#vincent van dyke

[hotvintagepoll]

Congrats to the ultimate winner of the Hot & Vintage Movie Men Tournament, Mr. Toshiro Mifune! May he live happily and well where the sun always shines, enjoying the glories of a battle hard fought.

A loving farewell to all of our previous contestants, who are now banished to the shadow realm and all its dark joys and whispered horrors—I hear there's a picnic on the village green today. If you want to remember the fallen heroes, you can find them all beneath the cut.

What happens next? I'll be taking a break of two weeks to rest from this and prep for the Hot & Vintage Ladies Tournament. I'll still be around but only minimally, posting a few last odes to the hot men before transitioning into a little early ladies content, just like I did with this last tournament. The submission form for the Hot & Vintage Ladies tournament will remain up for one more week (closing February 21st), so get your submissions in for that asap! Once the form closes, there will be one more week of break. The first round of the Hot & Vintage Ladies Tournament will be posted on February 29th, as Leap Year Day seems like a fitting allusion to leaping into these ladies' arms.

Thanks for being here! Enjoy the two weeks off, and send me some great propaganda.

In order of the last round they survived—

ROUND ONE HOTTIES:

Richard Burton

Tony Curtis

Red Skelton

Keir Dullea

Jack Lemmon

Kirk Douglas

Marcello Mastroianni

Jean-Pierre Cassel

Robert Wagner

James Garner

James Coburn

Rex Harrison

George Chakiris

Dean Martin

Sean Connery

Tab Hunter

Howard Keel

James Mason

Steve McQueen

George Peppard

Elvis Presley

Rudolph Valentino

Joseph Schildkraut

Ray Milland

Claude Rains

John Wayne

William Holden

Douglas Fairbanks Sr.

Harold Lloyd

Charlie Chaplin

John Gilbert

Ramon Novarro

Slim Thompson

John Barrymore

Edward G. Robinson

William Powell

Leslie Howard

Peter Lawford

Mel Ferrer

Joseph Cotten

Keye Luke

Ivan Mosjoukine

Spencer Tracy

Felix Bressart

Ronald Reagan (here to be dunked on)

Peter Lorre

Bob Hope

Paul Muni

Cornel Wilde

John Garfield

Cantinflas

Henry Fonda

Robert Mitchum

Van Johnson

José Ferrer

Robert Preston

Jack Benny

Fredric March

Gene Autry

Alec Guinness

Fayard Nicholas

Ray Bolger

Orson Welles

Mickey Rooney

Glenn Ford

James Cagney

ROUND TWO SWOONERS:

Dick Van Dyke

James Edwards

Sammy Davis Jr.

Alain Delon

Peter O'Toole

Robert Redford

Charlton Heston

Cesar Romero

Noble Johnson

Lex Barker

David Niven

Robert Earl Jones

Turhan Bey

Bela Lugosi

Donald O'Connor

Carman Newsome

Oscar Micheaux

Benson Fong

Clint Eastwood

Sabu Dastagir

Rex Ingram

Burt Lancaster

Paul Newman

Montgomery Clift

Fred Astaire

Boris Karloff

Gilbert Roland

Peter Cushing

Frank Sinatra

Harold Nicholas

Guy Madison

Danny Kaye

John Carradine

Ricardo Montalbán

Bing Crosby

ROUND THREE SMOKESHOWS:

Marlon Brando

Anthony Perkins

Michael Redgrave

Gary Cooper

Conrad Veidt

Ronald Colman

Rock Hudson

Basil Rathbone

Laurence Olivier

Christopher Plummer

Johnny Weismuller

Clark Gable

Fernando Lamas

Errol Flynn

Tyrone Power

Humphrey Bogart

ROUND 4 STUNGUNS:

James Dean

Cary Grant

Gregory Peck

Sessue Hayakawa

Harry Belafonte

James Stewart

Gene Kelly

Peter Falk

QUARTERFINALIST VOLCANIC TOWERS OF LUST:

Jeremy Brett

Vincent Price

James Shigeta

Buster Keaton

SEMIFINALIST SUPERMEN:

Omar Sharif

Paul Robeson

FINALIST FANTASIES:

Sidney Poitier

Toshiro Mifune

and ok, sure, here's the shadow-bracket-style winner's portrait of Toshiro Mifune.

[markwatnae]

Masterpost of Hot Old Man Round 1 Polls

Paul Newman v Richard Burton

Omar Sharif v Tony Curtis

Red Skelton v Burt Lancaster

Christopher Plummer v Keir Dullea

Anthony Perkins vJack Lemmon

Kirk Douglas v Alain Delon

James Dean v Marcello Mastroianni

Harry Belafonte v Jean-Pierre Cassel

Marlon Brando v Robert Wagner

Sammy Davis Jr. v James Garner

James Coburn v Rock Hudson

Peter Cushing v Rex Harrison

George Chakiris v Sidney Poitier

Dean Martin v Sean Connery v Jeremy Brett

Tab Hunter v Toshiro Mifune

Howard Keel v Peter O'Toole

Robert Redford v James Mason

Steve McQueen v Charlton Heston

Dick Van Dyke v George Peppard

Elvis Presley v Peter Falk

Oscar Micheaux v Rudolph Valentino

Joseph Schildkraut v Buster Keaton

Jimmy Stewart v Ray Milland

Cary Grant v Claude Rains

John Wayne v Errol Flynn

Clint Eastwood v William Holden

Douglas Fairbanks Sr. v Sessue Hayakawa

Carman Newsome v Harold Lloyd

Noble Johnson v Charlie Chaplin

John Gilbert v Conrad Veidt

Ramon Novarro v Robert Earl Jones

Slim Thompson v Gary Cooper

John Barrymore v Paul Robeson

Edward G. Robinson v Clark Gable

Humphrey Bogart v William Powell

Leslie Howard v Ronald Colman

Peter Lawford v Vincent Price

Harold Nicholas v Mel Ferrer

Joseph Cotten v Danny Kaye

John Carradine v Keye Luke

Ivan Mosjoukine v Gilbert Roland

Benson Fong v Spencer Tracy

Guy Madison v Felix Bressart

James Shigeta v Ronald Reagan

Montgomery Clift v Ricardo Montalbon

Peter Lorre v Frank Sinatra

Bob Hope v Gregory Peck

Fred Astaire v Paul Muni

Bela Lugosi v Cornel Wilde

Cesar Romero v John Garfield

Basil Rathbone v Cantinflas

Henry Fonda v Turhan Bey

Boris Karloff v Robert Mitchum

David Niven v Van Johnson

Gene Kelly v José Ferrer

Robert Preston v Tyrone Power

Jack Benny v Donald O'Connor

Fredric March v Lex Barker

Michael Redgrave v Gene Autry

James Edwards v Alec Guinness

Fayard Nicholas v Fernando Lamas

Ray Bolger v Johnny Weismuller

Orson Welles v Sabu Dastigir

Mickey Rooney v Laurence Olivier

Rex Ingram v Glenn Ford

Bing Crosby v James Cagney

@hotvintagepoll

[webweabings]

THE STARS KNOW EVERYTHING

“Dilbert”, by Scott Adam; // “Manfred”, by Lord George Gordon Byron; // Poem by Traci Brown; // “Delphi Complete Work of Ralph Waldo Emerson”, by Ralph Waldo Emerson; // “Kaddish and Other Poems: Poem Rocket”, by Allen Ginsberg; // “Pleasures, Objects and Advantages of Literature”, by Robert Aris Willmott; // “The Garden of Epicurus”, by Anatole France; // Poem by Chandrasekar Koneru; // Quote by Les Brown; // Quote by Vincent van Gogh; // “Love and Space Dust”, by David Jones; // Quote by Virgil; // Unknown; // “The Feynman Lectures on Physics: Astronomy”, Vol. 1, 3-6 by Richard P. Feynman; // Quote by Henry van Dyke; // “Twilight Hours: A legacy of verse”, by Sarah Williams; // Unknow; // “Poems, by Currer, Ellis and Acton”, by Emily Brontë

[vintagetvstars]

CLOSED! Preliminary Hot Vintage TV Men List

Alright folks! We have one week left on submissions for the Hot Vintage TV Men's Bracket! As promised here is a list of all the Hot Vintage TV Men who have been submitted and passed our preliminary eligibility checks. There are a handful of guys on this list and one or two not on it that we are currently still debating on so reminder that this list is not final and subject to change.

Currently we have 231 Hot Vintage TV Men!

Also in advance of the competition I'd like to remind anyone submitting propaganda for someone that starred in a show that aired only partially during our timeframe or was under 18 for a part of a shows filming, to please make sure you are only submitting propaganda that is from within our timeframe and when the actor was 18 years or older. This is also just good to keep in mind in general as several people submitted actors for shows that aren't eligible for our tournament either because it was outside our time period or in one case the actor was underaged for the entirety of the show (though many were eligible for other shows they were submitted for). We do our best to screen for these things but sometimes it's hard to tell or it’s a show we don't personally know well enough so we appreciate help from y'all letting us know if you do catch anything.

List below the cut

Preliminary Hot Vintage TV Men List

Dick Van Dyke

Alan Alda

Hugh Laurie

Peter Falk

Adam West

Donnie Wahlberg

Kevin McDonald

Scott Thompson

David Duchovny

Henry Winkler

Leonard Nimoy

Scott Bakula

James Garner

Tom Selleck

Dave Foley

John Astin

Joe Lando

Patrick Troughton

William Shatner

DeForest Kelley

Michael Ontkean

Russell Johnson

Kyle MacLachlan

Bruce McCulloch

William Hopper

George Clooney

Jeffrey Combs

Michael Horse

Mark McKinney

Jensen Ackles

Alejandro Rey

Mitch Pileggi

David Cassidy

Jeremy Brett

Anthony Head

George Takei

David Selby

Rod Serling

Paul Gross

Desi Arnaz

Tom Baker

Richard Dean Anderson

David Keith McCallum

Richard Chamberlain

Charles Shaughnessy

David James Elliot

Vincent Van Patten

Darren E. Burrows

David Hyde Pierce

Randolph Mantooth

Ricardo Montalban

Gene Anthony Ray

William Hartnell

Patrick McGoohan

René Auberjonois

Alexander Siddig

Reece Shearsmith

Michael T. Weiss

William Shockley

Spencer Rochfort

Danny John-Jules

David Hasselhoff

Conner Trinneer

Patrick Stewart

Jonathan Frakes

Paolo Montalban

Scott Patterson

Armin Shimerman

Anthony Andrews

David Schwimmer

Blair Underwood

Sylvester McCoy

Andrew Robinson

Pierce Brosnan

Thorsten Kaye

Anthony Starke

Darren McGavin

Clint Eastwood

Joseph Marcell

Michael Vartan

Richard Ayoade

George Maharis

Michael J. Fox

Dwayne Hickman

John de Lancie

Andre Braugher

Robert Carlyle

Dean Stockwell

Matthew Perry

Robert Fuller

Michael Hurst

Dana Ashbrook

Jonathan Frid

Dirk Benedict

Martin Milner

Demond Wilson

Robert Conrad

Telly Savalas

Peter Davison

Michael Praed

Jason Bateman

David Tennant

Brian Blessed

Miguel Ferrer

Micky Dolenz

Wayne Rogers

Mike Farrell

Michael Dorn

Cesar Romero

Eddie Albert

Nate Richert

Nicholas Lea

Brent Spiner

Dick Gautier

John Corbett

Jeremy Irons

David Suchet

Raymond Burr

LeVar Burton

David Wenham

Clint Walker

Larry Hagman

John Goodman

Matt LeBlanc

Tom Smothers

Erik Estrada

Jeremy Sisto

Colm Meaney

Stephen Fry

Ted Bessell

Ron Perlman

Luke Halpin

Ted Cassidy

Kevin Sorbo

John Cleese

Colin Firth

Colin Baker

Fred Rogers

Ben Browder

Keir Dullea

Randy Boone

Kent McCord

Jimmy Smits

Mark Lenard

Jon Pertwee

Fred Grandy

Mark Hamill

Ted Danson

Adam Brody

Noah Wiley

Eric Close

Lee Majors

Jamie Farr

Tony Danza

Kabir Bedi

Seth Green

Rik Mayall

Hal Linden

Diego Luna

Peter Tork

Sean Bean

Sam Neill

Eric Idle

Ted Lange

John Shea

Ron Glass

Tony Dow

Mr. T

John Hurt

Avery Brooks 

Billy Dee Williams 

James Marsters 

Robert Vaughn 

Kevin Smith 

Davy Jones 

Luke Perry 

Robert Duncan McNeill 

Simon MacCorkindale 

Keith Hamilton Cobb 

Chad Michael Murray 

James Earl Jones 

Bruce Boxleitner 

Timothy Olyphant 

Andreas Katsulas 

Valentine Pelka 

Peter Wingfield 

Sebastian Cabot 

Michael Nesmith 

Timothy Dalton 

Michael Shanks 

Joshua Jackson 

Michael O’Hare 

Robert Beltran 

Simon Williams 

Paul Johannson 

Daniel Dae Kim 

David Boreanaz 

Boris Karloff 

Robert Wagner 

Brandon Quinn  

Walter Koenig 

Richard Hatch 

Christian Kane  

Francis Capra  

Nathan Fillion 

John Forsythe 

Patrick Duffy 

Tony Shalhoub 

Ioan Gruffudd 

Garrett Wang  

Joe Flanigan  

Rider Strong  

Michael Tylo 

Bruce Willis 

Skeet Ulrich  

Jeff Conaway 

Paul McGann 

Scott Cohen 

Mario Lopez  

Martin Kove 

John Stamos 

Judd Hirsch 

Johnny Depp 

Tom Welling 

Matt Bomer 

Grant show 

David Soul  

Bob Crane  

Tim Russ 

Rob Lowe 

Neil Patrick Harris 

[ourflagmeansbts]

Source (Season 1 - March 31st 2022)

wasnerkevin: Sword in the head gag I applied for the HBO show OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH. Applied on Rory Kinnear who is just a brilliant actor and human being. The Team at Vincent Van Dyke effects did the very difficult task of figuring this gag out which they did brilliantly. I’m super proud of being involved on this project. 

[dweemeister]

You must face the age of not believing Doubting everything you ever knew Until at last you start believing There's something wonderful in you

Dame Angela Lansbury, who died at her home today in Los Angeles at the age of 96, is perhaps best known today as Jessica Fletcher in the acclaimed TV series Murder, She Wrote and in the Broadway stage plays and musicals in significant parts that Hollywood never gave her. But well before that, the Irish-British transplant to America (she and her family left Britain at the height of Nazi Germany’s bombing campaign of her home nation) made her career as mostly a character actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She may not have been a major star billed at the top of marquees and movie posters during her time while contracted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), but she would come to be a recognizable figure to audiences of multiple generations – whether she might be playing a tough saloon owner with a belter of a singing voice, a schoolteacher just making ends meet, Elvis’ mother (despite a nine-year age difference), princesses and queens, the amoral and scheming wife of a political candidate, an emotionally manipulative mother, or a teapot matriarch.

She stepped onto a movie soundstage for the first time at seventeen years of age, while making Gaslight (1944) for MGM. Because she was still technically a minor, she had to be accompanied by a social worker while working on set. Despite this, director George Cukor and her co-stars (including Ingrid Bergman) treated her as equals, all of them recognizing right away her professionality and acting ability. Perhaps producers and studio executives might not have done the same, saddling her so often with character roles, but Lansbury – by all accounts – extended that same kindness Cukor and Bergman afforded to her to so many others over the decades, leaving a legacy that goes beyond whatever personal disappointments she may have had over the more considerable roles she never got to play.

Her distinction as Hollywood royalty came later in life, as our connections of Hollywood’s Golden Age are almost all gone.

Nine of the films Angela Lansbury appeared in follow (left-right, descending):

Gaslight (1944) – directed by George Cukor; also starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten, and Dame May Whitty

The Harvey Girls (1946) – directed by George Sidney; also starring Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Ray Bolger, Preston Foster, Virginia O’Brien, Kenny Baker, Marjorie Main, Chill Wills, Selena Royle, and Cyd Charisse

The Three Musketeers (1949) – directed by George Sidney; also starring Lana Turner, Gene Kelly, June Allyson, Van Heflin, Frank Morgan, and Vincent Price

The Court Jester (1955) – directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama; also starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, and Cecil Parker

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) – directed by John Frankenheimer; also starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, and Janet Leigh

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) – directed by Robert Stevenson and Ward Kimball; also starring David Tomlinson, Roddy McDowall, Sam Jaffe, John Ericson, Cindy O’Callaghan, Ian Weighill, and Roy Snart

Death on the Nile (1978) – directed by John Guillermin; also starring Peter Ustinov, Jane Birkin, Lois Chiles, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Jon Finch, Olivia Hussey, I.S. Johar, George Kennedy, Simon MacCorkindale, David Niven, Maggie Smith, and Jack Warden

Beauty and the Beast (1991) – directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise; also starring Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Rex Everhart, Jesse Corti, and Bradley Pierce

Mary Poppins Returns (2018) – directed by Rob Marshall; also starring Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh, Joel Dawson, Julie Walters, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, David Warner, and Dick Van Dyke

[brokehorrorfan]

In addition to Michael Myers' mask, knife, and coveralls from Halloween Ends, Trick or Treat Studios is releasing replicas of Corey's scarecrow mask and Allyson's cat mask.

Sculpted by Christopher Nelson and Vincent Van Dyke, each vacuform plastic mask features an elastic strap. Estimated to begin shipping on September 15, they're available to pre-order for $19.99 each.

[to2llynottoby]

Who will go to the cellar down below? Trouble is a-bubblin' in the brew And while you're down there Mr. Vincent Price Will give you good advice He'll know what to do You just tell him "Boo!"

David Newman, Van Dyke Parks - It's A "B" Movie

[loremori]

Martin Freeman (70/366)

Angelyne (2022) TV miniseries

Dirección Matt Spicer Lucy Tcherniak

Created Allison Miller Nancy Oliver

Writer Gary Baum Allison Miller Nancy Oliver Nora Mariana Salim Brendan Kelly Andy Siara Cara DiPaolo

An unauthorized limited series based on the Hollywood Reporter’s investigative article about Angelyne, L.A.’s mysterious billboard icon.

[hotvintagepoll]

i found this blog by accident (i think the tumblr recommendations code or whatever figured out i have a polls addiction) and have had zero interest and experience in this topic but now. now i am so here. but i was wondering where i could go to watch movies with all these actors?? like i’m sure prime video or smthg might have a few classics hanging around but is there a service/website (of any legality) that specialises in vintage films and stuff? or is it really just physical media to get a lot of them? sry if this throws off your askbox, i didn’t know where else to ask! tyia <3

Hi!! I love this ask. Thanks for being here!

I don't know of any service that specializes in old movies, though HBO had a deal with TCM for a while that meant they had several classics on Max—I don't know if that's still a thing. In the meantime, though, the following websites all have "classic" channels that will be filled with great vintage movies to try:

Tubi—free streaming service that includes:

The Manchurian Candidate (Frank Sinatra, James Edwards)

The Philadelphia Story (James Stewart, Cary Grant)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Dick Van Dyke)

On The Town (Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra)

House on Haunted Hill (Vincent Price)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone)

A Streetcar Named Desire (Marlon Brando)

The Maltese Falcon (Humphrey Bogart)

Hoopla—free through many libraries:

The Court Jester (Danny Kaye, Basil Rathbone)

War and Peace (Jeremy Brett)

Barefoot in the Park (Robert Redford)

Cabin in the Sky (Rex Ingram)

Wings (Gary Cooper)

Kanopy—free through many libraries:

The General (Buster Keaton)

Flower Drum Song (James Shigeta)

Roman Holiday (Gregory Peck)

Seven Samurai (Toshiro Mifune)

His Girl Friday (Cary Grant)

Wuthering Heights (Laurence Olivier)

Sabrina (Humphrey Bogart)

Paris Blues (Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman)

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Conrad Veidt)

Youtube also has TONS of movies that have slipped through copyright or "accidentally" ended up there:

Charade (Cary Grant)

The Gay Divorcee (Fred Astaire)

Lying Lips (Carman Newsome, Robert Earl Jones, Oscar Micheaux)

Stormy Weather (Harold Nicholas)

Rebecca (Laurence Olivier)

The Cheat (Sessue Hayakawa)

The Lady Vanishes (Michael Redgrave)

Jungle Book (Sabu Dastagir)

To Sir, With Love (Sidney Poitier)

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (Peter Falk)

What a Way to Go! (Dick Van Dyke, Gene Kelly, Paul Newman)

And of course there are methods of other legality if you want to go searching for titles by hand :)

I haven't seen all of the movies I list here—this is just a sampling of some famous ones, and a few of my secret faves—so be careful if you have trigger warnings and things. Hope you find some great movies!

[halloweendailynews]

'Halloween Ends' Official Corey and Allyson Masks Now Available for Pre-Order

'Halloween Ends' Official Corey and Allyson Masks Now Available for Pre-Order

The brand new officially licensed Halloween Ends Corey and Allyson face masks are available for pre-order as of today (Happy #MichaelMyersMonday!). Sculpted by the film’s own special makeup effects team of Christopher Nelson and Vincent Van Dyke from the original movie production master molds, the new masks are exact replicas of those worn by Corey Cunningham (played by Rohan Campbell) and…

[stellabystarlight12]

COLD TURKEY United Artists 1971

Fantastic movie comedy -- easily one of the best satires of American life ever put on film. Norman Lear wrote and directed this gem just before moving on to "All In The Family". "Cold Turkey" and "All In The Family" are his two greatest creations. It begins with the script. It's funny from beginning to end. The script has clever dialogue, inventive ideas and an eye for detail.

The cast includes many all-time favorites, including Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart, Tom Poston, Barnard Hughes, Sudie Bond, Ted Knight, Gloria LeRoy, Vincent Gardenia, Pippa Scott, Peggy Rea, Paul Benedict, Edward Everett Horton, M. Emmett Walsh, Barbara Cason, Graham Jarvis, Jean Stapleton and show-stopper Judith Lowry. You'll see a lot of people you recognize from other movies and sitcoms of the 1970s, including many who turned up on "All In The Family" and other Lear shows. "Cold Turkey" is also the best movie showcase for possibly the greatest comedy team of all time, Bob & Ray. They are brilliant, satirizing newscasters of the time, like Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, Paul Harvey, and Hugh Downs. Randy Newman's soundtrack is terrific.

And it helps that the movie, which is set in a small Iowa town, was actually filmed in a small Iowa town, rather than some Hollywood backlot. It gives the movie a feeling of authenticity.

[dorkydiaz]

Do you have a favorite power ranger color? If not, tell me about your favorite childhood show/s! I would always dream to grow up to be the yellow power ranger. I’ve met 2 of the actresses at cons too!! Ciara Hanna and Cerina Vincent!!

i have never seen any power rangers...i dont even know all the colors :P and i didn't watch tv as a kid 🧍the first shows i really loved were the recorded vhs' of the patty duke show, bewitched, and i love lucy. then i watched the mary tyler moore show and the dick van dyke show.....i had a very unrelatable childhood i think. the only actual kids content i really liked was peanuts movies i got to watch at grandmas house. but i still preferred the strips.

[ourflagmeansbts]

hiya I’m the person who wrote the most recent ask you replied to, thanks it means a lot to me (also I misspelled bts as btw but oh well) and now I will actually shut up & stop spamming you (but also before I go do you have any vids of the show makeup (how it was applied, facts about it, etc, especially for Taika) thank you so much :) )

Hi my sweet anon,

Unfortunately there isn't a ton of make-up bts, and I can't think of any videos - but here's what we do have:

Posts from the makeup team:

Nancy Hennah

Stephen Imhoff Jr. - and also this one

Kerrin Jackson - and also this one

Devan Weitzman

And here's a list of all the makeup crew so you can keep up if maybe they post something some day!

Nancy Hennah [instagram]

Stephen Imhoff Jr. [instagram]

Kerrin Jackson [instagram]

Ally McGillicuddy

Kate Klein

Devan Weitzman [instagram]

Dawn Subhasiriwatana

Janice Kavanagh

Geneva Nash Morgan

Vincent Van Dyke

Lisa Shearer

Thomas Floutz

[crowdvscritic]

round up // FEBRUARY 24

In some ways, February is a manifestation of Crowd vs. Critic.

Each year Vulture updates an article called "Which January at the Movies Was the Most January?" When I stumbled upon it this month, I couldn’t believe how closely it captured a phenomenon I was already thinking about: “January at the movies is a tale of two seasons. It’s the month where Oscar contenders traditionally open nationwide, allowing moviegoers across the country to experience the best that Hollywood has to offer. But for that reason, it’s also the month where the rest of the industry tries to stay out of the way, offering a mixture of counterprogramming and low-risk fare — we’re talking horror films, inexplicable sequels, and lots of movies about grim middle-aged men firing guns.”

From there, Vulture attempts to rank every January in recent memory by their bad movie slates, but my follow up question is, why stop at January? “Dumpuary” does not end January 31st—I’m not even sure it ends on February 29th. Pardon my French, but I’ve watched a lot of doggerel this month so mediocre it’s not worth recommending here. However, February is also Oscar prep season. I’ve spent the month reading more deeply about the nominated films and planning my annual Oscar watch party. And because I’m caught up on nominated films and there are so few new releases worth checking out, I’m creating a watchlist of classics I’ve missed. This year I’ve decided to dig into films recommended in TCM’s The Essential Directors by Sloan De Forest, which I recommended during Dumpuary 2022. I just finished the book’s top picks from Steven Spielberg's filmography, and before the year’s end, my goal is to complete their recommendations from Mel Brooks, Frank Capra, George Cukor, Michael Curtiz, John Ford, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, George Lucas, Ida Lupino, Oscar Micheaux, Sidney Lumet, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Elaine May, Leo McCarey, Vincente Minnelli, Martin Scorsese, Douglas Sirk, Preston Sturges, W.S. Van Dyke, Billy Wilder, and Robert Wise. (Full disclosure: for most of them, I only have one or two titles to go.) 

So please enjoy a Round Up of recommendations featuring several of those directors and Britney Spears, as well as a book of interviews with Oscar winners and a Bennifer marathon. Plus, a Leap Day bonus with a Finnish flair!

February Crowd-Pleasers

1. Scary Movie 3 (2003)

Because sometimes you don’t want to laugh with something sophisticated—sometimes you want to laugh at something stupid. After years of my brother recommending something I wouldn’t peg as my taste, I finally checked out this spoof of 8 Mile, American Idol, The Ring, Signs, and more things that were extremely popular in 2003. I doubt future generations will find much to appreciate here, but this Millennial got a kick from the nostalgia and the stupid humor courtesy of Anna Faris Regina Hall, Leslie Nielsen, Simon Rex, and Charlie Sheen. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6/10

2. Catwoman (2004)

This movie is not good, but is it objectively way better and way more fun than The Flash? I’d rather have this silly, superficially-girl-power trash than that self-serious Flash trash any day. The Razzies did not deserve this movie! Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 5.5/10

3. Bennifer Marathon!

It's a real If You Give a Mouse a Cookie situation. After you go to a screening of This Is Me…Now: A Love Story (2024), you're going to need to watch the behind-the-scenes documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told and listen to Jennifer Lopez’s new album This Is Me…Now on repeat. You're also going to decide you need to watch Jersey Girl (2004) and Halftime (2022) because you can never have too much of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez! (I also watched Gigli and What to Expect When You’re Expecting, but these Round Ups only focus on pop culture I recommend.) What can I say? I’m rooting for love!

I reviewed J. Lo’s new music film for ZekeFilm, which explores her public history in a personal, musical romantic comedy. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 7/10

4. Crossroads (2002)

Zoe Saldana camping in curlers: To me, that is cinema! Like Catwoman, this Lifetime-movie-meets-Britney-Spears-star-vehicle is not good, but it is a perfect sleepover movie. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 5/10

5. The Beekeeper (2024)

I look forward to 30 years from now when I am a Turner Classic Movies host and introduce this movie 12 times in a single calendar year: 

January: Star of the Month Jason Statham

February: Star of the Month Josh Hutcherson

March: 31 Days of Oscar - Movies that would be Oscar-nominated if the Academy had a Best Stunts category

April: Special Theme - Vigilante Justice (Lee Marvin makes an appearance, too)

May: Mother's Day marathon (between The Manchurian Candidate and Psycho)

June: Birthday Tribute - Phylicia Rashad (leading into a Creed marathon)

July: Guest Programmer Pick - Bona fide action star is promoting his new artistic action blockbuster and calls Statham one of his inspirations

August: Summer Under the Stars - Day 23 devoted to Minnie Driver (airing before Good Will Hunting)

September: Birthday Tribute - Jeremy Irons (airing after The Mission)

October: Spotlight - Secret organizations (showing right before The Parallax View)

November: Diane Warren Tribute - she finally won her Oscar for her theme for The Beekeeper 2

December: Primetime Theme - Bees (in marathon with Akeelah and the Bee, The Bee Movie, The Secret Life of Bees, The Wicker Man, and for some reason Beetlejuice)

Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

More February Crowd-Pleasers: Cold Pursuit (2019) is the platonic ideal of a Liam Neeson’s formulaic thrillers // I would’ve been obsessed with the martial arts mayhem of Bulletproof Monk (2003) if I had seen it when I was 12 // Not everything in the corporate satire Head Office (1985) works, but what does is savage // When Book of the Month announced The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak (2023) as a selection just a few weeks after my first trip to Finland, I immediately knew my November pick. This Jason Bourne/Jack Ryan-esque spy thriller didn’t disappoint. (More on my trip to Finland below!) // Though the politics of The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) have aged poorly, it’s the most thrilling movie about killing lions I’ve seen since The Lion King

February Critic Picks

1. The Teachers’ Lounge (2023)

If you’ve ever survived an anxiety-fueled environment driven by politics, prejudice, or, frankly, middle schoolers, Germany’s nominee for Best International Feature at the Oscars will ring true. Read my full review for ZekeFilm. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9.5/10

2. 50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars & Filmmakers on Their Career-Defining Wins by Dave Karger (2024)

Let me repeat what I said last month: The Turner Classic Movies Library has yet to miss! In TCM host Dave Karger’s new book, he interviews 50 different winners from Oscar ceremonies as far back as 1962 about what the award means to them and how it has impacted their careers. This breezy read digs into the inspirations, outfits, and relationships of Nicole Kidman, John Legend, Rita Moreno, Meryl Streep, Sofia Coppola, and more, and you can find all of the films featured on my Letterboxd list. 

3. Double Feature - Legal Dramas: The Verdict (1982) + Class Action (1991)

In The Verdict (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9.5/10), Paul Newman is a jaded ambulance chaser who happens on a medical malpractice suit that might be his best case in years. In Class Action (8.5/10 // 8/10), Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are a father and daughter facing off in a courtroom centered on a car manufacturer’s potential negligence. Both are excellent legal genre examples and excellent opportunities to let their actors cook.  

4. Good Reads

Lately, I’ve been reading about…

…2023 in Review: 

“Biggest Hollywood Winners and Losers 2023: From Margot Robbie to Marvel,” HollywoodReport.com (2023)

“Taylor Swift Is TIME's 2023 Person of the Year,” time.com (2023)

“Goodbye DC Extended Universe: We Hardly Knew You (Yet We Knew You Too Well),” HollywoodReporter.com (2023)

…our current Awards Season: 

“Critic’s Notebook: A Flailing, Fun-Free 2024 Golden Globes Telecast,” HollywoodReporter.com (2024)

“The Golden Globes Should Just Forget About Hosts,” VanityFair.com (2024)

“Barbie Is Adapted? Maestro Original? Let’s Fix the Screenplay Categories,” NYTimes.com (2024)

“Anatomy of a Fail: Inside France’s Dysfunctional Oscar Committee,” variety.com (2024)

…big cultural shifts: 

“A Shift in American Family Values Is Fueling Estrangement,” TheAtlantic.com (2021)

“The Great Freight-Train Heists of the 21st Century,” NYTimes.com (2024)

"A ‘Failure to Launch’: Why Young People are Having Less Sex,” LATimes.com (2023)

“From Swiping to Sexting: The Enduring Gender Divide in American Dating and Relationships,” AmericanSurveyCenter.org (2023)

…and a hodge podge of other things: 

“An Oral History of ‘Washington’s Dream,’ the Best SNL Sketch in Years,” IndieWire.com (2023)

“Panera’s 'Lemonade That Kills You' Is Really a Story About Our Broken Country," slate.com (2023)

“Annie Meyers-Shyer’s Holiday-Decorating Handbook,” NYMag.com (2023)

“Madeleine Albright Has Sent Some Very Spicy Messages Through Her Accessories,” InStyle.com (2021)

“The Crown and What the U.K. Royal Family Would Like Us to Forget,” NYTimes.com (2023)

“What Did Dakota Johnson Actually Say?” HollywoodReporter.com (2024)

“Why Deleting and Destroying Finished Movies Like Coyote vs Acme Should Be a Crime,” RogerEbert.com (2024)

More February Critic Picks: Even if Love Affair (1939) hadn’t inspired An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle, it would still be an all-time romance // In Lured (1947), Lucille Ball gets dramatic as she looks for love and her best friend’s killer // No Way Out (1950) is a stellar character drama and thriller thanks to Sidney Poitier and Richard Widmark // You can’t be sore at the heightened emotion in Manhattan Melodrama (1934)—it’s right in the name! // The Trouble With Angels (1966) is The Holdovers but for the girlies // Gosford Park (2001) isn’t an Agatha Christie adaptation but it’s a worthy imitator // The Bigamist (1953) proves thrillers can be short and sweet // I love a juicy behind-the-scenes melodrama like The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) // Are you surprised that The Color Purple (1985) moved me to tears? // Though it took me a few scenes to acclimate to the rhythms of the Company National Tour, are you surprised the music of Stephen Sondheim won me over?

Leap Day Bonus

In 2020, my Leap Day Bonus was a Jonas Brothers music video I’d forgotten to mention in my January Round Up. This year, I’m using it make up for forgetting to mention…my entire trip to Finland? (I'm blaming it on the fog of the holidays and Awards Season kicking into high gear when I was writing my October Round Up.) These are the top cultural spots my sister and I found in Helsinki and Rovaniemi…

Temppeliaukion Kirkko - In their Ultimate Travel book, Lonely Planet calls this one of the top 500 places to see in the world. I’m not sure I’d rank it that high (even if I’ve yet to see a lot of the world), but it was worth a stop. Built in 1969 into a rock that split during the Ice Age, it is an architectural feat with amazing acoustics.

Anteneum Art Museum - This national gallery houses Finnish art classics

Finnkino Movie Theater - The real highlight of checking out Finland’s cinema was not watching Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny with Finnish and Swedish subtitles but it’s insane candy bar!

Santa Claus Village - If you can embrace a tourist trap, this one is worth the trip to the Arctic Circle. Meet Santa, feed his reindeer, and get lost in the kitschy gift shops in this acres-wide complex

Dog sledding - We hopped on a buggy pulled by eight of the goodest dogs courtesy of Bearhill Husky—a dream come true!

Arktikum - This science museum in Rovaniemi dives into the history and culture of Lapland (northern Finland)

Marimekko - This Finnish designer is chock full of mod florals, and we budget travelers found great deals at the outlet in Helsinki

Porvoo - This little town just a bus ride from Helsinki is filled with picturesque wooden houses, cutesy shops, and historical home museums

We visited Finland in the autumn, which is tourist off-season, but we’re not sure why—it’s beautiful! Whenever you choose to go, be sure to indulge in a korvapuusti ja kahvi (cinnamon roll and coffee) in one of their many kahvilat (coffee shops)!

Also in February…

On KMOV, I did my best to sum up why Casablanca is a perfect Valentine’s movie, and then I squeezed in a short review of Argylle, which is not so much a perfect Valentine’s movie. 

I also reviewed Argylle in more depth for ZekeFilm, and the piece turned into a lament for for its failure to follow through on a great premise.

I added two more entries to my Best Picture Project this month! I continued on with 1944's Going My Way, which is a feel-good story about the power of music starring Bing Crosby, and last year’s winner Everything Everywhere All at Once, which is a weird story about the power of googly eyes. 

Photo credits: 50 Oscar Nights, Good Reads. Finland my own. All others IMDb.com.

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highlights of June-December

Favourite movies: The Farmer's Daughter (1947), Oppenheimer (2023), The Bourne trilogy (2002-2007), Gojira -1.0 (2023).

Decent movies I liked / appreciated but not loved: Highlander (1986), From the Terrace (1960), Mary Poppins (1964), Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), If I Were King (1938), The Equalizer 3 (2023), No Way Out (1950), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993).

wtf movie/ending: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) just because they ended it like an episode of a TV show rather than a part one of a movie. I knew it was part one and even I was sitting at the cinema confused once the credits rolled. Also, in the best way, They Won't Believe Me (1947). I was not expecting the film to end like that at all. AT ALL. Also, Caught (1949) has the most unsatisfying tonal shift in the end I probably have ever see. Up until that last few minutes, it was solid, dark, edgy even. Just the way I like my noirs to be. And then the resolution and it is just…. huh?

Best scenes: the Spider Men chase scene in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023); Alfred leaving Mary for good in From the Terrace (1960); the finale in They Won't Believe Me (1947); father's final walk to work in Mary Poppins (1964); the bomb / 'You will remember this day' in Oppenheimer (2023); saying goodbye to the 'daughter' in Gojira -1.0 (2023); the garage confrontation in Caught (1949).

Favourite genres: action, adventure, drama.

Favourite directors: Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer, 2023); Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, 2023); Robert Stevenson (Mary Poppins, 1964); Paul Greengrass (The Bourne trilogy, 2002-2007); Joseph L. Mankiewicz (No Way Out, 1950); Takashi Yamazaki (Gojira -1.0, 2023); Mel Brooks (Robin Hood: Men in Tights, 1993); Sidney Lanfield (The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1939).

Favourite actors: Robert Cummings (The Lost Moment, 1947), Susan Hayward (The Lost Moment, 1947 and They Won't Believe Me, 1947); Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward (From the Terrace, 1960); Ethel Barrymore, Loretta Young, Joseph Cotten (The Farmer's Daughter, 1947); Robert Young (They Won't Believe Me, 1947); Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, 2023); Matt Damon (The Bourne trilogy, 2002-2007); Ronald Colman (If I Were King, 1938); Denzel Washington (The Equalizer 3, 2023); Sidney Poitier, Linda Darnell, Richard Widmark (No Way Out, 1950); Cary Elwes (Robin Hood: Men in Tights, 1993); Bob Hope (The Ghost Breakers, 1940); James Mason, Barbara Bel Geddes, Robert Ryan (Caught, 1949); Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe (Gojira -1.0, 2023); Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer, 2023); Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns (Mary Poppins, 1964). (Dick Van Dyke is an international treasure, I absolutely love this sweet, sweet man!)

Least favourite performances: anyone in Angels Over Broadway (1940) is pretty forgettable, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in particular. I did not like Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986), so it might be affecting my perception of Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger's performances as I know both of them are more than capable performers. George Sanders is pretty bland in The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945). Vincent Cassel is bizzare in La belle et la bête (2014).

The most wasted cast: I don't think there is any particular cast that was wasted this time around. I didn't enjoy Angels Over Broadway (1940), so might be this one.

The best wasted premise: The Lost Moment (1947). It's not a bad film, but way too rushed. Had they taken more time, I think the film would have been much, much better.

Best premise: Highlander (1986); No Way Out (1950); Gojira -1.0 (2023).

Favourite cast: Oppenheimer (2023), hands down. Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Scott Grimes, Jason Clarke, James D'Arcy, Kenneth Branagh, Tim DeKay, David Krumholtz, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Dane DeHaan, Josh Peck, Rami Malek, Casey Affleck, Gary Oldman. At one point I just started listing every actor I know who's popped up in this, it got crazy.

Favourite on-screen duos: Robert Cummings + Susan Hayward (The Lost Moment, 1947); Paul Newman + Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman + Ina Balin (From the Terrace, 1960); Loretta Young,+ Joseph Cotten, Ethel Barrymore with literally anyone (The Farmer's Daughter, 1947); Julie Andrews + Dick Van Dyke (Mary Poppins, 1964); Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, 2023); anyone in Oppenheimer (2023); James Mason, Barbara Bel Geddes (Caught, 1949); Bob Hope + Paulette Goddard (The Ghost Breakers, 1940).

Favourite on-screen relationships: my favourite is easily Larry Quinada and Leonora Eames from Caught (1949), but I have a few others. Alfred Eaton + Mary St. John (in a very toxic, unhealthy way) and Alfred Eaton + Natalie Benzinger (From the Terrace, 1960); Katrin Holstrom + Glenn Morley (The Farmer's Daughter, 1947); Bourne + Marie (The Bourne Identity, 2002 + The Bourne Ultimatum, 2004); Koichi Shikishima + Noriko Oishi (Gojira -1.0, 2023).

Favourite characters: Alfred Eaton, Mary St. John (From the Terrace, 1960); Mrs. Morley, Katrin Holstrom, Glenn Morley (The Farmer's Daughter, 1947); Jason Bourne (The Bourne trilogy, 2002-2007); Larry Ballentine (They Won't Believe Me, 1947); Mary Poppins, Bert (Mary Poppins, 1964); Ethan Hunt, Grace (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, 2023); J. Robert Oppenheimer, Lewis Strauss (Oppenheimer, 2023); Jason Bourne (The Bourne trilogy, 2002-2007); François Villon (If I Were King, 1938); Robert McCall (The Equalizer 3, 2023); Edie Johnson, Dr. Dan Wharton, Dr. Luther Brooks (No Way Out, 1950); Koichi Shikishima, Noriko Oishi (Gojira -1.0, 2023), Robin Hood (Robin Hood: Men in Tights, 1993); Larry Quinada, Leonora Eames, Smith Ohlrig (Caught, 1949).

Favourite quote: Let no one laugh at our absurd design, but pray to God that he forgives us all. (If I Were King, 1938). I also love this exchange in From the Terrace: Mary St. John: You've touched me deeply. Alfred Eaton: But not in the right places.

Favourite fact discovered in 2023: James Mason asked to play the good guy in Caught (1949) because he wanted a break from playing bad buys in British films. Gojira -1.0 (2023) was made on a 15-million-dollar budget. Effective filmmaking if I ever saw one. Oppenheimer (2023), a 3-hour biopic, made around a billion dollars at the box office.

The most overrated film: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). It was fine, the animation is great, but there are a few too many stupid and slow moments. Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986) is terrible. No Way Out (1987) is okay, but I prefer the original anyway. Almost everything Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) is good except for the actual plot.

The most disappointing film: I didn't hold out much hope for any of these, so I wasn't disappointed.

The biggest surprise: Gojira -1.0 (2023).

Best cinematography: Hoyte Van Hoytema (Oppenheimer, 2023). Also, J. Peverell Marley (The Hound if the Baskervilles, 1939).

Best set design: Oppenheimer (2023). Also. I loved La belle et la bête (2014).

Best costume design: Pierre-Yves Gayraud La belle et la bête (2014).

Best music: I don't remember any. My guess is Oppenheimer (2023), but I can't remember any music from it either.

Best production choice: casting Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins, 1964); black-and-white sections (Oppenheimer, 2023), focusing on the human drama and survivor's guilt (Gojira -1.0, 2023)

Worst production choice: (randomly) killing Ilsa (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, 2023).

Film of the month(s): Oppenheimer (2023), Gojira -1.0 (2023).