lost Scott Baio interview in Dynamite! If you wore it, played with it, watched it, danced to it, or saw it on tv and wanted it so bad, it likely gets a mention in this little book. There might not be a lot of new facts for longtime pop culture maniacs, but Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? is a surprisingly fresh selection of recollections from the obvious (Quisp, Marathon Bars) to the more obscure (Choco'Lite Bars; Hugo, Man of a Thousand Faces) that should appeal to both seasoned and casual nostalgists alike.

For its comparably slender width, it's almost like those baggies of fun-size chocolate bar medleys: satisfying morsels that provide the ideal ratio of entertainment and educational value that other topical books don't achieve with such pith. Cooper and Bellmont pack a whopping (Hawaiian) punch of playthings, foodstuffs, and more in their book and manage to make each entry more fun and fascinating than the last. The writers' irreverent, never snarky humor and obvious appreciation of their topic electrifies each page. The witty, casual tone makes this a perfect summer read, especially if you are old enough to remember one or both decades. While the authors seem like old friends with whom you've shared your special childhood memories by the end of the book, I think Pudding Pops? would make for a fantastic book to read and discuss with friends and family (or a nostalgia-friendly reading group)! And, when you finally get to the end of the book, you just might find yourself eyeing it with the sadness of a kid looking for more candy. So, as it turns out, there was more room in my packed library, and Pudding Pops? is now one of my top general pop culture picks!

For the curious, 'pudding pops' have been resurrected and can be found in your frozen treats aisle. However, the authors and I can attest: they're not the same pudding pops we loved twenty years ago. As far as whatever happened to all your other long-lost favorites, you're going to have to get yourself a copy of the book to find out!

Essential Links:
Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? (official website)
Gen Xtinct (official blog)
Pop Culture Junk Mail (Gael Fashingbauer Cooper's blog)

Brando-isms

2011-08-01T21:59:00.003-04:00

I was inspired by some of Marlon Brando's words of wisdom during a few flicks from TCM's Summer Under The Stars schedule today. He coulda been a lawyer (or, at least, a politician)!

'Now, we got here in the state of Louisiana what's known as the Napoleonic code. You see, now according to that, what belongs to the wife belongs to the husband also, and vice versa... It looks to me like you've been swindled baby. And when you get swindled under Napoleonic code, I get swindled too and I don't like to get swindled.' (A Streetcar Named Desire)

'Hey, you wanna hear my philosophy of life? Do it to him before he does it to you.' (On The Waterfront)

'It is my understanding that the Constitution allows everybody the free choice
between cheesecake and strudel.' (Guys And Dolls)

Nick Knack, the 90s are Back!

2011-07-31T01:59:00.009-04:00

The 90s Were All That!!, according to the folks at TeenNick, which debuted a new weeknight block of retro-themed programming celebrating those bygone, heady days of the... 1990s!? Yes, apparently, it's never too early to reminisce fondly over your lost childhood.

Eat your heart out, Harvey Kinkle!

Here's the line-up, so far:
All That, a Saturday Night Live-styled show for kids which aired from 1994 until 2005. Notable alumni include Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, Amanda Bynes, and Nick "Mr. Mariah" Cannon.
Kenan And Kel spun off into their own show in 1996 (until 2000). I was thrilled to see a familiar face in the cast, Dan Frischman (Arvid, everyone's favorite nerd from Head Of The Class), whose future was so bright that he had to wear shades! Case in point: Frischman played both 'guy on phone' on an episode of Seinfeld and County Records Clerk on Melrose Place. And, yes, I do remember both episodes!
Clarissa Explains It All, Melissa Joan Hart's first television series. Not quite as good as Sabrina, but that would really be expecting too much of a tv show!
Doug, a cute animated series which began in 1991.

Marc Summers wondering how they get the creme in the middle of the Twinkie

So far, the reception has been wildly enthusiastic. TeenNick, never a contender for highest ratings in that particular scheduling block, received an impressive ratings boost during its first week, and certain social networks were all a-twitter with comments relating to the programming. The apparent success of the endeavor makes a curious viewer wonder if Nickelodeon will be expanding their new schedule with more blasts from the past. The hypnotic megamix commercial that TeenNick drums into our brains while we're watching this super-sweet block of programming shows copious clips of Double Dare, which I HOPE will soon be added. After all, who doesn't love Marc Summers? Just think, you could watch Double Dare and then tune into the Food Network to see what he's been eating on Unwrapped!

Retro programming on cable is not a new concept, of course. The HUB has been doing it for almost a year. They've been airing an exciting collection of older family-centric programming every weeknight (including The Wonder Years, Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days, Family Ties, Doogie Howser MD, and Batman). They relaunched three popular 1980s cartoons, Jem; Transformers; and G.I. Joe; and they added revamped versions of My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake to their channel, but they are noticeably inferior to the original series that launched many girls' playtimes. Speaking of revamped 1980s animated series, Cartoon Network aired the first episode of its new version of Thundercats, a favorite of mine in the 1980s, on Friday night at 8:00 PM. Sadly, it didn't reignite my love of the franchise. Perhaps Thundercats was never a very good show to begin with, or, maybe this version is too different. Interestingly, Will Friedle, who played Ben Savage's cuter older brother on Boy Meets World, voiced Lion-O in this new version. Personally, I would prefer to stick to Cartoon Network's superior Boomerang channel to satisfy my itch for old cartoons. It's a sure bet since it airs mostly classics from the 1960s to 1980s.

While The HUB is a breath of fresh air, it's surely taking inspiration from the once glorious Nick At Nite. I'm still gutted at the poor state of Nick At Nite and its younger sibling, TV Land. Both have become disappointing wastelands airing non-remarkable and fairly recent crap like The George Lopez Show and The Nanny. Three's Company is great, but it begs the question: how much Mr. Furley can one really take? (Also, 'did the production team spend all their money on Mr. Furley's medallions?,' but that's a different issue for a future post) What happened to Nickelodeon's mission to provide CLASSIC tv programming to the masses? I have to assume they felt that they had exhausted people with the timeless, and they wanted to appeal to an audience with lower expectations. I hope that the Nickelodeon programmers will take a cue from the popularity of their 90s block and bring back the 80s.. and the 70s.. and the 60s.. and the 50s..! Wouldn't it be great if they would repopulate their schedule with fun and innovative programming again? I should also add that the Nickelodeon channel predated these 1990s shows by about a decade, and while these might have been what put Nick on the map, it would be great for them to open their vault doors a little wider.

Other cable and non-cable channels should take a hint, too! Comedy Central, for example, used to be a decent channel but now only shows random guys narrating lame YouTube videos and unfunny comedians I've never heard of doing terrible stand-up routines. I'd be willing to fashion a whole new schedule of 'oldie' Comedy Central programs for them!

My retro dream channel, however, would be devoted to vintage PBS. Old PBS children's programming can't be beaten by anything that's on television today. From whole episodes of classic Sesame Street, Electric Company, and Mr. Rogers through 3-2-1 Contact, Square One TV, and Reading Rainbow -- not to mention the best geographical game show ever, Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? -- this would be a fantastic idea and a huge draw to PBS. In fact, I bet they would see a boost in donations if they would reinstate some of their better fare. Personally, I think we all could use a review of these fun, educational gems. Sometimes one forgets letters of the alphabet, how to add, and how to form a proper sentence. We're probably also lacking in basic science and geographical knowledge, as well as the gentle art of civility as taught to us by Mr. Fred Rogers. Leave out the Bar(lo)ney, Clifford, and Elmo! Make that E in "E/I" count, PBS!

Well, one can dream about these ultimate schedules, but Nick's new programming block is a step in the right direction, and I recommend tuning in every weeknight (from 12 to 2 AM EST) if you were a fan of any of these shows that were, you know, all that!

[The 90s Were All That block 12 AM - 2 AM (reshown 2 AM - 4 AM) TeenNick channel, Monday-Friday. Check your local listings and the official website]

This week on... TCM (July 31 - August 6)

2011-07-30T22:40:00.006-04:00

Hoo boy! Summer is finally heating up on Turner Classic Movies! Monday, August 1 marks the first day of their 'Summer Under The Stars' series which offers up 24 hour blocks of films devoted to thirty-one spectacular stars. Not convinced? Star #1 is Marlon Brando! I'll say he is! So far, I had been less than thrilled with the selection of movies this year. In 2010, I had already watched 161 different films by late July. This year, I've only watched 63 (though, I haven't included any multiple-viewed movies in that tally)! Well, August is going to put me in a much more respectable range, I should think! Hopefully you'll find some good movies to watch, too. There are some daily schedules that are so good, I can barely stand it! Which of these movies are your essentials? [If you can't wait for my weekly picks and want to look at the schedule directly, go to the official page and download the .pdf schedule right now!]

Sunday, July 31, 2011
Harper (1966) 2:00 PM - This one is on a bit early for me, unfortunately, but I highly recommend it to Paul Newman fans who also have a soft spot for film noir detective stories. Harper may not be Sam Spade, but he is just about the hottest detective you'll ever see!
Road To Utopia (1946) 8:00 PM - Those two singing and wise-cracking dopes take on the Alaskan gold rush.

THE OFFICIAL START OF SUMMER UNDER THE STARS
Monday, August 1, 2011 (A DAY OF MARLON BRANDO!)
The Fugitive Kind (1960) 6:00 AM - Argh, I can't believe they're starting with this! This is one of the few Marlon Brando movies I've never seen, and it's still from the era when you could expect something exciting from Brando's acting. This Sidney Lumet film is based off the Tennessee Williams play and co-stars Anna Magnani and Joanne Woodward.
Julius Caesar (1953) 8:15 AM
The Chase (1966) 10:30 AM
Reflections In A Golden Eye (1967) 1:00 PM - Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor?, you think. That has to be good! Well, it's not, I assure you. It's terrible in every possible way.
The Teahouse Of The August Moon (1956) 3:00 PM
Guys And Dolls (1955) 5:15 PM - My last attempt to watch this was interrupted by Mother Nature, so I'll give it another go. It's not as bad as I expected.
The Wild One (1953) 8:00 PM
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) 9:30 PM
On The Waterfront (1954) 12:00 AM - If you haven't seen this and you have to choose just one Marlon Brando movie, this is the one to choose.
The Freshman (1990) 2:00 AM
The Formula (1980) 4:00 AM

[I'm most disappointed that they didn't include Marlon's 1950 screen debut in The Men. It's supposed to be an excellent movie!]

Tuesday, August 2, 2011 (PAULETTE GODDARD)
Second Chorus (1940) 4:45 PM - With Fred Astaire and Burgess Meredith
Modern Times (1936) 6:30 PM [a link to my favorite scene on YouTube]
The Great Dictator (1940) 8:00 PM

[There are probably some fun, light comedies interspersed with these movies, so it might be worth tuning in at other hours.]

Wednesday, August 3, 2011 (BETTE DAVIS -- What a dame!)
The Letter (1940) 4:30 PM
The Petrified Forest (1936) 6:30 PM

Thursday, August 4, 2011 (RONALD COLMAN -- Someone with a terribly painful voice might have sung about Bette Davis' eyes, but a much better singer and his talented song-writing brother name-dropped Ronald Colman in their ode to moustaches)
Lucky Partners (1940) 6:00 AM - According to my trusty movie log, I enjoyed this movie pairing Colman with Ginger Rogers last year, but I can't really remember it very well.
Raffles (1930) 1:30 PM - 'A distinguished British gentleman hides his true identity as a notorious jewel thief'. I always say, 'If you must be a thief, you may as well be a gentleman thief.'
Lost Horizon (1937) 1:45 AM
The Story Of Mankind(1957) 4:00 AM - 'Satan and the spirit of mankind contend for the future of humanity'. What an interesting cast: Vincent Price, Groucho Marx, and Ronald Colman (in his final movie)!

Friday, August 5, 2011 (JOHN GARFIELD)
Humoresque (1946) 4:45 PM - I'd put up with Joan Crawford to see Oscar Levant!
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) 8:00 PM - This is a film noir classic, and there is a legitimate reason for that. This is one of the essential must-watch films for this week!
He Ran All The Way (1951) 2:00 AM - 'A crook on the run hides out in an innocent girl's apartment'. This is John Garfield's last movie, and it co-stars Shelley Winters. Poor Shelley Winters. Things always end really bad for her. It's always a shame to see her sad, little face.

Saturday, August 6, 2011 (LUCILLE BALL) -- In honor of her hundredth birthday!
The Fuller Brush Girl (1950) 1:00 PM - It looks like this is one of my favorite genres, the comedy whodunit!
The Long, Long Trailer (1954) 2:30 PM
Easy To Wed (1946) 11:30 PM - A musical remake of Libeled Lady (one of my favorite comedies starring Jean Harlow, William Powell, and Myrna Loy). This remake stars the singing mermaid, Esther Williams and Van Johnson; hopefully, what with that lack-luster cast, Lucy will be the Belle of the Ball.
Lured (1946) 1:30 AM - Before we knew why we loved Lucy, Ball starred in this multi-faceted noir as an undercover agent hoping to help the police catch a creepy serial killer who preys on women who respond to the lonelyhearts column. George Sanders gives another interesting performance as his typical cad who may or may not be the man they are after. Boris Karloff steals the movie as a mad artist. I thought this was a pretty high quality noir, most definitely worthy of multiple viewings.
The Affairs Of Annabel (1938) 3:15 AM

Stay tuned for next week's schedule.. There is a block of movies early in the week that just about knocks me out!

This week on... TCM (July 17 - 21)

2011-07-17T00:13:00.001-04:00

Sunday, July 17, 2011
By The Light Of The Silvery Moon (1953) 10:00 AM - This Doris Day and Gordon MacRae musical is the sequel to On Moonlight Bay.
The Apartment (1960) 4:00 PM - A Billy Wilder classic starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. I haven't seen it, but I liked them together in Irma La Douce.

Monday, July 18, 2011
Lovely To Look At (1952) 6:00 PM - All-star musical remake of Roberta with Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel. This is also Zsa Zsa Gabor's movie debut!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Pride And Prejudice (1940) 8:00 PM - I'm not crazy about Greer Garson, but I'll probably watch this anyway.

Thursday, July 21, 2011
Jewel Of The Nile (1985) 12:00 AM - Another sequel on TCM this week! This is the sequel to Romancing The Stone, and it's on the Fox Movie Channel every other week. I've never bothered to watch it because I haven't seen Romancing The Stone in twenty years and can't remember it, but I might watch it after all.

This week on... TCM (July 3 - 6)

2011-07-03T00:04:00.005-04:00

Sunday, July 3, 2011
On The Town (1949) 1:00 PM - The Woolworth Tower?!
Made In U.S.A. (1967) 2:00 AM - Two of my favorites, the lovely Anna Karina and the charming Jean-Pierre Léaud (of Truffaut's Antoine Doinel movies), star in this Jean-Luc Godard thriller

Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Springtime In The Rockies (1942) 8:00 PM - A Betty Grable musical
The Spiral Staircase (1945) 12:00 AM - Mansions! Murder! Ethel Barrymore! The horror!
Gaslight (1940) 1:30 AM - This is the earlier Gaslight (1940) starring Anton Walbrook and Diana Wynyard not the 1944 remake with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. I haven't seen this version, and I'm eager to compare the two. IMDb reviewers insist that this might be better than the remake.
Three Strangers (1946) 3:00 AM - Three people who share a sweepstakes ticket travel a tangled road to collect their winnings. The three strangers appear to be the terrific trio of Sydney Greenstreet, Geraldine Fitzgerald, and Peter Lorre!

This week on... TCM (June 27 - July 2)

2011-06-27T01:16:00.003-04:00

It seems like this won't be a dry week on the good ol' television. There's quite an excellent array of TCM movies scheduled, many of which will be new to me and, hopefully, to you, too. Elsewhere on the dial, I'm still overjoyed that Hollywood Treasure has returned to Syfy (and, more importantly, to me). It's a pop culture enthusiast's half-hour paradise, and I don't think there's another show on cable that I love as much as this one. It's currently airing two new episodes a week on Wednesdays (from 10:00-11:00 PM EST). Check your local listings. My TV Guide indicated that Syfy will be showing a marathon of Hollywood Treasure later this week (Friday or Saturday, I think). That will be a perfect time for those who have missed out to catch up. I urge all fans of pop culture, movies, television, and comics to check it out. Incidentally, the auction house behind the show, Profiles in History, is also responsible for the monumental Debbie Reynolds auction. I'm hoping that the only other auction/collectible-related show I love (as per my auction/pawn shop/collectible review post from last December), Discovery Channel's Auction Kings (about Atlanta's Gallery 63), will be returning soon.

I'm also still enjoying BBC America's Come Fly With Me (as reviewed in my previous post) which does air on Saturdays at 11:30 PM. You can't go wrong with David Walliams and Matt Lucas, and David Schwimmer was actually hilarious on the second episode. Don't miss this show; there are only six episodes total!

Monday, June 27, 2011
Lili (1953) 4:15 PM - A sweet French-themed musical starring Leslie Caron and Mel Ferrer. A joy to behold, I assure you!
Stage Fright (1950) 8:00 PM - A Hitchcock double-feature (both of which I've never seen!)
I Confess (1953) 10:00 PM - Montgomery Clift in a Hitchcock film!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Brigadoon (1954) 10:00 PM - Brigadoon always puzzled me. I haven't seen it for at least 15 years, and I'm eager to reassess it now.
Let's Be Happy (1957) 12:00 AM - An unknown (by me) Vera-Ellen/Tony Martin musical

Friday, July 1, 2011 (theme: Farley Granger, Roy Rogers during prime time)
Strangers On A Train (1951) 3:00 PM - One of my favorite Hitchcock films mostly because of Robert Walker's character. Incidentally, this is why you should always put your bag or coat on the other seat and pretend that you have a companion who is elsewhere. The life of Farley Granger's character would have been less stressful had he done that.
Side Street (1950) 4:45 PM - Looks like Farley Granger may not be quite as innocent in this film noir.
They Live By Night (1949) 6:15 PM - I've never seen this, but the premise ('After an unjust prison sentence, a young innocent gets mixed-up with hardened criminals and a violent escape.') sounds like a sequel to the excellent Paul Muni film I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang.
Frankenstein 1970 (1958) 2:45 AM - Starring Boris Karloff. I'm mostly interested in seeing 1958's vision of 1970 (if that has any part in the movie).

Saturday, July 2, 2011
City Lights (1931) 8:00 PM - It's an Essential!

Carry On Luggage: BBC's Come Fly With Me

2011-06-23T03:11:00.006-04:00

[photo copyright BBC]
Matt Lucas and David Walliams, the daffy duo known for Little Britain [2] and Rock Profile [2], are no strangers to playing a myriad of bizarre characters. They have practically built their entire reputation on playing anyone and everyone, from the supposed 'average' Brit to some of the most famous popstars from the past thirty years. No premise is too off-the-wall or too tasteless for these two chameleons, and their brand of humor is a certifiable cringefest.

Lucas and Walliams' new series, Come Fly With Me, which debuted last week on BBC America, is yet another stab at the increasingly popular mockumentary genre. Like Parks and Recreation and The Office franchise, Come Fly With Me intersperses workplace scenes with employee talking heads that underline the inefficiency of their entire enterprise. Here, Lucas and Walliams have set their show in the hub of a bustling airport that is rife with bureaucratic screw-ups and worthless workers. Apparently, over the run of the six half-hour episodes that constitute this first series, the partners will play more than fifty characters, including a husband and wife pilot team; the coffee kiosk lady; and a set of oblivious paparazzi! Many American viewers who are not familiar with the Little Britain style might find their portrayal of characters of differing classes, ethnicities, races, and genders (with liberal amounts of make-up, bad accents, stereotypes, and prosthetics) uncomfortable, but that's part of their buffoonery. Fans of Little Britain will note one major difference between the two series: Come Fly With Me has no laughs! Little Britain was a pro at the sort of embarrassing humor that Ricky Gervais and Arrested Development fans appreciate, but, without the audience laughs to break the ice, the awkwardness of Come Fly With Me is even more palpable.

But that shouldn't scare you off! After viewing the first episode, my hopes are soaring for this show. So far, we have already met the owner of Flylo Airlines, Omar Baba (Walliams); Fearghal O'Farrell (Lucas), a steward who stuffed a baby into the overhead compartment; and Melody and Keeley, the vapid check-in girls who come across as a combination of Little Britain's Carol Beer ('computer says no') and a smarter Vicky Pollard. My favorite characters from the first episode were Moses Beacon, the eager to please Passenger Liaison, and Hetty Wolf, an elderly lady who claims to be a first-time passenger to improve her flying experience. They were the Lou and Andy of this particular show. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you'll just have to tune in to catch up! Come Fly With Me is definitely a must-see for fans of Little Britain and Tracey Ullman.

(Incidentally, for those unfamiliar with Little Britain, it had a similar all-inclusive premise. Lucas and Walliams played dozens of characters of every ilk who were supposed to represent a typical cross-section of English society. While the show was supposed to be a look at the lives of ordinary Brits, most characters were usually downright perverse. Rock Profile, on the other hand, was an earlier series that ran on the BBC. It was a 'real' popstar interview program hosted by an actual children's television presenter, Jamie Theakston. Lucas and Walliams played up everyone from Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey to Elton John, George Michael, Blur (all four members between the two of them!), ABBA, and Bono and The Edge from U2. Looking back over the highs of Lucas and Walliams' first two popular series thrills me to welcome them back with a whole new set of characters!)

Come Fly With Me airs on BBC America on Saturdays at 10:30 PM EST, but consult your local listings so you don't miss the flight!

This week on... TCM (June 19 - 25)

2011-06-18T22:39:00.010-04:00

Sunday, June 19, 2011
The Courtship Of Eddie's Father (1968) 3:30 PM - People, let me tell you about my best friend. Movies with Nilsson soundtracks usually have the Nilsson songs playing non-stop over the entire movie, so hopefully this one will follow suit.
Waterloo Bridge (1931) 5:15 AM - This is the original 1931 version starring Mae Clarke, Kent Douglass, and Doris Lloyd. I saw the fantastic 1940 remake with Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor and wouldn't mind comparing the two.

Monday, June 20, 2011
Room Service (1938) 12:15 AM - Marx Bros.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Guys And Dolls (1955) 1:30 AM - There we go. Finally. There's no way I can miss this time slot.

Thursday, June 23, 2011
To Sir, With Love (1967) 3:30 PM - Fantastic movie. Sidney Poitier is something else. I've enjoyed several of his movies, but this one is still probably my favorite.

Friday, June 24, 2011
Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957) 8:00 PM - Is Rock Hunter an amalgamation of Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter? Regardless, the all-star cast includes Tony Randall, Jayne Mansfield, Betsy Drake (the lucky Mrs. Cary Grant!), and Joan Blondell (among others)
The Beyond (1983) 2:00 AM - I love movies and tv shows about Hellmouths. This movie is about a hotel built over a Hellmouth. Where's your favorite Hellmouth?

Saturday, June 25, 2011
Out Of The Past (1947) 8:00 PM - Robert Mitchum stars in this Jacques Tourneur noir, a TCM Essential.

In just a few hours I'll be watching the first episode of the new series by David Walliams and Matt Lucas of Little Britain fame. It's called Come Fly With Me, and it's airing on one of the most disappointing cable channels (in other words, BBC America). It airs immediately after the WORST British comedy ever made (in other words, The Inbetweeners). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this one won't disappoint like most every other show I'm hoping won't suck but does within two or three episodes. Also, I guarantee some fake vomit because it is Walliams and Lucas. I'll report back on the show after viewing! FYI, it seems to air Saturday night, Sunday morning (depending on how you look at it) on BBC America (potentially at 11:30 pm, 2:30 am, and 4:30 or 5:30 am EST). Check your local listings.

This week on... TCM (June 5 - 11)

2011-06-05T00:47:00.002-04:00

Sunday, June 5, 2011
Arsenic And Old Lace (1944) 1:45 PM - I'm a son of a sea cook!

Monday, June 6, 2011 (tonight: Ernie Kovacs in the movies)
North By Northwest (1959) 5:30 PM
Operation Mad Ball (1957) 10:15 PM - Jack Lemmon and Ernie Kovacs!
Five Golden Hours (1960) 12:15 AM - Ernie Kovacs, Cyd Charisse, George Sanders?

Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Bells Are Ringing (1960) 8:30 AM - This Vincente Minnelli movie has the Midas Touch (the Mighty Midas Touch)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The Young Philadelphians (1959) 5:30 PM - Paul Newman is a Young Philadelphian

Saturday, June 11, 2011
The Caine Mutiny (1954) 8:00 PM
King & Country (1964) 10:15 PM - Morrissey and my favorite, Tom Courtenay

This (abbreviated) week on... TCM (June 1 - 3)

2011-05-31T00:28:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, June 1, 2011 (prime time theme: How To Spy On Nazis)
The House on 92nd Street (1945) 8:00 PM - documentary-style drama
Night Train To Munich (1940) 9:45 PM
Above Suspicion (1943) 11:30 PM

Friday, June 3, 2011 (theme: Weddings)
Father Of The Bride (1950) 8:00 PM
High Society (1956) 12:00 AM

This week on... TCM (May 22 - June 1)

2011-05-22T00:11:00.004-04:00

TCM concludes their May schedule in a glorious burst of singing, dancing, and Nazis. June previews look very promising, including a weekly drive-in double feature that might have you flexing your movie riffing (a la MST3K) muscle.

Sunday, May 22
Guys And Dolls (1955) 3:15 PM

Monday, May 23 (theme: Gordon MacRae)
On The Town (1949) 1:00 PM - Aw, I wanted to see the Hippodrome!
My Sister Eileen (1955) 4:30 PM - 'Two sisters from Ohio, one pretty and one witty, plot to take New York by storm' With Janet Leigh, Jack Lemmon, and Betty Garrett. This is a remake of the Rosalind Russell / Janet Blair movie of the same name (1942).
Shadow On The Wall (1950) 6:30 PM - Interesting sounding thriller about a child left mute by the sight of her stepmother's murder. Watch for Nancy Davis as a psychiatrist!
On Moonlight Bay (1951) 8:00 PM - This Doris Day / Gordon MacRae musical looks like a good match for fans of Meet Me In St. Louis and, especially, Oklahoma!
Three Sailors And A Girl (1953) 9:45 PM - A wing-ding with Jane Powell and Gordon MacRae!!
Starlift (1951) 11:30 PM - Another Doris Day and Gordon MacRae

Wednesday, June 1 (prime time theme: How To Spy On Nazis)
The House on 92nd Street (1945) 8:00 PM - It's a docudrama!
Night Train To Munich (1940) 9:45 PM - I love the artwork for this film (as seen in the IMDb link)
Above Suspicion (1943) 11:30 PM

This week on... TCM (May 15 - 21)

2011-05-15T01:01:00.002-04:00

We might be experiencing some computing problems at the Belvedere, in which case this might be a last blog post for an undetermined amount of time. If that's so, there won't be updates to this blog, Curly Wurly, or any of my accounts (including Flickr and Twitter). The computing issue remains uncertain, so stay tuned. I just wanted to offer this as a word of explanation if all online content should cease. If there's no update here within a week or two (at least of this nature), you can assume that my computer has not faired well. Only time will tell! Meanwhile, TCM has a few classics lined up for the next week. I recommend checking them out!

Sunday, May 15
The Way We Were (1973) 4:00 PM - Barbra Streisand remembers being in love with Robert Redford. That's a fantastic premise for a movie.
Bringing Up Baby (1938) 6:15 PM - One of my favorite comedies!

Monday, May 16
The Mad Miss Manton (1938) 4:45 PM - Sleuthing slapstick Stanwyck!
Meet Me In Las Vegas (1956) 3:30 AM - 'Meet me in Las Vegas, Vegas! Meet me on the Strip! Don't tell me the lights are shining anywhere but....' hmm, I've got zip. This musical stars the lovely Cyd Charisse! Keep eyes peeled for George Chakiris and Jim Backus.

Friday, May 20
Anatomy Of A Murder (1959) 3:00 PM - A Jimmy Stewart with Cool Blonde double-feature. Dig that cool soundtrack!
Bell, Book, And Candle (1959) 5:45 PM

Saturday, May 21
Valley Of The Kings (1954) 1:30 PM - This one sounds like Indiana Jones with Robert Taylor. Worth checking out maybe.
The Night Of The Hunter (1955) 6:15 PM - I hear you either LOVE or HATE this Robert Mitchum classic
Cat People (1942) 8:00 PM - I'm a cat person
The Curse Of The Cat People (1944) 9:30 PM - Why, the only curse I know of is loving cats too much!

This week on... TCM (May 8 - 14)

2011-05-07T22:42:00.007-04:00

Not much this week, but I'm super excited about the Dark Shadows movie!

Monday, May 9
Lured (1947) 6:15 PM - A film noir about a London serial killer who chooses his victims from the personals column. Stars George Sanders, Lucille Ball, and Boris Karloff

Wednesday, May 11 (Joan Bennett)
Trade Winds (1938) 10:00 PM - An interesting sounding comedy/murder mystery with a screenplay co-written by Dorothy Parker
House Of Dark Shadows (1970) 3:00 AM - I CAN'T WAIT!!!! Collinwood, here I come!!!!

This week on... TCM (May 1 - 7)

2011-04-30T22:40:00.004-04:00

Sunday, May 1
The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956) 4:00 PM - It was said that, when this movie was in theaters, disappointed Marlon Brando fans could be heard lamenting the fact that he was never seen on the screen. Thanks to TCM, we can see if his heavily made-up face is truly unrecognizable. I've found some of his other films that rely on make-up (namely Viva Zapata!) haven't suffered, but his failed attempts at foreign accents have ruined particular movies.
Key Largo (1948) 6:15 PM

Monday, May 2 (Bing Crosby)
Going Hollywood (1933) 8:30 AM - Bing Crosby and his beret!
Blue Skies (1946) 5:00 PM - According to my movie log, I watched this about a year ago but couldn't remember the plot the next day.
Playtime (1967) 11:30 PM - Fun avec Jacques Tati

Tuesday, May 3
Midnight (1939) 3:00 PM - Claudette Colbert comedy
A Day At The Races (1937) 8:00 PM
Fast Company (1953) 11:45 PM - A Howard Keel musical. I'd rather it be 1938's Fast Company (aka The Rare-Book Murder) starring Melvyn Douglas.

Wednesday, May 4
Born To Dance (1936) 11:30 PM - Eleanor Powell and James Stewart musical

Friday, May 6 (Hammer Time -- Mike Hammer, not Hammer Horror)
Kiss Me Deadly (1955) 8:00 PM - The first of a bunch of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer movies
The Girl Hunters (1963) 11:45 PM - The best way to prepare for this night of hard boiled crime stories is to eat some deviled eggs.

Saturday, May 7
Back From Eternity (1956) 5:15 PM - This is not the sequel to From Here To Eternity. The plot sounds like Lost. It's a remake of Five Came Back, which, of course, happened in Lost. This movie stars Robert Ryan (Jack?), Anita Ekberg (Kate?), and Rod Steiger (Locke?). So, is Por' Jud actually daid or is he daid just in some parallel universe? Or was it all a dream (or perhaps a confusing and elaborate dream ballet with totally different dancers representing the original characters)?
The Bicycle Thief (1948) 8:00 PM - Vittorio de Sica's classic that inspired Pee-wee's Big Adventure

This week on... TCM (April 24 - 30)

2011-04-24T01:21:00.002-04:00

Sunday, April 24, 2011
Easter Parade (1948) 9:00 AM - Are you drum crazy? Do you love a piano? Would you like to see Peter Lawford in a fur coat? Then Easter Parade is the musical for you!
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) 8:00 PM - Religious hippies have the best music and dancers in fringed bikinis (somehow not blasphemous).

Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Lost Weekend (1945) 8:00 PM

Thursday, April 28, 2011
North By Northwest (1959) 12:00 AM

Friday, April 29, 2011
The Glass Slipper (1955) 12:15 AM - Musical adaptation of Cinderella starring Leslie Caron
The Swan (1956) 2:00 AM

Saturday, April 30, 2011 (Gershwin -- at least Ira -- musicals)
An American In Paris (1951) 8:00 PM
Girl Crazy (1943) 10:15 PM
Shall We Dance (1937) 2:30 PM
Give A Girl A Break (1953) 4:30 AM

You'll never get away with it, Lady!

2011-04-21T01:25:00.007-04:00

No matter that his Ken doll hair looks like a can of cake icing! X, her man with X-ray Eyes, is clearly nauseated by a smattering of microbes that can't be seen by a normal human's naked eye in this detail from a Listerine advertisement from October 1947 (seen in the newstand favorite Woman's Home Companion). My theory is that his eye balls bulge not at the sight of the creepy crawlies on his lovely partner's shoulder but because of the constriction with which his bowtie has affixed his head to his shoulders. His girlfriend doesn't need Listerine; she needs a new dancing partner!

This would have made a great premise for a film noir: Gloria Grahame is the mysterious and be-cootied Lady With The White Gardenia and William Bendix is her crazy-eyed lover who is driven to murder by his jealousy and overwhelming hypochondria. [Also posted at Flickr with alternate commentary]

2011 TV Land Awards

2011-04-20T01:09:00.006-04:00

The 2011 TV Land Awards aired Sunday, April 17. This year's nostalgia fest was a thrilling set of cast reunions with more sweet and tearful moments than a night of saccharine Nick at Nite programming. The show opened with a bang: Liza Minnelli belting out 'New York, New York' to a packed room of enthusiastic sitcom legends.

Next up, Stevie Wonder presented the Huxtables with the Impact Award for the Cosby Show and serenaded the cast with 'Higher Ground.' The stage was packed with an almost full-cast reunion. Sadly, though not surprisingly, it was Deniseless. Trophies were handed out to Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Sabrina Le Beauf, Geoffrey Owens, a very handsome Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe, Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Raven-Symone. They're still a good looking cast! I was hoping to see Rudy's friend, Kenny, to see if he would eat the croutons in his salad! [from the third season episode 'Planning Parenthood,' which aired April 30, 1987]

The girls of Eastland earned the Pop Culture Award for The Facts of Life, which was accepted by Charlotte Rae, Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn, Nancy McKeon, and Geri Jewell. Also in attendance was a relatively subdued Cloris Leachman. My favorite episode of The Facts Of Life involved a not-very-savvy Natalie returning from New York City with only the detachable straps of her purse. She didn't realize that the bulk of her handbag (with all its contents) was no longer attached to it! Typical Natalie!

Family Ties won the Fan Favorite Award, and it most certainly was a favorite of mine! The award was accepted by the entire Keaton clan (sans Andy who is no longer family-friendly viewing), including Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter, Michael J. Fox, Terri Pollan, Justine Bateman, Tina Yothers, and Marc Prince (Skippy!). Sadly, Nick was not present. Yo.

The 35th anniversary of Welcome Back, Kotter was, coincidentally, the recipient of the 35th Anniversary Award. Gabe Kaplin, a teary-eyed John Travolta, Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs, and the rest of the Sweathogs (minus Horshack, apparently) were on hand. John Travolta seemed to be having the time of his life! Even John Sebastian, the singer of the highly catchy theme song, was in the audience.

Barbara Walters looked back at the record-shattering career of Regis Philbin and bestowed the Legend Award on the dynamo. Hall and Oates got the Music Icon Award. They sang one of their fifty hits to an ecstatic crowd. While I was never a big Hall and Oates fan, it sure beats that autotuned what-have-you they call music now! Missing: John Oates' moustache.

Undeniably, the best part of the entire evening was a thpoof trailer for the new Brady Bunch movie, Thindy's Thpeech. I think it's going to thweep the Oscars next year!

The entire show is available at the TV Land website for free. For the latest TV Land news, follow them on Twitter. Then follow me on Twitter.

This week on... TCM

2011-04-16T22:39:00.003-04:00

Sunday, April 17, 2011
The Wild One (1953) 6:30 PM
The Mysterious House of Dr. "C" (1966) 8:00 PM
Camille (1921) 12:00 AM - Rudolph Valentino and Alla Nazimova

Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Song Of The Thin Man (1947) 6:30 PM - The last Thin Man movie. 11 year old Nicky, Jr. was played by Dean Stockwell.

Saturday, April 23, 2011
Gunga Din (1939) 8:00 PM

Happy Birthday, Marlon Brando!

2011-04-10T02:04:00.012-04:00

I didn't see any Marlon Brando birthday tributes this year (and no block of programming on TCM!), so I thought I would do a pictorial spread of some of my favorite Marlon Brando pictures in celebration of the 87th anniversary of his birth (April 3, 1924). I opted for some of the more amusing or head scratching of my collection rather than the ones that merely showed off his sultry good looks. (Click pictures for slight enlargements)

Marlon Goes Abroad: Packing

Marlon Goes Abroad: International Jet Setter!

Marlon Goes Abroad: PASSPORT!

The Men

Happier days On The Waterfront

A still from Guys And Dolls

Biographers have often delved into the troubled nature of Marlon's private life. They often agreed that he had a monkey on his back.

Or a cat (this was his best girl)!

Aww.

[All photo copyrights owned by the individual artists.]

This week on... TCM (April 10 - 16)

2011-04-10T00:39:00.002-04:00

Uncharacteristically, I didn't watch much television this past week, and I don't think I watched any movies at all. I caught most of a gently enjoyable Peter Bogdanovich 1975 musical homage, At Long Last Love starring the greatly missed Madeline Kahn, Burt Reynolds, and Cybill Shepherd. It wasn't the most inspired plot, dancing, or singing, but it was a surprisingly good effort. I wouldn't mind seeing the entire movie again. Burt Reynolds could sing better than Marlon Brando, at least! Check Fox Movie Channel for future airings, maybe.

Elizabeth and Monty: Best Friends Forever

Sunday, April 10, 2011 (TCM's tribute to the legendary Elizabeth Taylor)
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958) 6:00 PM - Maggie, Brick, and Gooper!
BUtterfield 8 (1960) 8:00 PM
Giant (1956) 12:30 AM - It is giant, but it's worth it!

Monday, April 11, 2011
The Young Philadelphians (1958) 5:00 PM - Paul Newman is a young Philadelphian! (Keep your eyes peeled for Adam West)

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 (Ray Milland, star of the month)
Eve Knew Her Apples (1945) 6:45 PM - Ann Miller stars in this musical adaptation of It Happened One Night.
Dial M For Murder (1954) 10:00 PM
Ministry Of Fear (1944) 2:00 AM - Intriguing noir from Fritz Lang

Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Myrna Loy: So Nice To Come Home To (1991 documentary) 7:00 PM
Golden Girl (1951) 1:15 AM - Mitzi Gaynor musical

Thursday, April 14, 2011
Billy Liar (1963) 9:00 AM - Sir Tom Courtenay was the best Angry Young Man ever! This is a great adaptation of the modern British classic by Keith Waterhouse. Also stars Julie Christie.
The Glass Key (1942) 8:00 PM - I'm really excited to watch this. It's based on a Dashiell Hammett novel and stars Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake (the duo from one of my favorites, The Blue Dahlia -- a Chandler screenplay). I've never read this book, so I don't know the story, but Dashiell Hammett is the king of noir. (The 1935 version of the film with George Raft also has Ray Milland and could have been tied in to the Ray Milland month)
Stage Door Canteen (1943) 11:15 PM - The star-studded musical romance!
Born To Dance (1936) 3:30 AM - Eleanor Powell and James Stewart musical. This is the musical with Jimmy Stewart's rendition of 'So Easy To Love,' a song so good that even his awful singing voice couldn't ruin it (so he said in That's Entertainment!)!

Friday, April 15, 2011
Blind Adventure (1933) 6:15 PM

Saturday, April 16, 2011
Promise Her Anything (1966) 6:00 PM - I'm just intrigued by a comedy starring Warren Beatty, Leslie Caron, and Bob Cummings!
Ball Of Fire (1941) 8:00 PM - Described as Billy Wilder's twist on Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs which starred Gary Cooper and Dana Andrews as part of a group of professors who take in a nightclub singer hiding from the law (Barbara Stanwyck). Well, at least it's not Jean Arthur!
Fire Down Below (1957) 11:30 PM - Robert Mitchum and Jack Lemmon are partners who both fall for a mysterious woman in a steamer (Rita Hayworth).

Happy viewing!

This week on... TCM (March 27 - April 2)

2011-03-27T01:22:00.002-04:00

Sunday, March 27, 2011
The Way We Were (1973) 8:00 PM

Monday, March 28, 2011
Annie Hall (1977) 8:00 PM

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 (Jean Harlow and late night Dudley Moore)
Dinner At Eight (1933) 8:00 PM
Platinum Blonde (1931) 11:30 PM
30 Is A Dangerous Age, Cynthia (1967) 2:45 AM - 'A pianist has six weeks to achieve his dreams before he turns 30.' Yeah, good luck with that.
The Bed Sitting Room 4:15 AM - 'A pregnant woman searches for love amidst the ruins of nuclear war. Rita Tushingham, Ralph Richardson, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore.' One of those rare British kitchen sink dramas that take place in their bedsits? I wonder if this one is L-shaped.

Friday, April 1, 2011
Hit The Deck (1955) 4:00 PM
Three Sailors And A Girl (1953) 6:00 PM
The Mating Game (1959) 12:15 AM

Saturday, April 2, 2011 (Morrissey favorite, Tom Courtenay .. More bedsit madness!)
The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner (1962) 8:00 PM - Adapation of Alan Sillitoe classic. Tom Courtenay plays an Angry Young Man.
Billy Liar (1963) 10:00 PM - Adaptation of a Keith Waterhouse classic. Tom Courtenay plays a mildly Mittyesque Angry Young Man. I actually preferred the movie to the book, which was a little nonsensical in parts.
The Dresser (1983) 12:00 AM
Otley (1968) 2:15 AM

Ken Carson, This Is Your Life!

2011-03-20T00:43:00.009-04:00

Call it kismet! Who looks just as young and hip today as he did on March 11, 1961 when he met a certain beauty queen on the set of a television commercial? Ken Carson charmed Barbie fifty years ago last week and immediately skyrocketed to superstardom as her steady beau. Yes, Ken is officially fifty years old! Before David Bowie and Madonna made careers of revolving personae, Barbie and Ken made reinventing themselves to stay relevant of utmost importance. When they weren't accessorizing, they teamed up to take on every variety of career and recreational hobby under the sun. According to Wikipedia, Ken has held down at least forty occupations in the past fifty years, which makes him the ultimate job hopper!

While Ken was never my type, he garnered many fans over the past five decades with his highly adaptable good looks and intuitive ability to change with the times. Last week, Parade Magazine looked back in celebration of the past fifty years of Ken's life, so I thought that I would utilize their graphic in an abbreviated highlight reel of the many styles of Ken Carson! (All Ken imagery are owned by Mattel, and this graphic is courtesy of Parade Magazine)

1962's Painted Hair Ken has a California chic fuzzy crewcut. His original peach fuzz hairdo was actually made of felt! Like many beach boys with felted hair, it tended to fall off when wet. That's quite impractical for any moondoggie, so he soon had his hair plasticized. Not only did he bear a striking resemblance to Dobie Gillis, but he, too, wanted a girl to call his own. He found that girl in his fully-poseable soulmate, Barbie.

Now, this one was a sweet toy line. 1972's Mod Hair Ken was modeled after Neil Diamond, and he's coming to your playroom.... TODAY!

1978's Superstar Ken elicits a sort of mellow machismo. He's either a Steve McQueen look-a-like or maybe he's just trying to look like David Soul's (Kenneth!) 'Hutch' Hutchinson. Regardless, I'm sure he races cars and probably has a dune buggy he rides out in the desert.

Ken entered the 1980s as sensitive Dream Date Ken with the dream boat looks of a Donny Osmond.

1991 was not Ken's year. He took one look at N*Sync and transformed into Totally Hair Ken (okay, 1991 may have been closer to New Kids On The Block than N*Sync, but even the New Kids weren't as tacky as Totally Hair Ken).

In 1993, he was reintroduced as Earring Magic Ken, which became one of his more controversial styles (conservative backlash actually led to its recall from store shelves) yet a commercial success. [not pictured]

And, finally, meet Ken 2010: Quintessential Ken. What makes this the Quintessential look? I'm not sure if we're meant to think of Ryan Seacrest or, possibly, Mad Men. Either way, all I see is Victor / Victoria, and now I want to hear him sing 'You And Me' with Robert Preston!

To Mr. Carson, may your next fifty years have as much penache as the first! Which was your favorite Ken? Keep up with Ken at Keeping Ken and make sure your Ken is the Genuine Ken.

This week on... TCM (March 20 - 25)

2011-03-19T22:28:00.005-04:00

TCM has fairly disappointing line-up for this week, and most of the movies I'm interested in are scheduled too early or too late for viewing. I fear there won't be much movie watching going on in my house.

Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sleeper (1973) 3:45 PM - Woody Allen
Tom, Dick, And Harry (1941) 8:00 PM - A Ginger Rogers comedy co-starring Burgess Meredith among others
Broadway Melody Of 1940 (1940) 10:45 PM - Looking forward to this one! Hope it's better than '29!
Band Of Outsiders (Bande à part) (1964) 2:00 AM - I love this movie! Anna Karina lights up the screen! She's my favorite ye-ye girl (if you could really call her that)!
Breathless (À bout de souffle) (1960) 4:00 AM - I still haven't managed to see this, and 4:00 AM is a terrible time!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 (theme: Karl Malden)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) 3:45 PM - Again. And I'll watch it.. again.
Wife Vs. Secretary (1936) 8:00 PM
Hold Your Man (1933) 11:15 PM

Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Georgy Girl (1966) 7:45 AM - Again! And it's still a bad time!
Shock Corridor (1963) 1:30 PM - Always wanted to see this one
Guys And Dolls (1955) 8:00 PM - Maybe..

Thursday, March 24, 2011
On The Waterfront (1954) 8:00 PM - Definitely. Even though I watch it every week!

Friday, March 25, 2011
Doctor Zhivago (1965) 3:45 PM

This week on... TCM

2011-03-12T21:59:00.002-05:00

Sunday, March 13, 2011
Going Hollywood (1933) 6:00 AM - And while you sleepy heads are in the hay, I'm going to be dancing with a Sunkist baby. And I'm on my way, here's my beret.. I'm goin' Hollywood!
After The Thin Man (1936) 11:00 AM - This is the one with Jimmy Stewart and, yes, Mrs. Asta (I love how she's an actress with only one title to her name. Well, as sometimes happens, she met her husband on set, and he had enough star quality to sustain them so she became a housedog)!

Monday, March 14, 2011
Gaby (1956) 4:30 PM - A remake of Waterloo Bridge with Leslie Caron and John Kerr. I don't know...
Strangers On A Train (1951) 12:45 AM

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 (Jean Harlow)
Bombshell (1933) 9:30 PM - This one wins the blue ribbon!
Libeled Lady (1936) 11:15 PM - My favorite Jean Harlow movie with Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Spencer Tracy. Everyone loves William Powell!
Reckless (1935) 1:00 AM - This one also has William Powell (and eerie Franchot Tone).
Personal Property (1937) 2:45 AM - And this one is my second favorite Jean Harlow movie with a dapper Robert Taylor.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Bringing Up Baby (1938) 6:00 AM
Arsenic And Old Lace (1944) 8:00 AM
Follow The Fleet (1936) 2:00 PM
Manhattan (1921) 4:00 PM - 'This silent documentary captures the beauty and majesty of the New York harbor' (I think it's just a few minutes long)
On The Waterfront (1954) 5:00 PM
Italianamerican (1974) 7:00 PM - Martin Scorcese's documentary

Thursday, March 17, 2011
Rififi (1954) 9:15 PM - French jewelry heist classic
Seconds (1966) 1:15 AM - Rock Hudson movie about a mysterious organization that furnishes clients with second lives. The movie didn't adequately explain the purpose behind the organization.. or maybe I didn't understand it, but it was interesting nonetheless.

Friday, March 18, 2011 (Edward Everett Horton! and Jeanne Moreau)
Going Highbrow (1935) 3:45 PM - 'A nouveau riche couple try to break into high society.' It's a standard Guy Kibbee / Edward Everett Horton comedy!
Viva Maria! (1965) 10:00 PM - Merci beaucoup!
Jules And Jim (1962) 12:15 AM - I love Henri Serre in this. This movie makes me so mad!
The Boogens (1982) 2:00 AM - Apparently Boogens are scaly monsters that resemble giant turtles. And you can't escape from them!
Short Film: Match Your Mood (6 minutes) (1968) 5:45 AM - 'Westinghouse shows women how to improve their lives by decorating their refrigerators.' If only it were that easy!

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

2011-03-07T23:30:00.004-05:00

With Pat Hingle as Matt Drayton, a fish as John Prentice, and a saggy-eyed dog.

Tips for Teens: Mark your territory and tell him he's yours forever with a stylish bow tie. Because once you start dressing alike, that's a bond that can never be broken!

[First llustration by Lowell Hess, second illustration by Lorraine Fox. Articles Fish Comes To Dinner and Teen Feature: Beau Ties from May 1948 issue of Woman's Home Companion]

This week on... TCM (March 6 - 11)

2011-03-06T00:00:00.003-05:00

Sunday, March 6, 2011
Georgy Girl (1966) 10:00 AM - Hey there, Georgy Girl!
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) 8:00 PM
The Adventure Of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) 10:00 PM - A spoof with Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, and Marty Feldman (or just listen to my favorite Sparks song, Sherlock Holmes)
Ginger And Fred (1986) 2:00 AM - A late Fellini film with Marcello Mastroiannni and Giulietta Masina as a pair of aging dance partners.

Monday, March 7, 2011 (TCM favorites)
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) 9:30 PM
The Uninvited (1944) 12:00 AM
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967) 1:45 AM

Tuesday, March 8, 2011 (star of the month: Jean Harlow)
Red-Headed Woman (1932) 8:00 PM
Three Wise Girls (1932) 9:30 PM
Suzy (1936) 12:30 AM - Also starring a young Cary Grant
City Lights (1931) 2:15 AM - Chaplin

Thursday, March 10, 2011
Living In A Big Way (1947) 6:00 PM 'A returning GI and his war bride finally get to know each other and don't really like what they see.' Comedy starring Gene Kelly, Marie McDonald, and Charles Winninger - A comedy version of The Best Years Of Our Lives?
A Taste Of Honey (1962) 10:15 PM - Morrissey's favorite movie! Tony Richardson film starring Rita Tushingham whose name is actually less awkward than her face..

Friday, March 11, 2011
All Quiet On The Western Front (1930) 8:00 PM

Cash Cab Hoboken

2011-02-26T23:25:00.004-05:00

MEDIUM SHOT-WATERFRONT-NIGHT

TERRY: (agonized) See! You don't understand!

Jarring music starts up and multicolor lights flash on cab's ceiling

BEN: You're in the CASH CAB!

CHARLEY: I tried to keep you in good with Johnny.

BEN: It's a tv game show that takes place in my taxi!

TERRY: You don't understand! I could've been a conten...

BEN: I'm going to ask you some general knowledge questions all the way to your destination!

TERRY: I could've been...

BEN: The questions start off easy and get harder as we go!

TERRY: I...

BEN: As long as you keep answering the questions correctly, you'll win cash money!

TERRY: ... I could've had class and been somebody. Real class. Instead of a bum, let's face it, which is...

BEN: Hey, guys! What are your names?

TERRY: ... which is what I am. It was you, Charley.

BEN: Charley? Are you ready to win some money on CASH CAB?

This week on... TCM (February 27 - March 4)

2011-02-26T02:01:00.003-05:00

Sunday, February 27, 2011
Mildred Pierce (1945) 8:00 PM
Morning Glory (1933) 2:00 AM - 'A stage struck girl travels to New York determined to make it on Broadway. Starring Katharine Hepburn.'

Monday, February 28, 2011
Test Pilot (1938) 4:00 PM - 'An irresponsible test pilot's wife and best friend try to get him to grow up. Starring Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy.' Wasn't this movie called Manhattan Melodrama?
Arthur (1981) 8:00 PM - I'm hoping to learn what really happens when you get caught between the moon and New York City.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) 2:45 AM - And I like Paul Newman.

Thursday, March 3, 2011
Shall We Dance (1937) 6:00 PM - The three greatest words in the English language: Edward! Everett! Horton!
The Broadway Melody (1929) 12:30 AM - I think we all know the story of Queenie Mahoney and Jock Warriner's tragic love affair. I just wonder if Francis Zanfield can one-up Florenz Ziegfeld.
The Star (1952) 2:15 AM - 'A faded film star fights to hold on to her past glamour despite failing finances. Starring Bette Davis' - Apparently this week's theme (besides 31 Days of Oscar) is 'Deja Vu: Recycled Plots and Typecast Actors'.

Friday, March 4, 2011
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) 6:00 PM - The UPS man knocks once, but he'll probably leave the package even if you don't answer the door.
Road Games (1981) 2:00 AM - 'A truck driver's attempt to find a vanished hitchhiker leads police to suspect him of her murder. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis' - It turns out she's not dead. She just isn't wearing any make-up. I think this marks the return of TCM Underground's Friday night B-movie craptacular.

Life goes on, day by day.. As I posted to my Twitter, The Hallmark Channel ('when you care enough to watch the very best') will have an Empty Nest marathon today (Saturday 2/26). Empty Nest, if you'll recall, was a popular spin-off of Golden Girls (less remarkably, Hallmark will have a Golden Girls marathon on Sunday). I always liked Empty Nest for some reason. I liked Richard Mulligan and that big dog who seemed comatose half the time. Then there was wacky Kristy McNichol and his other really depressing daughter. And David Leisure (aka Joe Isuzu)! On my Twitter, I suggested that David Leisure should have a reality show called 'Life of Leisure'. Or, if he frequently finds himself in court, 'Leisure Suits'. However, it looks like he's busy playing three different characters on three different soap operas. I guess his is not a life of leisure after all!

This week on... TCM (February 20 - 26)

2011-02-19T22:49:00.003-05:00

Sunday, February 20, 2011
Blow-Up (1966) 4:15 AM - Michelangelo Antonioni's suspense thriller set in Swinging London. Stars David Hemming as a fashion photographer who may have inadvertently captured a murder on film and Vanessa Redgrave as the potential murderess. With a cool psychedelic soundtrack including The Yardbirds in the party scene. Also features Jane Birkin. This movie was remade several years later as Blow Out with John Travolta. He may or may not have heard a murder. A 2012 remake called Blow-Dry is in preproduction. It stars Mark Wahlberg as a hairstylist who may or may not have smelled a murder.
In Cold Blood (1967) 12:45 PM - Excellent neo-noir based on a true story. I highly recommend the Truman Capote book. You don't get a lot of noirs that take place in rural Kansas, do you?
The Third Man (1949) 3:15 PM - One of Orson Welles' finest works.

Monday, February 21, 2011
The Bad Seed (1956) 3:30 PM
State Fair (1945) 8:00 PM - I saw this Rodgers & Hammerstein musical for the first time this year, and I really enjoyed it.
The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946) 10:00 PM - I'll finally watch this.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Limelight (1952) 8:45 AM - A movie about aging silent film actors.
The Red Balloon (1956) 7:15 PM

Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) 6:45 AM - My favorite Tennessee Williams-based movie. Katharine Hepburn might be at her finest!
You Were Never Lovelier (1942) 12:30 PM - Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth musical.
You Can't Take It With You (1938) 10:00 PM
Amarcord (1973) 3:30 AM - Fellini

Thursday, February 24, 2011
Fellini's 8 1/2 (1963) 6:00 AM - Another Fellini. Marcello!
Doctor Zhivago (1965) 4:30 PM - Okay, I'm not really going to spend my birthday watching a depressing Russian epic.

Friday, February 25, 2011
Bus Stop (1956) 6:00 PM
On The Waterfront (1954) 8:00 PM - This is my birthday present to myself. Marlon Brando.

Saturday, February 26, 2011
The Maltese Falcon (1941) 3:30 PM - Best movie ever made, right? Yup.
It Happened One Night (1934) 8:00 PM
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) 10:00 PM
The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) 12:30 AM - Never seen this. Maybe I'll watch it.
Frances (1982) 2:45 AM - Frances Farmer biopic. I read the book. Tragic.

Mrs. Moore Is A Gift To Shut-Ins

2011-02-17T01:10:00.004-05:00

What did the world do before Amy Sedaris taught the depressed, sickly, and downtrodden the gentle art of crafting? They turned to Mrs. Alice Moore who made it her living to visit shut-ins to teach them crafts that would hasten them along the rocky road to recovery. Mrs. Moore's expertise included simple basketry, cloth weaving, bookbinding, wood carving, linoleum cutting, jewelry making, and woolly toy animals. Mrs. Moore can be sent to ailing friends in lieu of flowers or other gifts. 'When this is done she walks into the sickroom with her cheery smile, and, for fun, an attractive gift card of her own design dangling from her lapel.' Mrs. Moore is a fun gift not just for the female shut-in, but 'recuperating youngsters and menfolk' also benefit from her services because both are known for becoming difficult when they're nearly well.

[Article from Woman's Home Companion (March 1948) - Article by Sarah Lindsay and illustration by James Valenti - Click image for enlarged scan!]

This week on... TCM (February 13 - 18)

2011-02-13T02:01:00.005-05:00

Sunday, February 13, 2011
Coney Island (1943) 4:00 PM - A musical starring Betty Hutton (not to be confused with the part of 'On The Town' that takes place at Coney Island)
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) 12:30 AM
A Room With A View (1985) 4:00 AM - Mr. Beebe insists!

Monday, February 14, 2011
The Talk Of The Town (1942) 12:00 PM
The Philadelphia Story (1940) 4:00 PM
Victor/Victoria (1982) 2:15 AM - I'll definitely be watching this one again!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Mon Oncle (1958) 12:30 PM
Radio Days (1987) 4:30 PM - Worth watching just for the Re-Lax jingle!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Swing Time (1936) 6:15 PM

Thursday, February 17, 2011
Irma La Douce (1963) 5:30 PM
12 Angry Men (1957) 8:00 PM
Room At The Top (1959) 12:15 AM

Friday, February 18, 2011
On The Town (1949) 11:45 AM - Right as I was posting this, I just found out that Betty Garrett died. Not only was she one of the best parts of this movie (one of my favorites!), she was also great on Laverne & Shirley as Laverne's father's girlfriend. She was 91. RIP.
It's Always Fair Weather (1955) 1:30 PM
The Producers (1968) 5:00 PM
It Should Happen To You (1954) 6:30 PM

PLUS Monday through Wednesday is the Jeopardy! event: Ken Jennings versus the Computers. I'm sure I'll be blogging about that every day.

Totally Tubular '80s Toys

2011-02-11T03:11:00.005-05:00

Totally Tubular '80s Toys by toy expert Mark Bellomo (Krause Publications, 2010) is, so far, the most complete 1980s toy bible on the market. When I spotted this hefty hardcover on a display rack and viewed a few sample pages, I knew that this was the 1980s toy book that I had been searching for. The 1980s is a decade known for some of the greatest cartoon/figure tie-ins and some of the most creative toys ever made. As well, children of the 1980s were lucky to experience the last decade where toys were designed to spark creativity and imagination rather than passively entertain them whilst relying on flashing lights and electronic noises.

Totally Tubular did a lot of things right where earlier volumes that sought to tackle the same overwhelming subject failed. First, it divided the decade up by year which created a sense of organization that other books I've read lacked. Each year has a breezy introduction which hits on the toy franchises included in the book as well as the popular movies, television shows, and recording artists of the year. This adds some much-needed pop culture context to each chapter's selection of toys. Bellomo caps off each year with lists of top television shows, movies, and music for added reference.

The area in which this book especially shines is the photography. It is the first volume on the subject that I have come across that is not stingy on the pictures. It showcases more than five hundred toys, and the full color pictures practically pop off the page. All the toys come from the writer's personal collection, and every photo is in beautiful full color. The photos are well-composed shots that are meticulously posed, clearly laid out, and extremely well-captioned, so you can really get a sense of the full line that each franchise offered. This not only maximizes nostalgia, but it also aids in identification for your own personal collections. Figures are shown outside the box and posed with accompanying accessories, playsets, and other additional items that could have been purchased, such as vehicles, horses, and houses. Some original packaging is also shown. The book is in a slightly larger format so it is very easy to see the individual toys. Totally Tubular is worth every penny just for the pictures.

The accompanying text is informative and full of interesting trivia and tidbits, but it's never dry like some collectible books can be. The writer's personal anecdotes are a positive addition. His upbeat assessments of each line of toys are never so opinionated as to be debatable. A few years ago, I read another fun (and recommended!) book about 1980s toys called Just Can't Get Enough. While I mostly enjoyed the book, I found the author's anecdotal style to be a deterrent because his assessments were sometimes more negative and skewed, and the book was far less informative overall. Some chapters really had a sort of bitter tone that was reminiscent of a bratty kid-turned-adult and left this reader with a bad taste. For instance, in his section on My Little Pony, he bluntly stated that his sister had a collection and he hated them. And that was pretty much the end of that. To add to the less appealing commentary, the few small photos included in the book were really inadequate. Also, there was marked emphasis on boys' toys that I found to be disappointing. Totally Tubular also had a tendency to gloss over some popular girls' toys, though it does hit on all the major franchises you would expect, including She-Ra, Rainbow Brite, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Jem. All the most popular toys are well-represented here, as well as movie and tv show tie-ins including Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Pee-wee's Playhouse, and Bill And Ted. If a figure existed as a tie-in, it's in this book! There are a lot of obscure toy franchises featured, as well, though many are of the robotic, superhero, or science-fiction varieties. To me, this was the low-point of the book. While it was interesting to see some of the franchises that never became iconic (or that I simply had no interest in), I felt that the author chose to include too many obscure boys' toys in lieu of slightly more recognizable girls' toys that haven't been featured in any book I've read on the subject. Granted, the author might not have had those girls' toys in his personal collection, and he certainly had a more balanced selection than Just Can't Get Enough, but I was still disappointed in some of the toys that didn't make the cut. Anyway, nostalgia is a bottomless pit, and I think there is still room on the market for other books chronicling toys of the era which will hopefully be less of a rehash of the popular dolls and delve into some of these regular omissions (I'll keep my personal list of omissions to myself, though, since we never know who the author(s) of those books may end up being). Undeniably, Totally Tubular will be the standard by which to judge any future additions to the topic.

The list price of the book is $30.00, but Amazon has it marked at the very apt price of $19.80! Also, if you regularly receive store coupons, you might be lucky enough to get it at up to half price. It's worth it; this is a handsome volume on a very serious subject.

* As a side note, this book is the ultimate argument for brick and mortar bookstores. I went into the store where I purchased this book not knowing it even existed, saw it on a prominent display, flipped through a few pages, and knew immediately that it had to come home with me that very day. Sure, I might have found it online eventually, but looking at a thumbnail of the book cover and reading a few rave reviews wouldn't have resulted in an instant sale. At best, it would have been added to my humongous list of pop culture books of interest. Nothing is more convincing than being able to easily examine a book in person. Currently, even the big bookstores (Borders, B&N) are facing their mortalities, and I fear there will be fewer opportunities for the joy of discovery. The world is changing and not for the better. I continue to cling to America's endangered past!

Of interest: Read an interview with the author at Figures.com.

Thoroughly Modern Miltons

2011-02-11T00:56:00.001-05:00

This week marks the anniversaries of two pop culture icons.

On February 8, 1960, the all-star Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled at an official groundbreaking ceremony. It has been erroneously reported that Joanne Woodward was the first celebrity to have been honored with a plaque. In actuality, there was no 'first star'; the tourist destination debuted a few years earlier with a handful of stars already studding the walkway. Joanne Woodward was one of the lucky stars and was among the first to pose with her name, which probably contributed to the propagation of the legend. Since 1960, Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street have become home to over 2,400 celebrities. Here half-forgotten names of the silent era mingle with some of today's so-called celebrities, and icons of the stage, screen, radio, and television merge in an odd constellation called Fame. Everyone from PET Milk's favorite radio star, Jessica Dragonette, to Pee-wee Herman have now been cemented into the shared history of Hollywood. Who are some of the most notable personalities to have been immortalized on the Walk? Big Bird, Spring Byington, Bennett Cerf, Wally Cox, Phyllis Diller, Betty Garrett, The Harlem Globetrotters, Bob Keeshan, The Lennon Sisters, Liberace, Bob Newhart, and TCM's resident heartthrob, Robert Osborne!

Visit the Official Hollywood Walk of Fame page and this comprehensive site which includes information on every single star on the Walk.

Four years later, a tastier and toastier star was born: America's favorite toaster pastry, Kellogg's Pop-Tart. Apple Currant, Blueberry, Brown Sugar Cinnamon, and Strawberry found immortality and edibility as (unfrosted!?) Pop-Tarts first hit market shelves this week in 1964. It took Kellogg's three more years to introduce the frosted variety we all know and love. Originally produced to compete with Post's Country Squares, Pop-Tart's long-forgotten predecessor, Kellogg's quickly overtook the fledgling toaster pastry market with its snappier name evoking the youthful craze for all things POP!: soda, music, art, and now.. Tarts! Even hotter than a freshly popped Tart was their spokesman, Milton the Toaster, who was, I'm sure, the brand's main allure. To this day, its Pop-tartularity has endured, proving once and for all that it really is 'hip to be square.'

Watch a Pop-Tarts commercial starring Milton the Toaster!

This week on... TCM (February 6 - 12)

2011-02-05T22:20:00.003-05:00

TCM continues to celebrate the 31 Days Of Oscar with various Oscar-nominated scheduling. The series wraps up on Thursday, March 3. TCM has posted their movie schedule as a handy PDF (warning: clicking that link will launch a PDF).

Sunday, February 6, 2011
Viva Zapata! (1952) 3:45 PM - Marlon Brando plays Emiliano Zapata in one of his better movies.
Short Film: How To Sleep (1935) 9:40 PM - Robert Benchley teaches the audience how to sleep despite interruptions.

Monday, February 7, 2011
Libeled Lady (1936) 12:00 PM - Everyone loves William Powell in this excellent comedy also starring Spencer Tracy, Jean Harlow, and Myrna Loy!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Gaslight (1944) 8:00 PM - A cruel Charles Boyer sends Ingrid Bergman into madness. The last time I saw this, I wasn't feeling well, and I ended up feeling a bit shaken myself!
Glory (1989) 12:00 AM - Excellent performances from Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick

Wednesday, February 9, 2011
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) 12:00 AM - I hope, if nothing else, this movie won for 'Best Makeup'!

Thursday, February 10, 2011
Anchors Aweigh! (1945) 2:30 PM - This is the one where Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly are sailors on leave who both fall in love with Kathryn Grayson.
Annie Get Your Gun (1950) 8:00 PM - Some call this one of the worst musicals of all time!
An American In Paris (1951) 10:00 PM - This one, however, is s'wonderful.

Saturday, February 12, 2011
Wuthering Heights (1939) 2:00 PM
Gone With The Wind (1939) 10:00 PM - Will this be the time I finally break down and watch this? Only time (a long, long, long time) will tell.

Elsewhere on the dial:

'Alex, I'm afraid I can't do that..' Later this month, we'll finally be able to welcome back one of the greatest minds of our time, Mr. Ken Jennings, who will return to our televisions in a special Jeopardy! event! Ken will return to beat two robots: the firearms-loving Brad Rutter (his creepy knowledge of weaponry is the ONLY reason he managed to beat Ken in the last championship!) and Watson, an IBM computer solely constructed to defeat humans at Jeopardy! The commercials for this inane event liken the significance of Watson to the moon landings and other important scientific achievements. All the excitement will begin February 14 and continue until February 16. Since I am a long-time Ken fan (we call ourselves Kenatics!), I'm sure I'll be blogging about the championship right here. Make sure you root for the right humanoid.

For Black History Month, TV1 has been airing Way Black When and marathons of retro (1970s mostly) comedy shows. Way Black When is a veritable who's-who of African-American personalities we knew and loved in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. If you love exclaiming, 'I remember so-and-so!' at your tv screen, then you will surely delight at all the familiar faces! Of course, the Nickelodeons and BETs regularly air your standards: The Cosby Show; its spinoff, A Different World; The Jeffersons; and Good Times, but TV1's marathon is showing some rarely seen classics. My favorite is the Flip Wilson Show, which I had never seen before, but now I can't live without! Also of note, they're showing The Richard Pryor Show, which I had also never seen before but is truly fantastic. While I've been enjoying Richard Pryor's standup, I'm mostly intrigued by his inventive and, sometimes, Chaplinesque sketches. Now I understand why he is so respected, both as a comedian and as a true artist. Both shows also had a fantastic array of supporting actors who went on to become famous, including a young Robin Williams, and a lot of fun guest stars. George Carlin was sure in high demand in the 1970s! I highly recommend checking your local listings and watching both shows. I love seeing their different styles, and it's sad to think that it only took about a decade to destroy America's sense of humor! Because it was still going strong in the 1970s!

This week on... TCM (January 30 - February 5)

2011-01-29T22:25:00.003-05:00

TCM's 31 Days Of Oscar series begins on Tuesday, February 1, and it wraps up on Thursday, March 3. TCM has posted their movie schedule as a handy PDF (warning: clicking that link will launch a PDF).

Sunday, January 30, 2011
With Six You Get Eggroll (1968) 8:00 PM - Movie contains Doris Day and Brian Keith but no MSG.
Pandora's Box (1929) 12:00 AM

Monday, January 31, 2011 (theme: Jean Simmons)
So Long At The Fair (1950) 12:00 PM - 'A woman searches for her missing brother in Paris despite the fact that nobody believes he exists.' That's like the movie Le Moustache wherein a moustachioed gent is told that he has never existed after he cleans off his upper lip.
Footsteps In The Fog (1955) 4:30 PM
Breathless (1960) 8:00 PM - Godard's classic with Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo
The Tramp And The Dictator (2002 documentary comparing the 'parallel lives of Charlie Chaplin and Adolph Hitler') 2:00 AM - Narrated by Kenneth Branagh
The Great Dictator (1940) 3:00 AM

Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Manhattan Melodrama (1934) 9:30 AM - Myrna Loy chooses between the love of righteous William Powell and rebellious Clark Gable in this noir about a lifelong friendship whose limits are tested in the face of personal principles.
The Thin Man (1934) 11:15 AM
The Great Dictator (1940) 3:00 PM

Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Five Easy Pieces (1970) 8:00 PM

Thursday, February 3, 2011
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) 5:30 PM
All Quiet On The Western Front (1930) 10:00 PM

Friday, February 4, 2011
The Heiress (1949) 8:00 PM

Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Awful Truth (1937) 4:30 PM - Super recommended!

Mark your calendars: TCM's Moguls And Movie Stars seven-part documentary series will be released on DVD on April 26, 2011.

Amy Sedaris: Our Googly Eyed Guru

2011-01-29T02:37:00.007-05:00

Comedienne Amy Sedaris may be best known for her warped, after school special-inspired series, Strangers With Candy; her off-the-wall David Letterman appearances; and her scene stealing cameos in many popular tv shows and movies. She has also trademarked her special brand of deranged home arts and crafts tutorials in her two best-sellers, I Like You: Hospitality Under The Influence (Grand Central Publishing, 2006) and its 2010 follow-up, Simple Times: Crafts For Poor People (Grand Central Publishing). I've long admired her unapologetic wackiness and have continued to champion her first book, I Like You: Hospitality Under The Influence. As a close friend and confidante, I encouraged her to write another book, and I think I can single-handedly take credit for the fact that she took me up on that challenge (incidentally, looking back on the letter I wrote her, my ideas included an etiquette book and a style/beauty guide, both of which I am hoping to see as future publications).

It's hard to write a review of Amy Sedaris' books because there's a lot more to her work than meets the googly eye. That aforementioned wackiness that makes her such a joy to behold for some might be a stumbling block for other readers. Case in point: book sellers seem to have difficulty knowing where to put her books. Should I Like You, for instance, be filed under home entertaining and cooking with the more straight-forward domestic moguls Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray, or does she belong wedged in the hit-or-miss 'humor' section? I think most of her fans would agree that she belongs more in the humor section, but I believe that she suffers from the fact that people don't know what to make of her. If it's difficult to determine how to take her in person, it's even more so in print. She obviously has a wonderfully skewed sense of humor, but there are times when she seems slightly dismayed by the fact that she isn't taken more seriously. While there definitely is a tongue-in-cheek element to all her work, I believe her books are meant to be more practical than not. Sure, her writing is spunky and some of her ideas are seriously twisted, but behind the patina of wit, she's dead serious about her love of cooking, crafting, and entertaining.

Her books might be an absurdist homage to mid-century cookbooks and craft guides, but don't think for a second that they are a spoof of the genre; they're not meant to have any kind of socio-political, feminist, or supposed intellectual agenda, hidden or otherwise. As Amy Sedaris becomes even more famous, I have read interviews that were actually more cringe-worthy than some of the photos in this book! One that was particularly awkward asked her difficult questions about neo-feminism, gender issues, and her role in promoting traditional 'women's activities.' Even in newsprint, it was clear that she was speechless by the line of questioning. Her careful response was that she had never contemplated those issues with reference to her own books, and she just wrote about things that she enjoyed in real life. And what's wrong with that, huh?

That said, here begins my review of her latest work, Simple Times. It's a campy adult Pack O' Fun in a deluxe hard cover format. The artwork is bright, eye-catching, and horrifying. Half the photos will make you squirm, and two-thirds will make you laugh. Out loud! The writing is punchy, witty, and disturbing. You may find yourself perplexed yet tickled. Many of the crafts and recipes look like fun and will leave you with fond memories of similar school, camp, and Bible crafting. The rest might be illegal in most states. This is indeed a mostly serious collection of hobbies, home arts, and crafting tempered with a heaping helping of the absurdist humor for which she is best known. Whether you're looking for inspiration for your own handicrafts and projects, or if you are just looking for a hearty laugh with a fun book, Simple Times is just the ticket. So, in the end, Amy Sedaris has the last laugh because, whether she's an oddball or not, her book fits no matter where it is filed; these truly are simple craft and home ideas that anyone can do (unlike the works of Martha), but the worst crafter or cook can still find thrills in her books. Everyone wins when it comes to Amy Sedaris! Simple Times is simply charming!

(Incidentally, people who like the sorts of things I post on Curly Wurly and my Flickr will adore Amy.)

Visit Amy Sedaris Rocks to stay current on all things Amy Sedaris, and head on over to her official YouTube channel for instructional videos.

This week on... TCM (January 23 - 28)

2011-01-22T22:15:00.004-05:00

Can't believe the first month of 2011 is almost over! It's slim pickins this week on TCM (not to be confused with Slim Pickens).

Sunday, January 23, 2011
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) 4:30 PM - Bless yore beautiful hide, this is one good musical, especially when you feel like a lonely polecat! Just think about this while you're watching: little Russ Tamblyn is almost 80 years old!
The Palm Beach Story (1942) 6:15 PM

Monday, January 24, 2011
Reflections In A Golden Eye (1967) 2:00 AM - I've watched clips of this Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando film on YouTube, and it looks kind of unpleasant. But it does have Marlon Brando, so I'm obligated to watch whether I like it or not.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Topper (1937) 10:30 PM - With Cary Grant
There Goes My Heart (1938) 12:15 AM

Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Topper Returns (1941) 2:45 PM - Without Cary Grant
Taxi, Mister (1943) 7:00 PM
Phantom Lady (1944) 11:30 PM

Thursday, January 27, 2011
Mystery Street (1950) 3:00 PM
Mrs. O'Malley And Mr. Malone (1950) 4:45 PM
Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964) 12:00 AM - Actually, I guess it is Slim Pickens this week, too!

Friday, January 28, 2011
The Odessa File (1974) 10:00 PM - 'A journalist discovers a strange link between his family and a cabal of fugitive Nazis.' Incidentally, so have I! This one stars the Midnight Cowboy and the excellent actor, Maximilian Schell.
Night Of The Lepus (1972) 3:45 AM - Janet Leigh never wins. Here she encounters a bunch of killer rabbits.

This week on... TCM (January 16-22)

2011-01-15T23:46:00.003-05:00

Sunday, January 16, 2011
I'm No Angel (1933) 10:30 AM - with Mae West and Cary Grant
It Should Happen To You (1954) 12:00 PM - A cute romantic comedy with Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon
South Pacific (1958) 1:30 PM
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) 4:15 PM
To Sir, With Love (1967) 6:00 PM
King Of Hearts (Le roi de coeur) (1966) 2:00 AM
How I Won The War (1967) 4:00 AM - Why is this on so late? This is the Richard Lester WWII comedy with John Lennon. I've always wanted to see this, but who starts to watch a movie at 4:00 AM?!

Monday, January 17, 2011
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967) 3:00 PM
Glory (1989) 5:00 PM

Tuesday, January 18, 2011 (theme: Cary Grant! and a night of Screen Directors Playhouse)
Sylvia Scarlett (1935) 6:30 AM - Another bad time! This is the fourth Katharine Hepburn / Cary Grant movie (another George Cukor). First I miss Holiday, and now I'll miss this!
The Toast Of New York (1937) 8:15 AM - with Cary Grant and Frances Farmer
Bringing Up Baby (1938) 10:15 AM
Gunga Din (1939) 12:00 PM
Only Angels Have Wings (1939) 2:00 PM
Night And Day (1946) 4:15 PM - Biography of Cole Porter
Cary Grant: A Class Apart (2004 documentary) 6:30 PM - He sure was! Narrated by Helen Mirren
Screen Directors Playhouse: No. 5 Checked Out (1956) 10:00 PM - In this comedy directed by Ida Lupino, 'a young deaf woman confronts desperate crooks who are using one of her remote resort cabins for a hideout.' With Peter Lorre and Teresa Wright. It sounds similar in premise to Wait Until Dark... or Home Alone, I guess.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011 (theme: 24 hours of Charley Chase)
Duck Soup (1933) 12:30 AM

Thursday, January 20, 2011 (theme: Patricia Neal and Peter Sellers)
Psyche 59 (1964) 1:45 PM
The Pink Panther (1964) 8:00 PM
A Shot In The Dark (1964) 10:00 PM
Murder By Death (1976) 12:00 AM - Don't tell me this is no good because I have real high hopes for this one! A criminal madman (Truman Capote) invites the world's greatest detectives for a night of dinner and murder. It stars Peter Falk (as 'Sam Diamond'), Alec Guinness ('Bensonmum'), Elsa Lanchester ('Jessica Marbles'), David Niven and Maggie Smith ('Dick and Dora Charleston'), and Peter Sellers ('Sidney Wang').
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) 4:00 AM

Friday, January 21, 2011
Black Hand (1950) 4:15 PM - A noir starring Gene Kelly?! 'In turn-of-the-century New York, an Italian seeks vengeance on the mobsters who killed his father.'

Saturday, January 22, 2011
The Uninvited (1944) 10:15 PM - Great supernatural thriller/romance starring Ray Milland

America, Be Scented!

2011-01-11T21:41:00.004-05:00

First they moved (1895)! - Then they Talked (1927)! - Now they smell!

ran the promos for Scent Of Mystery, a film created to introduce a scentless world to a senseless innovation called Smell-O-Vision championed by producer Mike Todd, Jr. (son of Mike Todd, one of the greatest loves of Elizabeth Taylor's life). Smell-O-Vision was meant to work as a sort of olfactory PA system. Implementation of this marvelous invention required movie theaters to be outfitted with contraptions that were supposed to dispense and disperse smells to coincide with certain scenes of a film. Scents were then piped through these appliances out to the auditorium. Intended smells were either meant to have a character association, as one character was accompanied by the stench of tobacco, and others were meant to complement the action on the screen, as with the gust of 'grape' coinciding with smashing casks of wine. However, it was a half-baked gimmick (much like those of William Castle) beset with technical snafus. First, there was no practical way to control wafting aromas and, often, smells would be stronger in one part of the theater and not reach the other half of the audience on cue. And that was only the tip of the nose! Comedian Henny Youngman joked, "I didn't understand the picture. I had a cold."

Scent Of Mystery was the only film made in Smell-O-Vision, but, unfortunately, this thriller starring Denholm Elliot and Peter Lorre, was a real stinker, and, soon after its release, Smell-O-Vision wafted away to become little more than a cinematic footnote. Today happens to be the fifty-first anniversary of its debut (January 12, 1960). Here are three clips from the movie for Peter Lorre fans: 'I Volunteer', 'Such A Waste', and 'Taxi?'

The marriage of story and scent had a resurgence in the 1980s with John Waters' Odorama, and Scent Of Mystery was later aired utilizing a more portable creation: the scratch and sniff card. Personally, I think Smell-O-Vision is due for a comeback. If home audiences are now falling for the (still schlocky) 3-D craze, then there's surely room for Smell-O-Vision in our home theater systems!

Links of interest:
Lots more (including info about Old Whiff, the cartoon short that accompanied the movie) at In70mm.com.
A brief history of Smell-O-Vision at Wired.
Smell-O-Vision vs. Aromarama.

This week on... TCM (January 10 - 15)

2011-01-09T23:16:00.004-05:00

Monday, January 10, 2011 (theme: Sal Mineo's birthday -- pictured above in a still from Mission:Impossible)
Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) 2:15 PM
Crime In The Streets (1956) 4:15 PM

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 (theme: 24 hours of Laurel and Hardy -- until 8:00 PM Wednesday)
A Girl, A Guy, And A Gob (1941) 7:45 AM - Come on!
Topper Returns - (1941) 11:00 AM

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 (theme: Laurel and Hardy and Luise Rainer)
Luise Rainer - Live from the TCM Classic Film Festival (2010) 8 PM (reshown at 11:00 PM) - a live interview with Robert Osborne and the 101 year-old actress

Thursday, January 13, 2011
It's A Date (1940) - 4:45 PM - with Deanna Durbin

Friday, January 14, 2011 (theme: William Bendix... but NO Blue Dahlia!!)
99 River Street (1953) 8:00 PM

Saturday, January 15, 2011
12 Angry Men (1957) 6:00 PM

Movies In Review 2010

2011-01-09T01:51:00.004-05:00

2010 was a record-breaking year for movie watching. I saw 219 different film titles in 2010 (not counting multiple viewings), most of them on Turner Classic Movies, the greatest channel that has ever existed. I don't think I've ever watched so many movies in one year ever! None of the movies I watched were actually released in 2010 (the most recent title was Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009), which I watched three times over two days -- once with my Mother who, surprisingly, loved it). I keep a movie log (and a book log, but that's a whole other post) to keep track of all my new discoveries, and I thought I would do a quick run-down of some of the year's highlights. I hope to cover some of these movies soon in my lagging, poorly-named Fluorescerama series where I post pictures and inadequate commentary about movies I've enjoyed. I expect to pick up the slack there eventually so that I can move on to the great films I'll stumble upon in the new year.

January started off well with nineteen movies, the best being the 1959 adaptation of a Tennessee Williams play, Suddenly Last Summer. While I'm not normally a fan of Williams, Katharine Hepburn's rather manic monologue and the disturbing story drew me in. Up until this time, this was also one of the stronger performances I had seen from Elizabeth Taylor who played a disturbed young woman who was forced into an institution to cover up a twisted family tragedy.

My favorites from February included Ray Milland in the supernatural thriller The Uninvited and my first foray into the acting brilliance of Marlon Brando, On The Waterfront [2] (I had seen other Brando movies before but wasn't impressed until this one).

March was jam-packed with a lot great movies, but some of my lesser-known favorites included a delightful romantic comedy starring Ginger Rogers and Jimmy Stewart called Vivacious Lady; a 1946 film noir that has become an instant favorite and a bit of an obsession of mine, The Blue Dahlia [2]; and Peter Fonda's 1975 camp-fest, Race With The Devil [2].

One of the most provocative movies I saw this year was Judgment At Nuremberg. With superb performances from the entire cast, memorable courtroom monologues, and powerful revelations into what was, essentially, current events at the time of its release, this movie is incredibly humbling and should be mandatory viewing. You really expect it to take many more decades of percolation for such meticulous historical and philosophical depth to emerge from such a highly consequential event.

One of the most affecting movies I saw this year was One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. I had managed to never see this movie or read the Ken Kesey book, and I was impressed with the story and ensemble acting of this touching story, which I found to be equally beautiful, amusing, and tragic.

I saw a few really excellent movies in June, including the delightful tale of Lili starring the demure Leslie Caron; Truffaut's haunting coming-of-age drama The 400 Blows; and the real-life, modern noir, In Cold Blood (also, it's worth reading the Truman Capote book!). In August, I saw another slew of superior movies, including another excellent courtroom drama, 12 Angry Men. To some extent, I think it works as a good companion piece to Judgment At Nuremberg. At the very least, both films will leave you with a lot to ponder.

I also had an opportunity to watch a trio of Orson Welles films this autumn, and I was especially taken with two noirs, The Third Man and The Lady From Shanghai. Finally, Charlie Chaplin captured my heart with The Kid (who knew Jackie Coogan had been so adorable?!) and continued to simultaneously warm my heart and tickle my funny bone with The Great Dictator. It was said of the Tramp's first foray into talking pictures that he kept silent until he had something of real importance to say, and you can't help but admire Chaplin's sheer nerve at skewering such a humorless individual (especially considering the fact that even a heiling dog got them all bent out of shape). Once again, like Judgment At Nuremberg and 12 Angry Men, the speech from The Great Dictator is just as relevent today as it was upon its original release.

In retrospect, I realize that 2010 was a big year for Marlon Brando (A Streetcar Named Desire, Viva Zapata!, The Wild One, On The Waterfront, One-Eyed Jacks, Mutiny On The Bounty, Morituri, Burn!, Last Tango In Paris); Montgomery Clift [2] (The Heiress, A Place In The Sun, Indiscretion Of An American Wife, From Here To Eternity, Raintree County, Lonelyhearts, Judgment At Nuremberg, Suddenly Last Summer); and Paul Newman (Sweet Bird Of Youth, Hud, Harper, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, The Sting).

I also noticed I saw a few familiar faces in every movie I watched. It's amazing how many movies Spring Byington (Lucky Parters, When Ladies Meet, Dragonwyck, Faithful In My Fashion, In The Good Old Summertime, Please Don't Eat The Daisies) and Edward Everett Horton (The Gay Divorcee, Top Hat, Arsenic And Old Lace, Faithful In My Fashion, Sex And The Single Girl -- plus he was the narrator of Fractured Fairy Tales) are in!

Finally, by genre, my top three...
B-Movies: Terror on the Beach, Race with the Devil, Zaat
Noirs: The Blue Dahlia, The Lady From Shanghai, The Third Man
Musicals: 42nd Street, The Gay Divorcee, Can't Help Singing
Comedies: The Awful Truth, Victor/Victoria, This Is Spinal Tap

And.. the three WORST movies I saw last year (each creepier than the last):
William Shatner in the only movie I saw this year in Esperanto, Incubus; the truly horrifying Shanks starring Marcel Marceau; and the split-screen blood spiller, Wicked, Wicked [trailer], which featured a creepy Ian Curtis look-alike and a song ('Wicked, Wicked') that I still get in my head six months after seeing this movie!

So far, 2011 has had a slower start. I've only watched one new title so far this year, State Fair. I can't believe I've never seen this Rodgers & Hammerstein musical before now. I must have equated it with Carousel, but it ended up being a pleasantly delightful treat! I'm excited to see what other cinematic treasures I'll discover throughout the new year, and I plan on sharing them here (along with further televisual, literary, and online findings)! Stay tuned!

This was the week that almost wasn't... on TCM

2011-01-08T00:23:00.006-05:00

This week snuck up on me and nearly passed me by, and I was too disorganized to post a schedule earlier! Luckily, I don't think there was too much to report. The one thing I missed that sounded intriguing was a 1937 short called 'The Romance Of Digestion.' Now I see that it's Robert Benchley, and I should have known. Unlike the reviewer in the above link, I've loved the Robert Benchley shorts. Definitely a precursor to the British series Look Around You.

Friday, January 7, 2011
State Fair (1945) 10:00 PM - This musical stars Blue Boy and takes place in Iowa-y, not Cal-iforn-I-A. Not even O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A (Oklahoma.... YOW!).
Wonderful World Of Tupperware (1959 short) 5:30 AM

Saturday, January 8, 2011
The Glass Key (1942) 8:30 AM - Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd star in another (adaptation of a) Dashiell Hammett story. And, yes, William Bendix is in this one, too! Interestingly, Hugh Beaumont is not in this movie, but Alan Ladd plays a character called Ed Beaumont (also played by George Raft in the 1935 version of The Glass Key).
Another Thin Man (1939) 12:00 PM - This is the one where Nick and Nora have little Nickie who ruins their lives by making Nick drink milk once instead of a martini. Kids!
Tell-Tale Heart (1941 short film) 3:36 PM - This short film directed by Jules Dassin appears as an extra in the Complete Thin Man Collection boxset.
Road To Morocco (1942) 8:00 PM

This week on... TCM (December 26 - January 1)

2010-12-25T22:59:00.006-05:00

Wait, January 1?! That has to be an error! TCM is packed to the gills with great entertainment this last week of the year.

Sunday, December 26 (theme: children's live-action movies)
The Love Bug (1968) 2:15 PM
The Parent Trap (1961) 4:15 PM - Hayley Mills! ... and Hayley Mills!! Let's get together, yeah yeah yeah!
The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics (2008 documentary) 6:30 PM
Escape To Witch Mountain (1975) 8:00 PM - With Eddie Albert and Ray Milland
Return From Witch Mountain (1978) 10:00 PM - All-star sequel to Escape To Witch Mountain with Bette Davis and Christopher Lee
The Wizard Of Oz (1925) 12:00 AM - That's the 1925 version! Not a thing like the 1939 version.
The Red Balloon (1956) 1:15 AM
The Bicycle Thief (1948) 2:00 AM - Vittorio de Sica classic

Monday, December 27 [note: TCM announced that they would air a Blake Edwards tribute on this date, so check your guide.]
Anatomy Of A Murder (1959) 7:45 AM - I don't know who's watching movies at 7:45 am, but this is a good one. And it has a cool Duke Ellington soundtrack!
Solaris (1972) 1:45 AM - The Tarkovskiy original

Tuesday, December 28
Coma (1978) 4:45 AM
Holiday (1938) 4:00 PM - That other movie with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant (my favorite screwball comedy pairing!)

Wednesday, December 29
The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) 8:00 PM - Apparently, a remake is in preproduction for next year.
The Man In The White Suit (1951) 10:30 PM
The Ladykillers (1955) 12:00 AM
Kind Hearts And Coronets (1949) 1:45 AM

Thursday, December 30 (theme: Mickey Rooney)
Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961) 11:00 PM
The Comic (1969) 1:00 AM - With Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, and Cornel Wilde.. directed by Carl Reiner
Pulp (1972) 3:00 AM - With Michael Caine and Mickey Rooney. It's hard to tell them apart!

Friday, December 31 (theme: Madcap comedies -- Cary Grant screwball comedies and Marx Bros)
Bringing Up Baby (1938) 6:00 AM :-( - One of my favorite movies of all-time. 6:00 AM.. That's criminal!
My Favorite Wife (1940) 8:00 AM :-( - Another great Cary Grant comedy with Irene Dunne (also recommended: The Awful Truth)
The Philadelphia Story (1940) 9:30 AM :-(
Arsenic And Old Lace (1944) 1:45 PM
The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer (1947) 3:45 PM
North By Northwest (1959) 5:30 PM
Animal Crackers (1930) 8:00 PM
Monkey Business (1931) 9:45 PM
Horse Feathers (1932) 11:15 PM
Duck Soup (1933) 12:30 PM
A Night At The Opera (1935) 1:45 AM
A Day At The Races (1937) 3:30 AM

Saturday, January 1
Having Wonderful Time (1938) 7:00 AM
Swing Time (1936) 8:30 AM
Classic March Of Time newsreels from the 1940s 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Holiday Hoedown

2010-12-24T00:24:00.004-05:00

Father Christmas, give us some money! Don't mess around with those silly toys! TCM's Movie Morlocks blog puts the M in merry with a holiday post about Peter Lorre. Sure, Peter Lorre is probably not the first actor you think of when you think of wintery movies, but there are some nice seasonal morsels, including a picture of his personal 1937 Christmas card!

And, here is my personal 2010 holiday card to all my friends and readers. Photo is from Things To Make For Christmas (Fawcett Publications, 1965), which I have been highlighting this month at Curly Wurly and has been expertly handcolored by your humble author (and, clearly, design guru). The recipe can be found at the original post, and I want to be contacted immediately if anyone ever recreates this beauty!

In 1965, Hallmark even made bubble wrap classy! Yes, 'New Hallmark Bubble Wrap protects as it beautifies.'

Finally, I wanted to link to a few holidays tidbits on YuleTube. I was hoping to find a clip from my favorite Simpsons episode ('Homer's Phobia' from season eight). This is the episode where John Waters has a kitscherie shop at the mall, and Homer takes Bart to shoot reindeer at Santa's village in order to ensure his manhood. I did find this clip, but I'm fairly certain it's dubbed into Spanish. Instead, I give you the greatest gift of all: my favorite Tom Lehrer song, (I'm Spending) Hanukkah In Santa Monica [slideshow/video by knickerbockervillage]! And, here is Lehrer's A Christmas Carol, also on YuleTube!

Happy Holidays!

This week on... TCM (December 19-25)

2010-12-19T00:49:00.003-05:00

Sunday, December 19
Top Hat (1935) 6:30 AM
The Major And The Minor (1942) 4:30 PM - The premise of this Billy Wilder movie (starring Ray Milland and Ginger Rogers) seems pretty bad, but it was surprisingly entertaining.
The Mating Game (1959) 6:15 PM
Grease (1978) 8:00 PM - I know it's the word and all, but it's also on other cable channels every night.
Orpheus (1949) 3:00 AM - Jean Cocteau with Jean Marais

Monday, December 20
A Shot In The Dark (1964) 11:00 AM - Very appropriate considering Blake Edwards' recent passing (apparently TCM will have special programming on December 27 to honor Blake Edwards).
The Odd Couple (1968) 6:00 PM
8 1/2 (1963) 2:00 AM - Marcello!

Tuesday, December 21
Wait Until Dark (1967) 6:30 AM - Bad time, great movie.
Swing Time (1936) 10:00 PM
The Thin Man (1934) 12:00 AM

Friday, December 24
The Man Who Came To Dinner (1942) 2:00 PM
The Bishop's Wife (1947) 8:00 PM
Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) 2:00 AM
Bell, Book And Candle (1959) 4:00 AM

Saturday, December 25
Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (1966) 10:30 PM
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958) - Interesting choices for Christmas movies! At least, your family might seem normal after tonight.

This week on... TCM (December 12 - 18)

2010-12-11T22:21:00.006-05:00

Sunday, December 12
Gigi (1958) 5:30 AM
There Goes My Heart (1938) 8:45 AM
Annie Hall (1977) 6:15 PM
Too Bad She's Bad (1954) 4:15 AM - Too bad this Sophia Loren/Marcello Mastroianni movie is on at 4:00 AM!

Monday, December 13 (Moguls & Movie Stars and complementary films)
Moguls & Movie Stars, A History of Hollywood: The Attack Of The Small Screens (episode 6) 7:00 PM
Moguls & Movie Stars, A History of Hollywood: Fade Out, Fade In (episode 7) 8:00 PM (and again at 11:00 PM) - Last episode already?!
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967) 9:00 PM - I always get this one confused with The Man Who Came To Dinner. Anyway, why would you want to have dinner with anyone besides Wallace Shawn?
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) 12:00 AM - I get this one confused with Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? I'm not sure which one is scarier!

Tuesday, December 14 (theme: Liza!)
Sweet Bird Of Youth (1962) 3:00 PM - Paul Newman looking good in this Tennessee Williams adaptation
BUtterfield 8 (1960) 5:15 PM
Private Screenings: Liza Minnelli (interview with Robert Osborne) 8:00 PM (and again at 3:00 AM)
Cabaret (1972) 9:00 PM - Eek. Creepiest Sally Bowles ever. At least Michael York is in this!
A Matter Of Time (1976) 11:15 PM
Stepping Out (1991) 1:00 AM - Finally! Liza Minnelli and Shelley Winters together!

Wednesday, December 15
Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (1966) 1:15 AM - Clearly, it's a week of painful talkie movies on TCM.

Friday, December 17
Tea For Two (1950) 2:15 PM
By The Light Of The Silvery Moon (1953) 4:00 PM - Another Doris Day/Gordon MacRae musical
Black Christmas (1974) 2:00 AM
Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (1964) 3:45 AM - Who'd want to watch this without a bunch of wise-cracking bots?

Saturday, December 18
Zebra In The Kitchen (1965) 8:30 AM - Before there was Macaulay Culkin, there was Jay North.

This week on... TCM (December 5 - 11)

2010-12-04T22:28:00.003-05:00

It looks like TCM is pulling out a lot of oft-shown movies for the last month of 2010. I have to say, it's kind of a disappointing schedule for the end of the year. The best line-up is between December 26 and January 1, including a Marx Bros. marathon and some trusty musicals. Still, the next two weeks sees us through to the end of the inspired Moguls & Movie Stars series.

Sunday, December 5
The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) 10:30 PM

Monday, December 6 (Moguls & Movie Stars and complementary films)
Moguls & Movie Stars, A History of Hollywood: Warriors & Peace Makers (episode 5) 7:00 PM
Moguls & Movie Stars, A History of Hollywood: The Attack Of The Small Screens (episode 6) 8:00 PM (and again at 11:00 PM)
A Face In The Crowd (1957) 12:00 AM
Sweet Smell Of Success (1957) 2:15 AM

Tuesday, December 7
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) 4:00 AM

Wednesday, December 8
The Heiress (1949) 10:45 AM
West Side Story (1961) 2:30 PM
Moguls & Movie Stars, A History of Hollywood: The Attack Of The Small Screens (episode 6) 10:00 PM
Singin' In The Rain (1952) 11:15 PM
North By Northwest (1959) 1:15 AM

Thursday, December 9 (theme: Mickey Rooney)
Babes In Arms (1939) 9:30 PM
Strike Up The Band (1940) 11:15 PM
Babes On Broadway (1941) 1:30 AM
Girl Crazy (1943) 3:45 AM

Friday, December 10
Words And Music (1948) 5:30 AM - Rodgers and Hart musical biopic
The Talk Of The Town (1942) 10:00 AM
Operation Petticoat (1959) 12:00 PM
The Man Who Came To Dinner (1942) 11:30 PM
The 5,000 Fingers Of Dr. T (1953) 3:45 AM - This is a really neat family-friendly movie

Saturday, December 11 (theme: Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli movies hosted by Liza!)
Bells Are Ringing (1960) 6:00 AM - It has the Midas Touch, the Mighty Midas Touch!
Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) 8:00 PM
Private Screenings: Liza Minnelli (interview with Robert Osborne) 10:00 PM (and again at 2:30 AM)
The Clock (1945) 11:00 PM
The Pirate (1948) 12:45 AM
An American In Paris (1951) 3:30 AM

On The Television Auction Block

2010-12-03T04:29:00.006-05:00

Auction and collectible shows are the hottest thing on cable right now. While hit shows like Antiques Roadshow [2] and the British series Bargain Hunt [2] and Cash In The Attic have been delighting arm chair collectors and art aficionados for over a decade, they have often appealed more to people with an eye for rococo antiques of the 'don't touch' variety. Not to suggest that all Antiques Roadshow fans are stodgy snobs who prefer ugly paintings, overly ornate porcelainware, and early American furnishings gushed over by the hunky Keno brothers! But this new breed of collectible show showcases more in the way of ooooh-inspiring pop culture and historical artifacts than its antecedents.

This new spate of collectible series is as much reality tv (as in: you can't believe what you're seeing is actually real) as it is about antiques and collectibles. And, who knows, when the credits begin to roll, a newly rich couple might strike up a pitch-perfect rendition of 'We're In The Money' to an approving panel of celebrity judges, landing the couple on Broadway starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest smash called...

Okay, okay I'm getting ahead of myself here. Still, I suppose the moral of the story is that you are undoubtedly sitting on a priceless treasure trove, so why not wrench apart old family photos to double-check if there's an extra copy of the Declaration of Independence or a real Van Gogh under there (or, maybe just Abraham Lincoln's grocery shopping list)? And, when you inevitably find the Fabargé egg hidden in the last dimple of the egg carton, rush it on over to your friendly neighborhood auction house where you will get top dollar for your accidental find. Before you quit your job and move to your own private island, however, you may want to watch one or two of these super-hot auction shows for inspiration, but.. they're on every channel, they're all on at the same time, and they all have similar generic-sounding names. There are no less than half a dozen them, so it's impossible to remember if the one you liked last week was Auction Kings, Auction Hunters, or Auction Circus. How will you know which one is the real diamond? Let me root out my loupe, and I'll tell you!

Pawn Stars [2] (History Channel) was the leader of the pack, and, in commercials, it seemed very promising. Until I watched it. This reality show revolves around a Las Vegas pawn shop and its four dopey employees. Indeed, some of the rarities that make it into the shop redefined what I expected to see in a run-of-the-mill pawn shop, but I find that the show is more about the people who work at the shop than it is about the collectibles themselves. Unfortunately, this makes Pawn Stars feel a whole lot more like a standard reality show as egos flare and disagreements abound to amp up the drama. This might be acceptable if the staff seemed especially intriguing or knowledgeable, but, as one reviewer described the show, it's as if Antiques Roadshow were "hijacked by American Choppers." Is that supposed to be a drawing point? I have to say that I found the employees obnoxious and unbearable. The staff doesn't appear to have a brain between them (okay, the father isn't as bad), and, when they're not bickering, they're ususally seen playing and irresponsibly mishandling half of the store's consignments. Of course, Pawn Stars appears to be a hit since it is a frequent filler program on the History Channel, and it's often presented in soul-crushing marathon blocks. I rate Pawn Stars as the worst of the bunch. This is cheap, lazy programming, and the few interesting collectibles featured on the show can't right this wrong. [D]

American Restoration [2] (History Channel) is a Pawn Stars spin-off that also takes place in Las Vegas. Admittedly, I haven't previewed it. I find Pawn Stars too painful for me to consider tuning into this one. I'm satisfied giving it a pass. [Not previewed]

American Pickers [2] (History Channel) is a non-descript name for a non-descript show. Basically, a non-descript pair of Iowan 'pickers' travel to people's houses to pick through cluttered garages and warehouses to unearth hidden gems. Unfortunately, they wouldn't know a hidden gem if it dropped on their heads. I finally managed to watch this one, and I was unimpressed with the duo. While the hosts weren't as obnoxious as the Pawn Stars, I felt as if this was almost an affront to true collectors who know a bit about antiques, art, and history. This pair seemed pretty clueless about all manner of collectibles, and the show seemed like a veiled excuse for them to pronounce everything they came across as 'awesome' and paw at adult movie posters and motorcycles. In other words, not very awesome. The emphasis of the show was neither on the collectibles nor the personalities of the pickers. It was about how much money they could make by haggling for the best price. The pickers clearly didn't have an idea about the true worth of half of the stuff they 'picked,' and it was obviously a very arbitrary process. It was all about the bottom dollar. Trash begets trash, and, since life imitates art, I'll give this show a pass. [D+]

Auction Kings [2] (Tuesdays on Discovery Channel) has been called a Pawn Stars rip-off, but I wholeheartedly disagree. Auction Kings revolves around the fast-paced world of an Atlanta auction house. I appreciate Auction Kings because the stars of the show are the collectibles. Each episode revolves around a few set pieces that the house has acquired and takes the viewer from the authentication process, through restoration (sometimes) and appraisal, and ends at the auction block. It's an interesting behind-the-scenes look at a real auction house, and every week, they manage to have a fascinating selection of wares that holds the viewer's interest. The selection of collectibles is exactly the sort you would hope to see at a real auction: valuable art and antiques mingling with other interesting niche pieces. Something for everyone. Recent episodes have featured fancy Venetian mirrors and finely-detailed Fabargé pens paired with real spies' recording devices masquerading as watches and cases of Billy Beer (worthless!). The viewer comes away from each episode with a better appreciation of the auctioning process and for the histories of the individual collectibles. The staff of the auction house, Gallery 63, are both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about antiques and collectibles, and that makes for an entertaining half-hour show. For this reason, I think Auction Kings would appeal to any variety of collector, and it is the perfect supplement for Antiques Roadshow fanatics. [A]

Auction Hunters (Spike) is on at the exact same time as Auction Kings so I have never seen this, but the advertisements make me feel as if I'm not missing too much. It's on Spike and, like everything else on that channel, it seems to be skewed to a male audience. I believe this is one of the shows in the 'treasures in storage units' sub-genre, and each episode appears to highlight a vehicle and a gun. That's just not enough variety for me. [Not previewed]

Hollywood Treasure [2] (Wednesdays on Syfy) is a must-watch for pop culture addicts like me. Syfy's auction show takes place in Los Angeles, the capital city for iconic movies and television from the past century. The concept is similar to Auction Kings; each episode follows a team as they track down, authenticate, appraise, and auction incredible film, television and pop culture memorabilia. Where else can you take a ride in the real Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, get your paws on the original Eddie Munster jacket, and learn all about the history of Hollywood costume design? Plus, there are cool cameos, including Dawn Wells (Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island) and the grown-up Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory! Each episode runs the gamut of twentieth century memorabilia, and fans of every genre of entertainment will delight in the museum-quality valuables they rediscover. Hollywood Treasure is a show about eye-popping pop culture treasures for pop culture addicts, and the show is presented by a team of pop culture addicts (and, dare I say, experts) who can barely contain their enthusiasm for their classic movie, television, and comic wares. If that isn't endearing, I don't know what is! Honestly, when I watch the show, I can't tell who is more excited: me or the guys from Profiles In History. All I know is they certainly don't seem as if they're taking for granted that they have the coolest job, and I can't get enough of this show! [A+]

Just as I was about to make this post, I stumbled upon Oddities (Science Channel), the newest twist on the collectible craze. An ode to weirdness, Oddities takes place at Obscura Antiques & Oddities, a Manhattan-based shop of strange curiosities. The store's relatively benign staff play like the straight man in this sideshow, so as not to distract from its wares. The curios are classic: taxidermy experiments gone wrong, mummified cats, and various other weird whats-its and got-to-have-its. The thing about the show is that most of the perversities the store peddles in are relics that are more cool than truly odd. Many of the objects would be at home in a natural history museum. I believe the show's name might actually be referring to the store's clientele. The customers are more curious than the curios; they are living extensions of the shop's wares. One campy customer knocks out Vincent Price in his enthusiasm for a strait-jacket and a handful of Brooklyn artistes set skin a-squirm with their passions for mummified remains and used morgue gear. They're characters popping out from the pages of Poe and Edward Gorey and tumbling off b-movie screens. The show smacks of theatricality. In a genre where one has to constantly question the veracity of what we see, this show is less reality tv than twisted fairy tale come to life. Still, I think the curiosities are fascinating enough to stand on their own without needing the over-the-top acting from the store's customers. Despite, or possibly because of, these individuals, it's hard not to watch Oddities. It draws you into its topsy-turvy carnival ride, and if the show will be a weekly wonder, it will make my new auction show habit a trio. And, for any goths or steampunks that have televisions, this will be an instant favorite. [B+]

I've seen advertisements listing similar concept shows on HGTV and TLC, but I'm not even going to go there. Three's enough in my weekly tv schedule, and I'm confident that I've chosen the best of the bunch, each unique and satisfying in its own way.