Wandering Through The Shelves has decided to do the TV edition each month and this is about the new TV shows from 2022. I have to admit, I have not seen many but was surprised that I could pick 3. Here they are...
1. WEDNESDAY
I have only been able to see this brilliant series due to my ex sending me the series through One. He sends them to me via Messenger and I was not really expecting to be like everyone else and love it...but I do! Jenny Ortega, who is 20 but looks 15, plays the titular character and she does it par excellence. She is sent to a school of outcasts where, she is still an outcast but doesn’t give a rat’s ass. Thing is sent to watch her and report back to her parents but she finds Thing pretty much right away. I love the character of Thing. Strange that a hand can show emotion and become one of my favourites in this series. I also love her perky werewolf roommate who loves to hug. Did I mention there are horrible murders going on and Wednesday wants to find out who is the killer. It’s grusome but also very funny and Wednesday’s dance, which Ortega made up, has become a sensation. I can’t wait for the 2nd season
2. INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE
I love the books and this series does stray from the books but still holds onto the meat of the story. It starts with an freakishly close sounding and looking Anthony Bourdain journalist interviewing Louis, in Dubai, about his life. It is a continuation from their first time they met, but the journalist is not as innocent as he used to be and has no problem asking tough questions. We meet Louis as a business owner in New Orleans who has a mother, sister and brother. He meets Lestat who talks freely and knows how to put on the charms but also gets himself in trouble with his no hozlds barred mouth. They love women...and each other even when Lestat makes Louis a vampire and Louis distances himself from his family. It is well acted by the leads and it is lush looking with great costumes. It’s worth a good look.
3. STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS
I do love Star Trek and this series is a cut above bringing back the old episodic style where the episode starts and ends in that one hour. It’s not like a soap opera style which is refreshing and the cast is well done but I only know of Rebecca Romijn of Blue Mystique fame from The X-Men franchise. This Star Trek is about the adventures of Captain Pike, Spock and his #1 played by Rebecca. And it is well played out. Now, Rebecca needs to stick with this and not that New Real Love Boat crap she did with her husband...dreck. no, I only saw the commercials for it and that's enough.
1. BEGIN THE BEGUINE WITH FRED ASTAIRE & ELEANOR POWELL-1940
This is one of the best dance numbers ever done to this famous song written by Cole Porter back in 1935. I can watch this over and over. Fred was 41 at this point, can you believe it?
2. I HAD A DREAM SUNG BY ABBA-1979
This comes from their "Voulez Vous" album and it’s a song my mom loved....so do I.
3. RIDE MY SEE-SAW BY THE MOODY BLUES-1968
I love The Moody Blues and this song is not as famous but still famous enough and one I always loved. It’s from their album, “In Search of a Lost Chord.”
4. GET HAPPY SUNG BY JUDY GARLAND-1950
This Song was written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Ted Koehler back in 1930 and introduced by Ruth Etting but I always loved this rendition by the great Garland from the musical, "Summer Stock."
5. I LIKE MYSELF SUNG BY GENE KELLY-1955
This song was written by...Gene Kelly for the film, “It’s Always Fair Weather” and he performed this with regular roller skates he bought in a hardware store He didn’t alter the skates or anything like that, he just started to work out the dance number with regular skates. He was 43 yrs old when he did this number!
6. TIME TO SAY GOODBYE SUNG BY SARAH BRIGHTMAN & ANDREA BOCELLI-1995
As soon as I heard this song, I had to get the CD and am so glad I did and still have it. This song is what brought Andrea Bocelli to fame. It’s written by Francisco Sartori with lyrics by Lucio Quarantotto and has been redone by many others since then but nothing beats this version...in my humble opinion.
Hope you enjoyed this lengthy music post. I may not join every week but, I thought I would, this time:)
I’m continuing weekly what Wandering Through The Shelves created but decided to go twice per month, except for February and October. I just enjoy this weekly event so I’m pushing on and since I wrote about big cats last time, I’m writing about wolves. I love...love wolves and feel they are often mistreated because people think they are a menace or evil....dumb F#@&s. I’m not going the werewolf way or that wolves are evil but the way they truly are...a wild, majestic animal that do kill, but are loyal and quite family oriented. My dad loved the wolf and met up with a few during his life time and I loved his stories. Here are 3 films I decided to choose...
1. WHITE FANG-1973
This is an Italian film that became a big hit and one I saw way back in the 70s so it’s been a long time since I saw it but I remember loving this movie about the love of a wolf by a boy and his dad. It comes from one of my favourite writers, Jack London, who loved everything up north and wolves. A boy befriends a wolf and vice versa. The dad, initially, distrusts the wolf until the wolf saves the boy. Along the way they end up in a corrupt town where they meet up with the luscious Virna Lisi as a nun and some angry townsfolk who want to do away with White Fang. It’s a heartwarming, sometimes, tense film but one that is worth a look. By the way, the trailer is for the sequel. I couldn't find a trailer for this film via my blog.
2. NEVER CRY WOLF-1983
I saw this film in the theatre and was entranced by the cinematography, the acting of Charles Martin Smith, mainly known for “American Graffiti”, as a man, sent by the government, to get the proof that the wolves are hunting and killing caribou. When he is dropped down in the middle of nowhere, he’s rescued by an aboriginal who helps him learn how to live in the wild. He learns from a family of wolves that they eat mainly mice and only kill the sickly caribou which actually makes the herd stronger. Due to this film, Smith decided to live near Vancouver loving the wild country and the wolf. Beautiful film!
3. DANCES WITH WOLVES-1990
This film has become much maligned over the years and to be honest, I just don’t get it. I do find Kevin Costner a bit wooden, but I thought he delivered a nice film about the plight of the Native Americans. Sure, nothing is 100% true, maybe not even 60% but he deals with the disappearing west with respect. And how can you not love Graham Greene who plays a Sioux who ends up becoming a good friend of the weird white guy. Costner is a decorated Union soldier who wants to be sent to a desolate outpost. He is the only one there and befriends this friendly wolf he calls 2 Socks because of the wolf’s front paws. Over time he also befriends the Sioux and falls for the white gal who was raised by the tribe. His idyllic time ends when jerks from the army come to find out what happened to him and believe he has turned his back on his army. To say I cried like a blithering idiot, at one point, would be an understatement and I do wish he would have not taken this wolf route but he did. I love the soundtrack which I own on CD.
One final viewing about the wolf...
I hope you all watch this 9 minute piece about the wolves reintroduction to Yellowstone which explains how nature is resilient and we need to respect it.
I am choosing the year 1949 because...well, why not:)) I find it so interesting which songs were nominated and which songs didn't get anything. So, let's get on with the show...
1. BABY, ITS COLD OUTSIDE SUNG BY MAE WEST AND ROCK HUDSON-1957
So, talk about the tables being turned! Poor Rock was truly trying to get away from Mae's clutches at the Oscar ceremony. Honestly this song has been done to death and now, it's considered a rape song...ughh. This was written by Frank Loesser back in 1944 to sing at movie star parties for some fun with his wife, Lynn Garland, who was a singer. What man hasn't tried to get in some gal's pants? I know, disgusting but....true. Sorry guys but you will try ( if single, otherwise you look but never touch). Some gals, not all, by any means, like to play coy when they really like a guy. I've done it where I say I have to go but if they offered me another drink, why refuse? This song ended up being in an Esther Williams movie called " Neptune's Daughter" sung by Esther and Ricardo Montelban( yes, of Fantasy Island fame and Kahn Fame) as well as Betty Garrett and Red Skelton but Betty is the aggressor.
2. HAPPY TIME SUNG BY DANNY KAYE
This comes from his film, "The Inspector General" whi his a fun Danny Kaye film. Sylvia Fine write the music and, actually, she wrote almost all of his music as she was his wife. When they split for a while, Danny Kaye was so upset that he refused to sing any songs in the remake of "Ball of Fire" called "A Song Is Born".
3. THROUGH A LONG AND SLEEPLESS NIGHT SUNG BY DINAH SHORE
This is a very moving song written by Alfred Newman with lyrics by Mack Gordon. It's from the film, " Come To the Stable" which I have yet to see. I think Dinah does a great job.
So...which song won, which was nominated and which one got nothing?
Wandering Through The Shelves has decided to take her theme challenge to a bi-weekly basis except for February(romance) and October ( scary). I was wondering when this would happen but, as long as she doesn’t mind, I’m going to try and do my own themes in between but I might not use her logo because...it’s her logo!
I hate to admit it but I only saw one film from last year, the Downton Abbey film which was ok but, I felt, they tried to fit too much in to a 2 hour movie, so I’m choosing 3 films I really want to see. I want to see a lot more but these are my top ones...
1. EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
This star the great Michelle Yeoh ( the first modern kick ass Bond woman, it is not Halle Berry) as an aging lady who, somehow, finds herself in parallel worlds who must combat different bad asses or something like that. I heard it’s quite funny and she steals every moment.
2. THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleason were so good together in “In Bruges” and, from what I hear, they do it again in this quirky film about long time friends who break when Brendan Gleason just tells Farrell he no longer wants to be friends any longer. Now, Farrell tries to win back his friend. I’m certain there is more to it but that’s the summation I know.
3. BABYLON
This is all about old time Hollywood when the silent cinema was changing to sound. You have me right then and there! I know quite a bit about the silent cinema and love every aspect about it. Cocaine, morphine, drinking( what prohibition?) and lots of spending. There were huge stars known for their ladylike elegance on screen without the public knowing they actually spoke with a thick Brooklyn accent. Many played the average American joe but could hardly speak the English language. When talkies came in, panic ensued and many lost their careers overnight relegated to obscurity, going back to their own country or, sadly, committing suicide. This film seems to use this time to tell different stories that the average person can watch and enjoy but people, like me, will get all the gems hidden in plain sight. It stars many people, like Brad Pitt and I heard, it did not do well so that must mean it is good. By the way, if you can ever watch the documentary series called “ Hollywood” by Kevin Brownlow, you should see it...it’s excellent!
What films have you seen.
Here is the last episode from that great documentary with the title called " End of an Era".
I always liked songs about calendar girls where they showcase some outfit befitting the month. I should be more anti girlie pictures like this but pfffftt....I like it..it’s fun. So here are 3 songs that, I think, befit the theme.
1 BEAUTIFUL GIRL SUNG BY JIMMIE THOMPSON-1952
This song is written by Gene Kelly for the famous musical, “Singing in the Rain.” Which showcases clothing from the late 1920s shown by gorgeous models. I always liked this piece from this musical.
2. THE GIRL ON THE MAGAZINE COVER SUNG BY RICHARD BEAVERS-1948
This is a song by Irving Berlin from 1915 that I learned about from the musical, “Easter Parade” starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. I had no idea some of these magazines were around for that long.
3. CALENDAR GIRLS SUNG BY NEIL SEDAKA-1959
This is a song I heard when I was a kid and it was already a few years old since it came out before I was bor. for some reason, I never thought Neil was being lecherous but respectful in a weird way. Maybe, he just seemed harmless. Whatever, it’s a fun song.
Ever see the film with Helen Mirren called Calendar Girls? It’s based on a true story and it is quite good.
Think of any calendar girl songs?
So, this eve we brought some food to my friends' mother and she was appreciative. The one brother is doing OK but he is at his sister's place. The other brother is being moved to a rehab hospital...poor guy but, hopefully, he will get better sooner rather than later. If we had our bathroom on the main floor and no Harley, I would take the one brother in. Garley is a sweetie but he's 100lbs of goof.
I hope to try and comment. I promise as I read everything.
I'm quite late for this posting but for good reason. You see, my dear friends, 2 brothers, were in a car accident. Right after Christmas, they were driving to exchange gifts with their niece and nephew when the one brother either fell asleep or blacked out. They went careening, like the Dukes of Hazard, over a ditch and into a plowed field. The one brother suffered a fracture in his lower spine while the other, who was driving, also suffered a fractured back, but a little higher, but also a fractured sternum. They have been in the hospital ever since. I have been visiting them and trying to see their 86 yr old mom who is not in good health. Their sister has been visiting everyone but she will be gone to Cuba come the 11th. Her husband is quite manipulative and she can't say no to him. Another friend and I are trying to coordinate times to see their mom. Anyway, that's the news here and I didn't get home until 10pm last night Thursday. I've been at the hospital, their mom a d trying to take down Christmas decor.
I am hoping to make the rest short and sweet
1. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE-1946
George is discouraged with his life but an angel, 2nd class, does his best to show George how wonderful his life truly is. My favourite film. Sorry that I have just the colourized version....I hate it and so did Jimmy Stewart. Promise never to watch this film in colour.
2. IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVE.-1947
A bum, Victor Moore, finds a way into a fancy mansion and stays there during the winter. He brings in another and another. The daughter of the owner ends up there and so does her father. It's fun, sweet and a lively movie.
3. THE HOUSE WITHOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE-1972
A Hallmark TV movie starring Jason Robards as a disagreeable dad mourning the loss of his wife and having to deal with an irritating daughter who wants to have a Christmas tree. Cheap budget but still nicely done.
4. WHITE CHRISTMAS-1954
Bing, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen all end up going to Vermont and helping out an old man the guys remember as a mighty General. They bring the crew to put on a really big show and no Mickey Rooney in sight!
5. SCROOGED-1988
Bill Murray over-acts in this retelling of a Christmas Carol. I love that they brought back the nostalgia of the campy variety specials of the 1970s. The best is Carol Kane as the ghost of Christmas Present who just keeps beating up Murray.
6. HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS-2000
Jim Carrey is irritating as the Grinch who hates Christmas and wants to take it away from the weird town of Whoville. I love the dog but give me the original any day.
THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS-2017
Dickens is having a Dickens of a time trying to come up with a story. He has writer's block but needs to come up with a good story. He finally starts writing A Christmas Carol when the characters come to life as it were. Christopher Plummer makes a good Scrooge but Dan Stevens( Matthew from downton Abbey fame) just is meh for me.
TV SHOWS
1. THE GREAT BIG TINY DESIGN CHALLENGE-2022
This is another British show I found and just love, love, love! You have the host, 2 professionals and the people trying to win the trophy. There is a doll house and each week they must create a room, could be Edwardian, Victorian, Rococo, in style but all tiny. It was just so cool how they created the food, fireplaces, furniture etc... using tiny things. I was emotional because my mom would have loved this show. She could create the tiniest things and the tinier the better she used to say. It's just wonderful to watch.
2. CHEERS-1982-1993
Norm! Woman chasing, recovering alcoholic, former baseball player Sam Malone owns a bar and you get to know the waitresses and the patrons of this establishment. Diane Chambers fights but loves Sam and vice versa. Carla is an evil little imp who gets pregnant at a drop of a hat. Coach hands out the beer etc.. a d was Sam's coach but has had too many baseballs hit him in the head. Norm is fat, lazy and adores beer and Cliff is a know it all postman who can drive anyone crazy. Fantastic show that brought in Frazier Crane and got better when Shelley Long( Diane) left the show thinking she will make it big in the movies or was she fired..not sure on that one. Kirstie Alley came in as Rebecca Howe and when Nicholas Colasanto died, Woody Harrelson came in as the innocent boy from the Midwest who is as dumb as a board. It's just brilliant!
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer-1964
I always try to watch this and Santa Claus is Coming To Town but I only saw this one. I've been watching this since I was a kid. When I was young and, even a teen, I wanted to go to the island of misfit toys because I was a misfit too. Who doesn't love Yukon! By the way, when my brother was 4 or 5, he got frightened by the Abdominable ..hahaha but then he found out Bumbles bounce.
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND-1996-2005
Hilarious show about a sports writer married to spunky Debra, with a little girl and twin boys. The problem? They live across the street from his parents and his cop brother who lives with mom and dad since his marriage broke up. The brother has hang ups especially with his younger brother. The parents are from hell but it's so funny. I laugh out loud st almost every show, just like CHEERS.
OK, Wandering Through The Shelves has decided to do these themes every 2 weeks which bummed me out. I'm not surprised because she has been doing these themes each week since 2015 but I'm still bummed. I used her badge above because this theme is hers but she can let me know to not use it. This being said, I didn't want to stop the weekly themes and will make up my own or use hers from a previous year. I love animals so I decided to choose big cats as the theme. Here are my 3...
1. BRINGING UP BABY-1938
This is one of the best screwball comedy classics that tanked when it first came out starring Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. He plays a bespectacled paleontologist trying to get the bones just right on his dinosaur. He meets up with Katherine Hepburn who sets her eyes on him and when he finds out her aunt is the Dame he has been trying to get money from to back his project, he takes her up on going to the countryside with her. He does not realize shevhas a pretty little cat named Baby who is a cougar. Baby is a sweetheart who just purrs when they sing, I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby." Well, the pet dog grabs Cary's dinosaur bone and runs away with it and burys it. Mayhem ensues which includes a wild cougar mistaken for Baby. This is funny and Hepburn looks quite beautiful and Cary is, well, handsome, of courseceven in a frilly girlie bathrobe. Apparently, the stars kept cracking up and loved making this film. Cary was scared of the cougar but not Kate even when the cougar went for her( she was twirling her dress and it hot spooked). Funny!
2. FLUFFY-1965
I would love to see this movie again because I thought it was sweet and funny. Tony Randall plays a scientist trying to prove that any wild animal can be tamed ( he's wrong but people still try, unfortunately). He has a big lion, named Fluffy but people get scared of him and when some antics ensue, the bigwigs..cops etc want to take Fluffy from him. He takes off with Fluffy and ends up at a hotel. People are, again, spooked except for the daughter of the hotel owner, played by Shirley Jones, who thinks Fluffy is sweet. This is just one of those really nice comedies that came out in the 60s.
3. BORN FREE-1966
When I saw this movie I was enthralled and cared deeply for Elsa the little lioness cub brought up by the famous couple, George and Joy Adamson who became big name proponents for saving the African animals ( both ended up being murdered, sadly). Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, married on real life, played this couple who raised Elsa. This film I always felt was a bit bittersweet even though it ends in a good way. The music is world famous and one I love.
I hope you like this theme. What big cat films come to mind for you?
Can you believe it is 2023?! It’s just so wild how fast time does fly. Harley was so happy in the snow! (he wears a muzzle because he grabs anything he can off the ground to eat so it is for his protection) Now, I still have all my Christmas stuff up because Little Christmas is January 6th also known as 3 King’s Day and Ukrainian Christmas. I will start to take a few things down here and there but will really start Saturday. Time never changes but we look at it differently depending what we are doing. Thinking about time made me think of songs and the first one came right into my head.
1. TIME PASSAGES SUNG BY AL STEWART-1978
I enjoyed listening to this song back in the day and had no idea until now that it is based on a trip home for Christmas and thinking about all the times past. Pretty cool that it is almost a Christmas song. Well, it could be.
2. AS TIME GOES BY SUNG BY DOOLEY WILSON-1942
We all know this famous song from the great film, “Casablanca” which is considered one of the best film songs ever created. it was written by Herman Hupfeld back in 1931 for the musical "Everybody's Welcome" and has been sung by countless others from Jimmy Durante to Vera Lynn.
3. TIME IN A BOTTLE SUNG BY JIM CROCE-1972
I have his album, I believe, which was given to me by my brother. I always loved his voice and had no idea, until later, that he died tragically in a plane crash in 1973. He wrote this song back in 1970 when he found out his wife, Ingrid, was pregnant. Now, Jim would be turning 80 this year and his son 53...freaky!
BORN- January 2, 1886-in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
DIED- December 28, 1938
AGED-52 yrs
DIED FROM-Suicide by ingesting ant poison
REAL NAME-Florence Annie Bridgwood
NICKNAMES-Baby Flo, The Child Wonder; Woman of a Thousand Faces, The Biograph Girl
MARRIED- 3 Times, the first to actor/director Harry Solter
CHILDREN-0
TALENT-She was a noted Equestrian and is the inventor of the Car turn signal and Brake signal but she never got a patent for it so never got the credit. Her mom helped develop the windshield wiper and patented the windshield wiper fluid! A noted equestrian
KNOWN FOR- Being the first known Movie Star by name. (Mary Pickford was just known as Little Mary). Broncho Billy Anderson was already known and Max Linder was known by name (French comedian on par with Chaplin and whom Chaplin adored).
Her parents were in vaudeville with her mom being more famous than the father. When just a tyke, Florence was brought out on stage and could whistle like an expert by the time she was 5. She came to the States and to the epi-centre of movie making...New Jersey and started making films in, around, 2005. She worked in Brooklyn under Vitagraph and became a very early muse of DW Griffith (before Lilian Gish) under Biograph. Such was her beauty, emotive acting and just the amount of pictures she made that people wanted to know who the Biograph Girl was. Now, many actors at that time, didn't want to hurt their careers by being known as a "movie" which was a derogatory remark back in the day. She and her first husband saw that they could make more money and asked for more money plus recognition. Biograph, knowing that other actors would follow suit especially since the public clamoured to know the names (the male counterpart was King Baggot-don't ya love these names!), fired her and her husband. Carl Laemmle, the sly old goose of his newly formed IMP Company (became Universal Studios), lured her over to his studio and then placed an ad in the newspapers that she died in a streetcar accident. He then placed another ad blaming Biograph for giving this misinformation just for publicity and that she was very much alive and will produce her in St. Louis, MO. On March 25th, 1910, the film star was "born" as thousands of people lined the streets to see Ms. Lawrence. The President was there a week or so before and did not get the same amount of people as Flo did. With that, she became known and the rush was on as the movie stars asked for more money.
Sadly, in 2015, a fire broke out on a set and she was badly burned and injured her back trying to save someone else. The studio refused to pay her medical bills and her career all but fizzled. She had a cosmetic store, with her 2nd husband in the 1920s, but that went under in 1931 due to the great depression. She also lost almost all her money in the Stock Market Crash of 1929, her 2nd marriage crumbled that year and her beloved mom died. By the mid 1930s, she was in constant pain from an incurable bone disease. One of the nice things (always a catch but still nice), Louis B. Mayer offered contracts to many old silent film stars that were down on their luck to work as extras and she (as well as King Baggot) was one of many. Due to her constant pain and depression, she called up the studio to say she couldn't make it in and ate the poison. Such a shame for such a gifted woman both on screen and off.
FILMS
1.THE GIRL & THE OUTLAW-1908
2. ANTONY & CLEOPATRA-1908
3. TURN OF THE SCREW-1908
4. MR. JONES AT THE BALL-1908
5. JONES & THE LADY BOOK AGENT-1909
6. MRS. JONES ENTERTAINS-1909
7. RESURRECTION-1909
8. THE BROKEN OATH-1910
9. THE LITTLE REBEL-1911
10. THE SPENDER-1913 (THE YEAR MY DAD WAS BORN..WOWZA)
She did make some features but, by that time, she was not famous like she used to be so I decided to stick with her shorts and her famous time. Nice to showcase a very...very early film star.
