Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...I rarely patronize Starbucks, but I never miss buying their annual Christmas mix CD, which always has a nice blend of well-chosen tracks. This year's CD includes songs by Crosby, Martin, Cole, Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Lee, Day, and even Julie London. (Click the title of this post for more details.) I'll be picking it up later today.

...Mark Steyn's centennial tribute to Johnny Mercer was published this week by Maclean's.

...TV Shows on DVD reports that the new BBC version of EMMA comes to DVD in the U.S. on February 9, 2010.

...The Wall Street Journal has posted an informative article on the unelected 15-member commission which would be responsible for rationing medical care under a Senate plan.

...Here's an interview with editor Ruth Reichl about life after the shutdown of Gourmet magazine.

...California has gone ahead with its ban on the sale of big-screen TVs, which takes effect a little over a year from now, with even more stringent rules going into effect in 2013. It's estimated that 75% of big-screen TVs currently on the market will be banned from legal sale in California as of 2013. California's government seems determined to kill the economy on the one hand, while refusing to face up to the need for more energy sources on the other. The government would rather restrict its citizens' freedom that create more energy.

...Sandra Bullock's new movie THE BLIND SIDE sounds really good. It's from John Lee Hancock, the director of THE ROOKIE (2002).

...Forbes analyzes whether Fox News Channel is truly "fair and balanced" in an interesting by-the-numbers article.

...Fred Barnes has a good piece on President Obama's inability to grasp economics and his disdain for business.

...Katie is gradually posting a list of her favorite 100 films of the '30s at Obscure Classics. I particularly enjoyed her thoughts on LOVERS COURAGEOUS (1932), which I reviewed here, and HISTORY IS MADE AT NIGHT (1937), reviewed by me here.

...Wish I had time to check out this interesting 1939 Festival at UCLA...they are showing some lesser-known films from Hollywood's Golden Year, including Deanna Durbin's FIRST LOVE, Ginger Rogers' 5TH AVE GIRL, and Tyrone Power's JESSE JAMES. They're also screening John Farrow's FIVE CAME BACK, a very creepy film which made a big impression when I first saw it as a teen at the L.A. County Museum of Art. (It was later remade as BACK FROM ETERNITY with Robert Ryan.)

...REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940) is a Christmas film which has been rediscovered by many film fans over the past couple of years, thanks to screenings on TCM. The movie, which stars Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray, is now available on DVD as part of TCM's new Universal on Demand program. The movie is remastered and has extras. I'm definitely interested in adding this to our shelf of Christmas movies.

...The Classic Maiden is reviewing some of Claudette Colbert's early films. I'd sure like to see SECRETS OF A SECRETARY (1931), costarring Herbert Marshall.

...The 8th Annual San Francisco Film Noir Festival is coming in January. Details here. The scheduled films include a restored print of Dick Powell's CRY DANGER (1951).

Have a great weekend!