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 ›
old movies
GOD HAS A PLAN
I was still trying to figure out if John Oliver was really going off the air or we’d just missed the final few minutes of his piece because there was a sports emergency which had interrupted the show. It was… Read More ›
EPIPHANY: THE MOMENT OF CHANGE
Sometimes in life, we recognize the precise time when our life changed. Something happened. Maybe it was a phone call or a random conversation. It could be a letter or something we read in a book. It wasn’t necessarily an… Read More ›
SHUT UP AND WATCH
The Monday Morning Dawdle Are you quiet or vocal when watching television, a movie, or a film? Can you sit there with others and watch silently, or are you filled with oohs, ahhs, and other gesture forms? I talk to… Read More ›
MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS – GARRY ARMSTRONG
I just finished reading the definitive biography of legendary film director, John Ford. It’s a wonderful read by Scott Eyman who specializes in biographies of Hollywood legends. “Pappy” Ford, of course, was the master of western films — from the… Read More ›
BEST OF THE OLD WEST – GARRY ARMSTRONG
“Lock n’ load” was the political slogan of a presidential candidate I was covering in the ’80’s. He wore a white Stetson and a gold string tie over his flowered cowboy shirt. As a reporter, I was objective and clear-headed…. Read More ›
MEMORIES OF OLDEN DAYS – THROWBACK THURSDAY ON FRIDAY
Throwback Thursday #47 – Hanging Out Think back to where you liked to hang out when you were young. Your stomping grounds might have been determined by your ability to get to a variety of locations. It’s time to pull on… Read More ›
SO, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
I’m 75 this year and Garry turned 80. Both of us were absolutely, positively, totally sure the world at the end of our lives would be vastly different and far better than it was when our lives began. As far… Read More ›
NOTHING CHANGED
This isn’t a new cartoon. It was created in 2018, so it has been around for more than four years. Yet, it’s as relevant now as it was when it first came out. Maybe more. I’m pretty sure there was… Read More ›
CASABLANCA IN MASSACHUSETTS
Remember how, in the movie (1942) “Casablanca,” to get to America you went to Casablanca in Morocco — and then you waited, and waited, and waited? I ordered a sweater. It was on sale. I bought it at the end… 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 ›
THE LAST OF THE SILVER SCREEN COWBOYS – THE GARRY VERSION
“Lock n’ load” was the political slogan of a presidential candidate I was covering in the ’80’s. He wore a white Stetson and a gold string tie over his flowered cowboy shirt. As a reporter, I was objective and clear-headed…. Read More ›
DANCING DOWN THE STAIRS
A Yankee Doodle Dandy! by Rich Paschall One of my favorite films is Yankee Doodle Dandy starring James Cagney. In the movies, Cagney was known as a tough guy having played a variety of gangster roles since his movie debut… 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 ›
WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN SODOM, BUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN GOMORRAH?
When I went into the bedroom last night, Garry was watching “Sodom and Gomorrah.” Specifically, he was asleep and the TV was on. Given what he had been watching, I can understand. I’m not big on old movies that purport… Read More ›
I’LL BE ALL IN CLOVER – RICH PASCHALL
Which Easter Parade Is Best, by Rich Paschall It seems that it was good to be “all in clover” a century ago. It meant that you were doing quite well. Your cows were likely in a field of clover, not… Read More ›
A TRULY BAD, ROTTEN, AWFUL MOVIE AND STILL, I KEPT WATCHING – GARRY ARMSTRONG
By now, everyone knows I love old movies. I take special delight in the early 1930s stuff where you see stars and character actors while they were very young and just establishing their screen personae. Barbara Stanwyck is a particular… Read More ›
OLD MOVIES, NEW YEAR
Last night, we actually watched a new movie — Wonder Woman 1984 or as they call it on HBO Max, WW84. It was a bit of a production just getting it on the air, involving about an hour of tech… Read More ›
The More-or-Less Annual George R. Stewart Christmas Story | the EARTH ABIDES project
The More-or-Less Annual George R. Stewart Christmas Story Posted on November 12, 2020 Here’s the annual re-post of a story of the close connections between George R. Stewart and Jimmy Stewart, and between the mythical town of Bedford Falls and the real … Read More ›
FINDING “THE QUIET MAN” – SEPTEMBER 1990
Fandango’s Dog Days of August #1 – Ireland, September 1990 I’m not sure what makes this month more of a dog than any other month. Meanwhile, the happiest critter in the house is Duke. He’s always happy and usually hungry… Read More ›
SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 