Divers and Sundry

Stop SOPA!

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

Jonah Hex

2012-01-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

Jonah Hex is one of the worst films ever made. I wish I had live-blogged my commentary. There is no part of this movie that isn't dreadful. It has no redeeming features. It's not even re-watchable on the basis of being really really bad, because it's sooo boring and ridiculous. It's based on a comic book character, and I guess I might've thought it was worth watching if I'd read this character before. But I doubt it.

trailer:

As I look for a review that contains any positive remarks I find this:

well, if I ever find a positive comment, I'll try to remember to stick it in this spot.

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

2012-01-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

3:10 to Yuma (2008) is a remake of the 1957 Glenn Ford and Van Heflin classic. Though enjoyable, the remake doesn't supplant the original. I had several issues with it, but the main one was the growth of the elder son into a main and motivating character. The father just doesn't seem nearly as noble and principled when i know he's only acting this way because his son is right there watching. Russell Crowe and Christian Bale star in this version, which is directed by James Mangold. Alan Tudyk ("Wash" from Firefly) has a good part.

trailer:

Slant Magazine gives it a mixed review, closing by saying, "Energetic and occasionally inspired, it's a western that, at the moment of truth, too closely remakes when what was truly necessary was reinvention." Rolling Stone calls it "flashily entertaining". Roger Ebert gives it high praise, opening his review with this: "James Mangold's "3:10 to Yuma" restores the wounded heart of the Western and rescues it from the morass of pointless violence."

Cowboys & Aliens

2012-01-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

I had not heard good things about Cowboys & Aliens, but now that I've seen it I think the reports I heard were much too harsh. It's great fun to watch. This 2011 science fiction/western stars Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford and is directed by Jon Favreau. Also starring are Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, Keith Carradine and Adam Beach (who plays Jim Chee in the PBS mystery series based on Hillerman's books).

trailer:

Slant Magazine gives it one grudging star and finds fault with everything, opening by saying,

Brandishing a literal-minded title as laughable as the rest of its action, Cowboys & Aliens mashes up genres with a staunch dedication to getting everything wrong, making sure that each scene is more inane than the one that preceded it.

Rolling Stone doesn't like it and closes with this:

The mash-up of cowboys and aliens doesn't do either camp any favors. How are we supposed to work up a rooting interest when both sides are shooting blanks?

Roger Ebert says, ""Cowboys & Aliens" has without any doubt the most cockamamie plot I've witnessed in many a moon" and wishes it had been a straight western.

The Last Rites of Ransom Pride

2012-01-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Last Rites of Ransom Pride is a 2010 Western starring actors I'm only vaguely familiar with (except for Kris Kristofferson, who has a role) and directed by someone I've never heard of. I got a kick out of this one, and enjoyed describing it to The Husband as "a western with a car chase, a motorcycle with a side car, siamese twins, a voodoo priestess, a dwarf, and the hunt for and reburial of Ransom Pride." From my description, he's decided to pass on a viewing of this one. Hmmm...

trailer:

DVD Talk says, "The good does outweigh the bad though. This won't change your life or even make you think, but it's entertaining enough".

3:10 to Yuma (1957)

2012-01-10T08:30:00.000-08:00

The original 3:10 to Yuma stars Glenn Ford and Van Heflin and is directed by Delmer Daves. I've seen this one twice now, and it's just as enjoyable the 2nd time through.

Here's the opening segment that includes the theme sung by Frankie Laine:

Slant Magazine calls it " a solid ride up to its climax". DVD Talk opens by saying:

3:10 to Yuma is one of the best of the late '50s Westerns, and is about as handsome as the B&W Western ever got. Low-key performances from an interesting cast back up great work by Van Heflin and Glenn Ford, whose tense angst adds a Noir-ish dimension. ... Taken from a story by the now-revered Elmore Leonard, the show develops a nice little knot of suspense.

DVD Journal says, "A tight piece of genre filmmaking, 3:10 to Yuma deserves its reputation as a genre classic."

Two Mules for Sister Sara

2012-01-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

Two Mules for Sister Sara is a 1970 Clint Eastwood Western directed by Don Siegal and co-starring Shirley MacLaine . We watched this because of Clint Eastwood, but its one of my least favorite of Eastwood's films. It's just a bit too cute for my taste these days.

trailer:

Spaghetti-Western.net says, "For a film that is usually called a failure, it is remarkably enjoyable, but its problems are many" and calls it " a pleasant, if awkwardly paced movie." Roger Ebert calls it "a lot better than it might have been".

Winchester 73

2012-01-08T09:30:00.000-08:00

Winchester '73 (1950) has been on The Husband's wish-list for years, and The Younger Son got it for him for Christmas this year. It's more the traditional old-style Western and stars Jimmy Stewart and Shelley Winters. It has Rock Hudson miscast as a native American and Tony Curtis in one of his early roles. Will Geer is also a supporting player. Anthony Mann directs.

trailer:

DVD Talk opens with this:

Winchester '73 is what film critics call a key western, for it represents a major turn in the genre's development. High Noon got all the credit for initiating the 'adult psychological Western' of the 1950s but this ambitious Universal film is the real trend-setter...

Couch Cowboy says, "This is the first effort from James Stewart and Anthony Mann, and many consider it the best." Ferdy on Films points out its kinship with film noir.

Dust

2011-12-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

The question is this: Is Dust a Western or not? The votes are in, and The Husband claims it's not even remotely a Western but an urban fantasy, while The Younger Son and I say Dust is a Western, kind of. The Husband just couldn't take the violence and moved away from the tv after an hour or so. The Younger Son had seen it before, having bought it on a sale table after reading the description of a straight revenge Western on the back of the DVD case. He was surprised by the first scene of a modern-day NYC apartment burglary gone wrong.

It's a 2001 film directed by Milcho Manchevski and starring Joseph Fiennes and David Wenham.

trailer:

Dust | David Wenham | Joseph Fiennes | Milcho Manchevski | Movie Trailer | Review

European Film Review says it "should be congratulated for at least trying something a little bit different." Time Out calls the effect "bewildering". BBC closes with this:

Given the production's famously troubled shoot, with reports of soaring temperatures, plagues of wasps, demented sheep, and an outbreak of dysentery, perhaps a 'making-of' documentary might prove more entertaining.

AMC has some information.

The Track of Sand

2011-12-28T09:35:00.000-08:00

You can't really "click to look inside" on that picture, but you can go to Amazon.com, which is where the picture came from and where you can buy this book.

The Track of Sand is 12th in the Andrea Camilleri Inspector Montalbano detective series. These are written in Italian and set in Sicily. I read them in English translation (I say, as if there might be any doubt). The Husband gave me the ones I haven't read yet for Christmas. I'm sure I'll enjoy them all as I've enjoyed the ones I have read.

from the back of the book:

Montalbano wakes from strange dreams to find a gruesomely bludgeoned horse carcass in front of his seaside home. When his men come to investigate, the carcass disappears, leaving only a trail in the sand. Before long, two people report missing horses - Rachele, a champion equestrian, and Lo Duca, one of the richest men in Sicily. Then Montalbano's home is broken into and is ransacked and he is certain that the crimes are linked. As he negotiates the glittering underworld of legitimate horseracing and the Mafia's connection to it, the scrupulous and melancholy Montalbano is aided by his unorthodox methods, melancholy self-reflection, and love of good food

The Independent says this book is "as funny and intriguing as the best of its predecessors." Eurocrime says it "provides just what the eager, regular reader will expect." The Seatle PI has a positive review.

I've read these:

1. The Shape of Water
2. The Terra-Cotta Dog
5. Excursion to Tindari
6. The Smell of Night
9. The Paper Moon
10. August Heat
11. The Wings of the Sphinx

Jolly Roofing, not so jolly

2011-12-27T11:45:00.000-08:00

They showed up bright and early on Friday morning, December 23rd, for what was supposed to be a 1-day roofing job. At least, we were told it'd take one day. They left at lunch-time and didn't return. Feeling some concern, we contacted our homeowners association president who gave us the roofers' phone number. We were told by the roofing company that the crew wouldn't be back that day. They didn't want to work on Christmas Eve, either, so would not be back until at least Monday.

Why, oh why, did they start a 1-day job and only work half a day before a 2-day holiday???

We were told someone would come out the next morning to make sure the roof had been secured against the rain. Sure enough, at 7:00 in the morning on Saturday (Christmas Eve) we got about 20 minutes of hammering noise up on the roof. So much for sleeping late on our Christmas break.

Monday morning, the crew was back, and we heard this exchange outside our bedroom window:

from the ground, a man yelled up asking, "so you think you'll finish today?"
from the roof came an affirmative response.

Sadly, at lunch-time the roofers left. They didn't return.

And then later, the sprinkling rain started. Even later, the rain picked up. The rain continued into the night.

The Husband thought he saw water in the attic and so started trying to contact folks, but the roofer wasn't answering his phone. Our homeowners association president came by wanting to look in our attic, saying she'd talked with some management company representative (from another complex) who'd dealt with roofing issues and that it might be condensation. We didn't let her come in. There are a number of reasons for that, including these:

1) I hadn't checked the attic myself, and I could double-check to see if the issue was condensation as well as (maybe better than) she could;

2) She talks about people. I do realize that some folks are just like that and discuss what they know about other people with whomever they're with, but we were loathe to let her tour our house. No hard feelings, but there you are.

She started saying, "So you're refusing to let me go into your attic. I just want to get that straight. You're refusing. I'm going to go call all the board members to let them know that you've made that decision to refuse to let me into your attic. I've been in their attic, and theirs, and theirs (pointing as she spoke) and you can call and ask them...."

Sheesh.

She finally actually left, and I went up into the attic and saw that the problem was indeed condensation. The Husband called her to let her know and got an answering machine. She did pick up after he said what I'd found.

We never did reach the roofer.

This morning the roofers were back. This is the exchange I heard on my patio while I was sitting in plain sight inside:

Roofer 1: "I just want to leave here and never come back."
Roofer 2: "I know that's right."

What I wanted to say was this: "You've had several opportunities to finish and go. It's not my fault you're still here." But I didn't.

They are gone now, and though they didn't say anything to us (they've never told us when they were leaving for the day) they did take their supplies off of the patio this time. We're assuming they are finished, here on the 5th day after starting what we were told would be a one-day job. Now I just need to get the patio furniture off my plants (Remember my new butterfly bushes? The coleus will probably be ok).

We've never had a roof inspected after it was finished before, but we're going to have that done this time. We're waiting for a recommendation from our homeowners insurance agent. I don't like the idea of roofers who are obviously not wanting to be here working on my roof, and I just want some assurance that their attitude isn't reflected in the job quality.

And this is my report on How I spent My Christmas Vacation, starring The Jolly Roofing Roofers.

Memphis

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

2011-12-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

The last time I saw this film was in a theater after its release in 1969. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is sadly dated by the music: BJ Thomas singing Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, for example. Paul Newman and Robert Redford play the title roles. Strother Martin, Katharine Ross, Cloris Leachman, Ted Cassidy (who has Star Trek connections), Jeff Corey (who has Star Trek and Babylon 5 connections), Kenneth Mars (who also has Star Trek connections), Don Keefer (yet another one with a Star Trek connection), Charles Dierkop (and yet another), Henry Jones, George Furth and Donnelly Rhodes (who played Dutch on Soap) all have parts. Burt Bacharach and Hal David did the music.

trailer:

Roger Ebert calls it "slow and disappointing." Western-Review.com says, "what we have here is an almost quaintly undaring picture motored along by the cheery bankability of stars, jokes, and glamorous production." DVD Talk says, "The classic buddy film, it has aged very well in no small part to William Goldman's smart script and George Roy Hill's creative and spot-on direction."

The Quantum Rose

2011-12-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Quantum Rose by Catherine Asaro is part of the Saga of the Skolian Empire series. I've never read others in the series, but this stands alone just fine. Wikipedia says, "The Quantum Rose is an allegory to the mathematical and physical processes of coupled-channel quantum scattering theory", which is nice and all but far beyond my poor understanding. It's enjoyable on the surface without that understanding, though it does focus on the romantic struggles of the main characters more than i'd like. It won the 2001 Nebula Award for best novel. I'd been looking for it on the shelf of local book stores for years without success but found it at my favorite local used shop recently.

from the fly leaf:

The Saga of the Skolian Empire is Catherine Asaro's trademark SF series. It chronicles the lives of the members of the ruling family of the Empire in the distant interstellar future, weaving a fine blend of action, romance, and hard science fiction.

The Quantum Rose is the story of Kamoj Argali, the young ruler of an impoverished province on a backward planet. To keep her people from starving, she has agreed to marry Jax Ironbridge, ruler of the prosperous neighboring province. But before they can be wed, Kamoj is forced into marriage with a mysterious stranger from a distant planet, throwing her world into utter chaos.

SurLaLune Fairy Tales groups it with re-interpretations of the Beauty and the Beast story, but I don't see it. The review at eyrie.org says,

I like the general pattern of the combined romance and coming of age story, and I'm a long-standing sucker for telepathic love stories. Asaro adds enough of a twist, with a willingness to explore unequal power relationships, a faint touch of the psychology of dominance and submission, and some thoughtful internal analysis of human motivation, to keep me coming back for more.

SF Site says, "The relationship is the heart of the story, yet at the same time Catherine Asaro creates a unique and intriguing world". The Romance Reader also likes all that romance. I think this is an example of that old saying: "them that likes it speaks well of it".

The photo at the top of the post is from Wikipedia and is of the edition of the book I have.

Christina's World

2011-12-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

I was in a book store the other day and overheard a man who was checking out comment on the small print tacked to the wall above the cash register. He had never seen it before and was struck by the woman and the scene. The guy working there flipped the picture up to look at the back and told him it was called Christina's World.

I can't remember the first time I saw this picture. It was painted by Andrew Wyeth in 1948. I don't remember how I came to know of this painter, his work or this painting in particular, but it's likely I saw something by him in a local museum.

I've been wondering what that customer is so familiar with that he'd be surprised to know I'd never heard of it.

Blazing Saddles

2011-12-22T06:30:00.000-08:00

It seemed only fitting to follow a Randolph Scott film with Blazing Saddles (1974), and The Younger Son had never seen it before. Blazing Saddles is a Mel Brooks film, a comedy Western, and stars Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Slim Pickens and Dom DeLuise. Count Basie has a cameo.

trailer:

Slant Magazine calls it "a limp, shapeless mess of a film". DVD Journal says,

as a satirical flag waving in the racial and social winds of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Blazing Saddles' casual vulgarity, racial epithets, and pants-dropping silliness are spread like the very best butter over the more serious business of iconoclastically upturning expectations and tropes, especially some shibboleths found not just in old-fashioned cowboy movies. Its humor is the palliative that lets Brooks mock prejudices and, with gloves off, prejudiced people.

Roger Ebert says,

"It's a crazed grabbag of a movie that does everything to keep us laughing except hit us over the head with a rubber chicken. Mostly, it succeeds. It's an audience picture

Abilene Town

2011-12-21T06:30:00.000-08:00

Abilene Town is a 1946 Randolph Scott Western directed by Edwin L. Marin. Ann Dvorak, Lloyd Bridges, Rhonda Fleming, and Edgar Buchanan also star.

You can watch it online here:

Reviews are not plentiful. If you remember Gunsmoke and liked it, then this will bring back fond memories. You can see Gunsmoke's ancestry here. It's fairly typical of its type, with the marshall, played by Randolph Scott, trying to keep the peace between the cattlemen and the influx of homesteaders while also juggling romances with a co-owner of the saloon and the daughter of one of the local businessmen. There's a bit too much romance and singing (way too much singing) to suit me, but it's Randolph Scott, and I'm not sure you can say you like Westerns if you haven't seen Randolph Scott in several.

Tumbleweeds

2011-12-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

Tumbleweeds is a 1925 silent Western, the last film directed by William S. Hart. It stars Hart, Barbara Bedford and Lucien Littlefield.

watch it online compliments of the Internet Archive:

Images Journal names it one of the 30 great westerns and says, "Hart was the king of the West and Tumbleweeds is arguably his finest film." Silent Cinema says,

Modern reviews of Tumbleweeds have placed the movie as the high point of Hart's career and as a seminal film of the silent era that was unique for its era in its depiction of Native Americans and African Americans.

Culture Cartel says, "Tumbleweeds stands up remarkably well, and most film devotees will find it among the more interesting and entertaining melodramas of the silent era."

The Battle of Elderbush Gulch

2011-12-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Battle of Elderbush Gulch is a 1913 D.W. Griffith silent film with inter-titles, starring Mae Marsh, Lillian Gish and Lionel Barrymore. Elmo Lincoln, who was Tarzan in a series of films in the 19-teens through the 1940s has a part in this, too.

watch it online:

It's supposed to be 29 minutes long, and I can only find videos that are about 19 minutes. But I guess all's well that ends well. Especially with cute little puppies.

Westerns

2011-12-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

January will be Western Film month around here. As we watch more I'll link them here with the others.

Annie Oakley (1894)
Buffalo Bill (1894)
Buffalo Dance (1894)
Sioux Ghost Dance (1894)
Cripple Creek Bar-Room (1899)

The Great Train Robbery (1903)
The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906)

The Battle of Elderbush Gulch (1913)

The Covered Wagon (1923)
The Iron Horse (1924)
Tumbleweeds (1925)
In Old Arizona (1928)

Fighting Caravans (1931)
Randy Rides Alone (1934)
Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935)
Border Caballero (1936)
Ghost Patrol (1936)
Dodge City (1939)
Stagecoach (1939)

Santa Fe Trail (1940)
The Ox-Bow Incident (1942)
Border Patrol (1943)
The Outlaw (1943)
Abilene Town (1946)
My Darling Clementine (1946)
Pursued (1947)
Red River (1948)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
I Shot Jesse James (1949)
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)

Broken Arrow (1950)
The Gunfighter (1950)
Wagonmaster (1950)
Winchester '73 (1950)
High Noon (1952)
Rancho Notorious (1952)
Hondo (1953)
Shane (1953)
Johnny Guitar (1954)
Vera Cruz (1954)
The Man from Laramie (1955)
Jubal (1956)
The Searchers (1956)
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
Forty Guns (1957)
The Tall T (1957)
Man of the West (1958)
The Hanging Tree (1959)
Ride Lonesome (1959)
Rio Bravo (1959)

The Magnificent Seven (1960)
The Deadly Companions (1961)
One-Eyed Jacks (1961)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962)
Ride the High Country (1962)
Mclintock! (1963)
A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
Advance to the Rear (1964)
For A Few Dollars More (1965)
Major Dundee (1965)
Ride in the Whirlwind (1965)
The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
El Dorado (1966)
A Bullet for the General (1967)
Death Rides a Horse (1967)
The Shooting (1967)
Hang 'Em High (1968)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
A Professional Gun (1968)
The Ruthless Four (1968)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
The Wild Bunch (1969)

Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)
The Bounty Man (1972)
The Grand Duel (1972)
Joe Kidd (1972)
High Plains Drifter (1973)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Apache Blood (1975)

Pale Rider (1985)

Unforgiven (1992)
Wagons East (1994)
Wild Wild West (1999)

Dust (2001)
Summer Love/Dead Man's Bounty (2006)
3:10 to Yuma (2007)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Seraphim Falls (2007)
Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)
Appaloosa (2008)

Jonah Hex (2010)
The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010)
Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

Seraphim Falls

2011-12-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

Seraphim Falls (2007) starts as a straightforward revenge narrative and ends with confrontations with Charon and the devil. This is a very interesting film, one of the weirdest westerns I've ever seen, and one worth re-watching. It's the first feature film of David Von Ancken and stars Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan as the central characters. Charon is played by Wes Studi, who was wonderful as Leaphorn in the mystery series. Anjelica Huston is Lucifer. The Husband, poor thing, just wants to watch Christmas movies and found it too gory. The Younger Son and I are quite taken by it.

trailer:

Slant Magazine says the film

proves to be something in short supply these days: a sturdy, straight-ahead, less-talk, more-action Western.

DVD Talk likes it and asks,

how often do you get to see Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson engaged in an old-school revenge-drenched mega-chase that runs from the top of a frozen mountain to a godforsaken desert that looks like hell's favorite landscape?

and concludes that it

works because of a straight-arrow narrative, a pair of fine performances, a bunch of colorful characters tucked into the background, and a whole lot of really beautiful scenery

Pale Rider

2011-12-16T06:30:00.000-08:00

Pale Rider was The Younger Son's pick. We're planning on a January Western Film Month, are not just brimming with Christmas Spirit and decided to start westerns a bit early. Clint Eastwood directs and stars in the title role. Richard Dysart, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgrass, Richard Kiel and John Russell also have parts. Lee Van Cleef would've been a good bad guy here, but it's impossible to fault Russell. The Younger Son and I remember seeing this, but I haven't owned it 'til today, so we probably rented it years ago. We call it "brimming with subtext" -only maybe it's not subtext if it's that obvious.

trailer:

DVD Talk says, "I didn't care for it much when it was new, but since then it's grown on me little-by-little". Weird Wild Realm says, "It's not the equal of High Plains Drifter, but it's good." Roger Ebert calls it "a considerble achievement, a classic Western of style and excitement."

Scrooge Ballet

2011-12-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

I remember the first time I saw this. It was on TV, and we recorded it on VHS tape, but we never saw it aired on television again. As the tape began to show its age we started looking for it on DVD. After years of searching we finally found it, and The Husband bought it for me for Christmas one year. The Northern Ballet Theatre's A Christmas Carol tells the complete tale without words -well, almost without words, Marley's Ghost has a soliloquy and there are some songs. One of the songs is Four Pence A Day. The dancers are so expressive you don't need words to know the story.

I finally found a video clip:

Brentleigh Ware Staffordshire Tankards

2011-12-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

These 2 mugs were Christmas presents from an aunt on the paternal side of my family and one of the things The Grandmother particularly wants to keep. They've found a home on a bookshelf and have settled in nicely. The one on the left is of Canterbury, and the one on the right is of St. Paul's. They are part of a series of the cathedrals of London.

A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott)

2011-12-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Carol (1984) starring George C. Scott is The Younger Son's favorite of the Scrooge videos. It is a good one. Scott is mean and devotedly business-like at first without being a miserly caricature and is utterly convincing post-conversion. The not-so-good parts:

Nephew Fred just seems whiny;
The Ghost of Christmas Present is scroogier than Scrooge and lacks any Christmas Spirit;
Oppressive background music.

David Warner (Aldous Gajic in Grail, a Babylon 5 episode, and several characters in the Star Trek universe) is Bob Cratchit, and Susannah York is his wife. The Tiny Tim in this version actually looks like he is sickly. The woman who plays Mrs. Dilber here plays the same role in the Patrick Stewart version.

the beginning of the movie:

12/25/2009: Salon.com loves this version:

Well, Cratchits and ghosts come and go, one might argue, but every "Christmas Carol" must rise or fall with its Scrooge. And on this point the 1984 version most emphatically ascends.

Roseville bowl

2011-12-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

As we pack The Grandmother up for her move here and she decides what she wants to keep, I've been noticing some of my personal treasures. I don't have many, but this Zephyr Lily Roseville bowl is one of them. I keep potpourri in it on top of the piano:

A Christmas Carol (Patrick Stewart)

2011-12-13T09:15:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Carol is Patrick Stewart's 1999 adaptation of Dickens' story. Stewart stars as Scrooge. There are reasons we particularly like this version, but there are a few bits we do not like:

We think Christmas Past is mean, not good-hearted and certainly not o'er-brimming with the hearty goodwill of the Christmas season. He is trudging through his dutiful oversight of Christmas Day without a touch of joy. I can't imagine a worse depiction of Christmas "Spirit".

The interchange in which Scrooge says, "I didn't know Cratchit had a crippled son," and Christmas Present replies with "You didn't ask," well, we just get this funny picture of Scrooge interrupting Bob at his work and asking, "By the way, Mr. Cratchit, do you have a crippled son?"

The Giant Jawa-eyed Christmas Yet to Come.

The sound of Stewart working up to his big laughing scene at the end. Gagging, maybe?

We especially like the scenes in which Christmas Present visits the sailors at sea and prisoners in the jail -most versions leave this part out. We've grown to appreciate the downtrodden Bob Cratchit, whose portrayal I did not like at all at first but whose demeanor seems more realistic to me now than other versions I used to prefer, and a more good-hearted Fred than the one in this production would be hard to find.

The Younger Son keeps track of Saskia Reeves' career through a Google Alert. She does make a great Mrs. Cratchitt. I like Edward Petherbridge, who played Lord Peter Wimsey in the PBS Mystery series back in the 1980's. In this movie, he plays one of the charity men who come to Scrooge for donations for the poor.

We like this one. It's well worth owning and annual viewing. We've seen a lot of adaptations, so we can't help but compare them. None of them are perfect, but this one has much to offer.

There's a scene from towards the end of the film here:

Pelham Puppets

2011-12-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

I don't know what put me in mind of my old Pelham puppet. I got it when I was a child and I always loved that sweet thing. Such a happy, pleasant expression:

Brand New Year

2011-12-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

Brand New Year is a holiday cd by SHe DAISY, a female country music trio, and although I'm not a country music fan, I enjoyed this cd with its close harmony. I was pleased and surprised to find "Christmas Children" here. We watch a lot of Christmas Carol movies during this season, and the one this song is from -the musical "Scrooge" starring Albert Finney- is a favorite. The lyrics are online here.

Deck the Halls:

Charlie Wilson's War

2011-12-08T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Grandmother was quite offended by the sprinkling of F-words through this film, which surprises me a bit because we've seen things with "Jesus Christ" and "God damn" and other take-the-name-of-the-lord-in-vain abuses and she hasn't made a fuss. She was impressed that it was based on a true story. Charlie Wilson's War is a 2007 film directed by Mike Nichols and starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ned Beatty. It tells how we began funding the Afghan resistance against the Soviet invasion of their country.

trailer:

Slant Magazine ends with this:

With its chickenshit elisions, and despite the last-minute feint at reversing its celebratory Cold Warrior tone, Charlie Wilson's War is Gumped-up history.

Time Out says,

the film’s lack of real bite or requisite splashes of genuine acid keep it firmly in the limited bounds of slightly old-fashioned, liberal hearted light comedy

BBC says, "The role is a coup for Philip Seymour Hoffman." Salon.com also praises Hoffman: "Hoffman is the movie’s finest effect."

Snow!

2011-12-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

Chocolat

2011-12-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

I took this one to The Grandmother's to see how she would react to a film that had so much food, and chocolate at that, but she didn't share on that subject. She said she liked the movie but had trouble following it at times. I loved this one. Chocolat is a 2000 film based on the novel by the same name. It stars Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina and Johnny Depp.

trailer:

Salon.com has a review that seems to want to like it but ends up saying, "What turns me off is the combination of simple-mindedness and self-satisfaction. That said, “Chocolat” could be a lot worse". Roger Ebert calls it "charming and whimsical" and says he "enjoyed the movie on its own sweet level". EW says, "the season's latest Euro synthetic confection, manufactured from a proprietary recipe based on focus group data about what consumers enjoy most in a Miramax movie". Rolling Stone likes it and calls it "yummy".

The Jethro Tull Christmas Album

2011-12-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

I remember listening to the radio in the car one day years ago, hearing a flute playing unfamiliar Christmas music and thinking that it sounded an awful lot like Jethro Tull. I couldn't imagine that Jethro Tull would have a Christmas CD. But they do. You can read the lyrics at the band's site. You can listen to some of the music here. I like this one, but The Husband's not a fan.

A Christmas Song:

Christmas Tree

2011-12-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

The tree is different every year. The tree is the same every year.

More Christmas decorations:

Happy Birthday, Dave Brubeck!

2011-12-06T09:30:00.000-08:00

Today is Dave Brubeck's 91st birthday.

Take Five:

The Shop Around the Corner

2011-12-06T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Shop Around the Corner is a 1940 Ernst Lubitsch film starring Jimmy Stewart, Margaret Sullavan and Frank Morgan. It's a wonderful film that takes place during the Christmas season. It has a happy ending without being too silly or sugary sweet along the way.

trailer:

Senses of Cinema says:

As William Paul [in Ernst Lubitsch’s American Comedy] observes, “No previous Lubitsch film is so thoroughly interested in the dynamic of a group: where society in the past might have functioned as a restriction on individual desire, this is the first film to posit personality itself as a function of society”

Time has it as one of their best 100 films. EW says it "may be the wisest romance ever put on celluloid". Variety praises it but is now behind a paywall. TCM has an overview. The New York Times says,

So there it is, and a pretty kettle of bubbling brew it makes under Mr. Lubitsch's deft and tender management and with a genial company to play it gently, well this side of farce and well that side of utter seriousness.

Summer Love/Dead Man's Bounty

2011-12-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

Dead Man's Bounty is a Western of sorts starring Val Kilmer as the titular dead man. It is a 2006 Polish film but is in English. I told The Grandmother when it was over that it was the weirdest Western I'd ever seen, and she said she wasn't sure she'd call it a Western. I said that it had a sheriff, a whorehouse, horses, cowboy hats, threats of hangings, gunfights, men dressed in Old West attire and every indication it took place in the Wild West of yore. It's hard for me not to view it as a Western. But, then again, it's anything but a typical Western. The music adds another surreal touch.

An embeddable trailer that doesn't auto-play, is that too much to ask? Apparently so. I couldn't find a single one that didn't start playing an advertisement as the page loaded.

DVD Verdict says, "I don't think I've seen such a consistently acted genre picture in a while" and "any fan of Westerns since The Wild Bunch should probably see this picture". AMC has some information.

A Medieval Christmas

2011-12-05T14:30:00.000-08:00

A Medieval Christmas is one of the cds in a 3-volume set by the Boston Camerata.

The picture above came from nonesuch.com, where you can listen to samples and order a copy.

This is one of my favorite Christmas cds. I used to have the LP, but this is one of the ones I got on cd when I started making that switch.

Because It's Christmas

2011-12-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

Because It's Christmas is the first Barry Manilow Christmas cd and the only one I have. It's a bit heavy on slow and sad songs.

Jingle Bells (in a live version):

Bing Crosby: The Voice of Christmas: The Complete Decca Christmas Songbook

2011-12-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

Bing Crosby: The Voice of Christmas: The Complete Decca Christmas Songbook, a 2-disc set, is another of The Husband's Bing Crosby CDs. I remember a lot of these songs from LPs from years past.

Silent Night:

The Bishop's Wife

2011-12-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

Once upon a midnight clear, there was a child's cry. A blazing star hung over a stable and wise men came with birthday gifts. We haven't forgotten that night down the centuries; we celebrate it with stars on Christmas trees, the sound of bells and with gifts. But especially with gifts. You give me a book; I give you a tie. Aunt Martha has always wanted an orange squeezer, and Uncle Henry could do with a new pipe. We forget nobody, adult or child. All the stockings are filled - all that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up. The stocking for the child born in a manger. It's his birthday we are celebrating. Don't ever let us forget that. Let us ask ourselves what he would wish for most, and then let each put in his share. Loving kindness, warm hearts and the stretched out hand of tolerance. All the shining gifts that make peace on earth. -from The Bishop's Wife

The Bishop's Wife is a delightful lesser-known Christmas film from 1947. Cary Grant makes a perfect angel, and David Niven as the worried bishop trying to flatter wealthy parishioners into donating money enough to build a cathedral and Loretta Young as his neglected wife are also perfect. Elsa Lancaster plays the housekeeper. I always like her. We've seen this movie several times and enjoy it anew every year. The Husband gets a particular kick out of it, laughing aloud at some parts.

trailer:

The Bishop's Wife The Bishop's Wife

TCM has an overview. The New York Times review says "it comes very close to being the most enchanting picture of the year" and calls it a "warm and winning fable".

Giant

2011-12-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

Giant (1956) stars Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean in a multi-generation look at cattle barons and the rise of oil in Texas. The Grandmother had seen it; I had not. It is a very long film, too long for us to finish in one sitting in her apartment, and, to be honest, neither of us wants to finish it. I comfort myself by assuring myself it was almost over when I quit. George Stevens is the director.

trailer:

Christmas Choir

2011-12-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

You can listen to some of Christmas Choir, directed by Alfred Walter, and order it here. The photo above came from that site. The cd includes standards such as Hark! the Herald Angels Sing, O Little Town of Bethlehem, O Come All Ye Faithful -10 tracks in all.

Elf

2011-12-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

We think Elf is perfect. It could have so easily been dreadful, but everything that could have been done right was done right. Mistakes were not made. It is now an annual holiday tradition.

The movie is directed by Jon Favreau and stars Will Ferrell as the human brought up as an elf, James Caan as Buddy's biological father, Mary Steenburgen as Buddy's step-mom, Zooey Deschanel as Buddy's love interest Jovie, Bob Newhart as Buddy's adoptive elf papa and has Ed Asner as Santa.

trailer:

Slate calls it "a heartwarming homage to Christmas movies past". The New York Times calls it a "charming" success. Roger Ebert says,

This is one of those rare Christmas comedies that has a heart, a brain and a wicked sense of humor, and it charms the socks right off the mantelpiece.

Little Caesar

2011-12-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Grandmother hadn't seen Little Caesar before but says Edward G. Robinson was her daddy's favorite actor. She said Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., also in the movie, was more what she liked. This 1931 pre-code crime film was Robinson's first big, successful role, and he played many gangster-types after that.

trailer:

youtube has the film here:

Slant Magazine says Robinson is the only thing worthwhile in the film. DVD Talk says, "Edward G. Robinson has to carry the entire show as none of the other actors seem particularly comfortable in their roles, especially the miscast Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.".

On Yoolis Night: Medieval Carols and Motets

2011-12-03T15:00:00.000-08:00

On Yoolis Night: Medieval Carols and Motets is another of my Anonymous 4 CDs. I love this group.

Here's Peperit virgo:

You can listen to parts of it at Amazon.

Breath of Heaven: A Holiday Collection

2011-12-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

Breath of Heaven: A Holiday Collection is a cd by Grover Washington. Not really my thing, but I thought The Husband would like it and he does. I picked it up used at Spin Street for $5, but it's readily available at Amazon where you can listen to samples.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is the 1st track:

Home for the Holidays

2011-12-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Home for the Holidays is selection of 18 holiday pieces from the Eaken Piano Trio. It is traditional instrumental Christmas music, including Sleigh Ride, Ave Maria and Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker Suite. I've been unable to locate a video of any of the selections.

We're No Angels (1955)

2011-12-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

We love this movie, and it continues to be one of our favorites. We're No Angels stars Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, Aldo Ray and Adolph (the deadly snake) as the titular angels. Basil Rathbone plays a wealthy businessman concerned only with profit against Leo G. Carroll who plays his bumbling, well-meaning cousin. Joan Bennett is Leo G. Carroll's wife, and Gloria Talbott is their daughter. The film is directed by Michael Curtiz.

We've had the same television for 20 years and bought a flat screen tv recently, and it's made more difference in this dvd than in anything else we've watched on it. Those colors! And there are things in this film we'd never noticed in previous viewings. VistaVision and Technicolor.

I've been looking for a trailer for years and still can't find one -there's not even a trailer on our no-frills DVD- but here's one scene from the film:

The New York Times doesn't like it, describing it as "generally a slow, talky affair of elephantine roguishness and a few genuine chuckles." Variety, on the other hand, gives it a good review and says, "Michael Curtiz' directorial pacing and topflight performances from Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov help minimize the few flaws" but Variety reviews are now behind a paywall. There are overviews at TCM and MSN.

Run Lola Run

2011-12-03T06:30:00.001-08:00

The Grandmother liked this one! I must admit that surprised me. She was intrigued by the plot structure and seemed to think the pace was downright tiring. She was interested in the fact that The Younger Son's film class studied it, and she wanted to know how that was handled -she guessed they watched the movie and then discussed it. She also ate a chef salad (well, half of a chef salad) with enjoyment. All in all a great day.

Run Lola Run is a 1998 German film which provides three different scenarios for how an initiating crisis could have played out. It was well received at its release and won 26 awards. I loved it.

trailer:

Salon.com says, "You want to see Lola keep running the same way you want to hear a great pop song again as soon as it ends." Slant Magazine says, "Run Lola Run could very well be the punchiest piece of concept art to ever hit the silver screen, a shock-dose of German existential cinema you can ride." Slate.com closes with this: "The movie could be dismissed as all adrenaline-swamped pyrotechnics, but adrenaline can be its own justification: In Run Lola Run, it makes stuff happen big-time." Roger Ebert closes his review by saying, "what it does, it does cheerfully, with great energy, and very well."

Season's Greetings

2011-12-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

You just can't go wrong with Dean Martin. Laid back and cheerful, Season's Greetings is one of the perfect Christmas cds. Dean Martin's music is a favorite for me, and I have such fond memories of watching his tv show with Daddy way back when. You can listen to some of Season's Greetings at Amazon, though that's not the cover my cd has.

It's a Marshmallow World is not on this cd, so I obviously need more Dean Martin holiday music:

December 25 is the anniversary of Dean Martin's death in 1995.

Christmas Carols from Tewkesbury Abbey

2011-12-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Choir of Tewkesbury Abbey School was founded in 1973, but the school was closed in 2006 and the choir re-housed. The cd Christmas Carols from Tewkesbury Abbey is from 1994 and has 20 tracks of traditional Christmas carols, including The First Nowell, Good King Wenceslaus and others less familiar.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (but I'm not sure this is the same as the track on the cd):

You can listen to samples and buy the cd at Amazon.com.

Christmas Eve and Other Stories

2011-12-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve and Other Stories is one of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's holiday cds. It's a concept album and tells a story.

Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 is the 8th track:

I hear they are going to be in concert in Memphis this year.

A Christmas Story

2011-12-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Story came out in 1983, but we only discovered it a few years ago. The kids never liked it, but The Husband and I do, and we watch it every year.

trailer:

It seems to be on tv nonstop during the holidays.

The Big Sleep

2011-12-02T06:30:00.001-08:00

I took The Big Sleep to The Grandmother's house to watch. I had seen it several times before, but she had never seen it. This 1946 film is based on a book by the same name by Raymond Chandler. It is directed by Howard Hawks and stars Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Also in this movie are Dorothy Malone, Elisha Cook, Jr. and Ben Weldon.

trailer:

Images Journal has a review, as do Reel Classics, Senses of Cinema, the New York Times and Salon.com. Roger Ebert considers it a "Great Movie".

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

2011-12-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

We enjoy Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas in both forms. The book was always a favorite with the kids, with The Elder Son having it memorized at age 2. We now have the DVD, and it's one of the staple must-see video entertainments every year at our house. Boris Karloff provides the voice of the narrator and the speaking Grinch, while Thurl Ravenscroft (perhaps better known as the voice of Tony the Tiger on those old cereal commercials) does the singing. And Max! Max is a bright spot for me.

Here's the Grinch's song, with screen shots from the show:

The Pianist

2011-12-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

When the movie was over and I asked her what she had thought of it, The Grandmother's only comments were about the man eating the spilled food off the ground. I was stunned, as I thought the music would appeal to her and she would like the heroics. This food "thing" may drive me to drink. Or overeat. Or both!

The Pianist is a 2002 WW2 film based on the true story of Wladyslaw Szilman, a Polish Jew who was a professional pianist when WW2 started and was the only member of his family to survive. It's directed by Roman Polanski and stars Adrien Brody.

trailer:

Senses of Cinema says it "manages to be both illuminating, historically faithful, and definitive" and says Polanski's "vision of Hell is that of an atheist. There is no God in The Pianist, not a hint of Him. This Hell is completely man-made." Slant Magazine has a positive review. Salon.com calls it Polanski's "most emotionally direct film, at times even a brutally blunt film." Rolling Stone begins with this: "What strikes you first about The Pianist, aside from the fact that it is Roman Polanski's most personal and powerful film in years, is its rigorous lack of sentimentality." Spirituality and Practice has a review. Roger Ebert says it "refuses to turn Szpilman's survival into a triumph and records it primarily as the story of a witness who was there, saw, and remembers."

Poor Jack o' Lantern Pumpkin

2011-11-30T13:30:00.000-08:00

Here we are thinking about Christmas decorations, and the pumpkin never got carved. Of course, it lasted a lot longer this way.

What's It Gonna Be, Santa?

2011-11-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

I bought Chicago's Christmas cd What's It Gonna Be, Santa? for The Husband because back in the day he bought every Chicago lp as it came out. A true fan, he was, but I don't know how he'll like this.

This Christmas is the fifth track:

Well, The Husband has heard some of it during lunch and says Chicago ain't what they used to be, though he pointed out some sections that sounded like the old days.

The Moody Blues: December

2011-11-30T09:30:00.000-08:00

December is a cd with seasonal music by The Moody Blues. I picked this up at Spin Street this year. I don't care for it at all -boring and schmaltzy and tending towards the sad end of the spectrum.

December Snow is the second track:

You can listen to samples at Amazon.com.

Bing Crosby's White Christmas CD

2011-11-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Husband loves Bing Crosby's Christmas music. You'd think it'd be possible to eventually get tired of it, but I've got no evidence he ever will. We have 3 Bing Crosby Christmas CDs he has picked up through the years. White Christmas, pictured above, is one of them. You can sample the tracks from the Amazon link.

The Holly & the Ivy

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Holly & the Ivy is a cd of "All Time Favorite Carols" by the St. Paul's Cathedral Choir. This is a bare bones disc, with no liner notes or annotations of any kind. It's available through Amazon.

The first song on the disc is Once in Royal David's City:

A Chorus Line

2011-11-30T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Grandmother was not favorably impressed by A Chorus Line, but I enjoyed it. I had seen it several times before, but she never had. She said, "I haven't seen any of the new movies." I told her it came out 26 years ago, but that seems new to her. The only thing that interested her was that Theatre Memphis had done it years ago. She said she could see why it would be popular with community theaters. It's directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Michael Douglas as the director of a new Broadway musical just beginning auditions. Terrance Mann (who was in Solarbabies and Mrs. Santa Clause, but we won't hold that against him) is the assistant choreographer.

trailer:

Spirituality and Practice says,

Thousands of talented dancers and singers flock to New York City every year with hopes of landing a role in a Broadway musical.... This screen adaptation of the Broadway musical offers a loving tribute to these "gypsies" and the gusto they bring to their craft.

Time Out doesn't like it. DVD Talk calls it a "badly filmed play" and the "movie non-event of 1985". Roger Ebert gives it 3 1/2 stars.

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Live

2011-11-29T12:15:00.000-08:00

The Daughter and The Husband are long-time Mannheim Steamroller fans. One of the cds we have is Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Live.

Angels We have Heard on High is the first track:

A Very Special Christmas

2011-11-29T10:30:00.000-08:00

A Very Special Christmas is a compilation of a variety of artists who combine forces to benefit Special Olympics. It starts off with The Pointer Sisters singing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and includes the Eurythmics, Sting, U2, Bob Seger and others on 15 tracks.

Sting's contribution to "A Very Special Christmas" -"Gabriel's Message":

I'm not a big fan, and I never listen to this one more than once a season. I should probably see if one of the kids wants it so it can have a home where it's more appreciated.

Christmas in Harmony

2011-11-29T09:45:00.000-08:00

The first time I heard of Wilson Phillips and who they were I had this wave of nostalgia, so when I saw their Christmas cd Christmas in Harmony at Spin Street I bought it. It's not nearly as much fun as I wanted it to be. I listened to the entire cd, but kept finding myself annoyed and wanting to turn it off. If I want a girl group's take on Christmas I'll listen to Play again.

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day:

Christmas Carols

2011-11-29T08:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas Carols is the title of this CD of 20 tracks of Christmas songs sung by the Worcester Cathedral Choir. It's a nice mix of familiar and less well-known seasonal music.

Wikipedia says, "Since the 18th century, Worcester Cathedral Choir has taken part in the Three Choirs Festival, the oldest music festival in the world." That festival has a website here.

You can buy the cd (for $7.99) and listen to some of the music at Amazon.com.

The Shawshank Redemption

2011-11-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

I really thought this one would make a hit with The Grandmother, but as soon as the end credits started rolling she got up and left the room. Neither of us had seen it before, although I'd seen enough bits and pieces on tv to know it was worth watching. The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 drama that takes place mostly in Shawshank prison. It's based on the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. It stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. James Whitmore has a role as the elderly prison librarian who has difficulty on the outside when paroled after spending most of his life in prison. I enjoyed watching it, even though it's a bit more sentimental than I generally like.

trailer:

Slant Magazine calls it over-rated and says,

the film's naïve sentimentality undermines serious issues of violence, rape, manhood, and male bonding. Indeed, after the Sisters are silenced, Darabont cranks up the unilateral act of hero worship: prison goes from being "mean and scary" to, well, "cute." Andy writes letters in order to get books into the prison library, starts doing everyone's taxes, and wins the hearts of guards and prisoners alike. Someone should bake a pie. Oh, wait, they do!

Roger Ebert has a positive review.

Ho Ho Ho

2011-11-28T14:30:00.000-08:00

Ho Ho Ho is a Christmas cd by RuPaul. I just got home from Spin Street with my new-to-me copy. It's different, I'll give it that. Embeddable videos are hard to come by, but I did find one.

All I Want for Christmas:

Rupaul all i want for christmas by dummy-account

Chicago

2011-11-28T06:30:00.000-08:00

When this one was over and I asked The Grandmother what she thought of it, she said, "I didn't think much of it." Neither of us had seen it. Chicago is a 2002 musical starring Richard Gere as a high-powered high-cost defense attorney, Rene Zellweger as wanna-be vaudeville star Roxie who kills her lover, Catherine Zeta-Jones as a showgirl who kills her sister, Queen Latifah as the prison matron "Mama" and John C. Reilly as Roxie's dupe of a husband. I got a kick out of it.

trailer:

It won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

When You're Good to Mama:

Roger Ebert calls the film "big, brassy fun". Slate.com gives it a positive review. Slant Magazine finds fault with the direction and almost everything else.

1940's Christmas

2011-11-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

I don't remember where this CD came from, but it hasn't gotten a lot of play around here. 1940's Christmas has 10 tracks of Christmas music by artists like Benny Goodman, Bing Crosby, Petula Clark... You can listen to samples at the Amazon.com page and pick it up through one of their links for as little as a buck 99. It's not my kind of thing, but for $1.99 it adds some variety to our Christmas music.

The Byrd Edition, Vol. 1: Early Latin Church Music & Propers for Lady Mass in Advent

2011-11-27T11:15:00.000-08:00

The Byrd Edition, Volume 1, sung by The Cardinall's Musick, is the first volume of a project to cover the entire works of William Byrd. This CD includes early Latin church music and propers for Lady Mass in Advent.

from the notes included with the CD:

Admirers of Byrd's music may immediately be struck not only by the fact that the majority of works on this disc are heard rarely in performance (not to mention on disc) but also that many of them sound unlike what we have come to accept as "typically Byrd". In his early manuscript works one hears the strong influence of the music of John Sheppard and Thomas Tallis, although at this stage Byrd already carries a distinct voice of his own.

You can listen to samples of the music at Amazon.

Christmas From English Cathedrals

2011-11-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

We've had this cd for a while. Christmas From English Cathedrals features music from The Norwich Cathedral Choir, Wells Cathedral Choir, Marlborough Cathedral Choir and St. Paul Cathedral Choir. Some of these songs are more familiar than others, but it's nice to have that kind of combination. It's all very traditional church music, traditionally performed.

You can buy it from Amazon.com, where you can also listen to samples. The photo at the top of the post came from Amazon.com.

The Red Violin

2011-11-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

This was long for us at 130 minutes, but I took The Red Violin to The Grandmother's and we watched it during supper. I had some of the rest of the chili, which she has inexplicably started refusing to eat, and she had (and ate some of) raisin bread cheese toast and chicken soup. But I'd better not get started on our food issues. I loved this movie. I loved the music, the way the film was structured, the cinematography.... I would watch it again any time.

trailer:

Roger Ebert says,

The film is heedlessly ambitious. In a time of timid projects and easy formulas, "The Red Violin" has the kind of sweep and vision that we identify with elegant features from decades ago

DVD Talk opens by saying,

One of the Nineties' more sweeping, elegant epics that often seems to be lost in the shuffle, director Francois Girard's The Red Violin (or Le Violon Rouge, if you prefer) is a full-blooded motion picture experience, a romantic ode to the power of art that grips you from the opening moments and does not let go. It's one of the decade's unsung classics.

Reel Views says, "The Red Violin is a beautifully composed motion picture. At times, it's a near-perfect mingling of the visual and the audio." Salon.com didn't like it, concluding that it

has marvelous cinematography, a clever structure and a beautiful score by the eminent American composer John Corigliano, but what it doesn’t have is any coherent story to tell, or any reason to exist beyond admiring its own beauty.

The top critics at Rotten Tomatoes give it 86%.

Play Around the Christmas Tree

2011-11-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

The Elder Son introduced me to this several years ago. He let me borrow it, and I ended up getting my own CD. Play Around the Christmas Tree is by Swedish girl group Play.

This is the first song on the cd:

You can listen to some of the music at Amazon.com.

A Streetcar Named Desire

2011-11-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

I had never seen this movie, though I'd seen bits and pieces of it on tv through the years. I took it to The Grandmother's, who also hadn't seen it. She was surprised Vivien Leigh had been in it when she saw her name in the end credits; she hadn't recognized her. A Streetcar Named Desire also stars Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter and Karl Malden. It is directed by Elia Kazan. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to see this. I think it would've made a great piece to explore as part of the high school curriculum.

trailer:

Roger Ebert considers it one of the greats and says this of Brando's performance:

you could make a good case that no performance had more influence on modern film acting styles than Brando's work as Stanley Kowalski, Tennessee Williams' rough, smelly, sexually charged hero

Advent Carols from St. John's

2011-11-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

Advent Carols from St. John's is a CD of music from The Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge.

from the booklet included with the CD:

This recording presents a reconstruction of the service for Advent with Carols and within the space available preserves as many aspects as possible of the service as it might be heard on Advent Sunday from St. John's.
...
The service blends traditional plainsong antiphons, carols and carol-anthems alongside readings and Collects.

Lloyd's Drop Down Ye Heavens is the first track:

You can listen to parts of this CD at Amazon.com.

If On a Winter's Night...

2011-11-25T10:40:00.000-08:00

The neighbors weren't home, but they had left their windows open and their dogs set on bark-nonstop. Music was called for to drown out the incessant barking, so I put on the first Christmas cd of this season: Sting's If On a Winter's Night.... I think this was new to us last year, but maybe not. I don't have the cd with the bonus tracks.

A few years ago I started buying Christmas cds that were more non-traditional, as I wanted more variety in my seasonal listening. This aids that quest.

Gabriel's Message is the first song on the cd:

Bullet with Butterfly Wings

2011-11-25T06:30:00.000-08:00

I heard Bullet with Butterfly Wings (1995) by The Smashing Pumpkins the other day on WEVL:

The Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet with Butterfly... by EMI_Music

I don't remember ever having heard it before.

Green Lantern

2011-11-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

Green Lantern is a 2011 action film based on the comic strip character with the same name. It was fun to watch, but I didn't feel any chemistry at all between the leads and the fight training sequences were a bit lame. It left open the possibility for a sequel, but I'll be surprised if there is one.

trailer:

Moria says, "As comic-book adaptations go, Green Lantern holds up as one of the better". Salon.com has several reviews, none of which seem enthusiastic. Roger Ebert likes it better than Thor, which concerns me, as I haven't seen Thor.

Apache Blood

2011-11-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

Apache Blood is a 1975 Western starring Ray Danton.

You can watch it here:

but you'll never get those minutes back.

Weird Wild Realm closes by saying,

Though a pretty darned bad film, I did like the fact that the bulk of the film's sentiment favors the Apache avenger Yellow Shirt, whose violent cause is just. I got a modicum of entertainment out of this Z western, but couldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a soft spot for amateur filmmaking.

AMCtv has some information.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

2011-11-22T06:30:00.000-08:00

I took Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to watch with The Grandmother because it's one of my favorite of the Disneys. She didn't remember seeing it even though she said she was working and could afford movie-going at the time. She did remember her Uncle Walter being excited about taking Great Aunt Frankie to see it. After we watched it she remembered having seen it before, most likely with us when we were young or with her grandchildren during one of its re-releases. Adriana Caselotti voices Snow White.

original trailer:

SPIKE

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Trailer 1937

trailer for home video release:

It was well-received when it was first released. Moria calls it "a genuine classic". It's on Roger Ebert's list of great movies, and he closes his review with this:

It remains the jewel in Disney's crown, and although inflated modern grosses have allowed other titles to pass it in dollar totals, it is likely that more people have seen it than any other animated feature. The word genius is easily used and has been cheapened, but when it is used to describe Walt Disney, reflect that he conceived of this film, in all of its length, revolutionary style and invention, when there was no other like it--and that to one degree or another, every animated feature made since owes it something.

Queen Christina

2011-11-21T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Grandmother hadn't seen this one and neither had I. When I told her it came out in 1933 and asked her if she'd seen it, she said, "I was in 10th grade that year, and we didn't go to many movies then." Queen Christina stars Greta Garbo (in what The Younger Son tells me is one of her better roles), John Gilbert and Ian Keith. The film is loosely based on historical characters.

trailer:

It got good reviews when it was released. Slant Magazine calls it "an uneven spectacle" but says,

The famous last close-up of her impassive face in Queen Christina is one of those movie things that you never get over, an endless subject for contemplation.

The Guardian concludes its review by saying,

this is a surprisingly credible nod towards 17th century Swedish history, and not too bad an effort at capturing the spirit of the real Christina, either. Modern filmmakers, watch and learn.

TCM and AMC have some information.

Green Card

2011-11-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

I knew The Grandmother wouldn't have seen this one, and I was right. She enjoyed it, and I was glad since I've always liked it. Green Card is a 1990 romantic comedy starring Gerard Depardieu and Andie MacDowell. It's directed by Peter Weir.

trailer:

Roger Ebert calls it "a sound, entertaining work of craftsmanship, a love story between two people whose meet is not as cute as it might have been." BBC gives it 3 out of 5 stars. TimeOut gives it a positive review.

An American in Paris

2011-11-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

It'd been blows and stretches since I'd seen An American in Paris, and it turned out The Grandmother had never seen it. How is it that a 93 year old woman who would've been around 30 years old and childless when it played in theaters and who has had cable for over 10 years has never seen this film? Well, she's seen it now, and her response was that it was the kind of movie one of her brothers would've liked. "You know... anything musical." lol It was fun to watch it again, and, of course, Gene Kelly is always worth seeing. In addition to Gene Kelly, it stars Leslie Caron in her first film, Oscar Levant, Nina Foch and Georges Guetary. It's directed by Vincente Minnelli.

trailer:

Roger Ebert has a review. The Guardian calls it "An exotically contrived romance." DVD Talk says,

The all-around tone of the film is jaunty, with gorgeous sets and likable actors strutting their stuff without a whiff of self-consciousness. Declaring that they don't make them like An American in Paris anymore wouldn't be a cliché, it's a simple fact.

Time Out mentions "Gene Kelly in a puce body stocking".

Don't Break My Love

2011-11-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

Don't Break My Love by Nicholas Jaar:

It's growing on me.

Suicidal Wheelchair Driver

2011-11-17T11:10:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's contagious?

I was driving south on Highland last night when I saw a dark figure in the headlights of a car in front of me. The wheelchair was headed southeast, crossing the street catty-corner. It's a miracle s/he made it across safely, as there was traffic coming from both directions.

I'm seeing Memphians with death wishes lately.

The Silence

2011-11-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Silence (1963) is the 3rd film in Bergman's trilogy and my least favorite of the lot. I'm not sure why. Perhaps I'm getting enough sister drama in my own life right now. It stars Ingrid Thulin as Ester, the cold, controlling older sister whose illness forces a stop in the journey; Gunnel Lindblom as Anna, the sensual, resentful younger sister; and Jorgen Lindstrom as Anna's young son.

trailer:

I'm glad I didn't see the trailer first; I would've expected an entirely different movie.

Senses of Cinema says it "is one of Ingmar Bergman’s most important and most perfect films, marking a high point in his distinctive formal experimentation". filmref.com describes it as "an examination of emotional isolation in a world without God - where salvation lies in human connection." Roger Ebert has it on his list of great films. Only the Cinema says,

the film is about much more than the absence of faith: it is about the myriad ways in which communication can fail, the ways that speech and language can drive people apart rather than bringing them closer to mutual understanding

The Grand Duel

2011-11-16T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Grand Duel is a Lee Van Cleef Spaghetti Western from 1972. I'm a fan of Lee Van Cleef, and his presence in a movie is enough for me to watch it, but this one has other interests besides Van Cleef. The villain is priceless.

DVD Talk closes with this:

The Grand Duel has its moments but it somehow falls short of being a classic Spaghetti Western. That said, fans of the genre and Lee Van Cleef will be glad to have this show on DVD at last.

Spaghetti-Western.net has good things to say. The Western Review calls it "enjoyable and energetic" and says it contains "one of the more memorable villains in the history of the Spaghetti Western".

Winter Light

2011-11-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

Winter Light (1962), the 2nd in Ingmar Bergman's trilogy, stars Gunnar Bjornstrand as a pastor in crisis, Ingrid Thulin as a schoolmarm and the pastor's former lover, and Max von Sydow as a parishioner contemplating suicide. I must see this one again. I was so drawn to the characters' faces that I kept forgetting to read the subtitles. I'm watching these films alone; The Younger Son doesn't like Bergman, and The Husband and The Daughter don't like subtitles.

trailer:

The New Yorker says, "It is a harrowing experience, this film". FilmRef.com calls it "Perhaps the most spiritually bleak and visually stark of Ingmar Bergman's religious chamber series". Roger Ebert considers it a great film. Senses of Cinema writes:

Technically, the film is flawless – no single shot could be removed without damaging the overall effect. It is as if Bergman assembled the raw materials to tell his story, as raw as he could make them, then placed them in front of Sven Nykvist’s camera with as little emphasis as possible

Slant Magazine says, "to my mind it is one of the most profound examinations of Christianity and its imprisoning tenets". DVD Talk calls it "one of Bergman's most austere and compelling films" and says,

Winter Light is an agonizing, deceptively simple work that ranks among Bergman's finest efforts. It is thoroughly and completely uncompromising in its vision of absolute spiritual despair and hunger.

Another Suicidal Bicyclist

2011-11-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

Yes, I realize traffic was heavy going our way and there was no oncoming traffic, but still...

crossing the double yellow line and riding the wrong way on a major city street so you can pass all the cars stopped at that light is never a good idea.

What is it with bicyclists lately???

The Deadly Companions

2011-11-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Deadly Companions is a 1961 Western starring Brian Keith (who has a Star Trek:Deep Space Nine Connection), Maureen O'Hara, Steve Cochran, Strother Martin, Will Wright and Chill Wills. It's Sam Peckinpah's directorial debut. Hearing the opening song tempted me to close the screen and pick something else, but I persevered. I enjoyed it all until a piece of that same song played at the end. Otherwise, it's a fine Western.

The Internet Archive has it, and you can watch it online:

DVD Talk rates the film as "very good".

Mr. Skeffington

2011-11-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

I saw Mr. Skeffington on TCM the other day. I've never been a big Bette Davis fan, but I can't resist Claude Rains. The film was released in 1944 and was directed by Vincent Sherman. I loved Claude Rains, but at the end I was gagging. Too much Bette Davis. Much too much.

trailer:

Slant Magazine gives it 2 out of 4 stars, has praise only for Rains, calls it "an insanely over-elaborate, marathon soap opera" and says, "This is a star vehicle in extremis. There's no movie here, really, just Davis and her Role." TimeOut gives it a bad review. DVD Talk calls the film "impressive" and particularly praises a few of Rains' moments. Rotten Tomatoes

Through a Glass Darkly

2011-11-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

Through a Glass Darkly, the first in Ingmar Bergman's trilogy, is a 1961 black and white 4-character film. It stars Harriet Andersson as a woman recently released from a hospital where she was treated for her mental illness; Max von Sydow, her husband; Gunnar Bjornstrand, her father; and Lars Pasgard her adolescent brother.

There are a couple of scenes in the film that strongly reminded me of Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper. Striking.

trailer:

Roger Ebert calls it a great film. The New York Times says it "economically packs a rather limited but powerful personal experience within a comparatively narrow frame." It gets 100% at Rotten Tomatoes. FilmRef.com has a short piece. Criterion has links to a few articles.

It won an Academy Award for best foreign film.

Notes From A Night-time Pedestrian

2011-11-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

I had to walk home from The Grandmother's apartment tonight -there's a long sad car-trouble story there, but I'll skip it for now. I picked a well-lit route and headed out. I have some things to say:

to the guys in the little white car who rolled down their windows and barked at me (hooted? yelped? what was that sound?) as they came up behind me and were still dying laughing as I passed them stopped at the red light: you give the phrase "barking mad" a whole new meaning. I have to say I have never been that hard up for entertainment at 8:00 on a Friday night.

to the very dark figure on the unlit bicycle riding against the traffic: you're supposed to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, but since you were breaking every other road rule, I don't know why I expected it.

to the City of Memphis: I think those corner cuts on sidewalks are a wonderful idea, but what the hell good are they if the sidewalks are blocked with debris or construction cones or are so broken they have to be jumped over?

Loser

2011-11-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

Loser is a 1993 Beck song. I remember this one from its release, which is odd because that was after I'd quit keeping up with popular music. "I'm a loser, baby, so why don't you kill me." I heard it the other day on the radio, probably WEVL.

It's on the Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Songs.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

2011-11-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

Today's the anniversary:

Butterfly Bushes

2011-11-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

They may not look like much now, but I have high hopes. I sacrificed boxwoods for them. They came from Dan West, though I admit I didn't look there first. The Husband found them for me. They are 3 different varieties, so I'm wondering if there'll be a difference in how well they do.

Audubon Park

2011-11-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

Last month The Daughter and I went to Audubon Park. This poor lonely duck was off by itself, separate from the large group of ducks and geese a little further down the bank. None of them were hungry for The Daughter's donut; bread was scattered all over the place, so they had had their fill.

The weather was warm and sunny, and the leaves had started to turn. We saw several turtles, and The Daughter took a picture of this one:

We had a lovely time.

Afterwards I took The Daughter, The Elder Son and The Younger Son to the Belmont Grill for lunch, but I didn't take pictures of that. The food was great, though.

The Fly

2011-11-08T06:30:00.000-08:00

I've seen the original Vincent Price film several times and haven't been interested in the David Cronenberg version, but I couldn't resist the price I saw on a used copy at Spin Street. The Fly is a 1986 remake of the original. Jeff Goldblum plays the Vincent Price role. Geena Davis is his love interest. I'm glad I finally saw it. I think it does justice to its inspiration and is just as sad.

trailer:

1000 Misspent Hours likes it and says, "only rarely has he [Cronenberg] displayed such mastery of characterization as he does here." Moria gives it a good review and says, "His [Cronenberg's] is a darker, inner vision of the story where the original idea has been colluded with Cronenberg’s frequent bodily horror obsessions." Slant Magazine closes by saying, "In its galvanizing portrait of a body ravaged and sexual stasis infected by bugs, The Fly might be Cronenberg's most direct horror film ever."

The Ruthless Four

2011-11-07T06:30:00.001-08:00

The Ruthless Four is a 1968 Spaghetti Western starring Klaus Kinski, Van Heflin and Gilbert Roland. Carlo Rustichelli wrote the score, which sounds nothing like what I would expect. This is an enjoyable movie, well worth watching.

Youtube has it online, as does AMC:

SpaghettiWestern.net says

It is a bit slow-paced, and it is a bit short on action, but characterizations and atmosphere are strong, and that uneasy relationship between an older man and his weak-willed foster son is quite unique within the genre

TCM has some information.