Surely, This CAN'T Be "Shirley!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                             The other evening, I had a hankering to watch something.  I had heard much about the alleged biopic of Shirley Jackson, whose complete oeuvre I own, and  how wonderful Elizabeth  Moss  was in  the role.

                                I  was horribly disappointed.  Not with Moss, who made me  feel  she  was inhabiting Shirley Jackson.  Same  wiith Michael Stuhlbarg, who  did an exceptionally fine  job as Shirley's husband, and  close competitor, Stanley Edgar Hyman.  The tensions in their marriage,  when it is  just these actors on camera, are so  palpable, one feels  trapped with  them  within  their  domestic claustrophobia and  academic clutter.

                                 This last  part is  superbly conveyed by the set designer, art director, and  cinematography.  And  that is  where things end.

                                 For, instead of  really examining the roots of  Shirley Jackson's brilliance and  insecurity--her mother having been disappointed,  from birth,  that the child, was not a great beuaty,like herself!!!!!!!!!!!!--the film presents one with two  characters, Rose and  Fred Nesmer, played by nobodies Odessa Young and Logan Lerman.  Did they even exist? I doubt it!!!!!!!!!  They are so flagrantly heterosexual, it  is  disgusting.  And  he screws her from  behind on a  speeding train  caboose--and she is pregnant!!!!!!!!!    This sets up what  I  think the writers intended--less an examination of  Jackson's  persona, and more  an interpretation  of the Hymans' sexual  tensnions, contrasting with the  Nesmers, in  what  amounts  to, as  my David said, an  ersatz verion of  "Who's Afraid  Of  Virginia  Woolf?"

                                  The  story is set in 1951,  when Jackson was  working  on  the  book  that  would become  "Hangsaman," based on the 1946 real life disappearance,  still unsolved,  of Bennington College sophomore  Pauline Jean  Welden.  It completely misses  the fact  that  by this  time the Hymans already had the first of  their four children,  and  the  writers  use the  Nesmers to  expose Stanley's  infidelity and sexual  hypocrisy, through  Fred,who does the  same thing.  As  for Rose and  Shirley, this  film  would have one believe the two women had a  symbiotic, quasi-lesbian relationship, and that Shirley, writer  that  she was, used Rose as a muse to  pull  back layers suggesting what kind of  girl  Pauline might have been, as well  as what happened  to her.

                                    The  domestic and  literary aspects are handled superbly, and  draw  viewers  in.  But the overindulgence  in  sexual  ambiguity is  demeaning to  Jackson, who was many things, but not a lesbian.  And while  her  obesity and  agoraphobia are hinted at,  it is never made clear how these came about, leading  to  Jackson's early death,  at 48.

                                      It is almost like the film is trying to be both a biopic,  and  one of Jackson's  stories.   But the concept does not  work.

                                      Darlings,  if you have never read Shirley Jackson, it  probably won't make a difference,  though I  would  urge  those of  you who have not to do so,  and  then you will see  what I mean.   For those, like  myself, who are Jackson aficionados, if you have not seen it,  don't  bother.

                                       To paraphrase Shirley, "whatever walks in this film, should have walked  off camera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                                 This is my favorite, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!  Read it,  and it will become clear!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big Theatrical News, Girls--And It Is All About Celia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            I cannot tell you how exciting it is, after a year and a quarter, to post any theatrical news on  here.  And it is big!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                              Beginning October 5 of this year, and continuing until January 2 of 2022, Celia Keenan-Bolger,  will return to her TONY Award-Winning performance as Scout Finch in Aaron Sorkin's  Broadway adaptation of "To Kill A Mockingbird."  So will Jeff  Daniels, but, like,  who cares?????????  It is  Celia you MUST see.

                                                 For those not  lucky enough--such as I--to see Celia in the opening run, I strongly urge you to seek  her out,  where you will  be rewarded by a performance of such theatrical magic, I can only compare  it to  generations lucky enough to have seen Patty Duke on stage in "The Miracle  Worker."

                                                   Not that Celia was any slouch as Laura, in "The Glass Menagerie," back in 2013.  She should have netted a TONY for that performanace, which still chokes me up, when I  think  about  it.

                                                       What better way to welcome  Broadway's return than with Celia  Keenan-Bolger???????????   For those who haven't seen her, go and  find out what real acting is  all about.

                                                           Welcome back to Broadway,  Celia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                                               

Darlings, Join Us All This Saturday Evening, As Svengoolie Shows Us "How To Make A Monster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                                     This one I have already seen, girls, and it is loads of fun.  For  those who admire camp, the lead role is played by Robert H.  Harris, who went on to play Henry Bellamy in the 1967 classic we all  know and love--"Valley Of The Dolls."

                                                         The film also has a big surprise toward the climax,  utilizing a gimmick from  "The Wizard Of Oz," and some  of  AIP's (American International Pictures) most memorable  horror creations--including my favorite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                           But, to find out,  you have to tune  in.  Don't miss this  special treat.   It has an all-star monster cast.

                                                             Perhaps, before tuning in, we should all  listen to  the "Monster Mash." Too bad that song was not used on the soundtrack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Though I do not think  the song was written, when  the movie was released, in 1958!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         You are in for something, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, Faith Domergue, With The Aid Of Shadows And Puppetry, Steals The Show In "Cult Of The Cobra!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                             Few could beat Faith in the B-horror glamour department.   And she has a field day,  here.  I want  her  wardrobe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               Imagine Asia, or Hindu, or India, as depitcted on the  Universal  back lot.  Imagine a snake  charmer named Daru,  with no  trace of an  accent, and  a snake that is a puppet on a string.  And picture a bunch of  hunky Air  Force buddies crashing a snake cult ceremony, angering the Snake Goddess, and placing a curse on all of  them.  And one of the  men is  Rico,  played  by my first  childhood crush,  David Jansen,  who  is killed off, all too soon.

                                                    Wait  till you see how Universal depicts New York City.  Cheap apartments  that resemble  Park Slope brownstones.  Rico's bowling Alley is on Charles Street, in  the West Village.   Now, tell  me,  even  in  the Fifties, how  do you get a bowling  alley on Charles  Street?

                                                       The  fun  really starts when Faith,  as Lisa Moya,  comes to New York, and moves, conveniently, across the hall from two of the officers,  Pete and Tom, who happen to  be roommates--and  are straight.   Faith/Lisa spends the rest of the movie acting with her eyes,  evaporating by shadow into a slithering snake so phony you could pick one up  in a shoddy Florida  highway gift shop.

                                                          If you missed all this fun, you have GOT to see "Cult Of The Cobra."  And if you spot  similarities  to Val  Lewton's 1942 "Cat People," and  Nina Foch's 1944 "Cry Of The Werewolf," you are right on target.

                                                          Faith makes it  well worth  it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                         Look into these eyes........what do you see??????????????????????

Darlings, When (Or Whenever) Things Get Back To Normal, It Is Up To Us To Look As Good As Gibson Girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            Let's face it, dolls,  Covid has killed hundreds of  thousands, as well  as culture,  the arts, the  economy,  and  peoples' lifestyles.   But it has also  killed glamour.

                                             People holed  up in dwellings, not caring how they look, appearing as if  they have been on a bender, whether or not  they have.

                                               So, when it is time to get out there, we have got to look our Gibson best.  I mean,  ANNA (Wintour)  must be having a hell of  a time  getting out this September's issue of  VOGUE.   How in hell will she do it?  What will it look  like???????????????????

                                                 And how about the designers?????????????????????

                                                 Must fashion, too,  go the  proverbial  way of all flesh??????????????

                                                  Don't  wait to be all  Gibson-ed up!  Maintain a daily beauty regimen, now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                    I  am  telling you,  this  is  how  Earth  evolved into  the "Planet Of The Apes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

My Heart Does NOT Belong To This Daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                Who is this Jonathan Parks-Ramage?  The answer is not much.  If "Yes, Daddy" does  not turn out to  be the worst book of the year, well, then,  I will be surprised.   How low can I go?????????????????????

                                                   The title is fairly pornographic.  There might as well  have  been a  Tom Of  Finland work of art on the cover.

                                                     What the author comes up  with is  a cliched  compendium  of "All  About Eve," "The Silence Of  The Lambs," , a gay-centric "Fifty Shades Of Gray," with some "Lord Of  The Flies" thrown in,  plus a bit  of "Deathtrap."   Even 'Fifty Shades,'  on its  own,  would be better.

                                                         Here's the deal.  Jonah Keller is an aspiring writer trying to make it in New York.  Welcome to  the  world,  Jonah!  He tries, a  la  Eve Harrington, to ingratiate himself  into  the  life of a successful, wealthy playwright, named Richard Shriver.  Richard lives on  a compound  in  the Hamptons, surrounded by friends and a coterie of equally good-looking, male twenty somethings, like  Jonah.  But,why are there burises on  certain  parts of their bodies????????????????

                                                               After being feasted and feted, Jonah meets his  reality--indentured servitude and sexual enslavement, in a place where no one can get at them.  All are at  the mercy of  Richard and his  friends.   The depictions of such goings-on  are disgusting.

                                                                 What will  Jonah  and his now  fellow  inmates  do?  I will leave that to you, readers, except the ending  is a  big compromise to conformity and  Christianity, which shows  Parks-Ramage  to be some kind of closeted hypocrite, or  just someone who should never write another book.  Hopefully,  he will not.  And don't try and tell me this was autobiographical.

                                                                     Not only am  I  ashamed to have read this  tripe--but, how could  I have known, otherwise????--I am glad  to  save  my readers  from this, not to mentinon  I am  ashamed this  book's appearance comes during Pride Month.

                                                                         There is nothing to be proud about, here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did You Know This Past Friday Was National Donut Day???????????????????????

                                                      That's right, darlings, so if you still have not had one, there is still a chance..

                                                        Now,  you know what is said--"A donut is a bullet to the heart."  And no one has more heart concerns than I do.

                                                          So, I think, for one day, one year, we can  each have a donut.  It is  not like we are Joey Chestnut, next month, out at Coney Island.

                                                            Go, ahead.  Have a donut.  Whatever you choose.

                                                             Mine will  be a plain, old fashioned Dunkin'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!