RIP Peter Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011)

Peter Falk was a great actor over the years I watched him in such films as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The In-Laws, The Princess Bride and The Great Race. He is most known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo on the television show Columbo. RIP Peter you will be missed.

James Arness 1923-1988

Actor James Arness has died today at the age of 88 just one year after his younger brother Peter Graves died last year. Both were from my home town of Minneapolis. And both went to high school in town Graves when to my high school  South West Arness went to Washburn a near by school. After High school he joined the war. His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart; the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars, the World War II Victory Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.


After that he went into acting were he had his most well known role as Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke. I know him most for his roles in The Thing from Another World and Them! I also know him for his work with John Wayne in such films as Island in the Sky and Hondo.







So to honor Arness I watched the thing. The way that you can tell it's him is by his 6'7 Hight. The movie like most Monster movies of that time takes place at the North Pole. The film was made for enjoyment but also to scare people about a communist invasion. They cracked many jokes about the communists and even poked fun at the United States military. Dimtri Temkon's score was very good and added to the suspense of the film. RIP to a great American hero.

KOWALSKI! The next time you touch a face darker than mine, you're out!

Just last week I watched a film which was released in 1974.  It was filmed at Pinewood studios in England has "gold" in the title and stars Roger Moore who makes love to women with a bottle of champagne near by.  Through out the film a group of villains using Goldfinger's Operation Grand Slam plan to destroy a large amount of gold. At the end of this film, the villain's car goes rolling down a hill and explodes in a giant fireball much like the death of the hit man  Locque  in another RM Bond film For Your Eyes Only.  I know what your thinking, I'm reviewing The Man With The Golden Gun,  which is almost as long and has the same rating.  But this film is called The Great Gold Conspiracy.  If you want to watch Roger Moore just watch Golden Gun. It has Christopher Lee with a golden gun. This film has no golden gun only a golden helmet instead. The film also has no appearance by Clifton James as sheriff J.W. Pepper which was one of the highlights of The Man With The Golden Gun. The film was too long and could have used a razor to shave off 30 minutes, 15 of those minutes love scenes. Elmer Bernstein's music is the only thing the film has going for it. We should also take a pause to remember Susannah York one of stars of the film who died on January 15 of this year at the age of 72 from bone marrow cancer.  

Gaint Rest in Peace Elizabeth Taylor

In memory of the great and very beautiful actress Elizabeth Taylor who died a few days ago at the age of 79. This being my first time seeing it I enjoyed it a lot. I really liked Dennis Hoppers Performance as well as Dean's. This is my first time seeing James Dean in a film. It touched on the subject of Racism. I liked this film and think that anyone who likes movies should watch this.

When I was twelve, oh what a joy, Mom told me I was a boy! My tribute to Jane Russell

Last night in memory of the late and very beautiful  Jane Russell I watched one of her's and Bob Hopes best films. The very funny and one of my top five comedies 1952's Son of Paleface.
Which also stars Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger. Russell plays the Torch a robber by night
and a saloon owner as a cover.  Bob Hope is a Harvard grad who has set out to get his
fathers fortune. But when he gets there he finds his father owed many people money. He finds the money after many very funny gags and pranks.   This is a classic.

RIP John Barry

Today I am saddened by the passing of English  composer John Barry. John Berry who won five Oscars over his career is most known for composing the Bond films from Dr. No to the Living Daylights. Barry also composed the music for Dances with Wolves,Midnight Cowboy,The Knack …and How to Get It,Some Where in Time,Out of Africa,Zulu and the Black Hole. Black Hole and Zulu are what I know him for most outside of Bond. I also very much liked his score for the Knack. John Barry was 77. John will be missed.

remembering Leslie, Irving and Blake.

In these past few weeks  we lost not one but three Hollywood icons.

Leslie Nielsen, who is most known for his comedies such as Airplane and Naked Gun died today at the age of 84. Nielsen is also known for his roles in Forbidden Planet and as Captain Harrison of the SS Poseidon. Here is a quote from The TV show Police Squad."We're sorry to bother you at such a time like this, Mrs. Twice. We would have come earlier, but your husband wasn't dead then." Thanks for making me laugh.

The second death was director Irving  Kershner who directed what most considered to be the best Star Wars film of the trilogy The Empire Strikes Back. Which has one of film's most well known lines. He also directed the unofficial Bond film Never Say Never Again.
He will be missed.

I have also just learned of the death of another Hollywood director Blake Edwards. Edwards is most known for directing Breakfast at Tiffany's and the Pink Panther series with Peter Sellers. I have only seen two of his films, Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark.  A Shot in the Dark in my opinion, was the best film in the series.  Some of his other films include Operation Petticoat and The Great Race both which star the late great Tony Curtis.

We have already lost so many movie icons this year. Now we've lost three more. :(

Arthur Menke Curtis. Salute to the 3. To the editor.To the director and To the actor.

This has been a sad week for movie fans.  we lost not one not two but three greats of film A great editor a great director and a great actor. The first blow came on  the 27th when Sally Menke was found dead. Menke is most well known for being the editor of every one of Quentin Tarantino's movies.She will be missed. Then on the 28th Arthur Penn best known as the director of Bonnie and Clyde died at the age of 88. The death scene in Bonnie and went to influence many other directors such as Sam Peckinpah's western classic the wild bunch. The third and most shocking death was the death of acting great Tony Curtis on the 30th.  Curtis has starred in many classic films such as Sweet Smell of Success and Some like it hot which is one of the top five comedies of all time in my opinion. He will be never be forgotten. The really awful thing is that none of them not even Curtis ever won an Oscar for there work. Top left Pulp Fiction John Travolta and Samuel Jackson , top right Bonnie and Clyde Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty bottom right Sweet Smell of Success Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. This has already been a really sad year for me with the death's of actors Dennis Hopper and Peter Graves.

Screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz dies at 68

We are taking a pause to remember Screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz who died at the age of 68. He is well known for being the screenwriter for James Bond films such as Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die and The Man With the Golden Gun. He was also the sreenwriter for the first two superman films which I am Watching as part of Hackman week. RIP