Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...Here's a tribute to one of my favorite movies, LAURA (1944), at Greenbriar Picture Shows, filled -- as usual at Greenbriar -- with marvelous photos. I love what John writes about Dana Andrews: "Andrews, in fact, might be the show's best performance, never mind his being less showy than Clifton Webb and others. The man's a whiz with props. Notice what he does with keys --- doesn't twirl, sort of jiggles, and never a same way twice. When DA shows Tierney a newspaper, meant to startle, he jerks the front page for emphasis as he puts it before her face. What Andrews does with his baseball game-toy is Best Actor worthy in itself --- was a prop ever before or since put to such clever use?" This post drew lots of comments which are worth reading too.

...THE TOURIST (2010), which I enjoyed a lot more than most critics, comes to DVD on March 22nd. Since I saw it, I've spoken with a couple other people who also enjoyed it very much. The gulf between critics and at least some of the paying public in regards to this film is interesting.

...I've been enjoying becoming acquainted with the movie blog Happy Thoughts, Darling, including posts on PRETTY BABY (1950), which I recently recorded, and Gary Cooper. Cooper's PETER IBBETSON (1935) sounds very interesting.

...NASCAR has tweaked its rules again. I don't know if the changes will solve what I see as NASCAR's chief problem, that it's become The Jimmie Johnson Show, with Johnson winning the last five titles in a row. That's just plain boring.

...At Out of the Past, Raquelle reviewed the recent biography WARREN WILLIAM: MAGNIFICENT SCOUNDREL OF PRE-CODE HOLLYWOOD and conducted an interesting interview with author John Stangeland. You can also read a review by Cliff. Sounds like a book I need to read!

...Thoughts on director Fritz Lang from the New York Times and Videodrone.

...Service at Deep Discount has been poor in recent months, to the point where I'm uncertain about the wisdom of placing future orders. Turns out the company was sold in November. Based on what I've read, I suspect that some of my purchases from last fall's Deep Discount sale being shipped to me "direct from the manufacturer" were a result of a cash flow/inventory problem. I've also noticed it's hard to find titles which are due out within the next month. In addition, they recently started charging California residents tax; when a shipping charge also popped onto the screen for my last order, bringing the total to within pennies of Amazon's price, I switched my order to Amazon, since they not only arrive more quickly, they make returns of defective products a breeze.

...Time for the next installment of the 100 Greatest Posters of Film Noir at Where Danger Lives. Among Nos. 11 through 20, I especially like THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS and THE LAS VEGAS STORY. CRY VENGEANCE is really nice too. Mark concludes with this note: "I'm pulling lever on the top ten next Friday (Feb. 4) at 5 PM eastern standard time. Be here, the lights are gonna flicker." (February 4th Update: I'll be linking to it this weekend, but in the meantime, here's the link for the Top 10!)

...Here are more beautiful noir posters, for the movies shown at this month's Noir City festival in San Francisco. I'm anxiously awaiting details on the Noir City festival coming to the Egyptian in Hollywood at the end of March and will post info here when it's available.

...Disney artist Kevin Kidney takes us on a fascinating photo tour of the history of Disneyland's Chicken of the Sea pirate ship restaurant in Parts One and Two. I had the opportunity to briefly meet Kevin and receive his autograph at last fall's Destination D: Disneyland '55 event.

...Java writes about Deanna Durbin's I'LL BE YOURS (1947) at The Amazing Deanna Durbin. This remake of THE GOOD FAIRY (1935) is one of the Durbin films remaining on my "to watch" list. (The photo at the left is thanks to the online LIFE photo archive.)

...This week's political links: Dr. Milton Wolf, cousin of the President, on the hundreds of Obamacare waivers passed out on the whim of the Health and Human Services director ("If Obamacare is such a great law, why does the White House keep protecting its best friends from it?"), Byron York on "Rethinking Obama's Political Performance in Tucson," and Daniel Henninger of the Wall Street Journal on "A Presidency to Nowhere."

...Rick29 reviews A SUMMER PLACE (1959) at the Classic Film and TV Cafe. It's been a long time since I saw that one.

...Glenn Erickson just reviewed the Warner Archive release HOTEL (1967), another Rod Taylor movie I'd like to see. I saw a little bit of the '80s TV series when I was in college -- unfortunately it quickly turned into a dull landlocked LOVE BOAT -- but have never seen the movie.

...The For the Love of Film (Noir) Blogathon is just a couple weeks away! It begins on Valentine's Day.

Have a great week!