Thursday, May 23, 2024
Carrie
- Commentary: Under construction.
Can you believe I have never seen this movie all the way through, of a piece? I've watched scenes from it here and there, usually in a program about movies and/or horror movies, but I've never seen "the whole thing". I can't even remember why I thought of it this morning when I was doing some clean-up of many of my recent entries in this journal.
You don't have to look far, as it turns out, to find a very cheap, unused copy of it. It doesn't seem to be very popular, at the moment. So, I purchased it to add to my "horror" collection, on which I've been concentrating, lately. And, of course, now that I've been reminded of it, I'm very curious about it.
So far, all I've learned about it is that it isn't considered "folk-horror". In addition, I've learned more than a little about what distinguishes "folk-horror" (which I've added as a subject label over there to the left) from just plain "horror". It seems, unless I'm misunderstanding everything I've read this morning, the main differences between the two categories is that folk-horror seems to require a rural setting and attributes "evil" to the setting, rather than to people. "Carrie", of course, does not take place in a rural setting and, if I'm recalling correctly, the "evil" resides within a person, although from what little I know about the movie, it seems to me that an argument can be made for Piper Laurie, who plays Carrie's mother, being the source of the "evil" and Carrie merely being in possession of a neutral talent and a victim of domestic abuse.
I'll clean up this post, add links and think and write more (about lots of things regarding horror/folk-horror) when I've watched the film, of course, and satisfied myself, as well, that nobody considers this movie an example of folk-horror.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Sissy Spacek Carrie White Amy Irving Sue Snell William Katt Tommy Ross Nancy Allen Chris Hargensen John Travolta Billy Nolan Betty Buckley Miss Collins P. J. Soles Norma Sydney Lassick Mr. Fromm Stefan Gierasch Mr. Morton Priscilla Pointer Mrs. Snell Piper Laurie Margaret White Edie McClurg Helen Shyres
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1976
Directed by Brian de Palma.
Labels: brian-de-palma, horror3, john-travolta, nancy-allen, piper-laurie, sissy-spacek
Friday, July 15, 2022
The Thorn Birds
- Commentary: I haven't watched this series, yet. I'm expecting to receive it today (7/15/22). I have to mention, though, despite its continued popularity, no film critics considered "accomplished" by film media reviewed this series; not then (back in the 1980's) and not now, despite the high caliber talent engaged, the fact that it continues to be lauded as the second most popular mini-series in history (the first one being Roots) and, besides these, it won several major awards. Even its Wikipedia write-up dispensed with its usual "Reception" section on this movie, although it did include a stocked Awards section, of which, might I add, this production was nominated for and won several. Despite this, I had to scrounge to find two reviews, one attached to the title of this post and the other here, written on the occasion of the release of the DVD of the series in 2004. Both are excellent and informative. If you read reviews of video media, you'll appreciate both. In addition, the DVD version I'll be receiving includes a "Commemorative Documentary" that I can barely wait to watch.
The above linked reviews, despite the fact that I'll be receiving a few more DVDs/Blu-Rays in the same package, guarantee that this series will be the first into which I dive. I find it so incredibly curious that no "critic of prominence" wanted to weigh in on this series. I suspect I will discover why top tier critics were afraid to review this series (even though I'd put good money on the proposition that all of them saw it) and that it will have something to do with being afraid of somehow getting their minds dirty. I mean, a mini-series about a priest falling in love with a woman ... starring the likes of Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward, Christopher Plummer, the list goes on and on ... somehow, I can imagine lots of critics cringing, shaking their hands frantically and squealing, "Eew!"
So, Dear Reader, stay tuned. Although this post remains "Under construction", I'll be completing and polishing it soon.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Richard Chamberlain Ralph de Bricassart Rachel Ward Adult Meggie Cleary Sydney Penny Child Meggie Cleary Barbara Stanwyck Mary Carson Richard Kiley Paddy Cleary Jean Simmons Fee Cleary Bryan Brown Luke O'Neill Mare Winningham Justine O'Neill Philip Anglim Dane O'Neill Ken Howard Rainer Hartheim John Friedrich Frank Cleary Dwier Brown Adult Stuart Cleary Vidal Peterson Child Stuart Cleary Piper Laurie Anne Mueller Earl Holliman Luddie Mueller Christopher Plummer Archbishop Vittorio di Contini-Verchese Brett Cullen Bob Cleary Stephen W. Burns Jack Cleary Barry Corbin Pete Holly Palance Miss Carmichael John de Lancie Alastair MacQueen Allyn Ann McLerie Mrs. Smith Richard Venture Harry Gough Antoinette Bower Sarah MacQueen
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1983
Directed by Daryl Duke.
Labels: §4, barbara-stanwyck, christopher-plummer, coming-of-age2, erotic, jean-simmons, john-de-lancie, period7, piper-laurie, religion2, spiritual2, TV3
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Touched by an Angel, Seasons 1 - 9
- Who's watched: M & G, ad infinitum
- Mentions: *1* *2* *3* *4* *5* *6* *7*
- Commentary: For the most complete coverage of this series in our lives, best for you to click into the first Mention, above. Otherwise, suffice it to say that, as of this date, I still haven't been able to watch any of the episodes of this series (as I haven't since my mother's death), but refuse to pass these DVDs on to someone else.
* As usual, while there are many directors throughout the seasons, female directors are merely scattered throughout. In fact, the first season had no female directors. I guess that figures, since it's a series underhandedly about the Abrahamic God.
P. S.: I recall that there are at at least a couple of Christmas stories in this set ... I just don't know which episodes they are.
Update 2/10/18: True, not your classic super-hero series but, don't you agree, the angels act miraculously and certainly have what humans would consider super-powers. And, they help people and, in a few episodes, do battle with Satan, their nemesis. What could be more super-heroic than that?!?
Update 5/24/22: Yet another post published on 4/09/09 that "disappeared" and I had to recapture.
Update 11/24/22: In case you're curious, the Touched by an Angel episode in which Kirk Douglas acted was season 6-episode 18, "Bar Mitzvah".
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Roma Downey Monica Della Reese Tess John Dye Andrew Valerie Bertinelli Gloria Alexis Cruz Rafael Charles Rocket Adam Paul Winfield Sam Cloris Leachman Ruth
Ossie Davis appeared as Erasmus Jones in "Touched by an Angel" Season 3/Episodes 11 "Promised Land" & 12 "The Homecoming"; "Touched by an Angel" Season 4 Episode 1 "The Road Home Part 1"; Season 5 Episode 2 "Saving Grace Part 1"
Ossie Davis appeared as Gabe in "Touched by an Angel" Season 6 Episode 10 "The Christmas Gift"
Ossie Davis appeared as Gabriel in "Touched by an Angel" Season 9 Episode 9 "Remembering Me Part 2"
Piper Laurie appeared in Touched by an Angel, Season 4/Episode 12, "Venice"
John de Lancie appeared in Touched by an Angel, Season 4/Episode 5, "Jones vs. God"
Nancy Allen appeared in Touched by an Angel, Season 1/Episode 7, "An Unexpected Snow"
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1994-2003
Directed by: See * note above.
Labels: Christmas, edward-james-olmos, enrique-castillo, fantasy2, female-director3, jesse-borrego, john-de-lancie, kirk-douglas, mom-favorite1, nancy-allen, ossie-davis, piper-laurie, spiritual1, william-devane
