Category: article

  • Another Nice 'mas: The Christmas Films of Laurel & Hardy

    Oh, in the history of movies, there have been more successful comics, I suppose, than Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy, more famous, more popular, and more influential. But has ANYBODY generated as many laughs? Is there any other comedy team that you can say is as beloved?Not that we need a reason to revisit them (or, more accurately, have them revisit us), but the holiday season is as good a time as any to entertain kith and kin with the following films, most of which have...

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  • Five Unforgettable Christmas Moments

    The tree is up, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and it's time to wait for 'ole St. Nick. What can you do in the meantime? Watch a movie, of course! I'm a big fan of Christmas films, and some of my favorites have such iconic moments that make me smile, cry, and remember the reason for the season. Here are the five Christmas moments I enjoy revisiting every year that you should pass along to your family, hot chocolate optional!Christmas in Connecticut

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  • TV TIME: 'Tis the Season for Classic Family Christmas Specials

    When I was a kid, several things signaled the imminent arrival of Christmas. One was the appearance of the giant catalogs from the big retail stores, colorful guides chock full of toys to request from Santa. The other big harbinger of the holiday was the roll-out of the great Christmas specials on the broadcast networks. Sure, the colder weather helped build the mood, and Thanksgiving provided a nice launching pad, but it didn't really feel like Christmas until the likes of Charlie B...

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  • Dark Cinema: The Noirs of Kirk Douglas

    What movies come to mind when you think of Kirk Douglas?Spartacus? Gunfight at the O.K. Corral? The Bad and the Beautiful?For me, without question, it's Douglas's body of film noir work. From 1946 to 1951, Douglas appeared in six film noir features, serving up striking and memorable performances in each. Whether he was playing a ruthless mobster, an inflexible lawman, or a spineless spouse, Douglas used his considerable talents to make an unf...

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  • Silent Cinema: Forgotten Silent Comedians

    The silent era was truly a golden age of cinematic comedy. While the biggest names certainly are fun to watch, it is also pleasant delving a little deeper into the selection of silent funny people and experience comedy from performers who are not necessarily household names, even to classic movie fans.I'm going to share a few of the more obscure comedians of the silent era (and by 'obscure' I don't mean Chaplin, Keaton or Lloyd) who deserve a little bit of attention. This list is ...

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  • The Gypsy Wildcat: The Films of Maria Montez and Jon Hall

    'If I had to name the one series of films that most captured the escapist spirit of the films of the forties, I would unhesitatingly choose the six filmed-in-Technicolor Jon Hall-Maria Montez adventures turned out by Universal between 1942 and 1945.' --Alan Barbour, 'A Thousand and One Delights'Throughout most of its history in the talkie era, Universal struggled to shake its reputation and produce 'A' pictures while keeping within penurious budgets; Deanna Durbin musical...

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  • Instant Replays: Infinitely Repeatable Movie Moments

    We film buffs are defined by our desire to see favorite films over and over. In the studio era, producers capitalized on this by reissuing their blockbusters for additional theatrical runs. In the 1950s, the studios leased or sold thousands of films for TV broadcast. Since the '80s, film buffs have been able to collect their favorite movies and acquire a frame-by-frame familiarity with them. Many buffs know their favorite films, stars, directors, and studios better than the original audience ...

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  • The 2015 Lone Pine Film Festival: A Trip Report

    Last year I attended the 2014 Lone Pine Film Festival. It was my first visit, and I had such a terrific time that I immediately made plans to return this year. I'm glad I did, as I might have had an even better time this year!The 2015 Lone Pine Film Festival was held in early October, giving film fans a wonderful experience enjoying many movies right where they were made.As was the case last year, the Lone Pine Film Festival provides film fans with a multifaceted exper...

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  • Silent Cinema: Beyond Birth - American Films of 1915

    2015 is, of course, the centennial year of the release of The Birth of a Nation, that controversial, pro-KKK blockbuster. Whatever their opinions of the film, one thing all classic movie fans agree on is Birth tends to dominate the conversation when discussing the motion picture industry of 1915. To give some historical context, let's look at some of the films that were released in that pivotal year.While the American film industry had been making feature films f...

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  • TV TIME: How to Identify the Evil Twin

    One thing I loved about TV Guide in its heyday was its frequent description of a performer playing two different characters in the same episode as being in 'a rare dual role.' It seems like it happens all the time. There is a rich history of look-alikes appearing out of nowhere in television, and quite often they are not just twins, but evil twins. Unsuspecting friends, associates, even family members frequently must determine who the real deal is. As a public service, TV Ti...

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