Marcia E. Letaw's Blog, page 8
November 19, 2015
A Fulgurite in Blue (Episode 8)
Charley said goodbye to his friends, and I paid the bill. Just outside the door of the Blue, Charley and I again fell into conversation so I ended up accompanying him back to the courthouse. “I got the impression that you did not share Hugo and Bart’s inflated opinion of George.”
“No sir, Sonny, not a bit. He couldn’t pull the wool over my eyes like he did every other person in this town. George never served his country; he had it all figured out how he was going to miss out on that; from da...
November 18, 2015
250 Movies Better than Shawshank: Dr. Strangelove
Strange is the right word for this antiwar, anti nuke dark comedy directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Peter Sellers X three.
It’s George C. Scott as General Buck Turgidson facing off with Sterling Hayden as General Jack D. Ripper in a nuclear farce that is frighteningly too possible. Dr. Strangelove is easily 1000 times better than Shawshank Redemption!
November 16, 2015
A Fulgurite in Blue (Episode 7)
“Now I’ve lost my place; let me see: When the land trembles, a cheat is dead. ‘Randall,’ I said, ‘better get yourself under control and put that gun away—'”
“Wait just a little minute, Charley, I was in court that day and every day of the trial, and I know what I heard: Shoot the cheat dead. That’s exactly word for word what Randall said. Lord knows, I’ve forgotten so much I hardly remember who I am anymore, but that’s one thing I’ll take with me into the afterlife, sure enough. Don’t know...
November 13, 2015
A Fulgurite in Blue (Episode 6)
“And along comes another week and another prediction. This new formula was a little more serious to my mind:
When the wheel is steel,
Diamonds turn red;
When the land trembles,
A cheat is dead.
“I wasn’t sure who was doing the conning, but one thing I did know was who the cheat in the story was.”
“Hold on there, Charley, you never said that before! That witch was just lying through her teeth; you know that. It couldn’t have been Hugo or me and not George. Yes sir, never a finer man walked the...
November 12, 2015
A Fulgurite in Blue (Episode 5)
Once we were all seated, there were introductions. That’s when I found out that the DA’s name was Charley.
“You shoulda seen Randall drive up that afternoon, we, now what I mean is he and I and Hugo and Bart, we always had dinner at the Blue before the Friday night poker game; not George of course; he had that pretty little wife to make his dinner; he came afterwards. That evening, Randall was more animated than I had ever seen him, the way a man looks when his ship has finally come in. Gidd...
A Fulgurite in Blue: (Episode 5)
Once we were all seated, there were introductions. That’s when I found out that the DA’s name was Charley.
“You shoulda seen Randall drive up that afternoon, we, now what I mean is he and I and Hugo and Bart, we always had dinner at the Blue before the Friday night poker game; not George of course; he had that pretty little wife to make his dinner; he came afterwards. That evening, Randall was more animated than I had ever seen him, the way a man looks when his ship has finally come in. Giddy...
November 11, 2015
250 Movies Better than Shawshank: Hope and Glory
“Alright, Sheriff, would you like to contribute a movie?”
“I was thinking of Dr. Strangelove.”
“Sure, a cold war film, but don’t you have any WWII movies up your sleeve? I kind of promised 3 of them for today.”
“Hope and Glory would be my favorite in that time period. It’s what I’d call a child’s eye view of WWII. It was based on director John Boorman’s childhood in London during the blitz.”
“Yeah, I agree, it is a great one. Father goes off to war, and mother can’t stand to send her children...
250 Movies Better than Shawshank: Patton?
“Patton, that’s my kind of movie!”
“Well Bart, I liked it when I saw it, but I’m not sure it passes the test of timelessness.”
“Say what?”
“What I mean to say is that even though George C. Scott did an awesome job in the role to such an extent that when I think of Patton, I think of him, still it isn’t the sort of movie I want to watch over and over.”
“What do you want to go and do a thing like that for, Dear. It’s a great movie; once is enough. Anyway, you asked for my choice of a war movie;...
250 Movies Better than Shawshank: Kelly’s Heroes
Today, I’m joined by Hugo, Bart, Charley, all three WWII vets, as well as the sheriff of Elayne County.
“Hugo, I’m going to let you present Kelly’s Heroes which you told me is your favorite war movie.”
“Well, I always wanted to drive a tank, but that was not to be. Maybe my legs and I would still be connected, but that was not to be. Don’t much matter anymore; I’ve had wheels for legs these past . . .How many years has it been Charley?”
“71 years you’ve been in that chair, Hugo. 71 years.”
“Y...
250 Movies Better than Shawshank: 3 WWII Films
In recognition of Veteran’s Day, I, along with my guests, will be presenting war movies starting with WWII which explains the pin-up girls. Stay tuned for the next post.
