Classic Movie Trailer of the Month for December 2016

It's New Year's Eve!  In real life and in this classic movie trailer.

Dinner last night:  Assorted Chinese fare at PF Chang's.

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

Dinner last night:  The last of the leftover Christmas beef.

Another Director, Another Documentary

Film buff that I am, these types of documentary are usually catnip for this kitty.

The operative word here is "usually."

Sidney Lumet is a legendary film director who made some of the most memorable movies in history.

Twelve Angry Men.

Serpico.

Dog Day Afternoon.

Fail-Safe.

Network.

The last one alone should be must-see for future generations.  It is that good and prophetic.

So, you would think a documentary about this guy would be captivating.   Especially it's here nothing but clips and the sole talking head of Lumet himself, who sat for 14 hours of interviews several years before he died.  But, alas, alack, this one misses the mark.

Perhaps, my opinion was tempered several months ago when I saw the superlative documentary about Brian DePalma called...um..."DePalma."  That, too, was nothing but the director talking to the camera about some choice excerpts from his movies.   The difference is in the content of the commentary.

Whereas DePalma discussed the process of making these films with some juicy tidbits about the productions, Lumet is more esoteric and discusses his work as a reflection of society at the time.  Clearly a socialist, Lumet's words go too deep and, as a result, the documentary comes off more of a lecture than a showcase of his work.  Don't get me wrong.   Lumet is well deserving of a salute.   It's just that this documentary gets boring in a hurry.   And you really learn nothing about the productions of his films.

Yawn.

"By Sidney Lumet" did one positive thing for me.   It got me to go home and pull out my DVD of "Network."

So there.

LEN'S RATING:  Two-and-a-half stars.

Dinner last night:  Leftover beef and salad.

This Date in History - December 28

Happy birthday, Charlie Weaver.  Hopefully, somebody gives you a new tie for the occasion.

1065:  WESTMINSTER ABBEY IS CONSECRATED.

When did they do the same for Winchester Cathedral?

1612:  GALILEO GALILEI BECOMES THE FIRST ASTRONOMER TO OBSERVE THE PLANET NEPTUNE, ALTHOUGH HE MISTAKENLY CATALOGUED IT AS A FIXED STAR.

A common mistake I make all the time.

1795:  CONSTRUCTION OF YONGE STREET, FORMERLY RECOGNIZED AS THE LONGEST STREET IN THE WORLD, BEGINS IN YORK, CANADA.

Galileo mistakenly thought it was an avenue.

1832:  JOHN C. CALHOUN BECOMES THE FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO RESIGN.

And you all thought it was Spiro Agnew.

1836:  SPAIN RECOGNIZES THE INDEPENDENCE OF MEXICO.

Funny because I don't.

1846:  IOWA IS ADMITTED AT THE 29TH US STATE.

If we hadn't, where would we be holding those caucuses?

1856:  28TH PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON IS BORN.

The only President to have a stroke in office.  At least the only one they told us about.

1867:  THE UNITED STATES CLAIMS MIDWAY ATOLL, THE FIRST TERRITORY ANNEXED OUTSIDE CONTINENTAL LIMITS.

No wonder why they defended it so much during World War II.

1895:  THE LUMIERE BROTHERS PERFORM FOR THEIR FIRST PAYING AT THE GRAND CAFE, MARKING THE DEBUT OF THE CINEMA.

And who was the very first movie patron to stick gum on the bottom of a seat?

1895:  WILHELM RONTGEN PUBLISHES A PAPER DETAILING HIS DISCOVERY OF A NEW TYPE OF RADIATION, WHICH LATER WILL BE KNOWN AS X-RAYS.

Before x-rays, physicians would simply guess...

1905:  ACTOR CLIFF ARQUETTE IS BORN.

This is Charlie Weaver.  Pay attention, gang.

1912:  THE FIRST STREETCARS TAKE TO THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO.

Invented because they needed a place to put all the Rice-A-Roni advertisements.

1915:  POPS STAPLES, DAD OF THE STAPLES SINGERS, IS BORN.

And the man was never in need of paper clips.

1934:  ACTRESS MAGGIE SMITH IS BORN.

There is nothing like this Dame...

1944:  MAURICE "ROCKET" RICHARD BECOMES THE FIRST PLAYER TO SCORE EIGHT POINTS IN ONE NHL HOCKEY GAME.

Ironically, he was nicknamed "Rocket" by his wife.

1945:  THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZES THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

Unless, of course, if you 're in a public school the last ten years.

1954:  GAYLE KING IS BORN.

I couldn't find a good adjective to add to her name.  Actress?  Personality?  TV Host?  She's really nothing.  Oh, wait, how about "Oprah Bedmate?"

1954:  ACTOR DENZEL WASHINGTON IS BORN.

I've got a good adjective for him.  Professional Shithead.

1958:  IN THE GREATEST FOOTBALL GAME EVER PLAYED, THE BALTIMORE COLTS DEFEAT THE NEW YORK GIANTS IN THE FIRST NFL SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME GAME.

Eleven years later, the Jets will avenge the Giants' loss for all of New York.

1971:  FILM COMPOSER MAX STEINER DIES.

Now, Corpse.

1973:  THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT IS PASSED IN THE UNITED STATES.

If they had done this two years before, this would have included Max Steiner.

1983:  ACTOR WILLIAM DEMAREST DIES.

Uncle Charlie!!!!

1983:  GOLFER JIMMY DEMERET DIES.

How weird is that to happen on the same day?  Two names that were probably confused all the time.

1983:  BEACH BOY DENNIS WILSON DIES.

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

1984:  DIRECTOR SAM PECKINPAH DIES.

Riding off into the sunset.

1992:  BASEBALL PITCHER SAL MAGLIE DIES.

The Barber shaves his last customer.

1999:  ACTOR CLAYTON MOORE DIES.

Instant poll: The Lone Ranger was buried with or without the mask?

2000:  RETAIL GIANT MONTGOMERY WARD GOES OUT OF BUSINESS.

So much for those Christmas returns in 2000.

2004:  ACTOR JERRY ORBACH DIES.

Law and Order: Special Funeral Unit.

Dinner last night:  Stuffed beef tenderloin at the home of good friends Amir and Kevin.

A Movie Review That Could Be a Book Report

I don't read a lot of fiction, but, to me, "Manchester By The Sea" views like a great novel.  It takes time to unfold the story and the characters.   The flashbacks are carefully placed to allow you to understand what was going on then and is going on now.  Indeed, this superlative film is peeled back slowly like an onion.   And the trip is one worth taking.

This movie showed up with a lot of advance Oscar buzz.   In this case, it's totally warranted as there are performances and work here worth nominating or awarding.   Truly, at the center of the outstanding production, is the script and direction by Kenneth Lonergan, who is sure to get at least an Academy Award for the screenplay.

Admittedly, you might look at the trailer and think that "Manchester By The Sea" will be, no pun intended, no day at the beach.  The story looks sad.   The scenery, in the dead of a New England winter, appears desolate and grim.   Well, yes and yes.  But, if you sit through the two plus hours with these characters, you will be rewarded.   Because, in reality, this is life itself.    You don't always have good days.   And, regardless of where you live, there are cloudy days.

Sure-to-be-nominated-for-Best-Actor Casey Affleck plays Lee, an under-achieving building janitor in Boston.   Why is he an under-achieving janitor in Boston?   Well, you slowly find out and it is a harrowing tale.   Suffice it to say, Lee gets the news that his older brother, played by the always welcome Kyle Chandler, has died of a rare heart disease.   Lee quickly discovers that his brother entrusted him with the care and feeding of his 16-year-old son Patrick.  

Um, that's all you need to know and that's all I will tell you.   To give you more details would be to ruin the impact of the movie.   I recently read a blog review of Warren Beatty's "Rules Don't Apply."  The reviewer gave away everything that happens right down to the ending, thereby ruining the film for anybody else.   I won't say more about "Manchester By The Sea" because you need to experience it for yourself.

Along with Affleck's stellar performance (yes, there is an Affleck who can act), you'll want to pay attention to the sure-to-be-nominated Best Supporting Actor Lucas Hedges as Patrick and the sure-to-be-nominated Best Supporting Actress Michelle Williams as Lee's ex-wife.   Lonergan will certainly score Oscar noms for direction and writing.   The film will certainly get cited for Best Picture.

Are you following me here?   Don't get scared away by the opening grimness of the tale.  You will get it paid back by the end of "Manchester By The Sea."

LEN'S RATING:  Four stars.

Dinner last night:  Leftover beef tenderloin and veggies.

Monday Morning Video Laugh - December 26, 2016

Sure it's the day after Christmas, but the season is still with us.   Enjoy this relic from SNL and Darlene Love.  

Dinner last night:  Christmas dinner of beef tenderloin, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cucumber salad, and pan roasted tomatoes.

The Sunday Memory Drawer - Dad's Camera Captures Christmas Morning

Merry Christmas morning!   Hope your present is under the tree.   And that you remembered to buy batteries for the kids' toys.

Ah, kids' toys.   I had a few back in the day.   And, luckily, my father's Argus Technicolor camera captured the view...even if those photos are now weathered by age and badly in need of a TCM restoration.

As you can see from the above picture, Christmas was a huge deal when I was about four or five. Packages were exquisitely wrapped. The tree, albeit artificial, was beautifully decorated. Train tracks and a winter village were underneath it. Toys were plentiful. By the time I was ten, the holidays became a bit more robotic. In fact, Mom and Dad tired of the tree decoration activity. Instead of "taking it down," they simply put a plastic bag around it and stored the thing up in the attic. The very next year, the tree was completely restored in the space of five minutes. A cup of hot tea took longer to do.

But, in the early days, it was all about watching me open my gifts and then pose for pictures. My father was quite enamored of his new Argus Technicolor camera. I was asked to hold each present or toy up and then smile. Or, as this photograph shows, try to smile. By the way, I will go on record by saying that I have never been able to read music. I have no idea why that sheet music is open for me to play, as if I'm either Ferrante or Teicher.

When I was finally done surveying the loot in our second floor abode, I'd head downstairs to see what Santa brought me at Grandma and Grandpa's. Usually, the Santa that stopped there simply made a quick cash run at the bank. There was usually an envelope containing five or ten dollars underneath their artificial tree, which really only made an appearance for a year or two. They essentially gave up with the stock excuse patented exclusively by my family.

"It's too much trouble."

Well, at least, they were honest. They didn't bother. Unlike the folks upstairs who stowed away the tree along with the winter coats. Ours was the only Christmas tree in the neighborhood that had to be vacuumed every year.

By noontime on Christmas Day, we would all gather at some relative's house for the usual feast. In my family, there was some complex grid that showed who had hosted last year and who was due to host this year. Thanksgiving and New Year's also played into the rotation and I vaguely remember that Albert Einstein had to be consulted on this mechanism at some point. I dreaded the days where we would stray from our own home. Think about it. I had just met all these great new toys and I was immediately pulled away for several hours. The earliest vestiges of my separation anxieties.

Dinner would usually be turkey, ham, or even roast pork. At some point, somebody would say the wrong thing to somebody else and the latter would spend most of the mealtime sulking and smoking on the back porch. 

Eventually, Dad would call for a truce and a concurrent photo opportunity like the one shown above. That's Grandpa in the foreground, looking a bit forlorn. Had he just attended his own pity party on the back stoop? Perhaps. Mom is clearly positioned right behind, holding up a drink and probably hiding a cigarette behind her back. The photo itself is a little fuzzy, but, at this point in the party, so was the vision of most of the folks in this snapshot.

The other problem for me when we were forced to spend the day at somebody else's house was the need for me to dress up. And go outside. Unfortunately, my mother pretty much dressed me in whatever was that year's fashion from the little boy pages of the Spiegel catalog. You really couldn't make the most of the holiday by fooling around or playing. These were your "good clothes." I couldn't get them dirty at all. Heck, my mom would flip out if a crease was mussed.

But, on those Christmases that we hosted, I could go to town. Or, at the very least, the back yard. With fresh snow. As an only child and with cousins that were older than me, I desperately needed somebody to talk to. This snowman sufficed. At least until about two weeks later when the temperature hit 40 degrees. That's Grandma peering out of the house window. Probably making sure that I'm not fooling around with anything in her rhubarb garden.

Kudos to my dad for contributing to this piece with his photography. You see, the pictures did come in handy. I can see his voice right now.

"What the hell is this internet thing?"

But, thanks to him, everyone shown here is alive again. At least for one more day.

Dinner last night:  Reuben panini.

Classic Musical Comedy Production Number of the Month for December 2016

Woo hoo.  A five Saturday month which allows us to see a great musical comedy clip.   And today...why not the perfect one for Christmas Eve?

Dinner last night:  Chinese chicken with mushrooms from Panda Express.

Oh. Come All Ye Faithful

Dinner last night:  Bacon and cheese omelet.

The 2016 Edition of Christmas Ads From Days Gone By

 Yeah, like Lauren Bacall would have settled for this.

 For those who think old...

Bob has an excuse for sending this lousy gift.   He'll be overseas entertaining the troops.

 Actually they are open on Christmas.  First-hand knowledge: my dad and I went there when my dopey aunt cooked lamb for the Christmas Day dinner.

 Gee, thanks, Honey.

 Ouch!!!

 Donald Trump's America.

 Not a Christmas ad, but way too funny not to include.

 Of course, they both died from smoking-related illnesses.

 Too much candy for the man.

 XXXXXXL.

 When Joan was hoisting a bottle, I'll bet it wasn't Royal Crown Cola.

 Gee, I hope Mary and Jeff like these sweaters I made.

Listen to Tonto.

Dinner last night:  BBQ chopped salad.

This Date in History - December 21

Happy birthday, Winch.  And you're not just putting words in my mouth.  By the way, Paul is the one on the right.

1140:  CONRAD III OF GERMANY BESIEGED WEINSBERG.

That Germans vs. Jews stuff started earlier than we thought.

1620:  WILLIAM BRADFORD AND THE MAYFLOWER PILGRIMS LAND ON WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS PLYMOUTH ROCK, MASSACHUSETTS.

And immediately went to Target for the day-after sale.

1832:  EGYPTIAN FORCES DECISIVELY DEFEAT OTTOMAN TROOPS AT THE BATTLE OF KONYA.

The Battle of Konya.  Now that's one that never shows up as a category on Jeopardy.

1861:  PUBLIC RESOLUTION 82, CONTAINING A PROVISION FOR A NAVY MEDAL OF VALOR, IS SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

Even then, this brilliant President had the foresight to know that, years later, John F. Kennedy would need to get some award for PT 109.

1872:  HMS CHALLENGER, COMMANDED BY CAPTAIN GEORGE NARES, SAILS FROM PORTSMOUTH.

Hopefully, this Challenger fared better than the one in the second half of the next century.

1879:  THE WORLD PREMIERE OF HENRIK IBSEN'S "A DOLL'S HOUSE" IS HELD IN COPENHAGEN.

The mark-up on Stubhub was ridiculous.

1913:  THE FIRST CROSSWORD PUZZLE IS PUBLISHED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES.

If it was a Sunday, you can bet it was hard.

1922:  VENTRILOQUIST PAUL WINCHELL IS BORN.

Oddly enough, Jerry Mahoney was born one year earlier.

1926:  FOOTBALL COACH JOE PATERNO IS BORN.

He thinks this was his birthday.  He never really told us.

1935:  TV HOST PHIL DONAHUE IS BORN.

Still, to this day, the best interviewer ever.  Yes, folks, even better than Larry King.

1937:  "SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS," THE WORLD'S FIRST FULL-LENGTH CARTOON, PREMIERES AT THE CARTHAY CIRCLE THEATER IN LOS ANGELES.

This was allegedly one of the grandest movie palaces ever built.  It's now an office complex.

1937:  ACTRESS JANE FONDA IS BORN.  

Could have been the eighth dwarf born the same day.  "Hippie."

1940:  MUSICIAN FRANK ZAPPA IS BORN.

Speaking of hippies.  The hell with his musical legacy.  This kook actually named his kids Moon Unit and Dweezil.

1940:  WRITER F. SCOTT FITZGERALD DIES.

Any guesses on the alcohol content in his autopsy?

1948:  ACTOR SAMUEL L. JACKSON IS BORN.

And speaking of bad actors.  No, wait, we weren't.

1954:  TENNIS STAR CHRIS EVERT IS BORN.

Back in the day, I would string her racket if she asked.

1957:  COMEDIAN RAY ROMANO IS BORN.

Everybody, including me, loves Raymond.

1960:  NEW YORK MET PITCHER ROGER MCDOWELL IS BORN.

While he didn't exactly set the baseball world on fire, he did ignite his foot once.

1967:  LOUIS WASHKANSKY, THE FIRST MAN TO UNDERGO A HEART TRANSPLANT, DIES IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, AFTER LIVING FOR 18 DAYS AFTER THE TRANSPLANT.

If he had lasted any longer, the bills alone would have killed him.

1968:  APOLLO 8, THE FIRST MANNED MISSION TO THE MOON, IS LAUNCHED FROM FLORIDA.

These astronauts found a neat way to avoid their families during the Christmas holidays.

1969:  THE GAY ACTIVISTS ALLIANCE IS FORMED IN NEW YORK CITY.

Just in time for the holidays.  God rest ye merry gentlemen.

1969:  THE UNITED NATIONS ADOPTS THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION.

As opposed to taking on discrimination one race at a time.

1974:  ACTOR RICHARD LONG DIES.

Nanny's Professor no longer has office hours.

1988:  A BOMB EXPLODES ON BOARD PAN AM FLIGHT 103 OVER LOCKERBIE, SCOTLAND, KILLING 270.

The very first valid reason for blowing up the Middle East.

2001:  SPORTSWRITER DICK SCHAAP DIES.

Deaad.

2009:  NORTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT 253 WAS ALMOST BOMBED BY AL QAIDA---THE CHRISTMAS DAY BOMBING ATTEMPT.

The 125th valid reason for blowing up the Middle East.

Dinner last night:  Leftover sweet and sour chicken with rice.

The 2016 Edition of Christmas Albums from Hell

 Yes, him.

 Who the hell are Kenny and Corky???

 Find the dummy on the cover.

 Have yourself an 80s Christmas.

 It's cheaper if you get there before 5PM.

 Everybody Did a Christmas Album - Exhibit 1.

Everybody Did a Christmas Album - Exhibit 2.

 Everybody Did a Christmas Album - Exhibit 3.

 All I want for Christmas is a new toupee.

 Sold at least two of these.

 Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

 You might want to change this song selection.

It ain't Christmas without seeing this album cover.

Dinner last night:  Grilled prok chop and salad.