Can You Believe We Have Made It Through One Twelfth Of 2022??????????????????????????

                                       I always start feeling better the end of January.  We start with a celebration, watching the ball drop, some Veuve Clicquot, and then the seasonal magic stops.  The decorations have to be taken down, and then I have to transition through a period where I keep seeing them mentally.  Some time, at a later point in the month, this stops, and I always know I am on the mend when I can see my home normally.   I have crossed the first hump.

                                        I know I am settled in, trying to live up to my resolutions, as I struggle through the pandemic.  But knowing I--and David--am doing all I can. Same with Baby Gojira and Pippin.

                                        I had Svengoolie, and loads of fun with him, to help ease the transition.  Now, there is February to look forward to, and though short, it is packed with so many events! Just wait and see.

                                          I always heave a sigh of relief when January is over.  But one question remains unanswered.

                                            I was born two months premature.  I arrived in November 1954, when I should have shown up in January of 1955.  Had I kept that date, would I feel differently about the month?

                                               What do you think, girls??????????????????????

Darlings, You Would Not Believe The Available Merchandise, Connected To This Movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                    Those readers having been on here long enough know how much I love Universal's 1957 film, "The Deadly Mantis."  Girls, I am telling you, you have to see the scenes of a mantis, up against a micro slide, flying through the air, going "Zzzzzzzzz!  Zzzzzzzzzzz!"  I mean, do mantises really do that???????????????

                                                       The hoot is when it scales the Washington Monument, which has to be one of the most attacked buildings in this film genre.  Beside here, it also gets clobbered in "The Giant Claw," and "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers."

                                                          It was my hunch that if there could be Mrs. Voorhees doll, there would be something connected to "The Deadly Mantis."  I was hoping for a plastic model of the creature scaling the Washington Monument, but no go.  However, if you look, there are posters, T-Shirts, Coffee Mugs, you name it!  I want a T-Shirt (yellow or orange) and a coffee mug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                             Enjoy coffee in mantis garb or mug while watching this film.

                                                              The only bug you will want in YOUR house, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                                                 

Reading News--The Year Of The Challenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Before last year ended, I had made up my mind I would approach reading differently in 2022.  I have two vertical shelves of books I have never gotten to--some have been there for years--so I resolved to clear as much of them as possible.

                                         Thus, I have only read 7 books this month--which for me is low.  I am not consciously shooting for 100 books this year--having set an all-time record for myself last year, with 124, which I am currently inputting, and will eventually post--but if I do not reach 100 this year, I promise not to look upon it as a moral failing.

                                              Just so you know, the seven books I have read are--                                                                                      1. "The Witching Hour," by Anne Rice                                                                                                           2. "The Liar's Dictionary," by Eley Williams                                                                                                 3. "Autumn," by Ali Smith                                                                                                                             4. "Winter," by Ali Smith                                                                                                                               5. "Spring," by Ali Smith                                                                                                                                     6. "Summer," by Ali Smith                                                                                                                             7. "The Tenant," by Katrine Engberg    

                                                 This is a low total for me, but there is a method to my madness this year, and I found it in Jonathan Franzen.  But before going there, let me tell you outright--Skip the Ali Smith Seasonal Quartet.  Overrated, pretentious, and who gives a shit?  But remember, that's me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

                                                                           

                                                 This is the book I am currently reading--"Abel And Cain," by Gregor Von Rezzori, with an Introduction by Joshua Cohen, author of "Witz."  Recently, when all this fuss was made over Donna Tartt's alleged escapades at Bennington--which is none of OUR business, darlings--she mentioned her fondness for The New York Review Book Classics.  I have been copying the list, A to Z, and plan to read as many this year as I am able.  This novel, which is 961 pages, consists of two novels, "The Death Of My Brother Abel," and "Cain."  The first book is longer; right now, I am on page 352.  This is not a quick read.  Nor should it be.  And this is where Jonathan Franzen comes in.

                                                      He maintains, and I agree, that hard books/novels are more of a challenge because they require work.  When he sat down and read "The Recognitions," it was over at least a ten-day period, with Franzen reading six to eight hours a day.  And I am trying to follow this regimen, with "Abel And Cain."

                                                    Back in 2002, when he went from struggling writer to Literary Icon from the publication of his now signature work, "The Corrections," he wrote an essay in "The New Yorker called "Mr. Difficult: William Gaddis, And The Problem Of Hard-To-Read Books."  The focus of the piece is on Franzen's experience of reading Gaddis' first, blockbuster 1955 novel, "The Recognitions," which clocks in at 956 pages.  This book, I must say, has stared me down in bookstores over the years, daring me to read it.  After reading the Franzen essay, I confess I just may have to.

                                                        But before going on, let me alert you to the books Franzen has picked up over the years, and has been unable to finish; some I have read, others not, and some surprise me.  The ones I have read are "Moby Dick," by Herman Melville, "Mason And Dixon," by Thomas Pynchon, "Remembrance Of Things Past," by Marcel Proust, and "The Golden Notebook," by Doris Lessing.  Those I have not read, but fully intend to, are "The Man Without Qualities," by Robert Musil, "Don Quixote," by Miguel de Cervantes, "Doctor Faustus," by Thomas Mann, "Naked Lunch," by William Burroughs, and "The Golden Bowl," by Henry James.

                                                            I certainly have my work cut out for me.  If these are good enough for Franzen and Tartt, then I am on their page.  Those on here who are readers are whom I have written this post for, just to let you know what I am up to.  I cannot wait to get back to "Abel And Cain."

                                                                However, this does mean that my whole year is going to be like reading for comps.  I have my eye on a recently published book, "Devil's House," by John Darnielle, which deals with a man who spends the night in a house where some unsolved murders took place.  If there is anything I love, it is unsolved murders.  So, you know I should have fun with this one, even if I was not crazy over his 2017 effort, "Universal Harvest."  Even serious readers have to get their fun somewhere.

                                                                    So, that's it for now, folks!  Right now, I am going to tune out, and curl up with "Abel And Cain."  I will keep you posted on my project periodically, and if I hit any books I think should be skipped, I will be sure to let you know.

                                                                       Hell, there is a remote possibility I may get to Joyce's Ulysses," this year!

                                                                       Happy Reading, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                      

                                               

Girls, Any One Of Us Can Be A CoverGirl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         You have to admit Niki Taylor looks fabulous.  She can barely be set apart from her 1998 CoverGirl mag pose, or her current one on television.

                                          Now, not all of us can look like Niki, but there is no reason, if we want to, that we cannot be our own CoverGirl.  Even if one has to cut the center of a mag, and photograph said face poking out through the cover!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           I mean, hons, one must do what it takes.  But, for those serious thinking gals, here is a tip--

                                       Simple makeup from CoverGirl.  That's all it takes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, Join Us Tomorrow Evening, As Svengoolie Presents "The Haunted Strangler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                                    I have never seen this one, either, girls, but have heard about it since childhood.  It got a lot of mention in "Famous Monsters Of Filmland Magazine" during the years I read it. I always thought it was one of Karloff's lesser Universal films.  Now, I find it was during his Fifties period, when he was filming "Frankenstein--1970," and such.

                                                       The big surprise is that Elizabeth Allan, who, during her ingenue period, did two Selznick films back-to-back--appears in this film.  She played Clara Copperfield, mother of Freddie Bartholomew's young David in "David Copperfield," and then Lucie Manette in "A Tale Of Two Cities."  I always wondered what happened to her.  I had no idea she was still in film at this point.  And what a come down from Selznick and MGM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                          But a girl has to work.  In any case, this should be lots of fun. It seems the reincarnated spirit of a serial killer executed twenty years before possesses Boris Karloff, whereupon he picks up where the killer left off--knocking off gorgeous beauties, as apropos what a serial killer does.

                                                            I am sure the Jack The Ripper legend has a bit of influence here.  In any case, Kerwyn here is very excited about it, and darlings, so am I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                             See you tomorrow night, and please, don't get all choked up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                    
 

Really, This Film Was A Foreshadowing Of The Trump Administration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Darlings, how could I have known?  I was not even ten- years- old, when I first saw "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers," so far from me to realize it had so much socio-political content!

                                      The saucers, whose alien inhabitants are smarter than Trump and his team, zero in on Washington D.C., and I am telling you, when the Capitol was destroyed, it was like predicting January 6 of last year.  Come to think of it, the authority figures in this film were pretty moronic, so to see this film today is to look at the mess our nation is in now.

                                           But the real mystery of this film is what happened to Hugh Marlowe's career!  Having been in both "Meet Me In St. Louis" (1944) and "All About Eve" (1950), and so good looking--his body shot at the end is gorgeous! -- and with a cultured speaking voice, he should have been a major star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  But he did land in some well-known films, which is more than can be said for yours truly.

                                             While there is a campiness to this 1956 film, be prepared for the social prescience it suddenly seems to have.

                                               Making it equally disturbing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                

Is This Two For One? Or Four For Two?????????????????????????????????

                                                   I am talking about bosoms, darlings, because if any movie has them, "The She-Creature" does.  Thursday night, while reading, David called me into the bedroom, saying this movie, which I love, was just starting, and it was quite a revelation.

                                                     The title character, designed and played by designer Paul Blaisdell, who worked on several AIP pics, (he played "Cucumbo" in "It Conquered The World," which this film was on a second bill with.) is an interesting creation, so butch in design, it does not say "she" until one looks at it dead center, and sees its armor-plated bosoms.  Which look like two basketball halves stitched on.

                                                        Then there is minxy Marla English as the mysterious girl who hangs out at carnivals, (What is that all about, huh?) and gets picked up by alleged Dr. Carlo Lombardi (Chester Morris) whose moustache is as false as his credentials.  He is a charlatan hypnotist who uses Andrea (Miss English) to conjure up the title character, who starts out as mist, then emerges from the ocean, only to return, invisibly, feet exposed in the sand.  Girls don't ask me to explain any further.  Suffice it to say the creature's bosoms are enormous, while Miss English's are not bad, and heave quite often, as befitting a Fifties horror heroine!

                                                          But wait!  This film has two surprises!  As the married couple, the Chappels, who host most of the goings on, as Mr. Chappel is trying to make money off of this, Tom Conway, brother of George Sanders, and the great Frieda Inescort-- (forever remembered for her melting, cultured, clipped voice, and her signature role as Lady Jane Ainsley! in "The Return Of The Vampire.") oh, my God!--are on hand, and let me tell you, I wish Frieda had been given more screen time, as she really livens things up. The scene where she faints is the only one stolen from the She-Creature, as the other actors, pardon the expression, are just a bunch of stiffs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                           Campy and bosomy, "The She-Creature" can't be beat, dolls!

                                                             It makes me now want to see what Marla and Paul get up to, in 1957's "Voodoo Woman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

What Does One's Perception Of An Optical Illusion Say About Oneself??????????????????????????????

                                              This is probably the most famous illusion out there, where can be seen a beautiful woman or a hag.  The first time I saw this, back in seventh grade, I saw the hag first, so what does that say about me?  It took me awhile to see the beautiful woman, and now I can see both simultaneously.

                                                  But I want to talk about two logos that, from childhood on, have acted on me, as optical illusions, and I wonder what it all says about me?

                                                    The first is the Garden State Parkway logo, in my home state, New Jersey.  I wish the word parkway was omitted from the center; it is on some signs, which make the illusion I will describe more believable.  

                                                        Now, intellectually, I know the green symbol is a portrait of the state of New Jersey.  But, as a child, before understanding that, I saw a side view of a soldier standing at attention, gun to his side.  And, truth be told, I still see this image.  And my only association with guns is "Annie Get Your Gun."

                                                           But what does it say about me?

                                                                                   

                                Now, the Mobile Gas symbol is different.  I can see clearly now that it is a winged horse.  However, when I was a small child, driving with my mother along Route 27, out in Edison, where there was a Mobile Building, I would say to my mother that it was a hand glove, or what I would call "the Mobil Gas glove," to which she would respond, |"It's a flying horse."  It got to be a joke for years, whenever we would pass this.  I eventually outgrew this, but, until I did, I always saw in this symbol an elegant hand glove?

                                  What do you think of that, girls?????????????????????

                                    "Look for the girl, with the sun in her eyes, and she's gone."

What Is Going On, With Sutton Foster???????????????????????

                                                    That is what Theater Queens want to know.  

                                                    Several weeks ago, both Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, headliners in the eagerly awaited revival of "The Music Man," at the Winter Garden, tested positive for Covid, and were out of the show.  Well, in no time, it seems like Hugh bounced back, and is up there doing his thing.

                                                       Meanwhile, not a word on Sutton Foster, which I find peculiar and bothersome.  Broadway audiences want her back and would like some information as to how she is doing, and when that return may be.

                                                            Alas, I have not been able to find out a thing.  It is time to fess up about Sutton, because people care, as much as they want to see her.

                                                              I wish Sutton all the best.  I hope her departure from the show does not loom in her future.

                                                                Get rid of Covid, Broadway!  So Theater Queens like me can feel safe to come back!

Happy Birthday, Celia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       What is wrong with the people at "Playbill?"  Don't they know what is what in theater??????????????  Today happens to be the birthday of Celia Keenan-Bolger, who is not just one of the shining lights of Broadway, but a TONY Award Winner, who stepped in recently and repeated her triumph when "To Kill A Mockingbird" re-opened on Broadway, after over a year of being shut down.  As did her co-star Jeff Daniels.  Now that 'Mockingbird' has shut down again, I would not be surprised if Celia and Jeff were to step in again, when it re-opens in June--but at the Belasco Theatre.

                                             Happy Birthday, Celia.  At 44, you can still play youth roles.  And I eagerly await your next effort.  But, for now, kick back, stay warm on this cold Winter night, and enjoy whatever you want, on your birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                  We love you, Celia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I Sometimes Felt I Had No Place To Go, He Took Me Somewhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                I was sorry to learn of the death of Meat Loaf, whose talent and work I admired.  How often have I sung "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" to myself or listened to the song pictured for comfort. Of course, he was great in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," and a talent too good to be overlooked by even a Theater Queen such as I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                 It is only appropriate I end this blog day with Meat Loaf's most upbeat and impassioned song.  Here it is, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                   

                                                          Rest In Peace, Meat Loaf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dreams Of A Racist Karen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                                      Girls, if you thought all having gone before was something, wait till you read this.

                                       The woman pictured above I do not know anything about--name or anything--except that she is a fat, ugly racist bitch, who turns up on lots of Karen YouTube sites, spewing her venom.  She lives in what I imagine is Florida, the perfect place for a piece of trash like this, who thinks she is living on Tara, and no one has the right to be on her plantation.

                                         Pay attention to that last, as it figures in a dream I had last night, too.

                                          I was in a gay bar--not altogether unusual, but not my usual place to frequent, even in my younger days--and the place was having a contest that evening to select the campiest man in drag!  This woman was onstage, posing as one of the men in drag, even though she was a woman.  The contestants all lined up in a row, and the announcer came forward and announced--"The winner of our contest is--Scarlett O'Hara!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                            Then this woman stepped forward, as though she had the right to call herself by that name.  Vivien Leigh must have turned in her grave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                I would have loved to seen Scarlett go to it with this woman.  Scarlett would not take any of her crap, any more than any of her neighbors ought to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                 A "winner," maybe.  But, in reality, a loser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How About My Bernadette Dream(s)??????????????????????????????

                                      Girls, we are not even near Ash Wednesday, and yet "The Song Of Bernadette" is running through my mind.  Several nights ago, I had this strange dream.  I was in my hometown of Highland Park, New Jersey.  It was a warm Spring or Summer night, and I was walking down South Fifth Avenue by myself, something I would actually do alone, or sometimes, with friends.  The street ended perpendicular to another, which overlooked Donaldson Park.  Before I go on--if any Parkites read this-- what is the name of the street mentioned here?  I cannot recall the name.

                                     As the dream went on, I was overlooking the park, from the top of the hill, and, to the left, I saw a young girl, in a veil, kneeling, staring at something invisible, which I could not see, apparently standing above her.  I was filled with awe and nervousness, as I realized the girl in question was Bernadette--Bernadette, I said, NOT Jennifer Jones--and something was going on.  I ran madly to the Catholic church and rectory in my town, but once I got there, they were not as I recalled them, but bigger and more lavish.  I knocked at the rectory door, told the priest who answered what I witnessed, but he did not believe me.  He said I would have to take it up with the Mother Superior.  I did, she did not believe me, and said I had to talk to the head priest, whose name I do not recall.  He listened to me and agreed to accompany me to where I had seen the sight.  When we got there, Bernadette was still kneeling, some people had gathered.  He watched the scene for a while, then turned to me.  His face was ashen white, and he said he not only believed me, but we must get back to the rectory and let others know.  That was how the dream ended.

                                         The second dream, which I had last night, involved the wall hanging in a recent post.  It was hanging on the wall over the fireplace in our living room.  My sister had come to see us for a visit, and was incredulous over the photo, not knowing what it was.  So ended that dream.

                                            What is going on?  You tell me, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Join Us All Tomorrow Night, Darlings, As Svengoolie Presents "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!|"

                                          By 1956, Hugh Marlowe's career must have taken some kind of nosedive.  He was in 20th Century-Fox's classic religious comedy, "Come To The Stable," in 1949, and, the following year, he was in the iconic film "All About Eve."  I loved his performance as Lloyd Richards; I thought he was a good-looking guy, and I wondered why he did not go further.

                                            So, here he turns up in "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers."  I have not seen this one, since I was a kid, but I can promise you, this should be a camp riot!!!!!!!!!!!  The flying saucers in this film are about as menacing as fast-food containers purchased at said joints, which is what they resemble.  And Marlowe is the only known actor in this film.  Which only shows how desperate he was to work, and how even many top horror staples of the day must have turned this one down.

                                             My memory of this one is fuzzy, but I can tell you Baby Gojira, Kerwyn, Cucumbo, and myself are so excited!  David less so, because he has never seen it, and my memory isn't strong enough to promise him camp fun.  But it should be, and then there is always Svengoolie.

                                                 And, please, let us see Toonie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                                           

Now, Here Is Something No Living Room Can Afford To Be Without!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          Especially for those like yours truly, who just cannot get ENOUGH of "The Song Of Bernadette."  Imagine this gorgeous wall size photo of Jennifer Jones and Blanche Yurka hanging in your living room!  Girls, I am telling you, you will be the talk of the neighborhood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           I look around my walls now, wondering where I will put this.  There has to be a way!  This is a MUST for next year, when the film turns 80, and we will have a "Song Of Bernadette" party!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              Certainly, this is the find of the season, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            

"Down Came The Napalm, And Burned The Spider Up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   For a slow-moving film, it was really easy for the militia to kill "Tarantula--" a few simple Napalm bombs, and it is burnt to a crisp!  But who eats barbecued spider?   Only, please don't tell me people do, dolls!

                                    This thing was nasty and creepy.  Yes, it leers in at Mara Corday in her bedroom, dripping venom, and manages to incorporate theories of giantism and acromegaly into the plot; this film certainly reassured me, darlings, that I had no business taking Advanced Placement Biology.  So, it is a good thing I did not try.

                                       As for spiders, I will stick strictly to "Charlotte's Web!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
 

How Does One Suggest A Makeover To Someone Known???????????????????

                                      David and I have this mutual female friend, who is on a self-improvement kick.  Nothing wrong with that; we can all use it, at one time or another, darlings, but the person in question is talking about a "Julia Roberts workover," and how do you tell someone that, well, Julia had more to work with??????????????

                                       Then, I saw this Dupixent commercial.  This is an asthma medication, but when I the saw the look of the girl pictured, I knew this picture was the perfect look for our friend.  Not just the hair, which, frankly, is where the most work is needed, but the camel haired jacket, white blouse and colored pants are perfect together, and would look great on our friend.  The problem is, I do not want to take on an Eliza Doolittle project, and the friend is not sophisticated enough, and might be offended at our intervention.

                                         But, for those having curly or frizzy hair, this look is perfect.

                                        If I had such hair, I would think about it, myself.

                                        Come to think of it, years ago, I did have a full-length camel hair coat!

What Could Sally Hershberger Have Done For Medusa????????????????????????

                                    Poor Medusa.  One has to feel sorry for her, darlings, because what in the world did the poor girl do, when she wanted to get her hair done?  Even a wash and set?

                                     Now, "Amazon" is exploiting poor Medusa, with some sort of Madonna wannabe, not even mentioning who the two other sisters--Stheno and Euryale--were. This could have been one girl group act that would stop shows.

                                      And think about the poor snakes atop Medusa's head.   They are alive, so they are not going to take kindly to being clipped, shampooed and dried.  Do snakes even bathe, anyway?

                                        And, of course, Medusa turned those who gazed on her to stone.  Poor Sally.  As challenging a client as this might be, I don't think she could afford to take her.

                                          Poor Medusa. What's a girl to do???????????????

Time To Welcome A New Reader, Girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                 The first month of the year, and already there is a new reader.  Her name, I believe, is Sabrina Drury.  Welcome, Sabrina.  I don't know how you found your way here, but I am glad you did.  I hope you find entertainment and information on here.  With apologies to all, the current world situation allows me less time on here.  I have not posted all 124 books read in 2021, but I fully intend to. I was lucky enough to get the "Mass" posting on here. 

                                                     So, welcome, Sabrina.  Tradition calls for you to be ushered in with the blog's unofficial theme song, so here we go.

                                      Enjoy Deborah Harry, Sabrina, and feel free to drop in here, or comment, any time.

Definitely NOT Recommended For Arachnophobes, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Join us all tomorrow night, girls, as Svengoolie presents one of the gems of Universal's giant monster movies--1955's "Tarantula!!!!!!!!!!!!!!|

                                       Unlike the previously shown "Earth Vs. The Spider," this is not fun and campy. This is serious stuff.  The film was based on an episode of the 50's TV program "Science Fiction Theater," called "No Food For Thought," which, like the film, has a connection to "The Food Of The Gods," by H. G. Wells.

                                       If I remember correctly, there is a terrifying scene where the heroine, played by Mara Corday, is in a bedroom.  She looks out the window and sees the eyes of the creature leering at her, pincers open, mouth drooling!  I am certain this is the film.  Or, maybe, "The Black Scorpion."  We will just have to wait and find out, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       Mara Corday celebrated her 92nd birthday, just eleven days ago.  She was Playboys Playmate Of The Month, for October 1958.  We should all look that good, dolls!!!!!!!!!

                                          Veteran character actor Leo G. Carroll gives it his all.  His experiments trigger the tarantula.  You have to see his face, darlings!  He develops the worst case of acromegaly since Rondo Hatton!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               See you all tomorrow, for this classic gem!  Baby Gojira, Pippin, Kerwyn, and Cucumbo are SO excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            

Why Am I Always Drawn To Antha? Am I Antha? Or Am I More Like Stella????????????????????????????

                                               Anne Rice poured everything she had into "The Witching Hour," which I consider her masterpiece.  The city of New Orleans--its food, restaurants, cemeteries and customs--laid bare for readers, making them feel as though they had been there--literary references, the history of a dynasty of witches--and the damn, absorbing thing is over 900 pages.  This was my fourth reading, and I had forgotten how long it is, because one gets immersed in the Mayfair world.

                                                  I suggest if you have never read this book, skip this post, and then come back and read it.  This is strictly for "Witching Hour" afficionados.

                                                   But first--

                                                  The Mayfair Witches

                                                   1. Suzanne Mayfair (-1659)                                                                                                                           2. Deborah Mayfair (1652-1689)                                                                                                                   3. Charlotte Mayfair (1667-1743)                                                                                                                 4.  Jeanne-Louise Mayfair (1690-1771)                                                                                                         5.  Angelique Mayfair (1725-?)                                                                                                                     6.  Marie-Claudette Mayfair (late 1700's-?)                                                                                                   7.  Marguerite Mayfair (?-?)                                                                                                                           8.  Katherine Mayfair (?-1905)                                                                                                                       9.  Julien Mayfair (?-1914)                                                                                                                            10. Mary Beth Mayfair (1872-1925)                                                                                                              11. Stella Mayfair (1901-1929)                                                                                                                      12. Carlotta Mayfair (?-?) (around 94 yrs. old)                                                                                              13. Antha Marie Mayfair (1921-1941)                                                                                                          14. Deirdre Mayfair (?-late 1970's, aged 48)                                                                                                  15. Rowan Mayfair (1959--)   

                                      I am going to begin with Julien Mayfair, because, I am convinced, I met him in 1996.  It was my first time in New Orleans, and I was walking through the Garden District, having dined at Galatoire's in the Quarter.  Coming to the Mayfair house, I stared at it intently, noticing the porch roof onto which Antha had been pushed out, fallen from, and killed. My eyes turned directly to the front door, where Deirdre Mayfair's rocking chair was placed.  Seated upon it was a man I had never seen, with dark black hair, and a moustache.  He beckoned to me, and before I knew it, I was walking through this famous property, up the steps, and onto the property, as though having every right to.  I stopped before the man, who stared at me, asked me how I was, then ran his hand down my right cheek.  He said, "Do you know why you are fine?  Because you woke up this morning; that's why.  It's when you don't wake up, that you are not fine."

                                         I took this in, not believing how calm I was about the whole thing.  The next day, I brought my friends, who I was with on vacation trip, to the house, around the same time.  No one was in the rocker.  Now, some might say the man was Anne Rice's husband, Stan, but pictures of him that I have seen don't match the gentleman I saw, who was thin.  I am convinced to this day that it was Julien Mayfair, though some might think it was Lasher.  But why was I singled out by the Mayfair witches? The only thing I can attest to is, having been to New Orleans twice, each time I had a paranormal experience.  Fifteen years later, in 2011, I returned, and going to breakfast one morning in the Monteleone Hotel--David was already downstairs-- I saw the ghost of a woman dressed in nineteenth century garb pass by me in a hall I was a good distance away from.

                                              What to make of this, darlings???????????????????  Have I been marked by the Mayfairs?  And, if so, why?

                                               No one can say the Mayfairs have not had their share of trouble--Hons, what family hasn't? The things I could still talk about mine! --but I want to tell you, I blame the whole thing on that bitch, Carlotta.  She, not Lasher, got Lionel to kill his sister, Stella, at a party, where her then small daughter, Antha, witnessed the whole thing!  Antha is to "The Witching Hour," what Dora is to "David Copperfield," young, delicate and pretty, the kind of girl young men easily fall in love with.  Alas, they are doomed to tragic, and brief, lives.  Dora had a miscarriage, from which she never recovered, but Antha's death was worse.  She was a dreamy, poetic soul, who wanted, and did, run off to New York, to get away, not so much from New Orleans, but the clutches of her Aunt Carlotta, who kept her a virtual prisoner.  Antha enjoyed a brief sojourn in the Village, living with a painter, where she wrote short stories, published a poem in "The New Yorker," and conceived her daughter, Deirdre Mayfair.  This child was born in New Orleans, as Antha was eventually tracked down.  Carlotta, because she resented not being designated the Legacy, which went to Stella, resented Stella, and Antha, to whom it went, after Stella's death.  This culminated in an argument that resulted in Carlotta chasing Antha up the stairs, into Julien's bedroom, with a flat roof outside.  They fought and scratched, with Carlotta getting the best of the delicate Antha, not only gouging out her eyes, but pushing her out the window, onto the roof, where she rolled and fell to her death, head cracked open on the ground.  Poor Antha!   If it had been me, I would have called out Carlotta, and then called forth Lasher.  Which shows maybe that I am not Antha, after all, though I have some of her qualities.  I would not tolerate such nonsense from anyone, which makes me more like Stella, with her wild parties, and champagne filled swimming pool.  Hey, I have been to some wild parties, and I could go for a champagne filled swimming pool.  David says I am a bit of both.

                                     For me, this is the crux of the whole thing--that bitch, Carlotta!

                                      Deborah was one of the great witches.  Burned at the stake in Scotland, in 1689, she had the rage and strength to call forth Lasher, before the flames engulfed her.  Lasher brought forth a storm, destroying not only the town square, where the execution took place, but all who condemned Deborah, including her young sons, who testified against her.  I am with Deborah, all the way.  She is a good witch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          There is much more to the novel, but this is what interests me most.  If only Antha had been given more time.  She might have been the greatest witch.  Had I ever had a daughter, she would have been named Antha.  It means "flower," or "blossom," in Greek.  Interestingly, two literary works referenced throughout are |Great Expectations," and "David Copperfield."  And in the latter, Aunt Betsey Trotwood calls Dora "Little Blossom."

                                              Anne Rice certainly knew what she was doing.  Her problem was she had so many ideas, she could not get them out fast enough.  When L. Frank Baum died, other writers took up the Oz mantle.  I wish someone would do that with the family Mayfair.  Maybe an alternate reality where Antha does not die but lives a full life.   To conjecture on her potential accomplishments is endlessly fascinating.

                                               I have said what I have had to.  Any Mayfairers out there, let me know.

                                              This novel proves witchery is NOT all "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                              

                                                    Rest In Peace, Antha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                                           

The Film Should Have Been Titled "Ribbit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                     Girls, as creepy as reptiles are--save, of course, Gojira and Baby Gojira--you have to hand it to the titular characters in "Frogs."  They must have had some agent, because they barely move or do anything, throughout the film.  They croak, they scamper, and they get more close-up shots, just lying around, than any actor in the film.  They also outact the actors, even the seasoned Ray Milland, and newcomers Sam Elliott, who does show off his gorgeous chest; not to mention Joan Van Ark, with her gorgeous gams.

                                     But what a mess.  Who is attacking who?  A Southern mansion on a Florida island?  A dysfunctional family?????????????  Where was Tennessee Williams when needed; because "Frogs," girls, comes off more like an ersatz "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof."

                                         The movie was all over the place, but the worst thing was, it never seemed to go anywhere.  But the time Milland was on the floor, covered with maybe three frogs, whom he could simply swat off, David was asleep, and I had had enough.

                                             George McCowan, and screenwriters Robert Hutchinson and Robert Blees did not get it right, with this "nature run amok" movie.  They should have watched Hitchcock's 1963 "The Birds," or Daniel Mann's hit the previous year--1971-- |Willard."   Both those film got it right!

                                                  I hope each and every frog was given the choice of a high-end pond to return to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, I Finally Saw "Mass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                      I first began hearing about this film late Summer, early Fall, when it was the hit of the film festival circuit.  The name of Martha Plimpton stuck out for me, as I would see her in anything.

                                        Inevitably, by October, "Mass" reached New York, on the independent circuit, landing at the Angelika, which even in the best times I dislike.  But, with Covid, I was not about to venture into the city for a movie, no matter how badly I wanted to see it.  And I sure as hell knew this film would not play my neighborhood theater, the Alpine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          I watched and waited.  And finally, I was rewarded.  The other night David told me "Mass" was on Pay-Per-View, and did I want to watch it?  Of course!  It was quite an experience.

                                           On one level, "Mass" is so simple; it is "God Of Carnage" taken to a higher level.  In that play, (and its later film version, simply titled "Carnage") two set of parents meet and hash out what happened involving a fight between their boys, at school.  The stakes are higher with "Mass." Richard (Reed Birney) and Linda (Ann Dowd) are the parents of a boy who, six years before, shot Evan, the son of Gayle and Jay Perry (Martha Plimpton and Jason Isaacs.  Apparently, the couples had been exchanging letters, some explosive, some compassionate.  With the aid of a grief counselor named Kendera, both have agreed to meet in a church room setting.  table and chairs, to talk things over.

                                              And that is "Mass."  But not quite.  For while the script is very well written, keep an eye on the actors--how they move, talk, position their bodies. At some times, Reed Birney is so reserved he seems to emanate hostility, which I thought would boil over.  Same with Martha Plimpton; her first appearance on screen is of a woman wanting to be anyplace but here, and I was sure at some point she would go histrionic.  Both things could have happened, but it would have simplified "Mass," which gets down to the inexplicability of their mutual tragedy, whom can they or not blame it on, and most importantly, why.  It is a hard film to get through because the actors are so good, and because the issues got under my skin on a level unseen since "Brokeback Mountain."  And, no, the boys are not homosexual.

                                                I have heard Oscar buzz for Martha Plimpton, and even more for Ann Dowd.  They are richly deserving of the honor, but so are Birney and Isaacs; without the other, the women could not play off of each other so well.  Fran Kranz, in his first feature, does a near faultless job.  But then, "Mass is for more discriminating viewers who want to be made to think about the issues at large.

                                                   Does it offer any answers?  See the film through, and then tell me!!!!!!!!

"A Raw Beginner Can Be A Winner! Just Give Me A Chance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                      There was a time, back in the day, when I could do that move which Wanda Richert (known on Bway then as "the breakfast of Champion's") is doing, in this photo from the 1980 Broadway musical, "42nd Street."  I used to go around and do it all the time.

                                      Today is a different story.  To bend my back to assume the pose causes me pain, and my leg can barely make it halfway up.  But, let me tell you, Broadway is in such sad shape, they may pull folk like me off the street and onto the stage.  Maybe with six months of work I could do this--if I don't injure something.  I only hope it is "The Music Man," or "Company." I know those.  And I have always wanted to sing "Another Hundred People."

                                         Wanda's day is gone, and so is mine.  But the way things are going, who know?

                                          Like the song says, girls, "Go Into Your Dance."