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§ North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Twilight by Elie Weisel
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
§ The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Gothic Classics Volume 14
Fables Volume 1
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
The Silent Cry by Anne Perry
A Breach of Promise by Anne Perry
The 39 Steps by John Buchan
Night by Elie Wesiel
Double Indenmity by James M. Cain
§ An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear
* Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear
§ The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordian
§ The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordian
Jane Austen: Her Life and Letters
Infidel by Aayan Hirisi Ali
§ Rose by Martin Cruz Smith
§ The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordian
§ The Battle of the Labirynth by Rick Riordian
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordian
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
Double Indemnity by James M. Cain
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Fables: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham & Steve Leialoha
† § Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
† Before Amelia by Eileen Lebos
† An Incomplete History of World War I by Edwin Kiester, Jr.
† The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
† Jane Austen: A Life by Clair Tomalin
† The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale
† The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
*Not finished
† In progress
§ Re-read
If asked before I made this list, I would have told you that I don't read more than one book at a time. That's mostly true. Four of the in progress books are non-fiction, which I find much easier to put down and pick up at random. One is a re-read, one I have on my iPhone and read when I'm out and bookless and one (The Postman Always Rings Twice) I know the story because of the classic movie. These are all books I plan to continue to read. Peyton Place has a different designation because I'm not sure I'll pick that one back up in the future.
Each summer Alan Sepinwal, the New Jersey Ledger's media critic, fills the summer doldrums with re-watches and reviews of past television series. Last year, he reviewed the short lived and brilliant ABC show, Cupid (not to be confused with the muddied re-boot that ABC subjected us to this spring) and the first season of the HBO drama The Wire. This year, he's recapping season 2 of The Wire and HBO's 2001 war drama miniseries, Band of Brothers.
We've never subscribed to HBO, unless we've gotten it on a free trial, so I've missed quite a bit of their programming, such as the aforementioned series, The Wire and Band of Brothers, along with The Sopranos (although I've never had a desire to watch the mob drama), Angels in America and John Adams, to name a few. I have caught snippets of Band of Brothers on the History Channel over the years but have never taken the time to find the DVD and watch the series. Until now.
I'm four episodes in and finally getting a handle on who's who and the army hierarchy. Luckily, neither is necessary to be moved by the story. The characters may seem stock or stereotypical, but cliches are cliches because they are based on reality. The hard ass commander with a inferiority complex, the silent but strong and well respected leader, the loudmouth that questions authority, the dirty fighter, the All American, the stoic sergeant are all there. But, the difference between this and other Hollywood productions is that these are real people and the experiences protrayed in the miniseries are based on their accounts of what they went through. Knowing that makes everything you see on the screen that much more moving. Hell, I get choked up during the opening credits.
This is definitely a mini-series that will improve on repeat viewings. In fact, it's one of very few series that I can see myself watching over and over. If you have the time, I recommend watching along with Alan and reading his recaps and the comments of his readers. Unlike some blog commenting sections, Sepinwal's readers are routinely polite and extremely intelligent.
The items to plug into the rant:
AN APPETIZER
A FAMOUS CRIMINAL
AN INEXPENSIVE RETAILER
A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY
A METAL
A BREAKFAST CEREAL
AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM
A POPULAR GADGET
A JUNK FOOD
A REALITY SHOW
A KIND OF CANDY
A SPORTING EVENT
A HISTORICAL FIGURE NAMED "JOHN"
A CELEBRITY NAMED "JOHN"
AN ARTICLE OF CLOTHING
A HOME ELECTRONICS COMPONENT
A CHAIN RESTAURANT
A CITY IN THE SOUTHERN U.S.
A POPULAR TOY
A LITERARY FIGURE
Your Designing Women Rant: Topic The Bachelorette
I would rather spend two hours sharing stuffed jalapenos with Bonnie and Clyde than watch a woman who apparently purchased her intellect at TJ Max for ten cents chase twenty-five men with biceps made of bronze and heads packed with cherrios.
Because when future generations look upon what we have left for them, which may by then be little more than melting ice caps and millions of non-biodegradable dildos, I fear they will conclude that they would have welcomed bread and circuses if only they had realized the alternative was ho-ho's and I'm a Celebrity! Get Me Out of Here!
[sits down and crosses arms, but then immediately stands back up]
And let me tell you a little something about romance: Handing out roses like you are a mascot throwing butterfingers to the assembled hooligans at a NASCAR race is not my idea of romance. Romance is a man who knows the difference between John Wayne and John Gosselin and who is capable of putting on an ascot without scratching his head as if he is connecting a TIVO without the instruction manual.
So do not ask yourself why I do not particularly enjoy a television show where the assembled male candidates represent romantic prospects inferior to the workers on the night shift at the Whataburger in Corpus Christie. Ask yourself whether, after a lifetime playing with a cultural Rubix cube and dancing on the grave of Ernest Hemingway, you will ever...recover...your dignity.
That was fun!
I haven't forgotten about my second favorite war movies post, I just haven't had a chance to write it up.
I resisted being sucked in until They Were Expendable screened last night. After a quick break to make dinner, I was right back on my bed watching Battleground. I could have watched war movies all night and it made me realize that there's nothing better than a really good war movie. Except maybe a really good western.
What is a good war movie to me? First and foremost, it can't be full of obvious propaganda and jingoism. Those stirring speeches at the end of war movies proclaiming how just our cause is make me want to hurl. If a movie has to have a stirring speech at the end, it must not have done a good job of telling the story because all of that would be implied. Although, soldiers don't fight for a cause; they fight for the man standing next to them, but that's another post.
I decided late last night when I couldn't sleep that, to honor my father who served in the Navy in World War II and was one of the most patriotic men I've ever known, I'd highlight my favorite war movies on my blog. I'm going to break the list in two; today's list will focus on movies that aren't typical war movies, although a war plays a significant role in the story. Movies are by year of release since there's no way I can pick a favorite.
[J'Accuse] "was intended to show that if war did not serve some purpose, then it was a terrible waste. If it had to be waged, then a man's death must achieve something." ~ Abel Gance, director
Using actual footage from one of the most significant battles in World War I and French soldiers on leave* for the climactic "walk of death" Abel Gance created one of the most visceral anti-war movies in the history of cinema.
It's a silent movie but don't let that scare you away. This film will move you like no other and, not matter what your ideology, you'll go away wondering what the point of war is.
*Most of these soldiers would be killed in the war in the following weeks.
In this day of stunt men and safety harnesses and wires that are edited out in post-production, it's fascinating to watch a Buster Keaton movie. While you're watching this silent, consider that there was no safety net and Buster Keaton did his own stunts. His athleticism is amazing.
The first Best Picture Oscar winner is a love triangle drama set against the backdrop of war. Look for Gary Cooper in a small role. Notable for it's flying sequences, especially when you consider it was made in 1927. Silent.
You probably don't think of Gone With the Wind as a war movie but as a drama/romance. I think it's all three, which is why it's on this list.
A movie mocking Hitler released during World War II. Do I really need to say anything else to get you to watch this movie? Okay, I will anyway. Chaplin is a genius. He wrote, produced, directed, starred in and scored the music for every movie of his I've ever seen. I'll pause for a moment to let that sink in...
Plus, he had his own movie studio. His personal life was a mess, to be sure, but he was a genius. Whenever I think of today's directors, I think of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin and decide their talent would fit on the tip of Keaton's and Chaplin's pinkie with room to spare.
Female civilians from Singapore are roped into volunteering to help out at a field hospital in Bataan. An all female cast highlights the sacrifices and hardships that women in the war had to endure. I've always felt like the end of the movie was really the beginning of their story, as if all we had seen was the prologue to their struggle that was just beginning.
Surviving passengers from a downed ocean liner share a lifeboat with the captain of the U-boat that torpedoed them. Interesting for the fact that the entire movie takes place on a lifeboat but the movie never feels confined. Look for Hitchcock's most creative cameo as the before and after picture for a weight loss ad in a magazine.
One of my favorite movies of all time. This movie deals with the plight of the returning soldier and what it says about the difficult adjustment awaiting them still applies today. What I like best is that it doesn't wrap everything up in a nice little bow at the end. You know that these people will struggle, whether it's with making ends meet, alcohol abuse or the struggle of living life with a disability. Wonderfully acted. Don't let the three hour run time put you off. It will fly by.
It seems like World War I is the go to movie for anit-war films. Paths of Glory, Stanley Kubrick's second movie, concerns three soldiers accused of cowardice and the fight their commanding officer's fight to save their life. Considered anti-military by many. The French hated it because of the portrayal of a French officer. This movie will stay with you for a while.
Is there any actor in Hollywood with a better redemption story than Robert Downey, Jr.? I don't think so. Iron Man was awesome last year and it looks likes his next project, Sherlock Holmes will be another hit.
I'm sure Holmes purists think differently, but I think this movie looks pretty freaking awesome. (I do wonder what Holmes purists think of the 1940's era Holmes that was fighting Nazis in WWII London. What that okay because it's 'classic' or does that make them fume, also?) After many specious adaptations of Jane Austen's novel (and her life) I've had to come to grips with the fact that Hollywood adaptations of the classics will never be completely faithful. I've decided to settle for the benefit of these movies bringing new readers to the source material. With that in mind, you should expect to see a review or two of Sherlock Holmes mysteries here in the coming months.
Until then, I'll leave you with the trailer for Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law (who could use his own redemption story, or maybe just a career rejuvenation) and Rachel McAdams and directed by Guy Richie.
Here's the lineup (times below are central):
Anatomy of a Murder - We missed it, but OMG so good. If you haven't seen it, you definitely need to Netflix it or mark down June 23, the next time it airs on TCM.
8:30 am - You Can't Take it With You - co-starring Jean Arthur. Though he'd been in Hollywood for a while, this movie marks the beginning of Stewart's ascendency in Hollywood.
10:45 am - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - just a great all around movie. Highly recommended for people of all ages.
1:00 pm - Rear Window - co-starring Grace Kelly and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. My favorite Stewart and Hitch collaboration and the movie that inspired this blog's name.
3:00 pm - Vertigo - Another Hitchcock movie, and probably his best psychological drama.
5:15 pm - Bell, Book and Candle - The only film on this lineup I haven't seen.
*Movie Quote from Anatomy of a Murder, said by Eve Arden, a popular character actress of the 30's, 40's and 50's, probably best known to my generation of movie goers as Principal McGee in Grease.
I think you're going to regret this hair. I'm no expert, but your face is too long for long hair. I mean, sure, your face could long extra long because of your gaping mouth, but I don't think so. You also looked like you just rolled out of bed and couldn't be bothered to sprinkle a little water on the Alfalfa sprouts on your crown. Admittedly, I could have searched for a more flattering picture but it's late, I'm lazy and I have had a beer. My attention span isn't the best at the moment. Plus, I've seen enough pictures of you promoting your latest movie to know that this picture isn't an anomaly. Your hair really does look that bad.
When the Mavericks were rolling toward an NBA title a few years ago I decided that I needed to buy a t-shirt to show my support. They were two games up in the finals and the City of Dallas had released the parade route for the all but guaranteed championship parade. I bought a cute, understated shirt and the Mavericks promptly lost 4 games in a row and the championship. Needless to say, I haven't worn that shirt much in the past few years. I just knew that my purchase is what jinxed the Mavs to the ignominious designation of biggest chokers of all time.
So, it was with much trepidation that I purchased a Rangers cap (a too cute chocolate brown with a pink "T") when we attended the game on Friday. However, this was the Rangers after all; they're supposed to fail. On the other hand, it's May. Even if they went on a losing streak they could always pull out of it. So, I bought the cap and prayed. It looked like my jinx was going to continue when the Angels came back in the 9th that night. But, the Rangers held on and put another in the win column. And they continued to win, putting together two series sweeps in a row! The Rangers! Winning in May! Who would have thought?
Let's keep this in perspective, though. They're in the weakest division in baseball. They are, and always will be, the Strangers. They are the best example of the statistical phenomenon regression toward the mean that I've ever seen. (For those of us that aren't statisticians, regression toward the mean is basically the law of averages or "things will even out.") Chances are, whether I buy a Rangers cap or not, they'll finish the season somewhere south of .500 and won't make the playoffs.
However, if there's anything I can do to jinx the Rangers it would be to post about them on my blog. They are providing a modicum of my entertainment lately (and it's 6:30 and I need a post to keep my weekday streak going). The game on Friday was good. We're thinking of going to Houston to watch them play the Astros. (That's not our primary motivation for going to Houston, btw. We aren't that big of fans.) I have them on right now, as a matter of fact, killing time before NCIS comes on. And, what happens? The White Sox score in the first inning. The jinx is on!
When most people think of classic Hollywood actresses of the 30's and 40's, stars such as Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Katherine Hepburn come to mind, as they should. But, each of them had a rocky road in the 30's. After having some success in the early and mid-30's, Katherine Hepburn was dubbed 'box office poison' in the late 30's and, despite a string of successful movies, wasn't able to shed the label until The Philadelphia Story in 1940. In 1936, Bette Davis left Hollywood due to a contract dispute to make movies in England. Warner Brothers sued her and won; maybe the battle, but she won the war - when she returned, the studio treated her with newfound respect and began giving her their plum roles, thus beginning her tenure as top star on that lot. Crawford's films of the 30's while lavish as all MGM films tended to be, were rather routine and mostly forgettable. Her Crawford persona, "intelligent, often neurotic, powerful and sometimes ruthless, but also vulnerable and dependent," didn't solidify until she moved to star in Warner's film noirs of the 40's.
No Hollywood actress of the 1930's could hold a candle to Myrna Loy in popularity and star power. She was the rare actress that was equally appealing to men and women. Men wanted to marry her; women wanted to be like her. She was considered the perfect wife, a label she found amusing since she was married four times, couldn't boil and egg and didn't have children (paraphrased from Being and Becoming). So enormously popular was she that in 1936 she and Clark Gable were voted King and Queen of Hollywood.
But, before she became the poster girl for the ideal wife, she was the go to actress for exotic women in the late 20's and 30's. Her most famous role is as the daughter of the title character in The Mask of Fu Manchu (see above), a hilariously campy movie. How she was able to play that role with a straight face, I have no idea. Her final role as an exotic was in Thirteen Women starring Irene Dunne (another hugely popular 30's actress that is almost forgotten today). In her autobiography Being and Becoming, Loy had this to say about the movie:
"Rouben's (Mamoulian) revelation of my comedic talents didn't faze M-G-M. They dropped me right back into the vamp mold, loaning me to RKO for Thirteen Women (1932). As a Javanese-Indian half-caste, I methodically murder all the white schoolmates who've patronized me. I recall little about that racist concoction, but it came up recently when the National Board of Review honored me with its first Career Achievement Award. Betty Furness, a charming mistress of ceremonies, who had started at RKO doubling for my hands in closeups when I was busy elsewhere, said that she'd been dropped from Thirteen Women. (Despite the title, there were only ten in the final print.) "You were lucky," I told her, "because I just would have killed you, too. The only one who escaped me in that picture was Irene Dunne, and I regretted it every time she got the parts I wanted."
Her breakthrough role was right around the corner. W.S. Van Dyke had just directed Loy and William Powell in Manhattan Melodrama* and was adamant that they be cast as the husband and wife sleuthing team Nick and Nora Charles in his next feature, The Thin Man, a casting choice that proves to this classic movie fan that he was nothing short of brilliant. Movie goers agreed: The Thin Man was a hit and an acting team was born. Powell and Loy would go on to make 14 movies together (my favorite being Double Wedding). Their chemistry and affection for each other was so convincing that fans truly thought they were married.
When World War II broke out, Loy became increasingly politically active, spending more time on war work than in front of the camera, a trend that would continue after the war ended. Although the number of movies she made decreased, the quality didn't, with notable roles in the 40's coming in The Best Years of our Lives, The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, and </i> The Red Pony</i>. Shockingly, she was never nominated for an Oscar and died in 1993, two years after receiving an honorary Oscar in 1991.
Tonight, TCM is showing five of Loy's films - two from the early 30's (Penthouse, When Ladies Meet), one with Clark Gable (Too Hot to Handle), one with William Powell (The Great Ziegfeld) and one of her post-war films (The Red Pony). If you can only watch one, I recommend Too Hot To Handle in which she stars opposite Gable as an aviatrix to his daredevil news reel reporter. A great example of the easy chemistry she had with her leading men.
Source: Turner Classic Movie website.
* Myrna Loy was John Dilliger's favorite actress. Dillinger was gunned down while leaving a theater after seeing Loy in Manhattan Melodrama, co-starring Clark Gable and William Powell. It was her first film with Powell (they met for the first time when she bounds into the car that he is in). Their chemistry was immediate and obvious, leading Van Dyke to insist on them for their now iconic portrayals as Nick and Nora Charles.
Buy For: The anarchist in your family.
Freebies
If you frequent Starbucks, you've probably seen their iTunes Pick of the Week. The code for The Airborne Toxic Event was from last week so it might end soon. Get it while you can! The Decemberists was from this past week. Both songs are excellent.
The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight (Acoustic Version): ATH7PJ7E6KJJ
The Decemberists - The Rake's Song: YX34TK49RL63
- Mood:anxious
