Thoughts on Living the Life Creative
Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) - Frankie (Avalon), Dee Dee (Funicello) and the gang have to deal with a pretty pop star (Evans) and her publicity crazed manager (Lynde), a mermaid, Eric von Zipper and the Rats motorcycle gang, plus the usual spats and jealousy. All while hanging out at the beach, surfing and singing a... Continue Reading →
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859) - Travelling from London to Paris at the time of the French Revolution, Dr. Manette is released after 18 years in prison. He is returned to the daughter he never knew with his mind badly broken by his imprisonment. She falls in love with a French nobleman... Continue Reading →
Topaz (1969) - A French secret service agent does a favor for American intelligence that leads him back to a Soviet spy in the French government. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Starring John Forsyth, Frederick Stafford, John Vernon This movie would seem to... Continue Reading →
Dr. Stranglove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) - A deranged Air Force general sends bombers with nuclear weapons into the Soviet Union trying to provoke a war he believes the United States will win in this Cold War satire. Directed by Stanley Kubrick ... Continue Reading →
The Edinburgh Twilight - The Ian Hamilton Mysteries #1 by Carole Lawrence (2017) - A killer stalks the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland as the 20th century approaches. Detective Inspector Ian Hamilton will stalk the killer in a deadly conflict. It will strike fear into the heart of the city and touch on the detective's darkest... Continue Reading →
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) - A hitman returns to his hometown with a job just in time for his tenth high school reunion. Directed by George Armitage Starring - John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan... Continue Reading →
(Some quick looks at more recent movies) Passengers (2016) - Two passengers on a long range hibernation ship wake up years too early and face personal and life challenges. I've mentioned in other places that good actors can overcome mediocre scripts. Not sure that Chris Pine and Jennifer Lawrence quite manage the feat here. They... Continue Reading →
The Kennedy Imprisonment - A Meditation on Power by Garry Wills (1982) - Re-issued with a new preface, the book looks at the effect of the "Kennedy Mystique" on the President, his brothers and the Presidency itself. The Pulitzer Prize winning author rolls back the mythology and takes a clear, unflinching look at the realities of the... Continue Reading →
Five Easy Pieces (1970) - A former child prodigy (Nicholson) returns home from a life that rejected all the trappings of his well-heeled family. Directed by Bob Rafelson Starring - Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Susan Anspach, ... Continue Reading →
Suspicion (1941) - A shy heiress falls for a roguish gentleman, but begins to wonder if he is going to kill her after they marry. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Starring Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Nigel Bruce Proving that good direction and acting can... Continue Reading →
Stories Are My Life 