#Liz Smith

[eccentricks]

From “Life Isn’t Everything: Mike Nichols as remembered by 150 of his closest friends.”

[yourdailyqueer]

Liz Smith (deceased)

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual

DOB: 23 February 1923 

RIP: 12 November 2017

Ethnicity: White - American

Occupation: Journalist, writer

Note: Was once reportedly the highest paid print journalist in the United States.

[candle-1-1-shine]

Quote of the Day

“You can’t build a reputation on what you intend to do”

Liz Smith

[twixnmix]

Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, Liz Smith, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and André Gregory during an AIDS benefit at the Javits Center in New York City on April 29, 1986.  

[georgefairbrother]

Merry Christmas, My Arse!

(A clip from the 1999 Royle Family Christmas special)

Also remembering Liz Smith (Nanna), born 11th December, 1921; passed away 24th December, 2016.

And Caroline Aherne (Royle Family co-creator, writer and Denise), born 24th December, 1963. She passed away in 2016 aged 52.

[abs0luteb4stard]

W A T C H I N G

[letterboxd-loggd]

A Private Function (1984) Malcolm Mowbray

October 28th 2024

[augustusaugustus]

14.78 Sucking Eggs

An elderly woman is burgled and Don pulls out all the stops to help her, dragging a bemused Jim along. Guest starring the amazing Liz Smith and the episode wouldn’t have worked nearly as well without her.

[mikesfilmtalk]

Keeping Mum (2005): A Chip Off the Old Block

The 2005 dark British comedy Keeping Mum, originally known as “Trunk,” could have been titled “A Chip Off the Old Block.” I decided to rewatch this in honour of the passing of Dame Maggie Smith on September 26. It is just about my favourite character of hers and her work here is beyond superb. I am deviating from my regular template for this short labour of love. Please read on. The Cast Dame…

[gameofthunder66]

'High Spirits' (1988) film

-watched 7/9/2024- 3 [1/4] stars- on Tubi (free)

31% Rotten Tomatoes

[citizenscreen]

“So live that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.”

- Liz Smith, birthday remembrance #botd

[adamwatchesmovies]

A Christmas Carol (1984)

There are many adaptations of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol to choose from for your Holiday Christmas marathon. Many consider this 1984 version by Clive Donner the one to go with. If you ask me, no Christmas season is complete without viewing either Alastair Sim or George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge.

Ebenezer Scrooge (Scott) is a bitter miser who considers the ideals and spirit of Christmas pure humbug. He hesitates to give his underpaid assistant Bob Cratchit (David Warner) the day off and scoffs at his nephew Fred (Roger Rees) when he suggests a holiday dinner. One cold Christmas Eve, the ghost of Scrooge's former partner Jacob Marley (Frank Finlay) appears to him with a warning "You will soon be visited by three spirits, heed their counsel and change your ways or risk an eternity of suffering."

Though originally made for television, this is a top-notch production. The locations/sets transport you to 1843 London like a Ghost of Christmas Past and the costumes all look authentic. The stage is set and George C. Scott is perfect for his role. One look at the actor and you can practically see every time he's rolled his eyes at the concept of charity. He delivers the over-the-top dialogue like it was written for him but Scott also grounds the story in reality. It makes the drama that follows that much more powerful. Scrooge is a miserable, horrible person… but he’s still a person. His journey through the many Christmases the ghosts take him through rouses intense emotions.

So much of what makes this story endure is the message. Christmas is a joyous time, but it can be scary under certain lights. That uniformly white blanket over everything, the bare branches swaying in the frigid wind, the shortening days, the cold… the idea of ghosts emerging from the darkness just fits. These fears are juxtaposed by this renewed hope of salvation, the explosion of generosity and the potential for miracles. A Christmas Carol taps into all of those sentiments. There are talks of gifts but no commercialism. It’s about the importance of relationships with loved ones and what you must do to keep them close to you. That's not to say any adaptation is a hit; the cast and the production's dedication make this a special rendition of the timeless story.

There’s only one flaw with the film: the portrayal of the Spirit of Christmas Past by Angela Pleasence. It isn’t her performance; it’s that unless you know what the movie is trying to do, she'll leave you scratching your head. She’s supposed to be candle-like: a light that could easily be put out (which is why we see Scrooge extinguish her with his cap). You can't tell unless you already know. Otherwise, everything you want to see in this story is there. The comedy of a miser so cheap he won’t even spend money to keep himself comfortable, the drama over lost love and seeing a heart grow cold, the warmth of redemption and the horror of the ghosts. As a child, I distinctly remember seeing the Ghost of Christmas Present (Edward Woodward) showing off Scrooge’s “children” to him and finding it terrifying.

It’s easy to become bitter around Christmas. Even if you don’t feel like the true meaning of the holiday has eroded, there’s so much pressure and so many high expectations that are rarely met. 1984's A Christmas Carol is the perfect remedy for any bitter sentiments. Whether you see yourself as Ebenezer Scrooge and need to be shown the error of your ways or you’re his nephew and need your faith in others renewed, this is the movie for you. Its final scene always brings tears to my eyes. (December 14, 2020)

[kwebtv]

 A Christmas Carol  -  TNT  -  December 5, 1999

A Hallmark Entertainment Production

Running Time:  95 minutes

Stars:

Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge

Richard E. Grant as Bob Cratchit

Joel Grey as Spirit of Christmas Past

Ian McNeice as Albert Fezziwig 

Saskia Reeves as Mrs. Cratchit

Desmond Barrit as Spirit of Christmas Present

Bernard Lloyd as Jacob Marley's Ghost

Dominic West as Fred

Trevor Peacock as Old Joe

Liz Smith as Mrs. Dilber (Charwoman)

Elizabeth Spriggs as Mrs. Riggs (Laundress)

Kenny Doughty as Young Ebenezer Scrooge

Laura Fraser as Belle

Celia Imrie as Mrs. Bennett

John Franklyn-Robbins as Mister Crump (Undertaker)

Claire Slater as Martha Cratchit

Ben Tibber as Tiny Tim Cratchit

Barnaby Francis as Young Boy Cratchit

Tabitha Francis as Young Girl Cratchit

Tim Potter as Spirit of Christmas Future

Jeremy Swift as Mr. Williams

Rosie Wiggins as Fran (Scrooge's sister)

Crispin Letts as Topper Haines

Helen Coker as Betsy

[motionpicture-lover]

"Separate Tables" (1983) - John Schlesinger

Films I've watched in 2023 (4/?)

Full film can be found here on Archive.org (it's a compilation post of several obscure television films individually uploaded.) The image quality isn't the best, but it is very well worth the watch!

[will80sbyers]

CITY OF EMBER (2008) the main cast

[ulrichgebert]

Ein Psychopathischer Serienmörder treibt sein Unwesen, hurrah! In Buenos Aires und unter Cineasten. Als erstes läuft Touch of Evil, zwischen Colin Firth und seinem neuen Untermieter Hart Borchner ist alles latent sehr homoerotisch und Dora Bryan spielt mit. Das hätte ich ja nun schon längst mal anschauen sollen.