Fandango’s Provocative Question #214 So what about those Oscars, eh? They have become increasingly irrelevant to many of us, especially since many of us haven’t seen any of the movies up for awards — and the ones we saw and liked… Read More ›
film
SABOTAGE – AND – MURDER
Alfred Hitchcock Presents and the subsequent series, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, ran from 1955 to 1965. I often get to see it on METV. That means I am up too late as it runs at midnight here. Hitchcock only directed… Read More ›
BEWARE THE PELLET WITH THE POISON – A FRIDAY FLASHBACK
Fandango’s Flashback Friday — April 7th A Friday flashback and a very happy 81st birthday to Garry! It’s might be in the chalice from the palace or possibly in the vessel with the pestle. On the other hand, it might be… Read More ›
MOSES, MEL, AND ME – GARRY ARMSTRONG
Before I put a finger on the keyboard, I admit this is probably heresy, at least to some people. As Easter approaches, one simply doesn’t make fun of religious movies. But I do. Last night, Marilyn and I had our annual viewing of… Read More ›
RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY!
Thus went the cry of Monty Python’s Knights of the Round Table in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” They didn’t have horses, but they had coconut shells they used to make clopping, hoof-like sounds. “Run away, run away!” Oh how… Read More ›
THE FUTURE WENT ON TRIAL AND LOST
“INHERIT THE WIND” AND THE SCOPES TRIAL The Scopes Trial was officially The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes. The trial is usually referred to as the Scopes Monkey Trial. It was held in Tennessee in 1925. In it, John Scopes… Read More ›
INTOLERANCE: REEL AND REAL By GARRY ARMSTRONG
A friend today posted a review of “Schindler’s List” which he had just seen for the first time, 30-years after the acclaimed movie’s release. My friend talked about the film’s haunting power, its narrative about one man’s brave quest to… Read More ›
WHERE DID YOU GET THAT RAG YOU’RE WEARING?
A FLASHBACK FRIDAY FROM DECEMBER 16, 2019 “How come Gibbs is wearing a coat in Arizona in the summer?” I was talking to Garry. It was an NCIS rerun. We watch a lot of reruns, though this new fall season… Read More ›
NOTHING SCREAMS INDEPENDENCE LIKE ARTILLERY
No place does the 4th of July like Boston. I’m pretty sure we think it’s our holiday. The rest of the country is a Johnny-Come-Lately. It all happened here or at least, nearby. The Declaration of Independence. The battles of Lexington and Concord. All… Read More ›
SINGING IN THE RAIN – RICH PASCHALL
My Top 10 “Rain Songs,” by Rich Paschall Summer rain may be tapping at your window, or not. It’s been pretty dry here. So we need some musical encouragement. Before you can step out of a rainbow or sail into… Read More ›
HE WHO TROUBLES HIS OWN HOUSE WILL INHERIT THE WIND
Fanaticism and ignorance is forever busy and needs feeding – Clarence Darrow
BEWARE THE PELLET WITH THE POISON – A FRIDAY FLASHBACK
It’s might be in the chalice from the palace or possibly in the vessel with the pestle. On the other hand, it might be in the flagon with the dragon. One of them has the brew that is true, but… Read More ›
BACK WHEN STARS WERE STARS – GARRY ARMSTRONG
It’s getting close to the Academy Awards time. This year it’s near the end of March, but the buzz is on about the contenders. Who’ll win, who should win, who’s been snubbed, who’ll be wearing what, etcetera ad nauseam. This… Read More ›
MARCHING BACKWARD, BACKWARD
This segment comes from the 1960 movie “Inherit the Wind.” The dialogue is virtually a direct quote from Clarence Darrow’s real speech to the judge and jury in the “Monkey Trial” held in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925. In fact, most… Read More ›
MOVIES WHOSE DIALOGUES YOU CAN QUOTE? GREAT QUESTION!
Fandango’s Provocative Question #148 If ever a question was aimed at Garry rather than me, this has got to be it. I’m going to answer it today. Garry has some kind of interview with a radio station about Boston busing —… Read More ›
IT’S THE BREW THAT IS TRUE
It’s either in the chalice from the palace or the vessel with the pestle — or possibly, the flagon with the dragon. One of them has the brew that is true, but if you drink the wrong one? You’ve consumed… Read More ›
Tragedy and farce: “Mister Roberts” and our misunderstanding of the WWII generation. – by Sean Munger – Sean Munger’s History and Culture Dispatches
Tragedy and farce: “Mister Roberts” and our misunderstanding of the WWII generation. One of the most beloved pieces of pop culture to come out of World War II has a tragic back-story connected to how we failed to understand the… Read More ›
IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE – RICH PASCHALL
Watching Foreign Language Films, Rich Paschall Unless you were born in another country or became fluent in another language, you probably have little interest in foreign language films. The language barrier is something many of us do not wish to… Read More ›
NEWS NEVER CHANGES: GUN SENSE AND SENSIBILITY – BY TOM CURLEY
Fandango’s Flashback Friday — June 25th Given the state of the state, this seemed pretty relevant. I can look through the posts on Serendipity over the months and years and instead of becoming outdated — because we fixed it — or at least moved… Read More ›
MORE MILLION-DOLLAR MEMORIES – GARRY AND MARILYN ARMSTRONG
There was no way I could write this without having Garry in the mix. He is, after all, Mr. Movie Mavin. So here we are again, with a lot of new material. Both Garry and I grew up in New York… Read More ›
SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 