Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most famous directors in film history. His name is synonymous with the suspense genre and very few people would not recognize it. HIs artistry and mastery are legendary. I’m not here to discuss the finer details or technical aspects of his films. I will leave that to those more knowledgable. But I am a fan. While I’m still working my way through his filmography, I would like to share with you my personal favorites. Continue reading “The Alfred Hitchcock Blogathon -My Favorite Hitchcock Films”
Television Series -Father Brown (2013 -)
Loosely based on the book series written by G.K. Chesterton, this newest television reincarnation updates the setting to the village of Kembleford in the Cotswolds district during the 1950’s. One of the few thing that remains true to the books is the character of Father Brown himself.
SUMMARY
The Father is a rather unassuming character with a keenly intuitive mind. Although he is dedicated to his religious calling, he can’t help but be snagged by his sharp attention to detail along with his exceptional insights into human nature. This compels him into a secondary vocation as a self-appointed investigator whenever a crime, usually a murder, is committed in Kembleford.
In some ways, he resembles his counterpart Sydney Chambers in another period mystery series, Grantchester. Both Sydney and the Father feel a loving responsibility to those in their parish, while their curious minds and sharp observations compel them to solve the deviant actions of human nature. However, unlike Sydney, Father Brown is no friend of the local police investigator(s) who find his meddling outside of the church as a nuisance and potential threat. And while Sydney tends to use deductive reasoning, Father Brown usually discovers his perpetrators through intuition.
He is possibly the least judgmental character I have seen on the small screen, while still encouraging parishioners and criminals alike to live according to religious principles. And although he is always invested in finding the perpetrator of crime, it is not so that he can bring them to justice, but so that he can urge them to make it right themselves.
For the rest of my review, please follow me over to The Silver Petticoat Review.
Book Review -The Mark of the King
SUMMARY
The year is 1720. In Mark of the King French midwife Julianne finds herself unjustly convicted of murder. Branded and married off to a fellow convict, she is shipped off to the primitive French outpost of New Orleans, where a delicate balance exists between the natives and the settlers.
One ray of hope in her exile is Julianne’s hope of finding her brother, a soldier who had been sent with the army to New Orleans. Another silver lining is the French military officer Marc-Paul who takes a special interest in making sure she is protected in a colony where she is marked as a criminal.
But conditions in New Orleans are difficult at best. Tensions run high with the threat of starvation and war ever present. Will Julianne find the answers she seek? Will she ever overcome the king’s brand marking her as a criminal?
Classic Film Review -Gone With the Wind
THE CLASSIC AMERICAN EPIC
What can be said about Gone With the Wind which hasn’t already been said? This epic novel by Margaret Mitchell was immediately popular upon its’ release and has remained so for decades. In fact, in recent years a Harris Poll declared it to be second only to the Bible as Americans’ favorite book and is still considered a best-seller. To this day, its’ characters, themes and portrayal of racism and the history of the Old South are topics of much debate.
GONE WITH THE WIND – THE STORY
For anyone unfamiliar with Gone With the Wind, it is the story of spoiled, Southern belle Scarlett O’Hara. Is is also a romanticized history of the South during the years of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Scarlett is one of the best anti-heroines in literature and film. Similar to Becky Sharp of Vanity Fair, she is willful, selfish and uses her considerable charm and intellect to achieve her desires regardless of the cost to to others. She could also be considered a feminist icon for her fierce independence. She becomes the de facto head of her family and also owns and operates her own business.
Follow me over to The Silver Petticoat Review for the rest of my review for this beloved film.
Book Review – High as the Heavens
SUMMARY
In High as the Heavens Evelyn March has endured her fair share of tragedy. She’s lost much of her family, including her husband during WWI. Eve is also a survivor with terrible secrets that cripple her with guilt as she goes about her job as a British nurse working with the Red Cross in the enemy occupied territory of Brussels. But Eve is not all that she seems. At night she carries out high risk missions for the Belgian underground resistance to assist the Allies in defeating the German occupiers.
British pilot Simon Forrester is on his way to meet with a contact of the resistance when his plane crashes and he is injured. Eve is stunned to recognize a familiar face from home and makes it her mission to care for and protect this link to her past at great risk to herself. But Eve is also determined to protect her own secrets as Simon begins to dig into memories which have left her shattered. At the same time Eve and Simon must work together to expose a deadly double agent within their ranks while both of them also continue in their own private side missions.
Top Ten Tuesday -My Favorite Book Heroes
The ladies at The Broke and the Bookish who generally host Top Ten Tuesday are on a summer hiatus. So, I came up with my own topic this week. And since, it’s my choice, I decided not to stick to just ten. Today, you’re in luck because I’m sharing my very favorite book heroes with you.
I have also tried to include the author’s inspiration for each of these heroes. Where that information is not available, I’ve added the images brought to my mind when reading about these heroes.