Around the Blogosphere This Week

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

...The 2023 Classic Film Reading Challenge hosted by Raquel Stecher at Out of the Past has come to an end. She's posted a final roundup of book reviews. I'm very pleased to say that not only was I able to complete the challenge this year, but I was one of the prize winners! I'm excited that Kino Lorber's new Special Edition of FORCE OF EVIL (1948) will be arriving in the near future. Raquel will be scaling back next year and the challenge will be self-directed. I'm very appreciative of all the time and effort she's put into hosting the reading challenge over the years!

...Toby Roan, author of A MILLION FEET OF FILM: THE MAKING OF ONE-EYED JACKS, has announced he will be providing the commentary track for ONE-EYED JACKS (1961) for Viavision Imprint's upcoming collection of Marlon Brando films. It will be released in late December.

...Coming in December from the Criterion Collection: THE RED BALLOON (1956), a rainy day staple of Southern California classrooms when I was growing up.

...The Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture has debuted a James Garner exhibit featuring items donated by the Oklahoma native's family. Garner's daughter Gigi was among those recently celebrating the exhibit.

...Powerhouse Indicator has announced a quartet of great-looking releases for December 11th: HONOR AMONG LOVERS (1931), AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY (1931), LOVE ME TONIGHT (1932), and DESIRE (1936). They're loaded with great extras which are likely to make anyone who already owns any of these titles consider "double-dipping."

...Marco Lopez, a regular on TV's EMERGENCY! in the '70s, will be visiting the Los Angeles County Fire Museum in October. Last year I attended a wonderful 50th anniversary tribute to the series hosted by the museum in Cerritos.

...A Kickstarter campaign is underway for 1920s AESOP'S FABLES cartoons, which will be released by ClassicFlix.

...Hallmark has unveiled details of its 2023 Christmas slate, which will include a whopping 42 films. Details available at Variety and Entertainment Weekly. Among the good-looking films are A BILTMORE CHRISTMAS (2023), A MERRY SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS (2023), CHRISTMAS IN NOTTING HILL (2023), HOLIDAY HOTLINE (2023), A NOT SO ROYAL CHRISTMAS (2023), and HAUL OUT THE HOLLY: LIT UP (2023), a sequel to last year's popular HAUL OUT THE HOLLY (2022).

...VCI Entertainment, which has released numerous DVDs I've purchased over the years, has just launched a streaming service.

...Speaking of streaming, Amazon plans to start running commercials on its service in early 2024. Skipping commercials will require an extra fee. Is it just me or is streaming turning into cable TV? Between services adding commercials and significantly reducing content, I'm certainly glad I'm not among those who jettisoned their DVD collections for the "convenience" of streaming, in the belief that "everything" would one day be available to stream. The reality has proven to be far different.

...Recent film reviews: CineSavant Glenn Erickson has reviewed the new Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray release of THE BROADWAY MELODY (1929), which he says is "historically priceless." Look for a review here in the near future...At Comet Over Hollywood Jessica reviews a Deanna Durbin favorite, MAD ABOUT MUSIC (1938)...John McElwee of Greenbriar Picture Shows looks at Durbin's HERS TO HOLD (1943), costarring Joseph Cotten...Toby reviewed Johnny Mack Brown in COLORADO AMBUSH (1951) at 50 Westerns From the 50s. It's part of the Warner Archive Collection's Monogram Cowboy Collection, Volume 4...and at Riding the High Country Colin reviews RIVER LADY (1948), starring Yvonne De Carlo, Dan Duryea, and Rod Cameron.

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please check out my September 16th roundup.

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