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I watched 'Hollywood Canteen' - 1944, tonight, and was thrilled to see my old childhood heros, Roy Rogers and Trigger, doing this routine. I'd never seen Roy looking so young! And what can I say about Trigger...he was stunning!

Since we're doing 'Rogers' people, here's a cute compilation of my favourite entertainer, Ginger!

My dear, sweet Mommie, doing her Top Hat shtick!

Thank you, Jan's Graphics!

Subject: Early British Horror Movies

Author:
Conrad
[Edit]

Date Posted: 13:54:11 10/04/08 Sat

For my second Halloween installment, thought I'd bring up an almost forgotten era: the "golden age" of scary British science-fiction and horror movies.

This was of course, during the 1950s, and it actually began on television rather than the silver screen. Bernard Quatermass was a television character created by writer Nigel Kneale for several BBC mini-series from 1953 to 1972. Quatermass was a rocket scientist who has a habit of running afoul of different space aliens. (It could be argued that Quatermass paved the way for "Dr. Who" in the sixties.) So popular were these shows, that film makers were quick to adapt some to film, though as you might expect they tinkered with the original TV scripts to orient them toward the "horror" market.

First of these was released in the USA as "The Creeping Unknown," 91955) quickly followed by a sequel, called "Enemy from Space" for American audiences. They were produced by a tiny British company called Hammer films. So successful were they that Hammer changed their production policy to become the chief provider of horror films world-wide for the next thirty years.

One of their first non-Quatermass productions was "X the Unknown," (1957) though obviously it was inspired by the Quatermass movies. It starred Dean Jagger as an aging scientist battling a menace from the center of the earth rather than space. This film is highly typical of all the early Hammer movies: a dark, Gothic atmosphere, much of the action taking place in the spooky English countryside.

But the one weakness in all these 1950s films were that they all had basically the same plot; a giant, slimy "blob" type monster invades the Earth. In the case of "X the Unknown," the creature is in fact a "mud" monster! (The best line in the movie is certainly "How do you kill mud?")

Running out of plot, Hammer switched gears and turned from sci-fi to true Gothic horror, remaking classic movies like "Frankenstein," "Dracula," and "The Mummy," giving them more violent content than the older movies. So popular were these movies, that sequel after sequel were produed by Hammer films until they finally ran out of steam in the 1970s. While they lasted they made stars and household names out of a number of actors, especially Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. (Curiously, both those actors went on to play villians in the "Star Wars" films.)

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Subject: Scary Movie Time

Author:
Conrad
[Edit]

Date Posted: 18:29:26 09/27/08 Sat

Well, it's almost that time of year again, when scary movies are all over TV and in theaters. Even though it's not Hallowen yet, most stores have already got goodies and costumes up for sale. So I'll begin my annual reviews of fright films just a little bit early with an oddball movie, "Horror of the Blood Monsters."

This is one of the B-movies made by schlockmeister Al Adamson, who directed numerous low budget films throughout the 1960s and 1970s, everything from horror to biker flicks. Though he did work along the same lines as Ed Wood, he never gained the name-recognition that Wood did. Part of the reason was certainly because some of his films were unsavory or downright reprehensible. But they also tended to be confusing and baffling as well, due to Adamson's tendency to pile on unneccessary sub-plots.

"Horror of the Blood Monsters" (1970) is just about the only film of his that's gained any kind of a "cult" following, and even some decent reviews. It's even had a special DVD edition with commentary and special features, perhaps because it's one of the few movies he did that had a half-way understandable storyline. It also has a likeable quality, and even a strange low-budget charm, that's in sharp contrast to the normally grim atmosphere of his other films.

The movie begins with an amaturish introduction, showing various people wandering around in the dark acting like vampires. A narrartor, doing a clumsy Bela Lugosi imitation, explains that people of Earth are turning into vampires due to some sort of virus from outer space.

Then we quickly switch to more professional looking sequences involving the launch of a spaceship. A crew of exploreres, both men and women, are being sent out to discover the source of the virus. Their leader is none other that the great John Carridine himself, once again giving a decent performance in a cheaply made film. Seeing him play the captain of a spaceship is fun in itself!

They land on a prehistoric world where they befriend some cave people and help them fight off monsters and various enemies. What's this got to do with vampires, you might ask? Well, apparently this is the planet the virus is coming from. Most of the cave people sport fangs, showing that they're slowly turning into vampires. There's also some weird looking flying bat people in a cave. But as it turns out, the disease will eventually kill them all and evidently the virus will die with them.

In real life, Adamson actually purchased footage from a cave-man movie made in the Phillipines and never released here in the USA. Then he filmed the scenes with American actors as space cadets and pasted them into the Fillipino movie. It's a clever use of stock footage. And the American cast deliver some surprisingly engaging and in some cases even touching performances.

"Horror of the Blood Monsters" is no masterpiece, but it does show how a low-budget movie can rise above its material. It's a shame that Adamson didn't do more enjoyable films like this in his career, rather than resorting to "shock" value in his other work, which is very seldom shown anymore. If he'd made more films like "Horror of the Blood Monsters" he might have become as well known as Ed Wood is today.

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Subject: Time for School
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 12:07:00 08/17/08 Sun Well, it's that time of year again, when (depending on where you're at) it's time to go back to school, and already "High School Musical 3" is out in theaters. While movies about school are fairly rare these days, it's worth looking back on the films about school that have been made over the years. And this normally means high school, because films about younger grades are normally restricted to television comedies. The "high drama" of high school life is generally been considered better suited for big screen movie territory. It's unusual for me to be talking about school movies, because I normally avoid them like the plague. When I was a kid, it became very obvious to me that "school movies" either fell into one of two categories: They were either pro-establishment or anti-establishment. And once you figured out which side they were on, they became completely predictable. This normally meant you'd be seeing the same stereotypes over and over again: the Mean Principal, the Noble Teacher, the Handsome Hunk, the snotty Prom Queen, the Good Girl, and on and on. "Blackboard Jungle" (1955) was one of the few school movies to take a stab at really serious film making, with a stellar cast led by Glen Ford and Ann Francis. The only problem, which was obvious even to a kid like me when I saw it on TV in the late 1950s, was how the so-called "high school kids" were clearly adults posing as teenagers. Sidney Poitier and Vic Morrow were the oldest looking teenagers I'd ever seen--they must really have been set back a few grades! Sidney Poitier later came back as a teacher himself in "To Sir With Love" (1967) which is one high school movie I have thoroughly enjoyed without reservations. Though it involved a society that is very foreign to me (Britain in the 1960s) the way the students acted and the way the teacher responded to them was far more engaging and entertaining than run-of-the-mill school movies made here in the States. Perhaps because it was made in a another country, you didn't get the usual stiff-necked stereotypes common to American films. And it is one film that seems timeless; my kids loved it when they were young and completely understood what was going on. Both those movies were definitely "establishment" films. On the other end of the spectrum, you had movies like "Rock and Roll High School" (1979) in which rebellious students take over their high school--a movie that's definitely ant-establishment to the max. There is one movie I enjoy that's not very old, "October Sky" (1999) which is neither pro or anti establishment. Based and a true story, it takes a "middle ground" in which it thoughtfully explores an important theme: The way education is not valued in American society. It follows a number of science students (who in real life went on to work in the space program and other science fields) struggling with a school system that values brawn rather than brains. Set in the 1950s, it could have been filmed yesterday. (Just consider the huge drop out rate in this country compared to other nations to see how little we value education.) And while this does have a "noble teacher" who is the only one who backs up the science students (played by Laura Dern) she's presented as a normal human being, not a stereotype. That's my take on school movies--anybody have favorites of your own? [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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Re: Time for School -- Kimmie, 02:23:57 08/31/08 Sun My goodness, Karen Valentine! That name really brings back memories, I wonder what ever happened to her? (NT) -- Conrad, 08:34:19 09/17/08 Wed

Subject: Whew! Spam GONE and Captcha in place!!!!
Author: Judith...why can't people be honest??? [Edit]	Date Posted: 16:05:33 03/07/08 Fri I just got done reporting and deleting more spam ads than I have ever seen in one place....all from last night and today, well over 50 or 60!! I should have enabled the captcha some time ago, but it's such a pain, and I hadn't been spammed in a long time. At any rate, it is now enabled, and I have it set so that, if you register and login,you won't have to use it. I'm sorry about that, but this was just crazy, and took much of my evening to get rid of! Let me know how it goes. J* [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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I tried it out, it's not so bad, only 4 characters, not like myspace captchas! It's probably easier to type in the four figures, than to login.. (NT) -- Judith, 15:59:44 03/08/08 Sat I've been away from the computer for awhile, so didn't see any of that spam. Too bad they have to plague an innocent place like this. (NT) -- Conrad, 19:04:54 03/08/08 Sat Re: Whew! Spam GONE and Captcha in place!!!! -- Kimmie, 02:34:48 08/31/08 Sun

Subject: Older Actors
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 16:25:18 05/25/08 Sun Harrison Ford has returned to the role of Indiana Jones for the just-released movie "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." This is the first of Ford's films that acknowledges his age, in that the Jones character is shown in his later years. And he's teamed with youthful rising star Shia LaBeouf, fresh from his success in "Transformers," indicating to me that the studio wanted a young face in the movie to draw the younger generation. In some of the stills from the movie, Ford's age is very evident. That makes me wonder how he's going to handle his career now. For three decades Harrison Ford has been the top action star in films, though he's occasionally done romantic comedies ("Working Girl," "Sabrina," etc.) and even one villainous role ("What Lies Beneath") to avoid getting typecast. But there aren't many stars who can stay in the limelight forever. John Wayne, whose career matches Ford's in many respects, was one of the very few stars who remained in top demand right up to his passing. There are several routes taken by major stars in their later years. One has simply been retirement (Cary Grant). Others have chosen to do major roles that are age appropriate for them. (Lauren Bacall) Some chose to finish their careers by going into television. (Robert Mitchum) The worst route, which has swallowed up many actors, has been to end up in Grade B movies. In the old days that meant low budget westerns, horror or science fiction films. Joseph Cotton and Cameron Mitchell are two of the most pitiful examples of how Hollywood could discard well known performers into B movies once they started to show their age. Today, when there's no theatrical market for B movies, such films are restricted to made-for-video productions, and I've seen some once popular stars end up in those. (Including one Academy Award winner.) What appears to be the best route for aging stars is become a character actor. Indeed, Michael Caine's career has flourished since he switched to supporting character roles, such as Alfred the butler in "Batman Begins." It could be argued that his career has been even been more successful than when he was a leading man. Which route Harrison Ford takes will be interesting to observe, but whatever he does there can be no doubt he's had one of the most successful careers in Hollywood history. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
Replies:
I Never Sang for My Father- 1970 -- Judith, 14:36:10 06/18/08 Wed Your reminds me of two other films with older actors, in which their age is vital to the film. One was "On Golden Pond" with Henry Fonda and Katerine Hepburn as the older couple, the other was "Ghost Story" with Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (NT) -- Conrad, 19:37:29 06/22/08 Sun I saw On Golden Pond at a little hometown theatre, which they tore down, now. Loved it! I haven't seen the other, but from the actor line-up, I have to check it out, soon. How about the Sunshine Boys! Dick Smith did the make-up for that one. Of course, Bette Davis was a brave soul, unafraid to work in her older years...so many stars, esp. women, wouldn't ever be seen looking old and wrinkled. Gotta hand it to her! (NT) -- Judith, 21:16:59 07/03/08 Thu Re: Older Actors -- Kimmie, 02:33:22 08/31/08 Sun

Subject: Unwatchable Movies
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 22:26:44 07/17/08 Thu There are a lot of "bad movies" that still have a great deal of entertainment value ("Plan 9 From Outer Space" being the best example). But there are some movies that I feel go beyond "bad" and are just plain unwatchable. Since some of these have crept into DVD or may do so someday, thought I'd list some of those I feel have no value at all as entertainment: The Story of Mankind (1957) I saw this movie many years ago and can barely remember it--not because it's so old but because the film was so poorly done. The basic idea is to show important moments in history through short skits shown between stock footage from older historical films. The result was a movie that looked like a bad high school play. The only skits I remember clearly were the ones featuring cameo appearances by the Marx Brothers. Most embarrassing of all was the skit featuring Chico Marx as Sir Issac Newton discovering gravity. He sits under a tree to play his harp, and an apple falls on his head, Ha-ha; big laugh. History of the World, Part 1 (1981) Mel Brooks tried doing what amounted to the exact same thing with this movie, with no better results. I can't think of another Mel Brooks movie that ran out of steam as fast as this one. I've never seen the end of it because I walked out of it mid-way. Probably the most slow moving of all his films. Just goes to show you, if you're going to do a history movie, just stick to one time period and not jump all over the decades. The Creeping Terror (1964) Has to be the most plotless of all the monster films of the sixties. A spaceship lands near a small town, and a monster that looks like a giant moth-eaten rug emerges. For the rest of the movie it meanders around the countryside swallowing people whole--a tiresome effect that is shown again and again and again. Making it even more difficult to enjoy is that the movie has narration rather than dialog, so that it is almost like watching a silent film. The only reason this movie didn't drop off into obscurity was Mystery Science Theater 3000 used it for one of their episodes in the 1990s. Medusa (1973) This one is almost totally incomprehensible. You don't even know why it's called "Medusa" because it has absolutely nothing to do with mythology--the name "Medusa" isn't even mentioned once in the film! As best as I could understand it, George Hamilton plays some sort of playboy psychotic living in Greece somewhere. His best friend is a gangster played by Cameron Mitchell. Between the two of them, they manage to murder half the cast of the movie. Hamilton's bizarre performance is so over the top you wonder if he thinks this movie is a comedy. Very confusing mystery film--if that indeed was what it was supposed to be! Assignment Terror (1970) This is the name I saw it under many years ago, though it has masqueraded under a half-dozen different titles, including a very bad VHS edition called "Dracula vs Frankenstein." This is misleading because those two monsters never fight each other in the movie. Making this hodge podge even more confusing is there's a totally different film named "Dracula vs. Frankenstein" (featuring Lon Chaney) that was released a year later! In any case, "Assignment Terror" is a very bad Spanish remake of "House of Frankenstein" updated for the space-age seventies. Poor Michael Rennie plays yet another space alien, this time assigned to assemble all the great movie monsters into an old castle for "retraining" and then to turn them loose on mankind. The sequences that are somewhat identical to scenes from "House of Frankenstein" are very slipshod. Making things worse is that Michael Rennie's voice is horribly dubbed, I suspect by someone else. So what you get is Michael Rennie sounding like someone doing a bad imitation of Michael Rennie! Those are some of my picks for Unwatchable Movies--anyone else have "favorites" of their own? [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
Replies:
Thanks Conrad, good topic! I have sadly neglected the forum, the heat has me down...but I want to fix it up a bit, soon, and maybe advertise more than I have been. It will be a work in progress, for a while! (NT) -- Judith, 23:15:52 07/23/08 Wed I made a typo in this section; I write "Chico Marx" when I meant to say "Harpo Marx" played Sir Issac Newton in "The Story of Mankind." (NT) -- Conrad, 09:51:18 07/26/08 Sat Conrad, I'm with you on the Mel Brooks movie...never could get into that one! I may be going against a lot of Mike Myers fans, but I just can't stomach his 'Austin Powers'!! I've laughed at some other things he's done, but ewww, can't watch that one. (NT) -- Judith, 22:15:42 07/27/08 Sun Re: Unwatchable Movies -- Kimmie, 02:27:21 08/31/08 Sun

Subject: f
Author: f [Edit]	Date Posted: 07:59:19 08/29/08 Fri :GLITZ & RITZ : *CONTESTS CLOTHING * TUTUS * MORE Visit www.glitzandritzboutique.piczo.com for more information!** [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

Subject: f
Author: f [Edit]	Date Posted: 19:55:38 08/19/08 Tue [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

Subject: Hangover Square! (Title of a movie, not where I am!) ;]
Author: Judith [Edit]	Date Posted: 22:48:14 07/27/08 Sun Dad and I had a lot of fun today, I just love the rare rainy day to snuggle in and watch something tasty...anyway, this was Hangover Square, an oddly named film, with a very tortured, romantic lead, Laird Cergar. I was sad to learn that he died of a heart attack, not long after making the film, which makes him even more tragic. George Sanders plays an empathetic Scotland Yard psychiatrist, I've always liked his presence and imposing voice. I don't want to say too much about it, other than it had a great score, and if you love film noir with a tragically romantic figure, set in turn-of-the-century London, you've got to see it! The ending didn't disappoint!! Hangover Square (film) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia IMDb profile Hangover Square (1945) is a film noir directed by John Brahm, based on the novel Hangover Square (1941) by Patrick Hamilton. The screenplay was written by Barr� Lyndon who made a number of changes to the novel, including the transformation of George Harvey Bone into a classical composer-pianist and filming the story as a turn-of-the-century period piece. The movie was released in New York City on February 7, 1945, two months after its star, Laird Cregar, suffered a fatal heart attack. Plot The locale is the late Victorian London, with the date 1899 shown in the opening scene. The period setting creates a dark mood, especially in the key scene when Bone (portrayed by Laird Cregar), having strangled Netta (Linda Darnell) on Guy Fawkes Night, carries her wrapped body through streets filled with revelers and deposits it on top of the biggest bonfire. My note: I've always been intrigued by the ancient Celtic Wicker Man, where they offered up live humans to the gods, or so they say...so this scene of a Guy Falks celebration, with a smaller version, a pyre you still had to climb a ladder to put your dummy or doll into, was so creepy to me, esp. watching Bone drag his 'dummy' (the mask was falling a bit, so you could glimpse her face) up, into the, soon to be lit, tower! I deleted the ending synopsis, of course! American composer Stephen Sondheim has cited Herrmann's score for Hangover Square as a major influence on his musical Sweeney Todd. Cast Laird Cregar as George Harvey Bone Linda Darnell as Netta Longdon George Sanders as Dr. Allan Middleton [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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PS...It's late, and I failed to say that George Harvey Bone is a classical composer, and he gets these 'dead zones' where he can't write...yet after his memory lapses, he is able to complete his dramatic pieces. (NT) -- J~, 22:55:48 07/27/08 Sun

Subject: Movies Made by Regular People
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 23:59:01 05/14/08 Wed I tend to spend a couple of hours a day browsing YouTube, and it never ceases to amaze me how that site has revolutionized entertainment. I and countless others are far more entertained by watching 10 minute YouTube videos than I am by watching regular TV. I think what fascinates most people is that most of these videos are photographed and prepared by regular people. Through various software people like us can make our own entertainment now and not depend on mass media to do it for us. I myself have prepared some videos to promote my Wife's first novel; I couldn't do that years ago when I was running a fiction magazine. At least, I didn't know the technology was there to do such a thing. Even if there was such software at the time, there wasn't a network of places to place such home-made movies until networks like YouTube, My Space and their many imitators arose. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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You got meinterested in listening to some other sounds from space, and then I saw some clips of a supposed UFO zooming at incredible speed past the Twin Towers on 9/11. There were various videos of it...hummm, I wonder?? (NT) -- Judith, 22:01:05 05/16/08 Fri

Subject: Home Made Video Movie
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 22:37:05 05/15/08 Thu To demonstrate how ordinary people can make their own movies now, with Judith's permission I'm pasting in the the home made video trailer for my Wife's book. Hope it works in here in this format. Here goes, hope you enjoy it: [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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This story trailer really piqued my interest! I'll visit the web site, soon! (NT) -- Judith, 11:28:51 05/16/08 Fri

Subject: Movies For Michigan
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 10:26:56 04/13/08 Sun Here's a different kind of movie announcement. This month, the governor of my state, Jennifer Granholm, approved sixteen bills for the state legislature that give big tax incentives for movie companies to film in Michigan and employ local workers. If I understand this correctly, this will make it cheaper to film movies and television projects here in Michigan than in any other state in the union. Hopefully this will bring more jobs to a state that badly needs them. The idea is to become something like Toronto, Canada, which has become a mecca for moviemakers over the last decade due to cheap taxes and an abundance of local talent. I sincerely hope this works out. Few films have been made in Michigan, the most well known being Eminem's "8 Mile," but that was only possible because Eminim had enough money to push it through. Other film projects have mainly been second-unit scenes cut into productions that were filmed mostly elsewhere. ("Beverly Hiils Cop" and "Transformers" being the best examples.) Whether or not this plan succeeds will depend heavily on investment in local talent. There's always been plenty of talent here, but not the infrastructure that would support it, which is why so many filmmakers have left the state after putting together a successful film. (Sam Raimi, the "Spiderman" director, got his start with the cheap horror movie "The Evil Dead," which also launced the careers of several other Micigan people.) Anyone in the creative arts, from writers to fashion designers, have a hard time in Michigan because the big push in education and other fields has been toward the auto industry. (I remember visiting a class one of my kids attended where the teacher was telling them to get in the auto industry once so many people started retiring from that field.) Hopefully the influx of the movie indutry here, once it comes, will help change that attitude and improve the state. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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We got that some time ago, in Connecticut. In fact, last Fall, Harrison Ford was in New Haven, doing scenes from the newish Indiana Jones. The streets and cars, even people, were all changed to a 1950's (I think it was?) style. Al Pacino was in Milford, my city, a while back, oh and Uma Thurman did some shoots in New Haven. Pretty exciting, for our small area. We're having yet another soon, not sure what that will be, yet. I'm singing 'Big Time',by Peter Gabrielle!! =D (NT) -- Judith...good luck to the 'the mitt', as well!!, 21:08:20 04/17/08 Thu There's been news articles here that indicate Clint Eastwood himself plans a movie project in Michigan now. I'll keep you posted. (NT) -- Conrad, 19:50:57 05/03/08 Sat

Subject: The "Chinese" Boris Karloff
Author: Conrad, author of "Old School Romance" (Vintage Romance Publishing) [Edit]	Date Posted: 22:42:06 04/04/08 Fri Everybody knows Boris Karloff as the Frankenstein Monster, not to mention all his other scary roles. But few recall the times this British actor played Chinese characters in movies. By my count, he did at least seven films playing three different Chinese roles. The first of these was none other than the notorious movie villian Fu Manchu in "The Mask of Fu Manchu" (1932). Numerous performers have taken on this role over the decades, but most fans consider Karloff's performance to be the best of the lot--and certainly the most scary! In 1937 Karloff gave what I consider the best performance of his career as a Chinese bandit leader named General Wu Yen Fang in "West of Shanghai." He takes over a village where a number of Americans are staying, and at first seems a menace to them. But as the movie goes along he turns out to be rather likeable. I've only seen this film on Turner Classics, and don't know if it's on video, but it's well worth looking for. Karloff's portrayl of this complex character shows a range of acting talent that was seldom expoited in his other films. In the late 1930s, Karloff did a series of at least five films as a Chinese detective, starting with "Mr. Wong, Detective," in 1938. Though clearly Mr. Wong was an attempt to imitate the well loved "Charlie Chan" movies, Karloff's characterization was far different from that of Chan. James Wong is a private eye, while Chan was a police officer, a detective for the Honolulu police force. Unlike Charle Chan, James Wong spoke perfect English, his clipped British accent explained as a result of his having attended school in Oxford. Wong seems to be something of a loner, not having any family like Charlie Chan has his sons. Wong also appears to be a a science whizz, solving crimes through scientific techniques. Some of the Wong films are available on dollor DVDs, and are well worth buying if you find them; they're a lot of fun. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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I have seen Boris as a Chinese man, but don't remember what the film was about...it was a long time ago. I'd like to see those! (NT) -- Judith....Dad used to do a great Karloff impersonation, from some movie, we don't know...but Dad says he had an English accent, and it went, "I came all the way by coach." I should have recorded Dad saying that, he sounded more like Boris, then Boris himself!, 17:30:57 04/08/08 Tue

Subject: Tom Cruise Imitators
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 09:36:48 03/27/08 Thu I have noticed over the last month an extraordinary phenomena on YouTube which has to be a first in show business, and I want to comment on it here. As many may know by now, some months ago a segment from a Scientology film featuring Tom Cruise was uploaded to YouTube. Apparently it was part of a much longer motivational film of some sort. Now, it's not my church, and I personnally don't care what Tom Cruise believes; that's his business. But what is fascinating is that this film has created a "cottage industry" on YouTube of Tom Cruise imitators that seems to have no end in sight. Every time I go back to YouTube I find somebody new doing their own version of that video, and as time goes along they get more and more creative and they get further and further removed from the initial video from which they sprung. The original video simply shows Tom,wearing a black turtleneck sweater, sitting in an easy chair in what looks to be a comfortable living room. To be honest, it's a rather banal speech, which Tom speaks very awkwardly. It reminds me a lot of those old military training films I saw in the service. The monotony is only broken when Tom bursts into unexpected gales of laughter, which are puzzling because we don't really understand what he's laughing at. It wasn't long before YouTube people were making their own comedy versions of this viedo. The first ones simply had people dressed like Tom, sitting in similar looking living rooms and doing stand-up-comic style routines using variations of the original speech. But as time went on, the imitators got more creative, ranging from the hilarious to the awful. Among the best was a man in a Darth Vader suit, putting the speech in a "Star Wars" context. One of the most adorable featured a sweet little girl explaining what it takes to be a magical fairy. Another good one is a lady explaining how to make a good scrapbook. The worst contain a lot of swearing. The most bottom of the barrell has to be a rotund, bearded gentleman who uses his variation to advertise his rock band. He concludes his version by waving his arms around wildly in every direction. To see some of these gems (and some of the worst)type in "Tom Cruise Parodies" under YouTube's search. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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I like your 'gales of laughter'! Yes, Tom's talk WAS a bit bizarre, he seemed more to be having a conversation with himself, rather than to people who weren't 'in' on it. I think Craig Ferguson was the first, or one of the first, to parody Tom. His was very funny...he's just a funny guy! Hey, changing the subject a bit, but the Wilhelm Scream was a Jeopardy question, last week! Of course, I got that one! (NT) -- Judith, 23:08:07 04/01/08 Tue Glad to see you back Judith, I was getting worried. I just a few moments ago left you a comment on My Space, but that was before rechecking the Movie Forum. Three cheers for your blog about the Olympics! (NT) -- Conrad, 00:03:49 04/04/08 Fri Thanks Conrad....Yeah, I hate seeing the Olympics held there, unless they mend their human rights violations. Have you ever seen the Frontline (on PBS) documentary about Tienimen Square, and the brave soul who stopped the tanks in the street? What an eye-opener it was...it told all that had lead up to the students being shot or run down. So many many people had risen up, young and old, and their own military shot them down. Not to get too morbid, but I reccommend that doc....for everyone to see! The young people over there now, don't even know what happened, not that long ago....they can't even search the info online. (NT) -- Judith...and I HAVE been watching some movies, just haven't been writing about them, yet. I will, soon!, 17:14:51 04/08/08 Tue

Subject: Academy Award Controversy
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 19:41:30 03/08/08 Sat I know the Academy Awards are over now, but I read an article in a local paper that I thought might generate some conversation here. Now, understand I didn't see any of the films nominated for major awards this year, so I'm not one to judge them, so I'm only bringing up this reporter's comments in his weekly column. The gist of the reporter's remarks were that the films nominated this year were: 1)Mostly box office duds with the exception of "Juno." (I don't know if that's true or not.) 2) The most popular films of the year were ignored. And he listed the most popular films box office wise. I can understand that point of view, because I remember when the Academy frequently nominated popular movies, and they often won awards. Like "Sound of Music," "Mary Poppins" and so forth. In the past, films nominated were frequently the most popular films of the times. However, I can see a major flaw in this reasoning. If you look at the five most successful films of the year as the reporter listed them, all but one ("Transformers") were sequels: "Spiderman 3," "Shrek 3," "Pirates of the Carribean 3," "Harry Potter 5." Under the current Hollywood system of sequel making, to nominate only the most popular films could lead to the same people being nominated year after year. And much as I loved "Transformers" (in particular because they filmed one scene inside the long-deserted Detroit train station) I couldn't see this movie being nominated for acting honors! If that were to be the rule, only the performers who did the voices of the robots would win, because the human actors spent most of the movie running or fighting. I don't envy the Academy members having to decide who and what to nominate under the system the way it is today, with sequels ruling the box office. I can't really come up with an answer for this problem, so I'm going to turn over discussion to the rest of you folks. (And let's get some of the old members posting. We need more people putting in their opinions here. Come on in and join the fun! If anyone is new to this forumn, feel free to join the fun.) [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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It's...SLOW....in here, to say the least! Thank you for keeping it going. I will admit to having been wishy-washy at spreading the word about the forum, and if I get some spurt of energy, I'll bandy the forum url around some of myspace movie friends. I'll admit it's not the most professionally decked out forum I've seen, but I feel it has a homey touch, and I'll keep it going, for that reason...and because I enjoy reading your missives. To reply to your post, yes, the conflict between entertaining movies (which often bring in the bucks) and the artistic films (which can also be entertaining). I'll most often go for the art films. Once you've seen a Hitchcock, Fellini, Bergman, etc., it's hard to root for a matinee flick. With exceptions, of course! (NT) -- Judith....all that being said, I lOVE many of the old 30's flicks that weren't necessarily so artful, but just because they ARE 1930's!, 22:57:47 04/01/08 Tue

Subject: Take a Giant Step - 1959
Author: Judith [Edit]	Date Posted: 15:39:06 03/08/08 Sat Just a short blurb about this interesting film, that aired on TCM yesterday. It's a bit like Rebel Without a Cause, with Johnny Nash playing a young black teen, living in a white, suburban neighborhood. His folks have not only worked harder than most, but had to play the game by the 'white rules', in order to get where they are, and they expect the same from their boy (Spencer), and YET, have instilled values of pride within him...and this conflict of 'knowing your place' and 'smiling when you should be defending yourself', mixed with a healthy self-esteem, becomes the cause of most of his teenage turbulance. Not to mention, hormones are raging, and he has no girlfriend prospects in the biggoted town. His circle of friends are a lot like him, athletic, regular kids, but they begin to pull away when parents don't want Spence at certain parties, and also from Spences own anger, which pushes them further still. His wise, crotchety, dying Grandma becomes literally, his only friend, and with her death, he starts to unhinge. This was going to be short, I am wanted in the kitchen, but you can see how this movie touched me...there were several psychological and societal threads running throughout, and you really felt for this kid!! His folks, while basically good people, never actualy SPOKE to him! He was supposed to be grateful that he was in a good town with college looming, and that was that, he just had to hold all his feelings in and deal. I kept thinking, 'all you have to do is sit down and let him tell you what he's going through!' but they didn't validate his experiences. Hehe, frustrating. The maid, played by Ruby Dee, was quite the wise soul, as well, though towards the end, Nash does a lot of posing in well-fitting jeans, and well, I won't reveal any spoilers, but needless to say, she was reacting as I was, to him at that time! If you're curious as to how it turns out, you'll have to see it. I feel there WERE things left unresolved, but it WAS made in 1959, so just the fact they dealt with some of those issues was a lot, I suppose. The kitchen beckons.... [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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The wonderful Cast>>>: -- J, 15:56:31 03/08/08 Sat

Subject: The Seekers
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 10:02:46 02/21/08 Thu Just thought I'd mention an old band from my youth has a number of wonderful videos on TouTube, and that would be The Seekers. Movie people would remember them from their theme song for "Georgy Girl." Just type them in under YouTube and you'll see an incredible number of viedos of them singing their greatest hits. I'd reccommend the black-and-white ones, where they performing live, apprently on a TV show. Hearing them live, and not lipsiced, is astonishing because it gives their song a lot more quality. The live performance in the black-and-white clip of "Georgy Girl" sound a lot more lively than the recorded version. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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I remember them! Ohh, what a fun era!!! Love georgy Girl, too! I'll take a look! BTW....I see you spelled reccommend! Guess both the c and the m are doubled.. (NT) -- Judith, 11:28:16 02/27/08 Wed

Subject: Need some titles!!
Author: Judith [Edit]	Date Posted: 20:58:26 01/26/08 Sat I have been trying to find the titles for three films, and I THINK at least two of them, star Robert Young. I have done a filmography search, but come up zero. The first is set in the country, and Robert Young falls in love with a mysterious woman. She won't tell him why she can't see him, or what is wrong, but I believe we find out that her father (I think a doctor?)has been abusing her. Robert himself, wants to study to become a doctor. That's about ALL I remember of that one! Who knows, maybe Bob Osborne will stop by and set me straight! The second, is even more blurry, and I'm not even sure if it's Robert Young. I just remember a fisherman's cabin and a stormy, bleak sea coast. It seems that someone thinks 'Robert' is crazy...and he loves the man in the cabin's daughter. There is some running on the shore, at night. How's that for a hazy description!! I must be inhaling opium while I watch movies, eh?? OK, the third is very cool!! OOH, I THINK this may have starred Roddy MacDowell!! There is a teenage boy who is sent to a small, privately-owned mental home, because of an evil fiance of his mother's or sister. The lad has found out too much about who the fiance really is, and the guy wants to get him locked up and out of the way. It's really a good film! OK, if ANYONE has any idea what these movies are, I'd be very grateful!! [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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Just got a rare flash of light! hehe... I THINK I was thinking of Robert Montgomery! He was in some really wonderful, fun films, that you don't always see that often. Here I go, looking up HIS filmography!! (NT) -- J~, 11:19:57 01/27/08 Sun There's 2 movies that remotely resemble the Robert Young movie you mention: One is "The Enchated Cottage," a rarely seen film where Young is a disfigured war vet who hides out at a cottage till he falls in love with an equally disfigured woman, but the "magical" cottage only lets them see each other as the beautiful people they used to be. The other starred Joseph Cotton (I think) rather than Young, as a painter who keeps seeing a young lady who may or may not exist. If I remember right it was named "Portrait Of Jeanie," and climaxed at a lighthouse. (NT) -- Conrad, 09:20:29 01/28/08 Mon I can't believe you mentioned those two films!! They aren't the ones I'm looking for, but I was going to say something about them, as you're right, they ARE of a similar ilk. I loved both of them, and they both had the sureal theme. Portrait of Jennie also starred Jennifer Jones, who could have that other-worldly look. (NT) -- Judith, 22:39:15 01/28/08 Mon Well, I'm batting zero...Looked at a bunch of R.Montgomery titles, but nothing. BTW...The Enchanted Cottage is on TCM tonight, at 8:00 E.S.T. Don't know if I'll watch or not, I've seen it fairly recently. (NT) -- Judith, 14:49:22 01/31/08 Thu Crazy! A Portrait of Jennie was on, after Enchanted Cottage!! I did watch them both...what a great, romantic night!! > (NT) -- me again!, 15:00:55 02/01/08 Fri I FOUND one of them!!! It is called King's Row, with a big-name cast, but one of the two main characters IS Bob Cummings. His buddy is played by Ronnie Reagan!! It seems I was only recalling the beginning, about Bob's romance with a local, tragic, young woman....then the film veers into another story, mainly about Ron's character's life...and then the two join up again for the ending. I love the film, though it didn't get the highest rating. There is one scene in particular, where Bob, who has become a doctor, has to wrestle with ethics...and can he do the right thing, when whichever decision he makes, may hurt one of the two people involved, both of whom he cares for. Ann Sheridan was very good, in her role as Reagan's, other-side-of-the-tracks, Irish girlfriend. I recommend it! (NT) -- Judith...who never remembers how to spell recommend...reccommend....reccomend...??, 11:24:37 02/27/08 Wed

Subject:

Waste of Time...

Author:
Judith
[Edit]

Date Posted: 00:05:54 02/19/08 Tue

I just saw a creepy movie, the ONE time I let myself buy an IO rental on the cable. The Year of the Dog. ACK!
They called it a comedy, but 'twas depressing and weird, and Molly Shannon, whom I usualy love, was boring with the same concerned, AWW, look, on her face! The only saving thing, IMO, was Laura Dern...she's always so good...and there was a cute black woman actor who was fun. However, I didn't quite get the point of the film, and if Molly was supposed to be funny, it didn't work for me...I found myself worrying about her, and wondering where this film would careen to next! Ah well....a wasted $4.95.

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Subject: Art Houses
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 13:03:24 02/10/08 Sun For some reason I was thinking about the specialty theaters that used to be called "Art Houses" in the old days. These were small theaters that you only found in the major cities, that catered strictly to the "artistic" crowd. In other words, they showed movies outside the Hollywood mainstream. When I was growing up, that translated as foreign films with subtitles, (like the works of Fellini and Bergman) though occasionally an exceptional British film might be included. This was just about the only way people here in the USA got to see such movies, as they were never shown on TV. (Foreign films tended to be sexier and more frank in dealing with human attitudes than American films.) I don't think films like "The Seven Samurai" would ever have been seen by the American public if not for Art Houses. The concession stands were also different in the Art Houses of old. Instead of popcorn and candy they served steaming hot coffee instead. The ironic thing about all this was that mainstream movie directors attended Art Houses on a regular basis and gradually worked more and more foreign attitudes into their own films. Sometimes they even remade some foreign films for American audiences (Best example being "The Magnificent Seven," which was a remake of "Seven Samurai.") With more American movies featuring mature content, and the rise of the cable TV/video age, Art Houses started to change. Today, they either feature revivals of classic films, either foreign or domestic, or they cater to independently made American films (or "indies" as I think they're called). Recently, the original Japanese version of "Godzilla" had a successful run almost exclusively through art houses. And let's not forget "The Blair Witch Project," which started out in Art Houses then branched out to the mainstream. (When I first saw that film in the only Art House in the area, the tiny theater wasn't prepared for the overflow crowds, something they weren't accustomed to.) So where once the Art Houses were considered a "snob thing" they're now mainstreamed in their own way. Anybody got any Art House stories of their own to tell? [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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We had the York Square Cinema in New Haven...can't believe they tore it down; I suppose it was losing money, with all the multi-plexes around. That is where I first saw A Clockwork Orange, and that odd one, Crumb! Wow, if ever there was a disfunctional family...and yet, I had to keep watching! Saw some romantic ones there, but I can't recall which ones. There really is no place to see art or foreign films around here, anymore (that I know of) (NT) -- Judith, 22:41:50 02/13/08 Wed PS...the decor was so fine and old...I almost felt I was trespassing on another time. They man all dressed up to greet you...very cool, and we knew when there, that we were visiting a world that was just a ghost of it's former glory days, and would not exist much longer.. (NT) -- J, 22:44:58 02/13/08 Wed typo, hehe... (NT) -- J, 22:47:12 02/13/08 Wed

Subject: 70s Horror
Author: Kimmie [Edit]	Date Posted: 04:15:39 01/22/08 Tue Lately I have been watching all those movies my parents would not let me watch.....catching up on my favorite era. I've seen Let's Scare Jessica to Death, See No Evil, Alice, Sweet Alice, and Full Circle (The Haunting of Julia). Two of these starred Mia Farrow, who just has this way of being scared on film! Alice, Sweet Alice was really the one that I was laughing at a little...the over-the-top portrayals of the Catholics in that movie just cracked me up. Brooke Shields was like 9, and totally gorgeous in this movie with her short part. Let's Scare Jessica to Death was not really even scary to me, it was slow and boring....and just nutty and 70s all the way. The best of the 4 had to be Full Circle. It was really haunting and the ending scene is one that will stay with you a while. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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Hi! Can you believe, I've never seen any of them! I was old enough, but in the 70's I was watching movies like Billy Jack and Brother Sun, Sister Moon!! hehe...suppose I should catch up, sometime! YES, Mia had those large, haunted eyes...loved her in Rosemary's Baby!! That was '68...wow, saw it in the theatre, what a ride.. (NT) -- Judith, 12:37:42 01/23/08 Wed

Subject: Testing...
Author: me [Edit]	Date Posted: 22:08:24 12/10/07 Mon http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1295998015 [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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It woiked (as Groucho would say..) just click on the link, for my and my daughter and her partner's Christmas Greeting! Heeheeee.....! (NT) -- Judith, 22:11:54 12/10/07 Mon Re: Testing... -- Kimmie, 04:08:40 01/22/08 Tue

Subject: French Kiss
Author: Lorrie (Silly!) [Edit]	Date Posted: 12:10:53 01/21/08 Mon I must admit I'm not much of a classic movie buff although I do love the old Bette Davis movies....especially "Whatever happened to Baby Jane?" I think she was an amazing actress, not only can she scare the hell out of you with her expressions but she can move you to tears in seconds. The movie that I just love and can't ever get enough of is "French Kiss" with Meg Ryan, Kevin Kline and Timothy Hutton. My favorite scene is where Kate (Meg)is on the train eating all different kinds of French cheese, she's all happy looking out of the window enjoying the scenery taking one bite after another. Then the scene changes and they show her holding her stomach with an awful look on her face, she looks like she's going to be sick. She says "oh no, here it comes....the mucus is coating the walls of my intestines....oh no, it's here....LACTOSE INTOLERANCE!" Every single time I watch it I cry from laughing so hard. Just wanted to share that!! [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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I love that scene too, and Meg does it so well! Bette Davis movies were my first taste of the classics...they'd have them on a Sunday afternoon on channel 11, WPIX NY! How about Now Voyager, you've seen that one? I can't get enough of that one. (NT) -- Judith...Hi Sis!, 15:02:16 01/21/08 Mon

Subject: Ralph Bellamy??
Author: Judith [Edit]	Date Posted: 10:24:20 01/18/08 Fri Who knew?! I often see the great farcical comedy (is that redundant?) The Awful Truth, on TCM. Irene Dunne and Cary Grant play off of one another, brilliantly! But there is a handsome, cornball of a hotel neighbor...quite strapping and tall, with lovely blonde hair, and he kept looking so familiar to Dad and I. Then it hit me, it is Ralph Bellamy!! I had only known him as an older actor, and he didn't age as well as his younger looks promised. I knew him as an older actor...he played a lot of doctor roles and senators, or ruthless businessmen. So how funny was it, to see him acting like a corny, bumpkinesque (reallee, bumpkinesque?? ha!) Oklahoman oil man. Here he is in this funny film! By the way, Irene does the greatest scene, when attempting to chase away a suitor's family, where she plays Cary's floozy sister, and does a cute but brash song and dance. I'm always amazed at what a great commedian she is! I also think the movie should end right after that scene, when she and 'hubby' get into the car, laughing, and clearly loving and admiring one another...I would have said "CUT! It's a wrap!", right then! [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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I should always do preview first, so I can edit! Sorry about the TWO, I only knew him as an older actor! Make that three!! (NT) -- Judith, 10:27:27 01/18/08 Fri

Subject: Future of Movies?
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 09:58:55 01/08/08 Tue I don't know if anyone noticed it or not, but the biggest movie money makers so far this year are all special effects films. (I Am Legend, Alvin and the Chipmunks and National Treasure 2.) Now, no one is a bigger fan of special effects than yours truly, but I'm also a long time movie buff and I worry a little that we're losing the true art of film making these days. Since the "Star Wars" revolution began in the 1970s, special effects have dominated the screen increasingly year after year. And with good reason; they're consistent money makers. (I include horror films in this category too, because they rely heavily on special effects.) Even some films that aren't fantasy, sci-fi or horror depend on elaborate special effects. ("300" for example, or comedies like the "Nutty Professor" films.) It must be very difficult to get financing for movies done the old fashioned way, where you just hired some actors, made a few sets and photographed scenes "in camera." The closest we have to that now are romantic comedies, and they're a hit-and-miss business, some make money and others just disappear after a few weeks. Under the current system, it would difficult if not impossible to make films like they did in the old days; say, like "The Miracle Worker," or the Spencer Tracy-Kathleen Hepburn comedies, or "I Remember Mama." Such films depended on superb acting to be successful, but today all you need are effects and the performers are increasingly less important. Which brings another point: the special effects movies have not been kind to actors. They've produced only a handful of genuine "stars" in the traditional Hollywood sense, and all of them male: Harrison Ford, Orlando Bloom and currently Will Smith. But you'll notice that everyone else associated with special effects have dropped out of sight. All the other performers associated with "Star Wars" either went into obscurity or became typecast. And when have you ever heard of the "Jurassic Park" performers in a major film? Will Smith himself has shrewdly managed to diversify his career beyond all the special effects movies he's normally associated with, including his Academy Award nominated performance in "Ali." But you'll notice that Ford and Bloom 's efforts to get out of the special effects rut have been hit-and-miss at best. I don't know what the future holds for the movie business, but there's another heavily-touted special effects movie coming up this month ("Cloverfield"). So we'll have to wait and see if the movie business will continue along these lines. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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You know what reallu cracks me up? Those flying ninjas or whatever they are..the martial arts guys, sort of sailing through the air...I just can't take that seriously, it looks humorous to me! You're right, I Remember Mama, or Shop Around the Corner, would be flops, these days. As you say, there are the romantic comedies, and I believe 'You've Got Mail' is a take-off on the Shop film...but they don't seem to have the depth that they used to. Every now and then, you see one that sticks with you...I tend to like the Masterpiece Theatre remakes, like jane Eyre. Movies like The Pianist, Shindler's List, what's that one Ang was talking about, The Incredible Lightness of Being? There aresome great ones, but I know what you mean...more times than not, I forget the newer films, a couple of hours after I've seen them! (NT) -- Judith, 10:38:12 01/15/08 Tue Sorry, that was 'really', not reallu! (NT) -- J, 10:53:14 01/15/08 Tue ...AND, I'm dating myself, for sure, but I still can't believe, when I hold a DVD between my fingers, that an entire movie is on that!!! I grew up with the guy in the projector room (THAT was a mysterious place that I'd just get a glimpse of...I felt the projectionist was a sort of Wizard of Oz, you know? All the reels of film...that made sense, haha!! (NT) -- Judith...in the space age!, 10:59:02 01/15/08 Tue

Subject: Meet Me In St. Louis!
Author: Judith [Edit]	Date Posted: 20:29:58 12/16/07 Sun One of my all-time favourite films!!! I watched once again, and this time (after having been somewhat Addison's ill, the past few days) sniffled into a kleenex, the entire second half of the movie! Sometimes we get more sentimental than others...especially during the holidays. Judy Garland is stellar in this, as is little Margaret O'Brien. (gotta love this little thing with a touch of the morbid nature...some of her dolls are 'dead dolls'..)This is one of those films where each scene is 'my favourite'. To describe a few touching scenes, the boy next door isn't sure how to show his affection for Judy, and so they go from gas light to gas light, intimately turning each one off. Then there is the crooning duet between the mother and father, who's names I should know, but you know...I tend to let the movie wash over me, rather than dwell on names...that's in a video on the header, here. Then of course, Judy singing a very sad, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas to an even sadder O'Brien...Oh, and the wise Grandfather, escorting a dateless Judy to the dance, her last dance in St. Louis. Not sure who he was, but he cut a dapper figure in his tux! The movie was only partly set during Christmas, yet I would recommend it heartily (hehe)to anyone wishing for a bit of poignant family warmth...perhaps one reason it evoked my emotions so,is that our family has changed so...we've lost the heartbeat of the clan, which was Mom, and well, those carols by the piano are gone (along with the piano!) and things are just different. It happens...sigh, someone stop me, please...=0 [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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Movie Goofs....thought these were interesting! -- Judith, 10:06:26 01/05/08 Sat

Subject: I Remember Mama
Author: Judith [Edit]	Date Posted: 15:58:54 12/28/07 Fri Carolee and I watched this on TCM, last night. She hadn't seen it before, and I had seen it, numerous times, but I never stop enjoying it. I do agree with Bob Osborne, that Mama was perhaps Irene Dunn's finest role. In fact, many times while watching, I forget that it is she...without much make-up, and with only a well-done Norwegian accent and her hair in braids, she truly became another person. This film is no colourful adventure, or exciting time, accept perhaps in the character of Uncle Chris, an alchoholic, unpredictably loud man with a heart of gold, or the scene where the teenage son is searching for a place to be sick, after his first pipe smoke, while little Dagmar walks in carrying a pile of puppies, and much ado happening all at once! The rest is a quiet, poignant stroll through the lives of this Norwegian family, trying to make a go of it, in 1900 San Francisco (that line should have come first...haha) My absolute best scene...well I must set it up. (and if you want to see this for the first time, don't read on!!) The teenage girl asks Mama, when may I drink coffee (it was quite the ritual with the parents) and Mama says, your Father and I will know when you are grown up enough. Well, a sort of Gift of the Magi (but not quite) scenario occurs, and the teen (who's name I should know, but again...I'll look later!) learns a valuable lesson in what is important in life, and is in an emotional state. You see father look thoughtful, and his eye goes to the coffee cups...he rises slowly, and goes over to get the coffee pot, while Mama looks at him, first a bit shocked and surprised, and then, in pleased agreement. (see what I mean...this sounds so...bland in a way...but all those emotions washed like waves of light over Irene's face...superb acting.) The daughter still has her head down, as Dad pours a small amount into her cup...Mama motions, that is enough, and empties the remaining contents of the creamer, to fill it up...and they pass it to a very overwhelmed child. That's the emotional straw (even though a GOOD emotion) that breaks her, and after maybe one sip, she runs out of the room, in tears. Papa says, "And she is the dramatic one." Is good! [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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Typo...that's Irene Dunne.. (NT) -- J~, 17:46:41 12/28/07 Fri I really enjoyed the movie, though it was a little lessony at times. I really liked the scene in the hospital when Irene Dunne sneaked in to visit her daughter. The uncle was very amusing, quite loud and sometimes obnoxious, but somehow lovable! Do you know if the modern version is anything like the original? -- Carolee, 17:45:10 01/03/08 Thu Yeah, the hospital scene was great! Uncle Chris was Oskar Homolka (I did some research) whom Dad knew but I didn't know him, and as we found out, the shy aunt's suitor was Edgar Bergen. What really surprised me, was that the doctor was played by Rudy Vallee! Wish I'd known that, at the time. He had that small, funny, getting angry part, with Oskar. By the way, the eldest daughter's name was Katrin...as you know, played by Barbara Bel Geddes. Quite a big-name cast for back then. (NT) -- Judith...didn't know they made a Christmas in CT remake, I'll look it up!, 10:16:21 01/04/08 Fri On a more cynical note...one critic feels that mama was a martyr, making her kids feel badly that she never got her warm winter coat. I THINK the meaning was supposed to be, though, that she tried to protect them, by not letting them know that she had no (much talked about) bank account...so they wouldn't know how poor they really were. Must get on with my day now, ya think?? (NT) -- J, 10:29:06 01/04/08 Fri*

Subject: Has-been Heroes
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 09:29:39 12/26/07 Wed With the New Year coming up, thought I'd bring up some of the movie fantasy heroes of yesteryear who've either been forgotten or shoved off to the side. There are some heroes who have incredible staying power (Superman, for example) but there are others that are household names for a long time and then just fade away. I'm going to list a few I remember and then ask other people to add other has-been heroes to the list: 1. Rin-Tin-Tin: When I was growing up, there were two movie/TV superdogs, Lassie the collie and Rin-Tin-Tin, a fearless German shepherd. (At least that's what I think he was; it's hard to remember.) But while Lassie is still a household name, no younger people have heard of Rin-Tin-Tin for decades. I'm inclined to think it's because his movies and his old TV show went out of print. I've only seen one of his films, "The Return of Rin-Tin-Tin" for sale as a DVD, and you never see his fifties-era TV show for sale anywhere. 2. Jungle Jim--When Johnny Weismuller became too old to play Tarzan, he became Jungle Jim, a fearless guide in darkest Africa, who he played in the movies and television. Once again, it looks like all those old films and shows have been out of print for decades. 3. Sheena, Queen of the Jungle--The only reason people remember her is the movie made sometime in the 1980s; but the older films are nowhere to be found. However, I did find one DVD of the 1950s Sheena TV show, but the print was really atrocious. 4. Robocop: The eighties are almost a "golden age" of movie heroes who were very popular in their day but who've lost their luster over the years. While people still remember the name Robocop, there hasn't been a new film or TV show of him in years. 5. Ghostbusters: Despite the popularity of its classic theme song, this is another monster hit of the eighties that has failed to stand the test of time. Though it spawned an incredibly successful cartoon series and one sequel, the lovable, laid back franchise failed to last into the high powered nineties. But with other eighties heroes making comebacks through special effects movies and cartoons (The Transformers, Ninja Turtles) maybe we'll the Ghostbusters again someday. Anybody have has-been heroes of their own to share? [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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Thanks, Conrad! I remember watching Rin Tin Tin with childhood amnesia...I loved the dog, and knew he saved the day, but was never quite sure about the rest of the story I think I liked his owner, a good-looking guy in a calvary uniform. I once rode on a very old Calvary saddle, as the stable didn't have English saddles, and that was the closest to one. The entire length, from front to back of the saddle seat, was an open gap...the guys rode long and hard, and well, let's just say that things kept from being squashed! How the West was won! (NT) -- Judith...also loved Jungle Jim! Johnny was my Dad's hero, as he was a champion swimmer., 21:47:35 01/02/08 Wed

Subject: Christmas or Winter Holiday Movies
Author: Judith [Edit]	Date Posted: 09:36:13 12/19/07 Wed What is your favourite?? [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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...before the onslaught begins...hehe...I've already mentioned Christmas in Connecticut, and I also love, Little Shop Around the Corner, which takes place during Christmas...I can't count how many times I've seen it...and Jimmy Stewart is so sexy in it! One of the Thin Man movies takes place during Christmas, Itried to look it up, but google isn't googling for me, tonight. There are lots of great films that aren't specifially a Christmas film, but still may incorporate, and have the festive feel of the season. (NT) -- Judith, 21:32:23 12/22/07 Sat Fave holiday movie! -- Carolee, 10:01:59 12/23/07 Sun Yeah, you like some of the oldies...I remember you with the movie magazines...why didn't we keep them?!! Thanks for the TCM heads up, I'll be watching! 8:00 pm Eastern! (NT) -- Sister Judith, 10:42:10 12/23/07 Sun The personal favorite of mine I watch every year at this time is the 1938 "Christmas Carol." which I believe I reviewed last year at this forum. (My how time flies!) Also there's an obscure Disney comedy, "I'll Be Home For Christmas," (1998) that I also like to see this time of year, about a California college student (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) trying to go across country to be home for Christmas despite all kinds of obstacles. (NT) -- Cobrad, 16:10:29 12/23/07 Sun It's nice to read, A Christmas Carol, as well....Dickens really painted a little window into what it was like back then...I love his description of the presentation of the Christmas pudding. (NT) -- Judith...had a lovely day at the neighbors, sampling Indian fare...a good day, all around! I hope yours was a good one, too., 21:10:36 12/25/07 Tue

Subject: Mexican Holiday Movies
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 09:40:05 12/14/07 Fri For over a week I've had massive computer problems--it only works when it wants to work. But while it is working, I'd like to put in an article about Christmas and Holiday films made south of the border. In the early 1960s Mexican film makers exported a number of dubbed holiday films for kiddy matinees. Most of them are forgotten now, but at least a few of them are available on DVD. I have a copy of the Mexican "Santa Claus" (1959, released to the States in 1960) which focuses on St. Nick's adventures in Mexico City. But the most famous and popular of the Mexican children's films was the "Little Red Riding Hood" series, which also premiered in 1960 with "La Caperucita Roja" (Little Red Riding Hood). This movie was so popular it spawned a series of sequels, including "Little Read Riding Hood and her Friends" and "Little Red Riding Hood vs the Monsters," in which she and her pals battle Frankenstein and a host of other creatures. In this series she and the big bad Wolf became friends and allies, taking on any monsters that dared challenge them. There were also Mexican movies like "The Seven Dwarfs to the Rescue" and others that elaborated on classic fairy tales. It's very hard finding them today, and the best bet is going to specialty DVD stores. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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Wow...are you sure you haven't been dipping into the spiked eggnog, Conrad?Those certainly do sound obscure! I mean Red Riding Hood with Frankenstein! I guess there's nothing new under the sun, if you look hard enough! What I get frustrated about (and it's a bit off topic, but..) some years ago, the stations that aired some movies (before cable & TCM, etc.) aired a bunch of really great (in my mind) British films. Nothing famous, pretty much everyday themes...but they were so human and engrossing. I'll probably never see them again, didn't get their titles...unless I import a bunch from England (I believe many were made in the 60's) Ah well, someday I might look into it. (NT) -- Judith, 20:13:17 12/16/07 Sun I'm trying now to post the You Tube Video of Little red Riding Hood and the Monsters. If it works, click here to see the movie's trailer -- Conrad, 23:28:38 12/17/07 Mon HAAA, I'm speechless!! That's about the weirdest (and funniest) thing I've ever seen!! I mean, the very 'normal' looking Riding Hood...the crazy monsters...and then that fluffy, stuffed animal-like skunk? Oh my... (NT) -- Judith, 09:32:04 12/19/07 Wed

Subject: Sorry this isnt about movies but...
Author: Ang [Edit]	Date Posted: 11:26:22 12/01/07 Sat Why is it that I cant get a decaf coffee? Why is it that after I order I inevitably watch the guy behind the counter walk over and grab the regular pot of coffee and pour it? Is it really that hard? Someone make me understand. Sorry... I just needed to say that. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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That's no joke. Happened to me once, and my stomach can't handle "real" coffee. I became very sick almost at once, but luckily someone had Tums which saved the day for me. Since then I watch carefully if I go in a restaurant. (NT) -- Conrad, 13:13:44 12/02/07 Sun Oh Conrad so you understand. I have a heart issue and it's no joke for me either. I think it should be part of training or something that people understand that caffeine is really bad for you in a lot of ways and it's not 'no big deal' when you try to pass of regular for decaf! Uggh so annoying! (NT) -- Ang, 19:25:35 12/02/07 Sun Tis true, so true! I have been kept awake all night (and I knew that coffee tasted too good!) after I'd ordered decaf. They really don't take it very seriously, at most places. Same with my lactose intolerant friends...they inevitably get cheese with everything! (NT) -- Judith, 18:19:20 12/06/07 Thu

Subject: Who shall I feature on the header???
Author: Judith [Edit]	Date Posted: 15:34:09 11/09/07 Fri ....when I take the spookies down?? Any ideas? [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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Christmas stuff, maybe? Miracle on 34th Street? How about "A Christmas Wish" (aka "The Great Rupert" starring Jimmy Durante? That's a movie you don't hear about much, and it's available through the dollar store DVD market. (NT) -- Conrad, 09:03:49 11/11/07 Sun I haven't heard of The Christmas Wish! OK, when I get some play time, I'll look some pics up! (NT) -- Judith, 10:12:09 11/13/07 Tue Well I guess we should go with a Thanksgiving and Christmas theme and one of my favorites is Laurel and Hardy in The March of the Wooden Soldiers. I wait for it every year! (NT) -- Ang, 20:40:30 11/18/07 Sun I love that one...a tad hallucinagenic, but that's the cool part. Did anyone ever wonder what Stan Laurel's Pee Wee was?? I'm not getting rude here, but Laura and I always wondered what the heck that little oblong thing was...and then he says, 'I dropped me Pee Wee"...well there is another weirdo who wondered, as it's mentioned (as a Catty) in some of the Jonathan Swift books. For the answer, l@@k inside!! -- Judith, 09:44:58 11/20/07 Tue Haha... I did sort of wonder if that was just made up for the movie or if it was an actual toy at some point in time. Seems kind of dangerous. Wonder what the pee wee is made of... looks like wood. By the way this conversation could go down hill awful fast if we wanted it to! (NT) -- Ang, 12:38:29 11/20/07 Tue HA! Yes, it could! I think they said it was made of wood...probably an easy thing to carve when folks didn't have much money. (NT) -- J, 12:57:02 11/20/07 Tue* I don't know about Stan Laurel's toy in the movie, but it's interesting to see how the original stage play (Babes in Toyland) on which the movie was made was vastly different from the movie. The 1903 musical by Victor Herbert had a far more adult plot which involved two teenagers Jane and Alan (not in the movie) who run off to Toyland where Alan winds up going on trial for murder! (The Towmaker was killed by his own toys and Barnaby frames Alan for it.) This rather "grim" fairy tale (pun intended) was revamped for modern stage audiences in the 1970s with a more traditional Christmas oriented plot. The original play has never been filmed as it was first written, for obvious reasons. (By the way, in the stage play, Barnaby accidentally kills by drinking poison he intended for someone else.) The Laurel and Hardy version stuck to straight fairy tale stuff (thank goodness) and ignored the mystery/crime plot of the stage version. (NT) -- Conrad, 11:55:31 11/25/07 Sun Typo correction: In the above reply post I meant to say the Barnaby accidentally kills himself by drinking poison he intended for someone else. -- Conrad the fumble fingered typist, 11:59:46 11/25/07 Sun My goodness, I never knew that! I agree with the changes, it would have been a whole different film, and not child friendly. (NT) -- Judith...I saw the old Charlie Brown Christmas, again!, 22:10:11 11/28/07 Wed

Subject: Spiderman 3

Author:
Conrad
[Edit]

Date Posted: 06:51:37 11/24/07 Sat

On Thanksgiving Day, I let my boys watch the Lions lose their football game, while I instead watched the DVD of "Spiderman 3". As you may recall from a previous post, I reviewed the first Spidey movies long ago, and had some quibbles with them. I still have one quibble with the new one, but on the whole I give "Spiderman 3" a thumbs up.

It is in my mind the closest to the Spiderman comics I read in my youth; and it also has the strongest plot of all three Spidey movies. It's not just fighting the bad guys. There's some real "angst" between the characters that I felt was missing in the first two movies. And this was keeping with one theme that ran through the older comics, how being a superhero can gum up the hero's personal life, especially his love life. And the acting has gotten better; the performers (especially Toby Maguire) seem much more comfortable in their roles. I felt there was an awkwardness in their original performances that has smoothed out in this one. And I'm glad the filmakers are finally putting some confidence into the Spiderman/Peter Parker character. He was way too much of a doormat in the second movie. Also enjoyed them putting some musical numbers in the third film--made it feel like an old fashioned movie that way, and I think everyone who know me understands how "nostalgic" I can get.

But now for my one gripe; the characters of Peter Parker (Spiderman's true identity) and his girlfriend Mary Jane are still not the way the were in the comics. In the comic books, Parker was a lovable, wisecracking smart aleck. Mary Jane was a party girl. They were a "fun" couple. When in the world are the movie makers ever going to bring that "fun" element into the movies?

One of the big reasons the Spiderman comics were so successful was because of the comedy; amidst all the "angst" the characters went through, the tension was always migled with laughs. In the movies, it's the supporting characters who provide comedy relief. I haven't read comics for decades, so I don't know what changes have come over Spiderman. But in the old days, one element that made Spidey so popular were the jokes. I'm hoping that if they make another film they'll make the next one an action comedy. (It would also get away from Mary Jane having to be a "damsel in distress" in every film.) That's one movie I'd really like to see!

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]

Subject: OK....
Author: Judith [Edit]	Date Posted: 10:37:00 11/14/07 Wed I must've gone completely insane, because the posting font looks larger, to me!! [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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Voy must've done it...it doesn't flow...harder for me to read. (NT) -- J, 12:33:38 11/14/07 Wed* OOh, it got small again!!! I must be Alice!! ~~~ (NT) -- J, 21:02:32 11/16/07 Fri Did you by any chance cook something with mushrooms today? (NT) -- Ang, 19:13:07 11/17/07 Sat You mean you're not supposed to cook the green & orange speckled ones??? (NT) -- Alice...very bummed out as it's 9:00 and I'm disappointed...but I wouldn't have felt well enough.., 18:14:58 11/18/07 Sun Bummed over here too. There's always next time though. (NT) -- Ang, 20:38:44 11/18/07 Sun

Subject: The Wilhelm Scream
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 08:40:01 11/08/07 Thu I thought I'd seen everything in the movie business, but I cannot believe the latest fad. Believe it or not, recently there's been a "cult" following grown up around (now get this) a movie sound effect! Not only that, a sound effect that's been around since 1951! There's even been songs written about it and a rock band formed in its name! I kid you not. It's called Tne Wilhelm Scream. The Wilhelm Scream is a short, shrill scream first used in 1951, and has been passed around the Hollywood studios for years. If you've ever seen the movie "Them," it's the scream James Whitmore gives out when he's crushed by the giant ant. Apparently its real claim to fame was its extensive use in all the "Star Wars" movies, where it crops up over and over and over again. It's also been used in the Indiana Jones movies too. (In "Temple of Doom," it's the scream Indiana Jones lets out in the first scene, when he's sent sliding across a ballroom floor on a serving cart and runs into a dining table.) The only thing close to this fad in my generation was the famous Tarzan yell, which every young boy worth his salt knew from heart. But this Wilhem Scream is just unbelieveabl! Just go to YouYube and type in "The Wilhelm Scream" under search and you'll find plenty of videos about it. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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OMG!!And I thought that was what came out of ME, when my former husband, 'Sir Vilheimer', was 'not himself'!!! =l (NT) -- Judith....going to utube!, 11:52:23 11/08/07 Thu This is a RIOT! To hear them all together!! I'm in the midst of cooking but just had to say, the Wilhelm came from The Charge at the Feather River, or some title like that. The cowboy yells "WILHELM!" and then gets shot. So they say that every time a bunch of movie goers hears the scream, they shout "Wilhelm!" So funny, as that was my married name...and Laura's name! (NT) -- J...off to get some viddles ready!!, 15:46:42 11/08/07 Thu Here is a Wilhelm scream compilation, very funny! BTW, some think it was done originally, by Sheb Wooley, of the Purple People Eater fame. -- Judith, 21:09:04 11/08/07 Thu

Subject: Rondo Hatton
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 14:56:58 11/01/07 Thu Halloween is over, but I still want to do one more scray movie piece, but not the review of a single film this time. Instead I want to call attention to one actor who is almost forgotten today--a performer who actually used his appearance to become a horror star: Rondo Hatton. I'm sure the name isn't familiar to most people reading this post. In fact, I have no idea where you can find the majority of his most well known work. I only know of one DVD featuring him, "Pearl of Death" (1944) which was part of the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes DVD box set brought out some years ago. This is generally considered his best film, and in fact is the one that made him a star. Rondo Hatton was a popular football star in his high school and later a veteran of World War One, in which he was gassed in combat. It's been speculated that the gas attack was the reason he later suffered from acromegaly, a disease that distorts the face. (Though not the same, or as bad, as the Proteus Syndrome, the Elephant Man's disease.) In the late 1930s and early 1940s he turned to Hollywood, which exploited his looks in villianous roles. He didn't hit it big until the above mentioned Sherlock Holmes film, in which he played the film's villian, known as "The Creeper." He'd subsequently play the Creeper in loosely connected sequels, "House of Horrors" and "The Brute Man," making him the last of the Universal "monster" stars. In 1946, the year he passed away, Universal teamed the two favorite Sherlock Holmes villians, Rondo Hatton and Gale Sondegaard, the "Spider Woman," in a non-Holmes film, "The Spider Woman Strikes Back." I saw these films on television back in my youth, but I've never seen them on VHS or DVD. If they're available anywhere, I don't know where they can be found. There can be no doubt that Hatton was exploited for his facial handicap, yet he managed to leave behind a remarkable film legacy. There's even an organization that for the last five years has given out the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards (known as Rondos) in his honor. Here's the link to it: http://classichorrorfilmboard.com/rondos/rondos.html [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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Thanks Conrad! I don't know if I've seen Rondo or not...his face does look vaguely familiar. Poor guy, acromegaly is a rough affliction. At least he had work, hmm...hope they paid him well! (NT) -- Judith...not wanting to take down the spooky stuff!!!, 19:17:50 11/05/07 Mon

Subject: Hi Mom
Author: Laura [Edit]	Date Posted: 15:49:40 10/30/07 Tue Hi mom, nice page. Very spookey. Diana and I are going to see The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D if we can get a puppy sitter. Have a Happy Halloween! [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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Hi Hon! That sounds like fun! Let me know how it was. (NT) -- Mom, 23:34:18 10/30/07 Tue

Subject: Anyone seen Welle's (and Kafka's!) Trial??
Author: Judith [Edit]	Date Posted: 23:08:57 10/27/07 Sat Uhhh...never knew they made a film of Franz Kafka's, Trial. Can't say much now, I'm still lost in the nightmarish labyrinth!! My mind needs to adjust... [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

Subject: Day of the Triffids
Author: Conrad [Edit]	Date Posted: 08:56:54 10/23/07 Tue Over the weekend I heard on an Internet radio station a full broadcast of the the 1957 BBC radio adaptation of "Day of the Triffids," based on the famous 1951 book by John Wyndham. This book is one of the top ten influential novels in science fiction, and put Wyndham right up there with H.G.Wells and Arthue C. Clarke. It was very prophetic in it's day, predicting bioengineered crops (a controversial subject today)and armed satellites circling the globe, which in 1951 was just a fantasy. Yet it has only been filmed for movies once, in a 1962 British film starring Howard Keel, former star of 1950s musicals like "Annie Get Your Gun," "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and "Kismet." I think it's safe to say most people today are only familiar with the film version, which is vastly different from the novel. So I thought I'd make this movie my next Halloween scary movie review, and point out the differences between book and movie. Both have the same theme: giant walking plants taking over the world after most of the human race has been blinded by flashing lights in the sky. 1. In the movie, there are two seperate stories told with different characters; one centers around the adventures of Howard Keel as the hero, Bill Masen. The other involves a young couple stranded in a lighthouse on a small island. In the book, only Bill Masen's adventures are told, and the young couple aren't in the story at all. 2. In the movie, the triffids are alien plants from outer space. In the book, they are man-made monsters, developed to provide the world with a superior form of vegetable oil. Likewise, in the film the flashing lights in the sky are meteorites that bring the triffids to earth. In the book, it was the armed satellites circling the globe that blew up due to some sort of accident. 3. In the book, Bill Masen is a British "farmer" of the triffids. In the movie he's an American merchant marine sailor. 4. The character of a small girl, Susan, is a supporting character in the book who doesn't get into the story until the last half of the novel. In the movie, she survives a train wreck and meets up with Bill. They become traveling companions, sharing their adventures togetherm as they battle or run from the man eating plants. Likewise, Bill finds a love interest in a young lady he meets in France, and she joins them in their trek across Europe looking for civilization. In the book, the heroine is a young British woman, Josella, who before the castrophe was the author of scandalous sex novels. 6. In the movie, the plants are defeated and the world is saved. In the book, the triffids take over most of the world and the human race retreats to islands off the coast of the England, where they start their own new civilization. I'll admit I've always enjoyed the movie, and in fact it was very successful in 1962. It has that certain charm that a lot of the old monster movies have. Lovers of the book always find the movie disappointing, in part because it carefully avoids all the controversial social commentary in Wyndham's novel--including what reads like an endorsement of polygamy! But there was also a BBC television adaptaion of the novel in 1981, that's rarely seen here in the USA, and with good reason. Since Dertoit is across the river from Canada, I saw it on a Canadian TV station some years ago, and it was a dreadful bore. There are some books that if you film them page by page they come across as yawn-inspiring. far as the movie's defects go, the special effects are the primitive type you'd see in films of today. And the movie seems aimed at young children, which is no doubt why Susan was made a major character in the film, and some scenes are shown from her point of view. (At the time it was no secret that the biggest audience for science fiction movies were young kids.) Nevertheless I reccommend it as a strictly fun picture for a relaxing Saturday afternoon. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]
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Correction to one typo in the last paragraph above: I meant to say the special effects were of the primitive type you'd never see in a film today. The giant plants are clearly suits with someone inside wthem pushing them from place to place. But that was as "high tech" as most films got in 1962. (NT) -- Conrad, 09:03:16 10/23/07 Tue It just now occured to me that I may have created a "spoiler" by revealing the outcome of the book, and perhaps should have given a "spoiler alert." However, the novel "Day of the Triffids" is so richly nuanced and filled with twists, turns and subplots, that I could outline the whole story and not give any surprises away. It's a very detailed book, steeped in the politics of its time, and well worth reading. (NT) -- Conrad, 07:35:07 10/24/07 Wed You have convinced me, I should read the book sometime! Sounds like a prediction, far ahead of it's time, for the genetically modified foods we have now, that have filtered into the non GM crops...not to mention all the pesticides! I loved the 1962 movie...yes, it did have that neat feel, that the newer, albiet more technically advanced, films don't have anymore. (NT) -- Judith, 18:46:58 10/27/07 Sat

Subject: Saw some goodies!
Author: Judith [