The Glass Bottom Boat (1966)
Watching The Glass Bottom Boat is interesting, especially if you’re coming at it with preconceived notions about Doris Day and director Frank Tashlin. For me, Day’s always been at her … Continue Reading The Glass Bottom Boat (1966)
Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years
I always enter into celebrity autobiographies with a fair bit of trepidation. I know getting information straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, is the best way when it … Continue Reading Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years
Black Widow (1954)
When a movie starts by showing an actual black widow, with on-screen narration about how it’s a female spider that kills its mate, you know exactly what type of movie … Continue Reading Black Widow (1954)
Kristen Recasts the Classics: The Last of Sheila (1973)
I was fortunate to see The Last of Sheila at the Egyptian Theater last month, with stars Dyan Cannon and Richard Benjamin in attendance. It’s a movie that I’d seen … Continue Reading Kristen Recasts the Classics: The Last of Sheila (1973)
Kristen Takes the Dearly Departed “Helter Skelter” Tour
Back in 2018 I took my first tour with Scott Michaels’ Dearly Departed Tours. Michaels, the long-time owner of the Find a Death website and one of the best (seriously, … Continue Reading Kristen Takes the Dearly Departed “Helter Skelter” Tour
Safe in Hell (1931)
Actress Dorothy Mackaill isn’t a household name, this mentioned in the opening remarks that preceded the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s double-feature pre-Code series of Mackaill features. But what Mackaill … Continue Reading Safe in Hell (1931)
Professional Sweetheart (1933)
There are a lot of movies found in Professional Sweetheart, released via Warner Archive, that make you go, “Really?” Sure, every movie comes with its own level of suspended belief, … Continue Reading Professional Sweetheart (1933)
I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
You could easily confuse I Wake Up Screaming with any number of glossy, slickly directed noirs of the early-1940s, and that’s partly what makes it so entertaining. Because it’s so … Continue Reading I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
Four’s a Crowd (1938)
I’ve watched six of the nine pairings actors Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland would star in together, and yet I think Four’s a Crowd remains one of the least … Continue Reading Four’s a Crowd (1938)
The 10 Best Classic Era Films in 2019
With so much work in my life, I always feel bad looking at my classic film lists; I just don’t get to watch as much as I used to. But … Continue Reading The 10 Best Classic Era Films in 2019
The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
So far I’d avoided the two holiday classics that star Bing Crosby: 1944’s Going My Way and 1945’s The Bells of St. Mary’s. I’ve probably admitted this elsewhere, but Crosby’s … Continue Reading The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
When I talk about classic cinema there’s always a defense that comes with it, predominately when it comes for foreign classics. Unfortunately, the presumed pool of people who will buy … Continue Reading The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Originally published May 6th, 2013 Meet Me in St. Louis came highly recommended due to its place as a musical classic, and because it’s got the downright angelic Margaret O’Brien … Continue Reading Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
25 Days of Christmas: The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
Originally published December 17th, 2012 The Bishop’s Wife was my big discovery last Christmas after a viewing on TCM. I’m a Cary Grant fan, and thankfully one of the box … Continue Reading 25 Days of Christmas: The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
25 Days of Christmas: Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
Originally published December 7th, 2014 Christmas in Connecticut is a screwball charmer proving Barbara Stanwyck’s prowess as an unlikely comedienne. I reviewed a Stanwyck film last Christmas, 1940’s Remember the … Continue Reading 25 Days of Christmas: Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
25 Days of Christmas: Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970)
This review originally ran December 10th, 2012. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town is my favorite Rankin-Bass production that has fun songs, and a memorable villain! Tonight’s film is … Continue Reading 25 Days of Christmas: Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970)
