Classic and James Bond films unite
From the amount of participants that we have for this Blogathon, it is very clear that the late, great Christopher Plummer may be gone, but not forgotten. We have a variety of films that have been and will be covered this weekend. So without further chatter from me, let us get right to the entries.… Continue reading The Charismatic Christopher Plummer Blogathon has arrived!
When you talk about actors who had such enduring careers that they were able to transition from the studio ruled cinema of the 20th century to the varied fare of the 21st century, you would be utterly remiss to exclude the legendary Christopher Plummer. He received worldwide fame for his role as the cantankerous Captain… Continue reading Announcing The Charismatic Christopher Plummer Blogathon
I cannot recall the first time I watched Airport. But I know that it was a very, very long time ago, and that I absolutely loved every moment of it, from the incongruously brilliant casting of Dean Martin as an airline pilot, the heavy banged beauty of Jaqueline Bisset, to the stowaway with a heart… Continue reading Star studded disaster: Airport (1970)
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Jane Austen is one of the greatest, and most influential, authors to ever live. Her six completed novels have been translated into about thirty five languages, and Pride and Prejudice alone has sold some 20 million copies. In addition to being one of the best selling authors of… Continue reading Passion and Perseverance: Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Almost immediately after its 1997 release, it became fashionable to dislike, criticise or “hate on” Titanic. This isn’t something specific to this juggernaut historical blockbuster. The trend of massively commercially successful movies that also garner critical acclaim in spite of their commercial success, stretches pretty far back, and there are ample examples. But Titanic is… Continue reading Why Titanic Isn’t Actually Terrible
Ah Charlie’s Angels. The epitome of what was termed “jiggle TV” in the late 70s and early 80s. I think you can understand why it was given that rather dubious term if you think hard enough. But in my opinion, and for many women who watched the film at the time of its airing, it… Continue reading Black Panther: Timothy Dalton in Charlie’s Angels
The Brontë Sisters are incredibly famous. I don’t think this point can be overstated. Their contribution to the English literary canon, especially Gothic literature, has influenced countless authors, filmmakers and musicians (I’m looking at you, Kate Bush.) They revolutionised a genre that had been seen as low brow, melodramatic trash for almost a century, and… Continue reading Jane, Jane: Timothy Dalton in Jane Eyre (1983)
Okay so Florence Nightingale is probably the most famous nurse to ever live, with good reason, as she pretty much revolutionised the field by introducing sanitation measures (seriously, wash your hands) in hospitals, and establishing the first secular nursing school in the world. A famous lithograph of Nightingale from a painting by Henrietta Rae. So,… Continue reading The Man Who Loved the Lady with the Lamp: Timothy Dalton in “Florence Nightingale” (1985)
The Dr Kildare movies only came on my radar fairly recently, as I was more familiar with the Richard Chamberlain series than with the nine films that starred Lew Ayres as the titular Dr Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as his cynical, but secretly caring, mentor, Dr Gillespie. Dr Kildare is a young doctor who wants… Continue reading A Grump With A Heart of Gold: Lionel Barrymore as Dr Gillespie
The year that Mannequin had its nationwide release, Joan Crawford was featured on the list of actresses termed as "Box Office Poison". It was a list that featured Katherine Hepburn, Kay Francis, Norma Shearer and John Barrymore, to name but a few. It was a list that is now largely seen as being inaccurate, or… Continue reading The Working Man: Spencer Tracy in “Mannequin” (1937)
Pale Writer 