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

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.

Fluorescerama: Equinox (1970)

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!]

Macy's 85th Thanksgiving Day Parade

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.

Happy Haul-idays from Chronicle Books!

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!]

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

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)

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