posts
March 2025
Short time for hobbies, doing well in my physics class so theres that.
Only one I seen recently that I thought to write down was ‘Evil under the sun’ ’82 was a good one Based of Agatha Christie and with character Hercule Poirot, it was a good movie, nice scenery character and story telling was above average for me. Couple good twists.
Played some Mario 3 recently, almost beat World 6. Gotta say after a while of playing its not that easy. I mean when you warmed up and prepared can beat it no problem.
Im talkin no warps and easy on the powerups.
Love the Ice Land theme too.
Also played some Double Dragon 2 Love that power move sound and the connect hit sound too.
Oh yea North By Northwest was good. ’59
Another one was Rock Hudson ‘Lover Come back.’ ’61 liked that
Ursula Le Guin The Left Hand of Darkness
Also like Piers Anthony the Incarnations of Immortality series, which inspired me to write science fiction, as well as his Diary of a Space Tyrant series.
Jerry Pournelle The Mote In God’s Eye
___
Watched a good one ‘Angels in the Outfield’ 1951 version.
Good movie little bit silly but I enjoy baseball and movie was entertaining to watch. Enjoyed the Ben Mankiewicz into. Paul Douglas was particular good. Again don’t see that type of character casting anymore. Its interesting he was in a TV movie ‘Born Yesterday 1956’ a little different than the 1950 version starring Broederick Crawford, thats kinda who he reminded me of.
Francis Carroll And the coquettes 1940 that was pretty cool from what I seen
___
Forgot to write about Broadway Melody ’29 and The Broadway Melody of 1936
Just watching these cause seen some on the TCM seemed interesting MGM films theyre pretty good if youre into that kind of stuff. I like it especially the tap dancing ahaha. Some of the other singing and dance numbers. ’36 was better. Anyways just first time watching these, Sometimes I miss parts here and there, homework and other things. Anyways wanted to write em down.
Just looking at the schedule now, theres MGM parade show, #24 so I guess theres a old show that just shows MGM clips like that. Oh nice its the MGM documentary from ’55 just interviews and clips. ok never heard of that till now. Still like Columbia but neat to check out some successes from other studios aswell. Oh Yea seen ‘Gino Corrado’ in the ’36 one. Recognized him from the stooges lol.
___
Seen a couple more.
The Sea Hawk 1940
Pirate Party on Catalina Island 1935 thats a MGM one
___
Penny Serenade 1941 just caught a bit of it but it looked entertaining.
Funny seeing him off the catalina party into this. oops april, keeping it here since lack of a better place.
Feb 2025
Still pretty busy.
Managed to get a few days off.
Watching the rest of Bad and the Beautiful. ’52
Gotta love Kirk Douglas, not in Spartacus.
Movie set drama. Movie stars and drinking and partying highs and lows lol.
Lana Turner and Gloria Grahame Just maybe better than average.
Born to dance seen that one before but its on again.
Jimmy stewart.
Seen a bunch of his lately.
The Stratton story.
Hes in Born to dance in the navy.
Jan 2025
Super busy start to the year.
Haven’t had much time for anything cept my schooling.
My goals for this site are keep watching and writing about the Columbia films list.
Both my chemistry and physics interests.
Civics and Nostlagia.
Other thing been experiencing 1986 again, games, media, film, tv, music.
Had another plan to make a list of all my favourite films from the beginning of film to present day.
Just a few films Ive been interested in lately Um
‘Sophies Choice’ ’82 Meryl Streep Peter Macnicol, Ghostbusters 2. Wasnt a fan of that actor growing up, as a adult I can say appreciate him way more.
Seemed like weird drama, was weird to see cause the guy from Ghostbusters 2.
‘It’s always fair weather’ ’55. Neat movie its a musical tap dancing and singing dancing. I like these kind of movies, post war. Gene Kelly. Sets are really good. Outdoor car scenes. Some comedy.
Probably could watch this one again.
___
Three daring daughters isnt that the opera singing from Micro phonies.. maybe not, apparently thats from Lucia Sextet.
___
HAd the chance to watch Mr. Deeds goes to town, I think that about covers most the Frank Capra Films. I like it, Like Jean Arthur. Havent seen much Gary Cooper. Doesnt ring a bell too much. Like this other guy Lionel Stander .. Lol guess he had some Issues with Columbia, got blacklisted. But I like him in this movie.
Christmas movies ’24
Just a place to list some of the films been watching not related to the Columbia list over the holidays
-Batman Returns ’92 Love this movie over the holidays a good time to watch it, got that creepy xmas Burton vibes. Burton does good creepy xmas style.
-Blues Brothers ’80 Awesome to watch cool action scenes car chases and music.
-We’re No Angles ’55 Humphrey Bogart, and first Gloria Talbot film. Eh pretty entertaining, many characters and lots going on. Bogart was pretty good.
-A Christmas Past. 1900s Silent film, was neat showed real igloos and reindeer and Santa crashes the sled. Interesting super old.
-Giant 1956. Continued from last year.Something bout this movie, its the alternated to what I know Cowboy film.
Suddenly Last Summer ’59
Wow ok fist post in a while.
Was in a Chemistry class, just vegged out some TCM, and Youtube compilations, Jackie Chan. Lots of TCM. Lots of sitcoms, Everybody Loves Raymond, pretty good. 2 and a Half Men always down with a quick laugh.
Some TCM were memorable, some not so much or only caught half of it.
On my break right now, wanted to get back to the Columbia 100 year movie list, I had actually bought this one some months ago, but something happened and missed watching regularly. I think this movies sort of depressing tone, wasnt in the mood to watch it right away. But now that I have I really enjoyed it.
Lets see its a psychological thriller. Its a mystery, Its a semi romance, its defintely a mystery, but not in the sense of a detective or a who dunnit, more of a blocked by mental anguis, no one can pin point the truth. The Doctor actor is pretty good hes straight faced during the whole thing. Hes a lobotomy specialist, but hes a human too and has feelings and a professional side lol. Its almost comical but he pulls it off well. Classic case of getting more money for the hospital you just have to lobotomize my dead sons girlfriend or partner in a sense. Then its a another classic case of Im not insane, or Im insane cause everyone tells me. The boss is like no, you do that surgery we need money! The family like lobotomize her so I can get that 50k in the will. The evil stepmother is played by Katherine Hepburn. You can allude to her being mad from just going off on a tangent of no sense when the doc asks her anything. The insane lady in question is other than miss Catherine, played by Elizabeth Taylor. So she plays the role well, damsell in distress a bit, loose cannon. Temptress, fainting, screamer, suicidal lonely loving. Pretty wide role actually. I think this is one of my first films with her. Although I know who she is and recognize her. Back to Katherine Hepburn, plays a rich snob type. With a ADHD attention span, hell bent on the lobotomy lol, which is kind of demented. Sadistic. Anyways, I thought the film was boring at first, and wondering what the deal was, psycho hospital, asylum, this story about the turtles and the birds, and the poetry, and Sebastian, thats a charter deceased, but still part of the film, only brought about in vague memories or second hand descriptions. A garden, playing with imagery and metaphors of God and life and death. Death itself in nature and imagery of skulls skeletons and angels. So the film was very creative in that sense, so I began to get more intrigued as to what actually happened. Because everytime the film would reveal a little, it would pull back, and cover it up again. Finally in the end, just a rush of the story as it was, it becomes pretty intense, and this is a story youve never heard before. Imagination runs a bit wild. So it ends nice, lol, can you imagine the lobotomy surgeon romantically with his patient, lol. Its not quite like that but for humours sake. So yeah was a ok movie, maybe shoulda put it on during Halloween, cause it was more of a thriller Horror than a xmas movie. So particular screams, and when she runs away from the doctor to end up being attacked and causing a riot in the lobotomized men section was creepy, and equally creepy as when she wanted to jump in the pit of lobotomized old women, makes for a classic asylum horror. Ah it was good different kind of movie. Not something I knew much about or was on my radar for films to watch so I like the Columbia 100 Year list, plus going through the years, I suspect wont be many more Black and White films coming up .
___
Montgomery Clift was the doctor, passed away young. Method acting, using your own experiences to give depth and reaction to the character, guess it was a controversial method as opposed to classical. Hwy was a decent movie, not calling it the best but for the script writing acting, sets performances, story all pretty good. You know who esle I recognize looking at the cast now, is the nurse
___
Mercedes Mccambridge from all the Kings Men
The Gazebo ’59
First Carl Reiner movie.
Enjoyed that.
Starring Glenn Ford, seen a few of his movies now.
Debbie Reynolds name rings a bell but now I guess thats my first of her movies too.
Its like a murder mystery comedy.
Theres some serious tones, anxiety. But also funny specially near the end. Glenn Ford had some good range.
Cause it was funny watching him all anxious, and then freaking out jumping all over the house for that pigeon.
Would probably watch that again. Just one of the recent films that caught my eye.
Was entertaining to watch, cause didnt know what was going on.
Didn’t recognize Carl Reiner till I looked up the movie but I guess he was Harlow the Lieutenant assistant or something.
Caught this on TCM
__
Wow I guess Glenn Fords dad was in this one.
He was from Glenford Alberta. neat
Index finger wag wagging dance
I decided to log every occurrence I can find of the hilarious index finger wag dance of the late 30s and early 40s.
– 3 stooges, ‘Back to the woods’ 1937
– Hal LeRoy, ‘The Prisoner of Swing’ 1938
As suggested by chat gpt
Fred Astaire Top Hat 1935
Gene Kelly American in Paris 1951
Betty Grable in Moon over Miami 1941
Busby Berkeley Musicals
Donald O’Connor in Singin’ in the Rain 1952
___
Its called Truckin a jazz swing era phenomenon.
__ the finger wag is from spinning the plate. From the tip searching waiters, from the harlem clubs. Noble Sissle
Grace Kelly Day TCM
Aug 24-25 2024
Grace Kelly Day on the TCM.
Ok didn’t know much about this actor.
Watched a couple good ones so far. ‘To Catch a Thief’ ’55
And just finished ‘Rear Window’ ’54
Catch a thief had Cary Grant, Rear window had James Stewart.
They are both Hitchcock film.
Personally I liked em both, like the host said to catch a thief was more playful, Rear Window was more suspense, gotta say I really like Rear Window, He got the Bart Simpson broken leg spying on all the neighbours and uncovering a murder. Its cool though because its just actors in a room, and the set is the back of an apartment complex, so theres lots going on. It was like a wheres waldo, your looking for clues and part of the action, so I gotta say that was a wicked movie, really enjoyed that. Grace Kelly herself I guess Hitchcock really liekd her as the leading lady, and shes been in a bunch of his movies, but she went on to be a princess for real in Monaco, and retired from movie making early. Still good movie day, really liked those 2. I guess I should check out Dial M for Murder.. Ill put it on the list.
Robert Shaw Day TCM
Aug 23-24 2024
Never Heard of Robert Shaw till today, of course seen some of his movies, but didn’t know it was him.
Yea some I seen previously, Battle of Britain 69. Force 10 from Navarone 78, Battle of the Bulge 65.
Some new ones, The Sting 1973 That was really good probably my favorite today, had Paul Newmanm and Robert Redford, Robert Shaw played the bad guy mark.
The Luck Of Ginger Coffey 1964, interesting film set in Montreal, it was slightly stylish, but mostly boring., It was kinda artsy fartsy but not too much, more of a drab office, ghetto poor lookin montreal. I was happy to have seen it, but It didnt leave much of an impression on me. I was maybe hoping for a more Leonard Cohen Poetic style, and instead got a 60s office poor man. I think Im thinking of Mr Leonard Cohen 1965 lol.
Anyways thats teh film Ive seen before so I was kind of expecting that..
Moving on I saw the Taking of Pelham One two three, 1974, that was totally awesome. He plays another bad guy hijacking a train. That film included, Walter Matthau, which I know as Mr Wilson from Dennis the Mennis fame. And, a young Jerry Stiller! Which I know affectionally as Frank Costanza, or Arthur Spooner, Carrie Heffernan’s father from King of Queens. Hes a funny actor this time hes a serious transit cop, funy actually cause I know him well from later career but not so much this era.
Anyways the film is a fun heist movie I never seen before thought it was pretty cool. Robert Shaw does this crazy electrocution scene touching the third rail, had myself a little chuckle he was smoking and sizzling lol. Wasnt expecting that.
nah all in all some cool films and cool characters, hes known for more that that, but Thats my little experience with TCM today..
Now Im watching his last film Avalanche express. Its about Cold War some officer defecting to the West and they on a train action. Actually his last film and the director they both had heart attacks. Pretty much months apart. Mark Robson is a interesting personality, with background in Montreal, LA, 20th Century and RKO. Interestingly he edited some of Citizen Kane O. Welles. Another Character I recognize from Avalanche expree is Lee Marving, I think from Dirty Dozen. Maybe Paint your Wagon ? Big Red One sounds familiar, but don’t think I seen it entirely. Although am familiar with the Unit not so much ww1, but ww2, North Africa, Sicily, Dday, Vietnam. Anyways, hes just in a movie entitled that Unit. I think I remember learning about that in a ‘Nam Marvel Comic.