Tag: Steve McQueen

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Six Films Six Decades Blogathon

For the last several years, I’ve enjoyed participating in the blogathons hosted by Rick at Classic Film & TV Cafe to celebrate National Classic Movie Day. This year, Rick’s theme is six favorite movies in six different decades.

This may be among the most difficult choices I’ve yet made for his blogathons. Only one favorite film per decade? Gahh!! I’m not known for being particular about favorites and always have a hard time narrowing down for lists like this.

Hence why I decided to focus on favorites which may not be as famous as others I might have featured. Continue reading “Six Films Six Decades Blogathon”

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Classics for Comfort – Five Films That Help Me Survive the Crazy

During this challenging season, The Classic Movie Blog Association is hosting the Classics for Comfort Blogathon and asking participants to recommend  five movies that “soothe and comfort” us. And even though I’m not a member of CMBA, I was so inspired I decided to unofficially participate.

My time and mental energy has been limited by personal and national events this past couple of months. And while I have many coping mechanisms, classic films have always been one of my main sources of comfort when life gets to be too much.

It would be very easy to fill my list exclusively with Cary Grant, William Powell, or Ernst Lubitsch films, blockbuster hits such as Gone With the Wind or Casablanca, gloriously colorful and larger than life musicals such as My Fair Lady or Seven Brides for Seven Brothers or even other film favorites I’ve written about regularly here on my site.  But I wanted to challenge myself a bit to look beyond the obvious.

So I’ve tried to include titles that may not be the first to come to mind, but which still help me survive the crazy of real life. Continue reading “Classics for Comfort – Five Films That Help Me Survive the Crazy”

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Classic Film Review -Soldier in the Rain (1963)

SUMMARY

Supply Sgt. Eustis Clay (Steve McQueen) idolizes his friend and superior Master Sgt. Maxwell Slaughter (Jackie Gleason). The two men couldn’t be more different in temperament, personality or skills. Eustis is the male version of a dumb blonde. He is not the brightest of men, but has no problem running swindles, even if Maxwell often has to rescue him from trouble. Eustis never fails to scrounge up hard to find items for himself and Slaughter. He is also always full of new ideas of how he and Max can make “a million, maybe even a billion” dollars rather easily. Eustis is close to retiring from the army and desperately wants his friend to join him in an idyllic civilian life. As he tells Slaughter, “Max with your brains, and my ideas…”

In contrast, Slaughter is an Army lifer and has no desire to leave his only family. However, Eustis won’t take no for an answer. To that end he fixes his buddy up with the beautiful but very young and ignorant Bobby Jo Pepperdine(Tuesday Weld).  Slaughter is not so easily convinced, especially since Bobby Jo is half his age. When she calls him Fatty and a host of other cruel names,  it brings up all his past insecurities.

However, time is running out for Eustis and Slaughter’s friendship and Eustis is determined. He can not imagine life without Maxwell in it. Through thick and thin these friends stick together and balance each other out.

Continue reading “Classic Film Review -Soldier in the Rain (1963)”

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Documentary Review -Steve McQueen:American Icon (2017)

So, if you have hung around my blog for any length of time, you will know that I have been on a Steve McQueen kick this last year. I’ve slowly been working my way through his filmography. And although I have yet to read a full biography of his life, I have been reading up on him.

So, when I heard Fathom Events was hosting a special screening of a new documentary on McQueen I was thrilled. When I heard that it was produced by Pastor/Evangelist Greg Laurie and that the intention of the film was to share McQueen’s story of conversion to Christianity, I was intrigued. Continue reading “Documentary Review -Steve McQueen:American Icon (2017)”

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Classic Film Review -Love with the Proper Stranger (1963)

Many, many years ago I saw Love with the Proper Stranger on television. I’ve been wanting to see it again ever since. Sadly, it is rarely aired.

I remember loving Love with the Proper Stranger although I couldn’t tell you much about it. I recalled the basic story line and of course am slightly in love with both Natalie Wood and Steve McQueen who play the main characters. Who wouldn’t like a movie with Natalie and Steve in it? They are both beautiful and talented and even if movie was sub-par, I could stare at them all day. Continue reading “Classic Film Review -Love with the Proper Stranger (1963)”

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Steve McQueen Mini-Reviews

As I mentioned in a prior post, Steve McQueen is an anomaly for me. As most would agree, he is the epitome of cool, so I want to love his films and yet the few pictures of his I had seen left me underwhelmed. This year, that changed.

Originally, I was planning on writing longer individual reviews of each of the following films. But as it has been several months since I’ve watched a few of them, some of the details have faded and left me more with my overall impressions.

The Honeymoon Machine -1961  

Lieutenant Ferguson (McQueen) and his civilian scientist friend decide to exploit a navy computer called Max in a get rich quick scheme involving a Venice casino, while trying to avoid their Admiral who is staying in the same hotel and romancing two women, one of whom is the Admiral’s daughter.

This is a breezy ninety minute caper comedy which may not be one of McQueen’s best films technically but sure is entertaining. McQueen played so many dramatic roles that it is nice to see him in lighter fare. The funniest scenes are of Signalman Burford Taylor who becomes an unwitting and very drunk co-conspirator. Continue reading “Steve McQueen Mini-Reviews”

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Film Year 2016 in Review

I’m almost ashamed to admit that by my count I watched over one hundred films in the past year. That is not including made for television movies (I’m looking at you Hallmark.) Most of those were classic films, but I did manage to see a few new releases.

Here is a rundown on my film year.

In 2016 I saw the following new releases:

Of these films, the only one I didn’t enjoy was Hail Caesar. I was very disappointed as this was a movie I was eagerly awaiting due to its story about classic Hollywood. I’m a fan of series or sequels as long as the story is entertaining so I enjoyed Greek Wedding 2, Civil War and Jason Bourne.  It was great to be introduced to a new Jane Austen story in Love and Friendship and I thought the new Ben-Hur was interesting. Continue reading “Film Year 2016 in Review”