Tag Archives: entertainment

Monday Movie Matinee

Posted on November 14, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

That title is purely for alliterative purposes and not an accurate reflection of this post’s contents.  At least, I will talk about a movie, and today is Monday.  It was a little after matinee hours when we watched the movie, and in fact we watched it on Sunday.  OK, I’m not even going to talk that much about the movie.  This is going to be a really stupid post, but at least I will try my hardest NOT to whine about how I can’t write a decent post today.

We all know I love cheesy movies.  It should come as no surprise, then, that I adore William Castle.  I adore him not only for the cheese factor in his flicks, though:  he is ENTERTAINING!  The man truly loved his audiences and intended to give them a thrill.  I am slowly acquiring a collection of DVDs of Castle movies.  Recently Steven gave me I Saw What You Did (1965), starring the inimitable Joan Crawford.  We watched it yesterday, when I had finished swooning over my blog post.

I don’t know why there are two Joans.

I’ve used this photo before, mostly for the gorgeous necklace.  That is a necklace to die for, or to kill for, or, you know, to find somewhere and pay money for.  Crawford’s part in this movie is really not all that major or even pivotal (my favorite description of a small role).  But it’s Joan Crawford.  I gotta love a movie with Joan Crawford.

Look, there’s that necklace again!

Now that I think of it, Crawford’s role is pivotal, because…  wait a minute.  I did not include a spoiler alert.  I won’t put one in now.  Watch I Saw What You Did, the 1965 version.  It’s a fun flick.  William Castle, I salute you.

Doesn’t he look like he’s having fun, too?

I close with a picture of the master himself.  I may watch another William Castle movie tonight.  Happy Monday, everyone.

 

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A Little Murder to Finish my Weekend

Posted on November 6, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Ah, Wrist to Forehead Sunday, a day when I get even more lame than Lame Post Friday and wuss out even more than Wuss-out Wednesday.  All I want to do today is sit on my couch, crochet, and watch television.  That is pretty much what I have been doing in, with small breaks to wash dishes, make popcorn, fix dinner, and do a couple more marginally useful things.  I can never get anything done on a Sunday.

When Steven got home from work, I informed him that I did not want to take down Halloween decorations, as he had suggested we do.  I said we should leave them up for one more day and watch Halloween movies.  Steven is the nice sort of husband who agrees to such things.  We watched The Old Dark House, which I had DVR’d from TCM.

I mostly remember Tom Poston from “Newhart.”

We also have the original Old Dark House with Boris Karloff on the DVR.  Still, I thought a William Castle-Hammer production was worth a watch.  But what to watch next is the question?  I’ve seen two Hammer Dracula movies starring Christopher Lee this weekend. I have one more yet on my DVR.

Gotta love that Christopher Lee.

While I think about it, I am looking at my usual Sunday entertainment, Snapped on Oxygen.  It’s so relaxing.  I put it on while I made the popcorn, “For background music.”

I have not reached my breaking point.

I do love a true crime show.  Maybe I should look for a Dateline or 20/20.  Something cheerful to round out my weekend.  Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

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Neither Carnival Nor Much Soul

Posted on October 24, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I feel like the reflection, blurry.

I would love to do a Monster Movie Monday, but the movie on my mind today does not exactly have a monster in it.  Carnival of Souls (1962) is low budget, atmospheric and CREEEEPY!  I admire it intensely, although I can’t say it is a pleasure to watch.  I find it unsettling.  What I really love is how scary it is using just make up, camera work, and acting.

This was my favorite among the posters I found.

This is why I don’t often write about movies I truly admire, especially horror movies.  I don’t want to tell you anything about it.  I feel a movie like this is best enjoyed if you allow it to unfold before you.  Well, maybe I could share a couple of pictures, which I found on a Carnival of Souls Facebook page.

I suppose we could call this a monster.

 

Here is another depiction of how I feel, only I am dry. And I have short hair.

Full disclosure:  I did not intend to write about this at all.  I was going to call this Migraine Monday, because I have been suffering this nagging headache most of the afternoon.  It is not a full-blown migraine, but you know how I love alliteration.  To add to my sense of ill-usage, it got worse AFTER work.  What’s that all about?  But I was afraid it would sound like whining and begging for sympathy.  I’m not, really. Actually, I’m afraid this is not a very good blog post, and I am offering a pathetic excuse.  Hmmm… that doesn’t sound much better, does it?  So judge me.  Happy Monday, everyone.

 

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Lame Post Friday with Joan

Posted on October 14, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

According to the Facebook page I stole this from, the left is the original and the right is photo-shopped.

I am neglecting to make my Friday Lame Post, because I am watching I Saw What You Did, produced and directed by William Castle and starring Joan Crawford.  This photo is the only one I could find from the movie.  Don’t you just love that necklace?  I do.  Speaking of Joan…

Personally, I like the picture better without the caption, but Facebook thieves cannot be choosers.

Under the heading Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, I used this photo in this blog as well as for a Facebook profile picture.  The shot is from the William Castle movie Straitjacket, another favorite of ours.  I personally am trying NOT to eat candy.  You can probably imagine how well that is going.

I found “NINA”!

Another picture of Joan: here she is with Bette Davis in a Hirschfeld drawing of them as their characters in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?  For all I love horror movies and Bette and Joan, I don’t love that movie.  Maybe if I watched it again.  Sometimes you have to watch a movie more than once and let it grow on you.  But not like a fungus.

Anyways, this is my Friday Lame Post for the week.  I’m busy watching Halloween movies.

 

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Karloff Works his Magic on Me

Posted on October 8, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

There were several posters, but this was the one I downloaded first.

I am in the midst of watching The Sorcerers (1967) with Boris Karloff, but I really, really want to make my blog post before it gets any later.  I will attempt to watch and type.  Ooh, stopped typing for a few minutes. The movie just got quite horrifying.

OK, that scary moment is over and I will type a few more words, insert another picture, till I just have to watch again.

He does not appear to be a harmless old man, even before things get creepy.

This is one of the many movies where Karloff gets to use his real voice.  As I always say, I will never get over my delight at those deep, mellifluous tones.  And yes, with every sentence, I can hear, “Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot…”   In this movie… well, I don’t want to give away any plot points, as I do with the cheesy horror movies I love to write about.

Here is a creepier shot of him.

Karloff and his wife are mad scientists.  At least, he says he’s a kind of a hypnotist, but I never saw a hypnotist with all this creepy equipment.

I kind of wish they had done more in the laboratory (pronounced la-BORE-a-tory).

This is actually a gripping tale of horror, control and power with a surprising strong moral center.  But more I shall not say.  Watch the movie when you get a chance.

And we’ll call this a Slacker Saturday post.

 

 

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Now I Would Like a Drink

Posted on September 22, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sorry, folks, my malaise continues and I can’t manage any other kind of post than one with monster pictures.  I really like monster pictures.

Now there’s a man, someone who will carry you to the bar!

I stole this gem from Monster Movies and Creature Features, a Facebook group I enjoy quite a bit.  As I searched for others, I saw on one of the groups or pages I followed (can’t remember which one), somebody had posted about 50 times that it was Stephen King’s birthday.  He’s 70.  I don’t know if the person who posted it hit the wrong button or was just really, really excited about Stephen King’s birthday, but it was on there more times than I cared to scroll through.  I went on to a different monster page/group, but I thought, ooh, there’s a perfect excuse to post monsters: Stephen King’s birthday!

Only, I’m not a big fan of Stephen King.  Oh, he is an excellent writer, very skilled, very talented.  I have enjoyed several books and stories of his (I prefer novels to short stories, but I also like the novelettes).  I gotta say, the movies, not so much.  His movies were made in the bloody ’70’s and beyond.  I like the older, more circumspect flicks.  There are exceptions, of course.  As I trolled around looking for other pictures, I remembered I shared one recently from a movie based on a Stephen King novel.  Steven my husband (note the different spelling) and I pop in Carrie periodically.  It is a time-honored favorite.

My prom was so boring!

A movie based on a Stephen King novel which I did not enjoy was The Shining.  Yes, yes, I know many people love it.  One part I liked which was not in the book was “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy,” typed over and over, when Pathetic Wife thought he was working on his novel.  The other part I kind of liked, also not in the book, was the very end, with the haunting shot of Jack Nicholson in the ballroom

Ooh, it was in 1921. I love the ’20’s.

This is the cover photo from the group Haunted Ballroom.  Very appropriate, no?

As I was downloading that photo, I remembered there is another movie based on a Stephen King novel I don’t mind: Shawshank Redemption.  I reference that movie all the time.  As a result of spending too much time (for me) in dry, dry Arizona, I enjoy rain so much that sometimes I do Shawshank Redemption:

I usually have my shirt on when I do this, for which I am sure bystanders are grateful.

Full disclosure: after the flood of 2013, I did not do that gesture for a while.  I don’t do it every time it rains anyways, only sometimes for effect, for example, when we had rather a deluge after a Shakespeare performance in Little Falls last summer (perhaps you read my blog post about it).

Be all that as it may, this has been my Thursday Non-Sequitur post for the week.  I hope to see you all again on Lame Post Friday.

 

 

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I Like Monsters

Posted on September 16, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello, and welcome to Lame Post Friday.  I went running earlier, hoping to offer a Running Commentary Post.  Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, depending on how your tastes run, I just don’t feel like doing that.  I feel like posting pictures from monster movies.  Since I indulge myself on Fridays (and most other days when it comes to this blog) (don’t judge me), here is Bela Lugosi in a publicity shot from The Wolfman.

This is how I will look on Sunday, contemplating the approach of Monday.

I actually had been scrolling down Facebook trying to talk myself out of my monster movie picture cop-out when I saw this picture of Bela and I just couldn’t resist.  I went on to see what else I could find, skipping around to my favorite movie groups and pages.

Icons in coffins, what’s not to like?

I believe this is Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Vincent Price and Peter Lorre (in the back).  I’m almost sure I’ve seen this before and cannot believe I have not used it in a blog post yet.  If I repeat myself, well, some things are worth repeating.

This is probably what he would look like riding a subway.

When we think of monsters, especially movie monsters, naturally we would think of Frankenstein’s monster, one of the first and one of the best.  I shall conclude with a less literary monster in another publicity shot.

I never knew that magazine had centerfolds.

Full disclosure:  I am not that familiar with the Planet of the Apes movies.  I think Steven and I watched the first one once, but I don’t remember that much about it.  I think we saw the remake and were unimpressed.  Then again, one could argue that these movies are more sci fi than horror.  But why argue on Lame Post Friday?  I’m going to have another glass of wine.  I hope you’ll tune in again for my other weekend posts.

 

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Halloween Movies on Wrist to Forehead Sunday

Posted on September 11, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I interrupt the movie-watching portion of the evening to make my Wrist to Forehead Sunday post. When I point out that it is also the bra off, sweats on, wine drinking portion of the day, I’m sure many will appreciate my dedication to making my blog post.  Or perhaps you will merely snort and say, “Huh. Should have done that sooner.”  I can’t worry about such negative people.  I have a blog post to make.

These are not the scariest stairs in the house, but they are the ones that include the most cast members.

The first movie we watched today was The Haunting (1963), starring Julie Harris. It was directed by Robert Wise, whose birthday it is today, according to what I read on Facebook.  I was happy to watch it in honor of the birthday, but in fact I have had it in mind to watch the classic for some time now.  For one reason, it has popped up in a couple of my monster movie groups.  For another reason, it is the Halloween season, and this is a classic ghost movie.  Of course I am more apt to write about movies of the cheesy variety, but my tastes are not so vitiated that I scorn a true classic.

I did not have the best time at my own prom, but at least I had it better than this chick.

Steven suggested we watch Carrie (1976) next.  That is another classic scary movie, but I am not sure I am in the proper mood for it. However, I remembered I had used this picture in a previous post, so thought I could recycle same.  The movie I had in mind was The Birds (1963), because it is also Angela Cartwright’s birthday today. She is the rather pathetic younger sister of the love interest, Rod Taylor.  I get her mixed up with her sister, Veronica, but Steven is usually able to set me straight.

If they filmed in sequence, the cast must have been thinking, “Thank God it’s almost over!”

While I just spent an inordinate amount of time searching for a picture of Angela Cartwright in the The Birds that I could download, Steven popped in Carrie.  Like I said, I don’t mind watching Carrie.  I don’t mind watching almost any movie on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  But I sure would like another glass of wine.

 

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Zombie Posts for Tired Tuesday

Posted on August 30, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I took a decongestant yesterday evening before rehearsal, because I was tired of breathing through my mouth.  It seemed to help.  It was a 12-hour tablet, so I took another one this morning, after twelve hours had passed.  I have not seen my brain since.

Although I felt dizzy and vague, I did not feel I was a danger to myself and others, so I stayed at work, managing to get a modicum of stuff done.  I felt worse as the day wore on.  Toward the end of the day, I was walking to the bathroom wondering why everyone could not see the intense fog which surrounded me.  Can’t they tell I’m a zombie, I wondered.  Then I realized:  I was not a flesh-eating zombie.  I was a plain old ordinary zombie.  That kind is probably not as noticeable, and if people did notice, why should they care?  I probably would not bother them, and, indeed, I did not.

As you may have guessed, this is a Tired Tuesday post.  I wonder if I could find a few pictures of zombies to pep things up a little.

A little too much salt?

These are actually not zombies, but they are my two favorite characters in King of the Zombies (1941).  I believe I wrote a blog post about it.

Full disclosure: I barely remember this movie.

Another zombie flick I wrote a blog post about was Revolt of the Zombies (1936).  When looking for an image for this movie, I learned a fun fact:  the eyes that are occasionally superimposed on the screen are Bela Lugosi’s from White Zombie (1932).   As it happens, I also wrote a blog post about that movie.

Bela Lugosi: there could be no possible objection.

So I’ve shared a few pictures and plugged myself three times.  I say not bad for a Tired Tuesday.

 

 

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It Ain’t Over Till… Well, Friday

Posted on August 29, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I bet you thought I was going to say it ain’t over till I sing.  Indeed, when I sing, it is over.  It is almost like my super power: the ability to clear the room and/or induce snide remarks.  But never mind my waistline and singing abilities:  we’re here to talk about The Tempest!  Did you think All Tempest All The Time was over?  Oh, you poor misguided blog reader, you.  More astute readers will remember we have one more performance, at the Herkimer Elks Lodge this Friday, Sept. 1, with a spaghetti dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Thespians in their natural habitat.

I shared this picture before, but I think it is a good one.  It is our “in character” shot taken after the performance at the Utica Zoo Saturday before last.

Yes, we look pretty, but not nearly as much fun.

We took this picture just before the other one, with us all smiling nicely.  I smiled nicely in both shots, because, well, that’s my character.

Yes, I’m the maniacal-looking one in the yellow tights.

I hesitated to share this one, because I think I look pretty ridiculous, but then, that’s what makes it entertaining, no?  It is the very end of the play.  Everything ends so happily that my character gets a little carried away.  After this performance, the actor who plays Alonso (that’s the guy with is hands clasped, apparently wondering if he should send for the King’s Physician) (they didn’t have the men in the white coats in Shakespeare’s day) said he hoped there were no audience members who kept kosher, because of all the ham onstage.

“Are you referring to me?”  I asked.  “I’m only a little ham.  I’m a Hamlet.”

I was pretty proud of myself for that one.

For more information on The Tempest dinner theatre at the Herkimer Elks Lodge, call 315-866-1439.

 

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