Hello!

Call it brain fog, call it taking it easy — but no reviews for this Christmas Eve. Instead we get to play Blogger and just forward some humble Xmas-themed photos … just what’s on my mind — mostly decorations, pastry goodies and nonsense. It’ll definitely get me in the mood. My family has a social media pact not to post People Pictures, so you miss out on the cute babies, etc. However, I always have permission to post pics of my daughter’s doggie.

This is an older photo. We’re still Pandemically Aligned, so our visitors are limited. Luckily, #1 son swept through for a few days and helped me reorganize my work area, set up a nice microphone, recycle some ancient computers, etc..  So no sad stories here.

Christmas is a time to remember all the fabulous
baked goodies of previous years, even if we can’t eat the way we once did.

The daughter is the artistic baker — that’s a killer
carrot cake just below, and I know I’ve
posted the images of the cute dino cookies.

These projects end up being so elaborate that it
seems wrong to eat the things, for a minute anyway.

I didn’t want to make the images too big, but most of
them enlarge or zoom, like the gingerbread house on the right.

I like what we end up with for a mantel display. The ‘Fozzie’ head is part of a homemade kid costume from long ago; Santa Gorgo is on the right and many of the little Spanish figurines were inherited from a dear friend, a language teacher.

Most of the Spanish figurines are just little citizens, with the clump of Peruvian musicians in the manger as a centerpiece. The little fútbol player has a special place this year, for the World Cup.

Yes, this does drift into movie references. There are ‘local lights’ in Hollywood that seem to shine with the holidays. This Paramount doorway decoration is on Gower Street a few blocks from CineSavant Central. When they last fixed it up I took photos. Sixty years or so ago, it was the main doorway for RKO studios; photos are easy to find online.

I think that this image of a Godzilla Christmas lights display was forwarded by Gary Teetzel a few years back.

Here’s a better shot of Santa Gorgo, no apologies.

And as promised, here’s the new press release photo of the daughter’s aforementioned beloved doggie, this year’s official holiday pose. Never was a more pleasant pooch.

Why is this foolish picture here?  I’ve been a little concerned about Earthquakes this week, after reading reports of small tremors all around the Pacific Rim, and then after Northern California was hit by that big one a few days back. I was a witness to the ’71 and ’94 quakes, both of which were serious tragedies for Los Angeles. 28 years of relative calm later, it really feels like we’re due for a big one, maybe even The Big One.

But optimism reigns. Dagwood Bumstead substitute Ward Douglas nails a Christmas wreath on the door of his beach house, knowing that all will be well. California houses never fall into the ocean. But just try getting fire insurance if you live up in the hills somewhere .

Thanks for your patience & Happy Holidays!  I heard that some people have already received their Invaders from Mars discs. I should have a new review or two on Tuesday — Glenn Erickson

Hello!

Some of my mail this week is from correspondents eager to see the new Invaders from Mars disc. I’m of course a booster and would likely say it’s great even if the restoration wasn’t as good as it is. But you don’t have to take my word for it — luminaries like Alan K. Rode and Steve De Jarnatt saw the restoration projected at Cinecon and the TCMFest, and have attested to its quality on our Facebook posts.

We still cringe at the knowledge that the film’s optical negative hadn’t been lost or thrown out — they’re still blaming that on the re-cut done for England. We wish that the full original negative from which the opticals were made had been retained … wouldn’t that be marvelous?  Again, it’s gratifying that Ignite Films didn’t take any shortcuts — this looks and sounds great.

I hope the product ships sooner than later — I’ll be returning with another annoying review addendum when the 4K disc arrives.

Everybody’s gearing up for Holiday activities here.  ↑  The snapshot above is courtesy of helpful correspondent Edward Sullivan, who apparently went nuts and sent me
1) an ‘atomic’ shower curtain, and
2) a museum-approved figurine of a Yeti that apparently has spent time on our Muscle Beach.
The shower curtain is crazy — too good to hide in a bathroom. The Yeti will hopefully soon be playing with my granddaughter’s Peppa Pig dolls. Heck, I  want to play with my granddaughter’s Peppa Pig dolls.

This year’s Turner Classic Movies TCM Remembers montage is a real heartbreaker — it really seems like all the actors that moved us or made a personal connection are fast disappearing. TCM’s editors do this so well.

CineSavant advisor/contributor “B” wrote this with his link to the Memoriam montage:

“This In Memoriam” video is very finely done, unexpectedly moving, even for a year like this one. I give high marks to TCM when it does something like this; unlike the Academy’s annual video, TCM’s montage includes many lesser known but still worthy and recognizable performers and artists — and resists (for the most part) honoring executives, publicists and other tertiary folk.

Yes, we’re happiest when we connect with a face we know and love, even if the name isn’t 100% familiar. We were unaware that Maureen Arthur of How to Succeed in Business … had passed away this year; the loss of some others featured in the video was also sad news. The parting nod is polite and respectful.

And because I get the benefit of the talented Charlie Largent here at CineSavant, I jump to mention his Etsy page, where he’s selling digital copies of some of his clever graphic artworks. They’re downloadable digital files that can be printed on cards, stickers, etc.

I’ve never seen an Etsy Store page before. This is Charlie’s — Jest In Time. When I revisit old issues of Video Watchdog, Charlie’s work is often what I notice first.

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This Saturday is Christmas Eve — I don’t think I’ll have any new reviews on Saturday but I will try to put up the usual holiday pictures and whatever personal thoughts I can muster. Till then . . . . thanks for reading — Glenn Erickson

Hello!

Hope you’re lucky enough to have an enjoyable holiday plan in store!  We have one family member flying in this year for a few days so it’ll be big fun here. We even decorated. My daughter’s ‘Gort Christmas’ decoration is up, this six-foot felt-and-jingle-bells banner.

Don’t know if I’ll be skipping a post this week or not … I am very lucky to have the personal time to do this website. Maybe I’ll just repeat my usual collage of holiday images in the Erickson Burrow. (A reference from an old Gary Larson The Far Side cartoon.)

And what kind of holiday could it be without Glass Wax?   Partner in quality reviewing Charlie Largent brings us this great moment from the sterling career of George Fenneman, to brighten our lives with a special product: Glass Wax Winter Wonderland.

Actually, the product doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all. Although I knew kids who would take advantage of it for ‘holiday graffiti.’

Thanks for reading! — Glenn Erickson

Hello!

Now that there’s a streaming show called Wednesday, I am a soft touch for old episodes of The Addams Family. The only drawback is the episodes’ canned laughter tracks, which give me a pain. This compilation of Morticia / Gomez moments helps us recall why we loved the show: Mon cherie, Gomez.

Which reminds me, a couple weeks back Joe Dante linked to a good article by Paul Karasic in a 2018 issue of New Yorker, about a peculiar piece of Charles Addams art: The Addams Family Secret. We definitely love the giant mural-cartoon, “An Addams Family Holiday.”

Thanks for reading! — Glenn Erickson

Hello!

We’ve got yet another bit of informative insight from advisor “B”, who must have checked out my review of the Warner Archive Collection’s Mister Roberts Blu-ray. Of such observations are the finest film criticism made:

Dear Glenn: Nearly two years ago, you wrote a review of Mister Roberts. In the piece, you posed a question…

“As a gift to readers that may actually know nothing of the movie, I’ve not mentioned a major non-human character in the film, that plays a part in the last scene and is the subject of Ensign Pulver’s highly quotable final dialogue line:

“Captain, it is I, Ensign Pulver, and I just threw your stinkin’ palm tree overboard! Now what’s all this crud about no movie tonight?”

My only question is this: in the original play what word did Pulver shout at the the Captain in place of crud?”

I can now answer that.

Here’s how the Thomas Heggen book ends.

And here’s how the Heggen / Joshua Logan play ends.

I would guess that Logan may have said to Heggen that the play needed a stronger curtain line than in the book to further define Pulver’s character. So they concocted this final line and added it as a kicker… — B.

That’s news. In both book and play the Captain coddles a whole row of palm trees, giving Mr. Roberts and Ensign Pulver more stage business to do when they destroy them. Maybe the orchestra in the pit Mickey-Moused some music accents for the plants going over, one by one . . .

Kino Lorber’s January releases got announced a couple of days back, and the lineup has some good Blu-rays, like The David Jannsen Warning Shot which I reviewed as an import a few weeks ago. There’s also the Lee Marvin picture Sergeant Ryker, which I’ve never seen. I edited TV spots for the third Chuck Norris Missing in Action film, and don’t want to go near that series again . . .

Kino is releasing two separate 4K Ultra HD titles in January. We just got their 4K of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, which we might have to revisit again, even though it feels like I review it every year or so.

The two January 4Ks are the Charles Bronson movie Death Wish, which I want to reassess — it can’t be as pernicious as I remember it. The second offering is a real favorite, Peter Collinson’s original The Italian Job. I saw it new in 1969, and then at a late night screening at the TCM Fest about ten years ago … where it looked sensational. It’s a great candidate for straight-to-4K treatment!

Also on tap are Blu-rays of Welles’ The Lady from Shanghai and Peter Newbrook’s The Asphyx (which now seems less pleasant — who wants to see Jane Lapotaire suffer so?)  I’ll have to see if they’re substantially improved — The Asphyx is said to be a new remaster.

Thanks for reading! — Glenn Erickson