Jerry Frebowitz | Talkin' The Oldies
Here are 10 trivia facts about Inherit The Wind from 1960, which originally appeared as our Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are hundreds of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about this movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. Betrayal was a subplot of the film.
In the movie, Bertram Cates is engaged to Rev. Brown's daughter, and Matthew Brady used the relationship to manipulate her to give damaging testimony at the trial. Those scenes are entirely fictional. The real-life John Scopes (portrayed as biology teacher Cates in the film) reportedly was not engaged nor did he have a girlfriend at the time of his trial.
2. This movie was filmed in black and white.
Although today it is almost unheard of to make a movie that isn't in color, it was very common in the 1950s and 60s. Some people still prefer it.
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George D. Allen and Irv Slifkin | Movie Buzz, Movie Buzz Podcast
Who goes there? Why, none other than Ghouly Irv, back to review another 10 years of terror! Which decade will the Weird Wheel dictate to be worth your attention? Tune in for another round of trivia with your humble horror host:
Never fear, fans of the fiendish! If you missed the Ghouly One's appraisals of the 1980s and the 1940s, or his charming romp through kid-themed fright flicks (with two very special guest stars), you need only click Pieces of Terror-ific Trivia, House of Terror-ific Trivia, or Ghouly Kids, and the malevolent mirth can continue!
George D. Allen | Staff Notes
There are Star Wars people, and Star Trek people. Some people dig Bugs Bunny; others love Mickey Mouse. There’s DC folks, and those who Make Theirs Marvel. There’s the “boxers” crowd…and the “briefs” bunch. Red states. Blue states. You may have heated debates over any (or none) of these ways of seeing the world, but most of the time, the stakes of these discussions aren’t as very high as they might initially seem.
There are those who think humanity is worth preserving, and those who believe we ought to self-destruct our way back into a feral wasteland. That’s the discussion that takes place in Irwin Allen’s first live-action feature film, The Story of Mankind.
And that discussion is a hoot and a half!
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Brian Sieck | Staff Notes
There’s something I need to get off my chest. Recently, the late legend Bruce Lee’s Enter The Dragon was on AMC, and it got me to thinking that I couldn’t remember the last recent film I saw that featured a really intense and fantastic hand-to-hand combat scene. Now, I hate to be a guy who says, “They don’t make ‘em like they used to,” and in fairness I’ve yet to see films such as Fighting and Never Back Down, but honestly I don’t really have interest in them, as I’ve convinced myself that they can’t really be good. After all, they’re actually just cheap knockoffs of Rocky, The Karate Kid, etc. I know that doesn’t necessarily mean the fight sequences can’t be good, but I’m just not excited about Channing Tatum as an action star. In fact, it seems there are very few bona fide fight stars these days. I’ve never really been a Jackie Chan fan (After all, he’s an stuntman first, and a martial artist second), and while Liam Neeson had some great scenes in Taken, there wasn’t really anything extended in the way of fisticuffs. Anyway, my point is that I really had to reach back a little bit to come up with something decent.
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guest-blogs | FanFare Guests
Guest blogger Kimberly Clay writes:
Every month I show an old movie to a bunch of twentysomethings (like me). Sometimes it goes over well and other times...not so well. So I thought I'd put together a list of the movies that have been well received by my friends who share my generation in case you're ever in this situation. Granted, your pals may still make fun of these films and not fully understand their brilliance, but some movies are so good that even the hippest young adults can forgive their corniness.
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Irv Slifkin | Coming Attractions, TV Tip Sheet
Sommers Time: Fans have long been clamoring for the DVD release of the adventures of Jamie Sommers, and now they will get it withThe Bionic Woman: Season One. In this successful spin-off from The Six Million Dollar Man, Linsday Wagner plays the title role, a tennis pro and former fiancée of cyborg hero Steve Austin (Lee Majors) , who gets her own artificial parts after a crippling skydiving accident. Now endowed with super strength, super hearing and super speed, Jamie poses as a schoolteacher but takes on secret government assignments on the side. Richard Anderson and Martin E. Brooks also star in the series which ran on ABC from 1976, then on NBC until 1978. Audio commentary and other goodies are promised.
Dysfunction Junction: One of the most acclaimed network shows of recent years, Modern Family: The Complete First Season is a laugh-filled junket through contemporary parenting and family relations. The focus is on three different (though interlocked) family units and the crises they face, which range from multi-cultural romance, gay relationship issues, adoption and more. The terrific ensemble cast includes Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen. All 24 episodes from the series’ 2009 bow on ABC are here, along with lots of extra goodies.
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guest-blogs | FanFare Guests
Guest blogger Watching Hammer writes:
"See why you never break down in the woods! See why you never stay at the creepy inn! See why you never, ever, go up to the castle! See..." Kiss of the Vampire (1963)
Who? Director: Don Sharp.
Producer: Anthony Hinds.
Screenplay: John Elder.
Cast: Clifford Evans, Edward de Souza, Noel Willman, Jennifer Daniel, Barry Warren, Brian Oulton, Noel Howlett, Jacquie Wallis, Peter Madden, Isobel Black, Vera Cook, John Harvey.
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Jay Steinberg | This Week In Film History
July 28, 1928: Encouraged by the response to the few minutes of sound in The Jazz Singer, Warner Bros. releases Lights of New York, the first all-talking picture.
July 31, 1928: Audiences first hear MGM mascot Leo the Lion's mighty roar with the studio's first sound film, White Shadows in the South Seas.
July 28, 1948: Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi play the Wolf Man and Dracula, respectively, for the last time onscreen in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
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Chris Cummins | New Releases This Week
MovieFanfare: New DVD Releases
Another week, another batch of amazing DVD and Blu-ray releases. Let's see what new notable new offerings are now available!
Sgt. Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show: The First Season
Originally known as "You'll Never Get Rich" and then "The Phil Silvers Show," the granddaddy of all military sitcoms aired on CBS from 1955-1959. Silvers starred as con artist supreme Master Sgt. Ernie Bilko, who turns Fort Baxter into his personal base of operations for one get-rich-quick scheme after another. Harvey Lembeck, Joe E. Ross, and Maurice Gosfield as Pvt. Doberman were among the members of Bilko's platoon, and Paul Ford played the camp commander. All 34 episodes from the debut season--including "New Recruits," "The Eating Contest," "Bilko's Transfer," "Army Memoirs," and "Bilko on Wall Street"--are featured in this five-disc set.
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Chris Cummins | Movie Music Video
Although 1986's Big Trouble in Little China underperformed at the box office during its theatrical run, the film has deservedly gone on to become a huge cult success. The film's enduring appeal can be credited to John Carpenter's taut direction, Kurt Russell's blustery performance as the John Wayne-esque Jack Burton and a smart script that mixes elements of comedy, kung fu schlock and sci-fi. Upon viewing this flick, only the most unreasonable amongst you would deny that Carpenter is a masterful director. But a decent singer? Not so much. Just take a look at this video from his band/vanity project The Coupe de Villes:
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Jerry Frebowitz | Staff Notes
Here are 10 trivia facts about Bye Bye Birdie from 1963, which originally appeared as our Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are hundreds of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about the movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. Most of this movie takes place in a small town.
The little town of Sweet Apple, Ohio is where most of the action take place. Kim McAfee was the lucky teenager chosen to kiss Conrad Birdie on The Ed Sullivan Show.
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