Tag Archives: movies

Movie Memories on Non-Sequitur Thursday

I was sitting here trying to think of what to make my blog post about and thought to myself, “I’ll have my Throwback Thursday early!”  And then I remembered:  it IS Thursday!  I love it when that happens instead of, you know, the opposite.  I wonder what I have in my Media Library that I have not used recently.

I think he likes her.

I was looking for something from my life, but here is a movie almost as old as I am: Mary Poppins (1964).  It is a meaningful movie in my life, actually.  It is the first movie I saw in a theatre.  I had previously seen Goldfinger (ooh, also 1964; I just looked that up) at a drive-in, although I was a little kid and did not pay much attention.  My Mom took all us kids to the Capitol Theatre in Rome, NY, to see Mary Poppins.  I was as impressed with the theatre as I was with the movie.  This was also the first movie my husband, Steven, saw in a theatre.  He credits it with beginning his lifelong love of movies.

Do you wonder why I was impressed?

This is the inside of the Capitol Theatre in Rome, NY.  Magnificent, no?

I don’t know what he’s looking at, but she’s giving him the side-eye.

I add this picture to make this more of a Non-Sequitur Thursday.  However, I don’t know how much of a non sequitur it is, because it is another meaningful movie.  The Brain That Wouldn’t Die  (1962) is one of my favorite movies of the cheesy variety.  But the way it gets here is kind of random:  I downloaded the picture of the Capitol.  When I went to put it here, I transposed two numbers and almost put in this one instead.  I fixed the error, then said, “Hey!”

Now there’s a spray tan!

Since I mentioned Goldfinger, I looked for a picture of that, too.  I did not even realize it was Goldfinger I had seen at the drive-in till years later.  I just remember during one of the few moments where I was watching the movie, my father told me that a guy had killed a girl and spray-painted her gold.  I thought it was an odd thing to do but figured I had not been paying enough attention for it to make sense.  I’m thinking Goldfinger was the only movie where that happened, although I daresay I could be mistaken.

So here is my silly Thursday post.  Full disclosure:  I’ll probably get even sillier tomorrow.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Not Wrist, Random

I cannot possibly have a Wrist to Forehead Sunday today, because I have Monday off.  Don’t hate on me, those of you who must work.  I have worked plenty of Monday holidays in my life.  This does not mean I will make a decent blog post.  It has gotten hot and humid again, and we have been sitting in front of fans watching movies.  Get it?  We’re movie fans.  It must be bad joke Sunday.  Anyways, I downloaded a couple of movie pictures, so here we go.

This is pretty much as creepy as it looks, but not quite in the way you may think. If you indulge in commonplace thoughts.

Steven recently acquired Mr. Brooks (2007) from a cousin who was downsizing his movie collection.  I remember going to the theatre to see this movie.  I had forgotten it was as recently as 2007 (ooh, there’s a sign of age: eleven years ago is recent!  Oh, my grey hair and arthritis!).  It turns out I had forgotten a LOT about it, as had Steven.  We were fascinated!  I may have to write a whole blog post about the movie, although it was far from cheesy, which is my usual kind of movie to write about.

Since Mr. Brooks was rather intense and dark, we wanted something lighter for our second feature.  I suggested another we had not seen recently: Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993).  My sister Cheryl gave us that DVD but for some reason it is not one we pop in a lot.  I love Cary Elwes (“Because, unlike other Robin Hoods, I have an English accent”).  Ooh, I just saw the connection between the two movies:  Kevin Costner starred in Mr. Brooks AND was the Robin Hood referred to in the parenthetical quote.

A straight arrow if ever there was one!

We disagreed briefly about our third feature but at last settled on The Big Chill (1983).  To me that is a Sunday night movie, and it has a great soundtrack.  Moreover, it features William Hurt and Kevin Costner, who were both in Mr. Brooks, in case you did not recognize them from the first picture.  Unfortunately, Kevin Costner plays the dead guy, and they cut all the flashback scenes he got to act in.  We only see him briefly as a lifeless body in the opening credits.

Wouldn’t you love to be hanging out with these guys?

So we didn’t really have a theme for our Sunday movies.  It’s too bad, because I could have gotten into a Severed Head Sunday.  Maybe next week.

 

Me, Cary Grant and Boris Karloff

We are spending Sunday afternoon watching movies as we often do.  I tried to do a few useful things earlier:  I went to church, I did a load of laundry, I worked on the script for my murder mystery…  But I have never had much success in being useful on a Sunday.  I’m not much use the rest of the week either, so if you were taking a breath to point that out to me you can just exhale.

Where was I?  Ah yes, about to share a couple of pictures from today’s cinematographic viewing.  We started with Arsenic and Old Lace, just to watch something we don’t pop in as often as other movies we have.  I only wish Boris Karloff had played the character everybody keeps saying looks like Boris Karloff.  I love Boris Karloff.

I think a lot of folks could say this about their families.

I should have looked for a picture of Karloff.  Or I could watch a Boris Karloff movie next.  Right now, though, we are looking at His Girl Friday, just to continue the Cary Grant theme.  Rosalind Russell too, what a goddess!

Ralph Bellamy, too.

We pop in His Girl Friday more frequently, although it is not one of our real go-to movies.  We enjoy the rapid-fire dialogue.  I confess to a little envy when they have coffee with rum at lunch.  I haven’t had spiked coffee in a long time.

There’s our Boris!

Here’s our Karloff in Arsenic and Old Lace on Broadway in 1941.

OK, that’s three photos and over 250 words.  I’m going to call that OK on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

 

Two Vampires, a Panther, and Joan, Not in that Order

I think a Throwback Thursday is in order. For one reason, I ain’t got much (as a change from my usual ain’t got nuthin’).  My only hope is that I do not repeat anything too recently used.  Then again, if it is a good picture, why not use it again?

He’s probably stepping outside for a smoke.

Here is Blackula, throwing us all the way back to the 1970’s, 1972 to be exact (I googled it.  I am getting better at googling things).  Things were funky in the ’70’s, and vampires were hip.

Gloria Grahame, Jack Palance, Joan Crawford, and some other guy.

From 1972 to 1952 and Sudden Fear.  Gotta love me some Joan Crawford.  I don’t suppose I have any pictures of films from 1932.  Hey, what year was Nosferatu?

Who doesn’t love a classic vampire?

Yes! 1922!  Twenty-two has always been my favorite number, ever since I could count that high.

OK, that’s three pictures and only about 150 words.  Not very good words, but you’ll have that on Non-Sequitur Thursday (I know I said Throwback Thursday, but sometimes you can have it both ways).

I gotta tell you, that line about luring men on is not exactly accurate, but watch the movie for yourself.

Yes! 1932!  I should have looked that up to begin with.  How symmetrical have I been?  It’s Movies on the Two’s!  That might be a good title for today, or maybe I could come up with something that is more of a non-sequitur…  Or not.  What would be a good title?  Discuss amongst yourselves, or in the comments below.

 

 

Classic to Cheesy to Columbo

I pause in the midst of my usual Sunday of watching movies and knitting (sometimes I crochet), to make my Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  Never mind why my wrist is to my forehead (about to swoon, although I do not own a chaise lounge), because I would rather talk about movies than whine.

Two utterly beautiful people.

We began our movie watching with A Place in the Sun, one of our favorites.  It is sort of related to a local historical murder, being based on a novel that was inspired (I can put it no closer) by the murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gilette.  He stayed in the 1834 Jail while being tried in the Herkimer County Courthouse, both on Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners, one of my favorite places.  I mostly wanted to see the movie for Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift (pictured) and Shelley Winters.

Two of our all-time favorites.

Next we went to Death on the Nile, a star studded Agatha Christie romp.  I found a picture of our beloved Bette Davis and Maggie Smith, but the reason we put on the movie is that David Niven came up in a conversation.  He is also in the movie, his usual debonair self.

This scene is near the dramatic conclusion.

After Death on the Nile, we went cheesy with The Atomic Brain.  We have that on AMC Cult Classics, a two disc collection with four movies, some more classic than others.

Look how young Peter Falk is!

We are currently watching Columbo in Prescription: Murder.  In fact, I am missing some important stuff to make this post.  There’s a reason to swoon!  I can’t put my wrist to my forehead while typing, so I shall sign off now.  Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

Ghosts, Birds, Heat, and Bette Davis on Non-Sequitur Thursday

I am so tired of this heat!!!  There, I complained. I have been all day on and off Facebook and have not, but now I did.  And I have more blog followers than I have Facebook friends, which gives me no virtue for refraining to complain there only to complain here.  So judge me if you are so inclined. Never mind that, I want to make a blog post, even if I feel too wrung out and mildewy to do so. Pretty much all I have done today is to  watch movies, so how about a Non-Sequitur Thursday movie post?  I’ll even include pictures.

Up the stairway, into the unknown…

We began our movie watching with The Haunting, the 1963 original, not the pathetic remake.  It is an excellent movie I have written about before, extremely scary using only sound effects, lighting, and acting.

I’m thinking they don’t want chicken for dinner.

We continued our movie watching with another movie from 1963, The Birds.  It is a perennial favorite of ours.

All that beauty, all that talent!

Next I suggested Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), because it takes place where it is very very hot, so we could totally identify.  Steven agreed that he could not object if I left him for Paul Newman.  I feel the same way about him and Elizabeth Taylor, although we did not discuss that.

There’s a Rogue’s Gallery, if you like.

My next suggestion was Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), because it was another southern movie.  Bette Davis, Cecil Kellaway, Agnes Moorehead, just to name our favorites!  In fact, I think I will close with Bette Davis, in a shot I have used for my Facebook profile picture.  I loves me some Bette Davis.

“I could spit right in your eye!”

 

Hitchcock to Betty White to Agatha Christie: It’s Wrist to Forehead Sunday

I pause in our movie watching (actually I have not paused the movie, I add in the interest of strict accuracy) to make my Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  I am indeed about to swoon, from the head and humidity today.  I don’t care for extreme heat, especially wet, sticky heat, but never mind that.  I shall instead talk about the movies we have been watching, because I think I have pictures of all of them in my Media Library.

One of our all time favorites!

We began with Rear Window, an excellent movie to watch in the hot weather, because it takes place during a heat wave, in the days before air conditioning.  At least, before lots of people had air conditioning; I’m too hot and tired to look up when it was actually invented.

I think today was even too warm to enjoy riding around in a convertible, but these two seem to be having a fine time.

We continued the Alfred Hitchcock theme with It Takes a Thief, which also stars Grace Kelly, so it was kind of a Grace Kelly theme as well.  However, we did not continue with a theme, because we could not decide where to go next.  Finally Steven suggested Lake Placid, as a fun, entertaining movie, and I agreed.  We enjoyed it.

This is a shot of all the major characters. While still monster movie, I feel it is a character driven device.

 

Lake Placid is a silly movie with did not get a lot of critic love, but I think it has good characters and an involving plot.  I will say I think it is a cheap laugh to have Betty White saying vulgar cuss words, but that is really a small part of the flick.

I perhaps should have looked for a picture with more of the actors, but I do like this shot.

The last one we have watched so far was Evil Under the Sun, a star-studded Agatha Christie romp.  I do love my star-studded Agatha Christie movies.  Perhaps we will watch another one next.

If this has been a dull blog post, I apologize. However, it is really, really warm in here and I need to get this laptop off my lap. Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

Tired Tuesday with Monsters

I tried for a real post today, or at least not a completely foolish one, but I sat here typing and backspacing out.  So I wrote the following, and I’m going to call it a Tired Tuesday post.  Sorry, folks. I’ll try not to Wuss-out on Wednesday.

“What do you mean you can’t write a blog post today?”

When all else fails, look for pictures from old monster movies.  I guess the above is more a horror flick than a monster movie, but you now I adore alliteration (see what I did there?).  The above picture is from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), a pretty trippy silent movie.  I think I need to watch it again soon.  It might be problematic, though, because in general, I only watch silent movies while running in place on the mini-tramp.  If I try to knit or crochet, I can’t keep my eyes on the screen, which is kind of essential when there is no dialog.

“Now THAT’S a centerfold!”

Here’s two monsters, one on the cover, one looking at the magazine, and the word “MONSTERS” on the magazine!  A perfect picture for a monster post.  If only this was a Monday, my alliterative cup would overflow.

He’s a charming fellow.

As I looked through my Media Library, I saw The Brain that Wouldn’t Die (1962).  Only I didn’t want a picture of Jan in a pan; I wanted the monster.  I found the above on Dracula’s House of Halloween, one of my favorite Facebook pages.

The best thing to do on a foolish post is to keep it short.  I just passed 250 words and shared three pictures.  Let’s call it a day.

 

And My Feet Are Cold

I thought of that headline, because it is true.  I thought, I could put on slippers, or just go with it.  I am feeling lazy, as you might guess by the relative lateness of my blog post (if you even noticed that) (come to think of it, regular readers already know me as fairly lazy; don’t judge) (or should I say, I hope you are too lazy to judge me).

I just paused, wanting to make a few parenthetical comments but fearing to overdo it, and caught the end of Remember the Titans, which Steven was watching and I was paying cursory attention to.  I had to pause further to bawl my eyes out.  I read somewhere that they played a little loose with some facts in order to make an uplifting movie about race relations, but I do not at all care.  It is historical fiction, and it tells a wonderful story.

I thought to pep things up with a picture.

Steven has been watching his favorite movies a lot lately.  Earlier we enjoyed Mary Poppins.  I loves me some Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke!  Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!  Full disclosure:  I do not know how to spell that word; I googled it.

It’s a Jolly Holiday with Mary!

Steven wanted to follow Remember the Titans with something fun so is about to watch Chicago.  That makes three movies with really great soundtracks.  At least Chicago won’t make me cry.  Yes, I cried during Mary Poppins.  Again, I hope you are too lazy to judge me.

Now that I have finished my post, I wonder what it really is.  I feel Wrist to Forehead Sunday is appropriate, what with all the tears shed.  Then again, given the headline, maybe I should call it Non-Sequitur Sunday.  The agony of indecision tilts the scale toward Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  This you can judge me on.

And All That Jazz!

 

These Are Not Movies to Swoon Over

And once again it’s Wrist to Forehead Sunday, the day I swoon onto a chaise lounge in a dramatic pose, because it’s all Just Too Much For Me To Bear.  Oh, OK, not really.  For one reason, I do not own a chaise lounge.  I did pose with one wrist on my forehead earlier, when I was singing to my husband, “You left me broken hearted! Blue since the day we parted!”  I loves me some ABBA.

Side note:  my husband has never left me broken hearted; I just had that song playing in my head, so I sang it. I do that sort of thing.

I could never get my hair to look like that.

Speaking of leaving somebody broken hearted, that is how Michael Douglas leaves Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, the movie we are currently watching.  You can be psycho and broken-hearted at the same time, can’t you?

I don’t know who all those girls are, nor yet where the spider web comes in, but it is a cool poster nevertheless.

Our first movie of the day was The Terror, at my request.  I wrote a blog post about it one time.  I had forgotten a lot of the plot.  I was just delighted to hear Boris Karloff’s mellifluous voice. I only wish he had had more lines. He got top billing on the basis of who he was more than the actual size of his part.

I have a hard time getting plants to grow myself.

We followed The Terror up with Little Shop of Horrors, the 1960 Roger Corman flick, not the musical, of which I am not at all fond.  Incidentally, Jack Nicholson does not play the sadistic dentist but a masochistic patient of the dentist.  Just to clear that up.  Jack Nicholson was also in The Terror, so we had a little Jack Nicholson film festival going on.  I would have preferred a Boris Karloff film festival, but he does not get to use his beautiful voice in Frankenstein and we don’t have The Raven.  I must find a DVD of The Raven.

Ah, Raven, someday you will be mine!

So that is my Wrist to Forehead Sunday post about our movie watching day.  I hope to see you all on Mental Meanderings Monday.