You know when occasionally you watch a film, and you think it sounds okay, but then it totally exceeds your expectations and you’re just blown away by it? Well, Sunset Boulevard (aka Sunset Blvd.) was just such a film for me. William Holden – who also narrates the film – plays Joe Gillis, a small-time [...]
Archive for February, 2012
Sunset Boulevard
Posted in Film Reviews, tagged acerbic, billy wilder, caustic, film noir, gloria swanson, Hollywood, movie star, nancy olsen erich von stroheim, william holden on February 26, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
‘Painting Ruby Tuesday’ by Jane Yardley
Posted in Book Reviews, tagged childhood, coming of age, dual narration, humour, life, murder, music, mystery, synaesthesia on February 23, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
In 1965, Annie Cradock is a 10 year old girl, living in the quiet village of Muningstock with her strict parents, and spending most of her free time with her best friend and next door neighbour, Babette. When a series of murders rocks the village, and Mrs Clitheroe, a local lady beloved of both Annie [...]
‘To Be Or Not To Be…’ by Liz Evers
Posted in Book Reviews, tagged amusing, clear, concise, interesting, introduction, non-fiction, shakespeare on February 20, 2012 | 1 Comment »
For anybody who has ever thought Shakespeare dull or dry, this book is perfect reading! It gives a brief introduction to Shakespeare’s life and work, and provides a short synopsis of all of his plays. It also provides other interesting information such as words that Shakespeare created (assassination, luggage, moonbeam, cater – to name very [...]
‘Cary Grant: A Biography’ by Marc Eliot
Posted in Book Reviews, tagged biography, cary grant, life, non-fiction on February 15, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Cary Grant was one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood in the mid-20th century. He made 72 films in his career, and was – and is – loved by fans the world over. However, there was another side to Cary Grant. He married five times, experimented with LSD, and was constantly the subject of [...]
Primrose Path
Posted in Film Reviews, tagged alcoholism, drama, family, ginger rogers, henry travers, joel mccrea, love, marjorie rambeau, miles mander, prostitution, queenie vassar on February 13, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
This is quite an appealing, but badly dated film, starring Ginger Rogers and Joel McCrea, neither of who are in the kind of role for which they were famous (Rogers isn’t dancing and McCrea isn’t being a cowboy). Rogers plays Ellie May Adams, a young girl who falls in love with young beach cafe owner [...]
The Purple Plain
Posted in Film Reviews, tagged bernard lee, brenda de banzie, burma, gregory peck, maurice denham, romance, war, win min than, world war 2 on February 13, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
This British made film stars Gregory Peck as Squadron Leader Bill Forrester, stationed in Burma in World War II. Forrester no longer cares whether he lives or dies, after his wife died in a bombing raid. When he visits a missionary’s house in Burma, he feels a connection to a young Burmese woman who lives [...]
‘Carter Beats the Devil’ by Glen David Gold
Posted in Book Reviews, tagged 1920s, biograpy, carter the great, magic, magicians, mystery, president warren harding, vaudeville on February 5, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
At the start of this book, it is 1923, and the acclaimed magician, Carter the Great, puts on a grand show, in which President Harding comes on stage to take part in the final illusion. Hours after the show, the President is dead, and Carter is under suspicion of causing his death, and has to [...]
Casablanca
Posted in Film Reviews, tagged casablanca, claude rains, humphrey bogart, ingrid bergman, paul henreid, romance, world war 2 on February 5, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
This film probably gave its stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman their most famous and celebrated roles. In unoccupied Africa in the early days of World War II, Rick Blaine (Bogart) is a cynical and disillusioned exiled American, who runs a popular gin joint. When Czech underground leader Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid) arrives at his [...]
Operation Petticoat
Posted in Film Reviews, tagged cary grant, comedy, dina merrill, gavin macleod, joan o'brien, submarine, tony curtis, wwii on February 4, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Set in 1941 (and made in 1959), this comedy is about the Captain (Cary Grant) of a newly commissioned submarine, which gets damaged. The Captain insists that he can get it to a dockyard, despite the damage, but as most of his crew are sent elsewhere, he finds himself with a con-man Supplies Officer (Tony [...]
