Category: Spies & Secret Agents
Spies Among Us: ANOTHER COUNTRY (1984)
“And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago, Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know; We may not count her armies, we may not see her King; Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering; And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase, And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths … Continue reading Spies Among Us: ANOTHER COUNTRY (1984)
Bad Movie Mothers We Love to Hate
TCM is celebrating Mother’s Day (Note: this was originally published in 2014) with a great program of classic films showcasing notable mothers. While looking over Sunday’s line-up I was surprised to spot NOW, VOYAGER (1942), which features Gladys Cooper as the incredibly cold and domineering mother of Bette Davis. Cooper won an Oscar nomination for her memorable performance and went on to play another overbearing mother … Continue reading Bad Movie Mothers We Love to Hate
SPY GAMES: The Looking Glass War (1969)
One of the best films I saw last year was Tomas Alfredson’s TINKER TAILOR SOLIDER SPY (2011) based on John Le Carré’s novel of the same name. It stars Gary Oldman in a career defining performance that’s earned him an Oscar nomination. I hope Oldman takes home the award but I’m not here to talk about TINKER TAILOR SOLIDER SPY. I’m here to discuss another spy film … Continue reading SPY GAMES: The Looking Glass War (1969)
Telefilm Time Machine: Daughter of the Mind (1969)
Ray Milland sees dead people. Or to be more precise, Ray Milland begins seeing the ghost of his dead daughter in the made-for-TV movie DAUGHTER OF THE MIND (1969) based on a novel by author Paul Gallico (THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES; 1942, BITTER VICTORY; 1957, THE SNOW GOOSE; 1971, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE; 1972) and directed by Walter Grauman. This is one of the first telefilms that premiered on ABC’s Movie of … Continue reading Telefilm Time Machine: Daughter of the Mind (1969)
MYSTERY & MELODRAMA: THE BLETCHLEY CIRCLE (2012-2014)
One of the best things I’ve watched in recent months is the British mini-series THE BLETCHLEY CIRCLE airing on PBS. This engrossing post-war drama focuses on the lives of a handful of women who served together during WW2 as codebreakers at Bletchley Park, which housed the Government Code and Cypher School. This British intelligence agency was responsible for collecting, deciphering, analyzing, and utilizing top secret war-related communications shared … Continue reading MYSTERY & MELODRAMA: THE BLETCHLEY CIRCLE (2012-2014)
TALKING WITH TRINA: AN INTERVIEW WITH TRINA PARKS
Tomorrow night TCM Underground will be airing the surprisingly surreal and smart blaxploitation comedy, DARKTOWN STRUTTERS (1975). I hesitate to tag DARKTOWN STRUTTERS with a simplistic label like “blaxploitation” because it’s really a cult movie that deserves a category of its own. The film manages to combine just about every popular movie genre imaginable including classic westerns and musicals, biker films and revenge fantasies as well as science fiction … Continue reading TALKING WITH TRINA: AN INTERVIEW WITH TRINA PARKS
Three Reasons to Spend Time with Cleopatra Jones
Decades before Wonder Woman made her feature film debut and the all-female Dora Milaje fighting force was introduced to movie audiences in BLACK PANTHER (2018), Tamara Dobson was winning hearts and kicking-ass with her powerful portrayal of Cleopatra Jones. Released by Warner Bros. in 1973, CLEOPATRA JONES was the studio’s big-budget response to a slew of popular black-led films dominating the box office (helmed by … Continue reading Three Reasons to Spend Time with Cleopatra Jones
SPY GAMES: Frank Tashlin & Doris Day Go Undercover
In the late 1960s Doris Day starred in two spy spoofs directed by Frank Tashlin; THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT(1967) and CAPRICE (1968). At the time Day was 43-years-old and one of Hollywood’s biggest stars but her career was in sharp decline. Critics seemed to relish taking potshots at the movies she appeared in while launching full-blown attacks on her squeaky-clean image. Day was commonly referred to as “the … Continue reading SPY GAMES: Frank Tashlin & Doris Day Go Undercover
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 always liked the comic book character and the cast, which … Continue reading Jan. & Feb. 2016 at TCM’s Movie Morlocks
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