Donald Ogden Stewart: Katharine Hepburn’s Secret Weapon

You may not recognize Donald Ogden Stewart’s name but if you are a classic film fan you’re probably familiar with his work. Stewart’s ability to write snappy dialogue and adapt popular plays for the screen made him one of the highest paid screenwriters in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. And throughout his career, Stewart …

Surrealist Cinema: PANDORA AND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN (1951)

“There was more surrealism rampant in Hollywood than all the surrealists could invent in a lifetime.” – Man Ray   In 1940, Man Ray fled war-torn France and arrived in Hollywood. The acclaimed surrealist, who was born in the United States but relocated to Paris in 1921, spent the next eleven years in California making …

My Favorite Films of 2017

I contributed a list of my 20 Favorite Films seen in 2017 to the annual Senses of Cinema World Poll in the form of an illustration scanned & cleaned up in Photoshop. I wanted to have fun with the process this year and didn't feel much like writing about all the films on my list …

Noir-Horror: THE LEOPARD MAN (‘43)

“The real horror is to show that we all live unconsciously in fear. Many people suffer today from a fear that they don’t begin to analyze and which is constant. When the audience is in the dark and recognizes its own insecurity in that of the characters of the film, then you can show unbelievable …

RIP Ted V. Mikels 1929-2016

Heartbroken to learn that Ted V. Mikels has died. I loved his work, warts and all, and have written about my appreciation for the man in the past. He was an incredibly colorful character and one of Hollywood's last real showmen. I had the opportunity to exchange brief notes with him once and he was …

The Return of Modern Mondays

I've been inspired to write brief bits about some of the new films I've seen recently. I normally post my thoughts on Letterboxd but thought I'd start compiling them here every month or so depending on how much I write and if I have anything worthwhile to say. Breathe (2015) The worst bullies I've encountered …

Jan. & Feb. 2016 at TCM’s Movie Morlocks

Links to some of the writing I did for TCM's Movie Morlocks blog in Jan. & Feb. Jan. 7: William Cameron Menzies: Chandu the Magician (1932) Excerpt: "In recent weeks, you might have heard about the upcoming Doctor Strange film currently scheduled for release in November of 2016. The news caught my attention because I’ve …

6 Months of Film Writing

I'm afraid I've been neglecting Cinebeats again but I've been busy with various personal projects and obligations. I've also recently started writing for Publishers Weekly but I thought I'd finally update with some highlights from TCM's Movie Morlocks. Here's some of the more interesting (in my estimation) film related writing & entertaining babble I've produced …

Celebrating Gay Pride

As a film journalist I have often tried to focus my attention on underappreciated films, actors and directors. Unsurprisingly, this has led me to write about a number of gay/LGBT films as well as gay/LGBT filmmakers and actors. So in celebration of Gay Pride weekend and the Supreme Court decision that now makes gay-marriage a …

October & November at the Movie Morlocks

Links to my posts at the TCM's Movie Morlocks October - November. Ghost Stories: THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES (1946) Excerpt: "THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES is often referred to as an “Abbott and Costello movie for people who don’t like Abbott and Costello” but as a fan of the comic duo I find that …