Posted on February 7, 2017 at 3:42 pm
Netflix has a superb collection of early films made by and for African-Americans, including the silent film, “Body and Soul,” with Paul Robeson as twins. These are a treat any time, but especially appropriate for Black History Month.
Posted on January 11, 2017 at 3:44 pm
Anyone who loves movies — and anyone who enjoys a love story — will have a wonderful time at “Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story.” It’s a love story in two sense of the word. It is the story of a deeply connected marriage of 60 years and it is the story of a love for the world of film.
You know the scene in “The Birds” with Tippi Hedren in the phone booth? And the one where all the birds are ominously perched at the playground? The movie was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, but it was Harold Michelson, the storyboard artist, who imagined the way those scenes would look. He also came up with the idea for one of the most iconic shots in film history, this one:
His wife Lillian headed up research for several different studios. When the “Scarface” producers needed to know what a drug kingpin’s home looked like, they came to her. When the “Fiddler on the Roof” team needed to know what shtetl girls wore for underwear, they came to her. And she always found out.
The story of how they met and fell in love is worth a movie of its own. While they almost never received screen credit for their contributions, Dreamworks did pay tribute to their decades of essential work in “Shrek.” These characters are named Harold and Lillian in their honor.
Posted on December 31, 2016 at 3:00 pm
Celebrate New Year’s Eve with this charming gif from the pre-code Cecil B. DeMille classic, “Madam Satan.”
Posted on December 31, 2016 at 10:00 am
Garry Marshall’s “New Year’s Eve” shows us a variety of happy, poignant, and romantic encounters on the night of December 31.
“When Harry Met Sally” has a memorable New Year’s Eve dance.
Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn “step into a waltz as the old year dies” while the fancy society engagement party for him and her sister goes on downstairs.
Other movies with New Year’s Eve scenes: “About Time,” “The Holiday,” “The Godfather Part II,” “Rent,” and “The Apartment”
Posted on December 30, 2016 at 7:53 am
Many thanks to Kristen Lopez for inviting me on her Ticklish Business podcast to talk about some of our favorite old movie discoveries in 2016. We talked about “The Harvey Girls,” “The Second Face,” “Homicidal,” “Madam Satan,” My Sister Eileen,” and “Keeper of the Flame.”
