Batteries Not Included
A Series of Existential Crises From Gift Giving
I’m a perfectionist. It took me a long time to come to terms with and admit that I am a perfectionist, but I am now at peace with it. I also have anxiety and as you can well imagine this makes for a “fun” combination. With the holiday season upon us I imagine that you, […]
Batteries Not Included
A Boatload of Benny
From the early 1930s until his death in 1974, Jack Benny was one of the most popular and influential comedians of his time. It’s been reported that Johnny Carson, who idolized Benny, broke down in tears upon the news of his death. Though Benny was most prominent in radio and later on television, he did […]
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The Princess Bride
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the ultimate test for a movie is a test of time. Today we worry about what movies make the most at the box office—which has always been true to a degree. Which is why it’s all the more surprising when you find out that a movie […]
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A Slight Case of the Turkey Trots
On the surface, there was nothing unusual about last year’s Thanksgiving plans. I was going to be cooking, the family was coming over, and a few friends as well. It should have been old hat to me by this point, just a matter of going through the standard operating procedure. However, I wasn’t feeling it. […]
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Shampoo
Director Hal Ashby’s 1975 film “Shampoo” was the director’s first giant commercial success. Ashby cut his teeth in Hollywood first working as an editor for Norman Jewison—winning an Oscar nomination for his work with the director on 1966’s “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming” and an award proper for best editing for 1967’s […]
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Village of the Damned
I wonder what was going on the media zeitgeist in the early 1960s where two prominent works of media focused on creepy children with terrifying powers. In December 1960 MGM released “Village of the Damned” a big screen adaptation of the 1957 John Wyndham novel “The Midwich Cuckoos.” Then in 1961, Rod Serling’s seminal TV […]
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Queen of Outer Cyclops
Those Cinematic Crate Diggers over at Warner Archive have over the last two years been releasing a number of classic B movie gems on blu-ray. Two of their most recent releases of 1950s sci-fi tinged schlock are 1956’s “The Cyclops” and 1958’s masterpiece of camp “Queen of Outer Space.” Both films from studio Allied Artists, […]
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The Beast With Five Fingers
With October here and Halloween on everyone’s minds, I’ve been trying to squeeze in as many seasons movies as I possibly can. Since it’s going to be a rather movie centric month there in Andyland, it’s also going to be a movie centric month in this column, This week I’d like to tell you about […]
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My Man Godfrey
Director Gregory La Cava’s 1936 film “My Man Godfrey” is often, rightfully, heralded as one of the best screwball comedies ever made. If you’ve never seen “My Man Godfrey” you owe it yourself to check it out. The film’s reputation is well deserved. For one thing, the cast is a dream—it was the first movie […]
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A Descent Into First World Madness
Author’s Note: I wrote this piece back during the summer shortly before The Loafer closed, going through my files last week I had forgotten about this one and wanted to share it with you this week. Despite Summer being over, I hope you’ll still find this one amusing. Thanks! ____________________________ It had been a rowdy […]
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A Matter of Life and Death
The collaborative efforts of British filmmakers Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger are some of the most celebrated films ever made. In their homeland, the films the pair made are often considered to be among the finest film to ever come out of Britain. The pair together shared the credits of producer, writer, and director on […]
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2 Stupid Dogs? 2 Stupid Dogs!
The 1990s is considered to be a golden age for TV animation. Spearheaded by the 1992 debut of Nickelodeon’s animation line up, TV cartoons changed. Gone were the shows designed to sell toys, “Transformers,” “GI Joe,” replacing them were a new wave of creator-driven shows that were smart, funny, and all innovative in their own […]
