I watched the Oscars last night for the same reason I usually do: the clothes. I have less and less to say as time goes on about this particular tasteless attempt at extravaganza. And the seamless morphing of entertainment and … Continue reading →
…“Groundhog Day”. Which is why I get to mention the movie again. Perhaps I’ll take this opportunity to recommend this audio, which features some great reminiscences about the movie from actor Stephen Tobolowsky, who played insurance salesman Ned Ryerson (“Watch … Continue reading →
[BUMPED UP: and for more on the philosophical and theological underpinnings of the film, please see this and this.] Today is Groundhog Day, and I think it very appropriate—very—to repeat an older post on the subject of the movie of … Continue reading →
John Hinderaker at Powerline makes some good points about the different reactions two suggestions to reduce violence: extending the ban on certain guns versus trying to limit violent video games (or violence in the entertainment media as a whole). Why … Continue reading →
I pretty much stopped going to the movies in theaters quite some time ago, and I don’t even watch many at home any more. I don’t remember when the turning point was, but I do know that at some point … Continue reading →
I found this video buried in an old comment, and I think it deserves a wider viewing. It’s of Gene Kelly and Tamara Toumanova dancing Kelly’s choreography in the movie “Invitation to the Dance,” which was made in 1952 but … Continue reading →
Remember when the movies portrayed presidents as heroes? They left out a lot of the more sordid stuff (like, for example, affairs) because there was no need to focus on that. There was enough about presidents to admire, and it … Continue reading →
A reader has alerted me to the news that the tunnel “Harry” featured in the movie “The Great Escape” has been found (not the movie set tunnel; the real deal). If you’ve loved that movie for many decades, as I … Continue reading →
The other day I watched the last half of a movie on TV that I’d never caught before: “Independence Day,” made in 1996. A few minutes into it Bill Pullman, the actor playing the US president, came into view. I … Continue reading →
What are the odds of this? From Mia Farrow’s autobiography, What Falls Away: My mother [actress Maureen O’Sullivan], her father’s favorite, went to the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Roehampton. She hated it. They had to wear vests in … Continue reading →
…that Clint Eastwood were the nominee, for all the blather about his gig at the Republican Convention the other night. Okay, I’ll say it: I’ve never been an Eastwood fan. So sue me. And I thought his schtick on Thursday … Continue reading →
Barack Obama has often been called an empty suit, but last night Clint Eastwood visualized him as an empty chair. A lot of people (including me) thought Eastwood would be giving a more conventional speech. But instead he came up … Continue reading →