This month marks what would have been my 9-year anniversary working with Turner Classic Movies but after much thought & consideration, I decided to end my working relationship with them. Although the Movie Morlocks blog has been shuttered, I occasionally wrote for the TCM.com website and created promotional materials for the TCM Wine Club but … Continue reading A Look Back & What’s Ahead in 2019
Fear of Flowers: Under the Blossoming Cherry Tree (1975)
“Without people, a forest of cherries in full bloom is not pretty, just something to be afraid of.” - Ango Sakaguchi Although typically described as a horror film, Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees (1975) defies simple categorization. This grisly adult fairy tale, currently streaming on FilmStruck, is a strange amalgam of traditional Japanese theater, folktales, ghost stories, social … Continue reading Fear of Flowers: Under the Blossoming Cherry Tree (1975)
Plucking the Petals of Masahiro Shinoda’s Pale Flower (1964)
“Tokyo… After three long years. It makes my head spin. Just look at it. Why so many people crammed into tiny cage-like boxes? People… Such strange animals. What keeps them all going? They look like they’re half dead. Making a frantic pretense of being alive. What was so wrong about killing one of these stupid … Continue reading Plucking the Petals of Masahiro Shinoda’s Pale Flower (1964)
JOAN BENNETT: FRITZ LANG’S MUSE
Joan Bennett got her start in Hollywood as a lovely, demure, fair-haired ingénue but made her mark as a sexy, feisty, dark-haired femme fatale. Her transformation was atypical in Tinseltown where many natural brunettes such as Carole Lombard, Lana Turner, Marilyn Monroe, and Jayne Mansfield, found success after becoming bottle blonds. Bennett’s makeover happened during … Continue reading JOAN BENNETT: FRITZ LANG’S MUSE
Call Him a Red: Remembering Albert Finney 1936-2019
I'm going to miss Albert Finney. I've spent a good deal of my time watching the films he made and writing about them. As a result, Finney has become one of my favorite actors and my appreciation for his body of work grows deeper with each passing year. The films he appeared in influenced my … Continue reading Call Him a Red: Remembering Albert Finney 1936-2019
UNDER THE VOLCANO (1984) WITH ALBERT FINNEY
One of my favorite actors is presently getting the red-carpet treatment at FilmStruck; “Starring Albert Finney” is a new theme that presents a batch of Finney’s films for your enjoyment including Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), Tom Jones (1963) and A Man of No Importance (1994). If you’re new to Finney it is a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with one of Britain’s finest exports … Continue reading UNDER THE VOLCANO (1984) WITH ALBERT FINNEY
ANGRY CINEMA: THE BRITISH NEW WAVE
In the late 1950s, Britain was a country in transition. The destruction caused by two world wars remained evident but the economy was booming and unemployment was at an all-time low. Popular music was bringing diverse groups of individuals together and creating a sense of unity among the youth. Despite the overall prosperity, the stark … Continue reading ANGRY CINEMA: THE BRITISH NEW WAVE
A TALE OF TWO FILMS: THE PICASSO SUMMER (1969)
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” - Pablo Picasso Few films come with a pedigree as spotted as THE PICASSO SUMMER. Some names that were directly or indirectly associated with the movie include artist Pablo Picasso, author Ray Bradbury, French directors Francois Truffaut and Serge Bourguignon, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond as well … Continue reading A TALE OF TWO FILMS: THE PICASSO SUMMER (1969)
Remembering Alan Sillitoe: “Don’t Let the Bastards Grind You Down!”
On Saturday, Nov. 19th (and Jan. 17th) TCM will be airing Karel Reisz’ SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING (1961). This bleak but beautifully shot kitchen-sink drama features Albert Finney in his screen debut as one of Britain’s original angry young men. The film is based on a novel by the British author Alan Sillitoe who also wrote the screenplay. Alan … Continue reading Remembering Alan Sillitoe: “Don’t Let the Bastards Grind You Down!”
CHARLOTTE RAMPLING: THE LOOK
Woody Allen introduced me to Charlotte Rampling. It was during the early autumn of 1980 or possibly the early winter of 1981. I was a moody preteen adolescent and family friends took me to see STARDUST MEMORIES (1980). At the time I was only remotely familiar with Allen’s work, having seen a few of his “early, funny … Continue reading CHARLOTTE RAMPLING: THE LOOK
THE MANY ROLES OF MICK JAGGER
“The only performance that makes it…that really makes it…that makes it all the way…is the one that achieves madness.” - Turner aka Mick Jagger in Performance (1970) If someone asked me the proverbial question: “The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?” I’d pledge my allegiance to the bad boys of rock and roll in an instant. The first concert … Continue reading THE MANY ROLES OF MICK JAGGER
HOLIDAY COOKING WITH THE STARS
In October I shared some of Vincent Price’s recipes and cooking tips in a post titled In the Kitchen with Vincent Price and the response was overwhelmingly positive. In celebration of Thanksgiving, I thought I’d share a few holiday recipes from some of Hollywood’s most loved and admired stars. The recipes are variants of traditional dishes and … Continue reading HOLIDAY COOKING WITH THE STARS
