What To Catch on TCM This Week - May 6 - May 12, 2018

This week is an interesting week on TCM. There's a little bit of everything this week, from Sci-Fi to Marlene Dietrich, TCM's Star of the Month, if you can't find something to enjoy on TCM it might be your fault.

First up is Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot on Sunday night, May 6th at 6:00 P.M. MST. Written and directed by Billy Wilder this romantic comedy is an American classic. Jack Lemmon as Jerry/Daphne is comedy genius. To me Lemmon is the reason that I watch this film, sure Monroe is magnificent in this film also, but Lemmon just shines. The way that his character embraces his role of being a woman, made me realize that being myself is so worth it, not being myself cheapens me.

Vacation From Marriage starring Deborah Kerr, is a romance about a couple that are bored with each other until WWII starts and they decide to join in the fight, her a Wren, him the Royal Navy. They both become more independent and what they were missing in the other person in their marriage. It's corky and cute and on May 8th at 3:15 A.M. MST.

Tarzan The Ape Man Series starts off on Tuesday (May 8th) at 6 P.M. MST Everything from the Pre-Code Ape Man to Tarzan and the Lost Safari will be on for 24 hrs. I know that they aren't the greatest films, but they're fun and my dad used to love them.

Marlene Dietrich takes to the screen on May 10th at 6 P.M. MST in  The Blue Angel as Lola Lola , the star of the local cabaret. Simultaneously shot in German and English this film about how love can drive a person insane is also the film that shot Dietrich to world stardom.

Up next is Dietrich in Shanghai Express at 10 P.M. where she plays a "Coaster," or a woman who lives by her wits up and down the China coast. I love the long shots through the train and the beautiful close ups of Dietrich, it has been hailed as one of the most beautifully shot black and white movies ever, for that alone you should check it out.

Blonde Venus is my favorite Marlene Dietrich film. Dietrich plays a wife who goes back to working in the theater to try to save her husband's life when he becomes poisoned by radium. Unfortunately for her husband, she falls in love with a wealthy playboy (played by Cary Grant) who pays for all of her husband's treatment. Dietrich is a flame in this movie. The costumes, makeup and her musical numbers show case all of her talents very well. May 11th at 1:30 A.M.

Freaks is a pre-code horror film about a young trapeze artist who schemes a dwarf into marrying her to get his money. She rejects him and his fellow Freaks at their wedding reception and then he turns on her and his fellow Freaks turn her into the most hideous of beings.  May 11th at 11:30 A.M. MST.

Master thief and playboy Edward Pierce plans to steal a monthly shipment of gold from the London Folkstone train. He gathers a pickpocket, his mistress, chauffeur and a train guard to help him and they attempt The Great Train Robbery. This film is Sean Connery at his finest. May 11th at 6 P.M. MST.

Katherine Hepburn stars as Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine allowed out of prison for the holidays to try to get her husband King Henry II to allow their oldest son, the future King Richard the Lionhearted to ascend to the throne. It is a beautifully shot movie, with an excellent cast. The Lion in Winter is on May 12th at 3:30 P.M. 

Another Lemmon favorite is The Fortune Cookie. It's one of Lemmon's first pairings with Walter Matthau and it's hilarious. Lemmon plays a cameraman that gets hurt by a football player and Matthau plays his underhanded brother and lawyer "Whiplash Willie." Thinking that he has come across the case of all cases that will set him up for life, unfortunately his client isn't as injured as he hopes he his. Matthau is great at his scamming role, which he partially uses when he plays Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple. This entertaining and fun film is on Saturday May 12th at 6 P.M. MST. 

A Little More About Reckless Press

I just wanted to release the submission guidelines for any authors and artists that may want to submit during the submission time frame. 

Reckless Press, LTD.

Submission Guidelines

Anthology Submissions:

Must be an original piece of work not published before. Must be in the genre that is being accepted for the issue. The genre for the first issue is Sci-Fi.

Short Stories must be in 12-point font, Times New Roman and 4-12 pages long. Must include title page with authors first and last name, address, page and word count in the right-hand corner. No erotica, we do not accept erotica.

  

Art Work for cover art consideration must be pencil, pen, crayon, and oil pastels. Drawing software can be used as well. Must be original art work (cannot depict a superhero). 4 color art, you can send in the original or a copy, 8x12 only. If you would like your art work returned, please send an SASE. We are looking for interesting Sci-Fi drawings, think 1950’s Sci-Fi style.

There is a $10 entry fee that will go toward printing and editing fees for the anthology. Submissions that are accepted into the anthology, will give the author a chance to submit a manuscript for publication consideration, a copy of the anthology and a 10% discount on additional copies of the anthology. Artists get a copy of the anthology, a chance to submit a manuscript (if they are also a writer), or a chance to submit art for an art book and a 10% discount on additional copies of the anthology. Also artists could get a chance to work on other projects, like cover art for future books, t-shirts, podcast logos, etc. 

Why give us your hard earned $10 just for a chance to be accepted and published in our anthology? Your $10 will go to help artists get recognized and will go to help the community (in the future there will be a contest with prizes, but being the first year and that funds are being raised to get started, I'm going to wait and start next year).

5% of the profits from the sale of this anthology will be going to a charity to be decided later, I'm thinking of picking four charities and then having Patrons and authors vote on the one that they like the most and think would help the community. 

Submissions begin May 8, 2018 and end June 30, 2018 Midnight MST.

Starting Over

I really didn't want to do this and had wanted to start on Friday, but it is what it is. I'm starting my 100 Days of Writing from May 1 and it will go to Sunday August 12, 2018. I wanted to start last Friday but then thought that starting at the beginning of the month was a better idea.

I will be moving over all of my writing to my Patreon page (Reckless) on May 6th. I will have 2 blogs per week that will be public I will also start taking Sci-Fi Story submissions on May 8th and in order to submit you will have to be a Patron at the $10 level. I may also expand this on our website when that goes public so that you can just submit there. After you become a Patron I will email you where to send your submission. I'm very excited to see what kinds of Sci-Fi people are writing and what everyone is thinking. I hope that you find my writing equally as intriguing or at least want to see what happens with this project. If you want a refresher about Reckless Press you can read my earlier post Here

I know that as of late that my writing/posting has been sporadic but now that deadlines and production schedules have been put in place postings will be regular. I really want my business to succeed and I need to focus on this more than all the external stuff with my day job. I really appreciate everyone who gives my writing a passing glance and takes the time to read what I write, thank you so much for sticking with me while I get this all together.

What's Been Going On Lately

Well things have become quite crazy. My day job office moved and if you've ever had to move 25 file cabinets and over a thousand files, you know my pain. It has been a crazy month and a half but things are starting to calm down. I've just been working 12 hour days and been burned out. I really thought that I would be able to keep up with both my job and this project, but who knew that boxing up files for scanning, moving files to a new location, getting a major shred and office clean out and move arranged and done would burn you completely out. I will be hitting the restart button tomorrow and plan to give more details about Reckless Press and My 100 Days of Writing project then. I don't like to have to be the person to have to reset a project, especially one like this but I feel that it is needed at this time. I really do see this moving forward with Patreon within the next few days and getting started there. I just want to say thank you for sticking with me through this exhausting time, I really appreciate it and I hope that you enjoy what I'm doing do far.

What To Catch On TCM This Week - April 9- April 14, 2018

Once again a few movies to catch on TCM this week.

The Bridge on the River Kwai - Set in a Japanese prison  camp in Burma during World War II where British and American POWs are being forced to build a railway bridge connecting Bangkok to Rangoon. Beautifully shot by Jack Hildyard and directed by David Lean, this film focuses on the POWs building the bridge and their relationship with their Japanese captors. Even though it's partially incorrect historically, it's one of Alec Guiness's finest cinematic moments. Monday April 9th at 10:15 P.M. MST.

The Girl Most Likely - This movie actually makes no sense, seriously. This bubble headed girl dreams of marrying rich and ends up engaged to two average men and a millionaire at the same time, like holly crap she hit the fickin' jackpot and found not one but three guys worth marrying? and like that's the ONLY option she has in her little blonde life is to get married! Anyway, it's still a decent film and Jane Powell is a delight in this quarky comedy. Wednesday April 11th on TCM at 2:00 A.M. MST.


Gaslight - One of the best thrillers ever made. Ingrid Bergman gives one of the best performances of her career as Paula, the niece of a famous opera star who's murder was witnessed by Paula as a child. Married in haste, Paula returns to her childhood home frightened of the ghosts left behind, but turns out to be her new husband trying to find he deceased aunt's jewels. Charles Boyer is intriguing as Paula's artist husband, Gregory. It has some interesting twists and a young Angela Lansbury as a house maid. Thursday April 12th on TCM at 10:15 A.M. MST.


Suspicion- This is one of the first Hitchcock films that Cary Grant does and it's the beginning of a wonderful pairing. As usual Grant gives a charming performance as a gambling playboy, who's really just a degenerate gambler who has massive debts tries to use his new wife's life insurance to shore up his debts. Hitchcock brings out the best in his actors performances and is able to fill out the twists and turns in signature style. Thursday April 12th on TCM at 12:15 P.M. MST.

Blackboard Jungle- Teacher trying to reach students in an ethnically diverse inner-city high school. This is one of Sidney Poitier's first screen performances. TCM has listed the soundtrack in the Top 15 Most Influential Movie Soundtracks of all time. Friday April 13th on TCM at 10:15 A.M. MST.


Lolita- James Mason plays the infatuated Humbert Humbert, a French Literature professor that wife's death leaves him in charge of his young step daughter. It's the worst situation. Saturday April 14th on TCM at 1:00 P.M. MST.

The In-Laws - Straight-laced Sheldon Kornpett goes on a crazy adventure with his daughter's soon-to-be father in-law, Vince Ricardo. The name Vince Ricardo says it all, you think a little bit sleazy business man, but get a charming but sleazy undercover CIA agent. Peter Falk lays the ground for his future role as Detective Lieutenant Columbo. Sunday April 15th at 12:00 A.M. MST.

When I First Fell In Love With You

When I First Fell In Love With You 

The sky was blue and I was 22, 

When I first fell in love with you. 

And my legs fell open, 

My heart was broken, 

When I first fell in love with you. 

The Sky was blue and I was 22, 

When I first fell in love with you.

Jack White's Boarding House Reach

If Jack White is remembered for one thing it will be for trying new things with his music and for being successful at it. With his new album Boarding House Reach White takes his music in a slightly different direction. While still playing heavy on blues and Americana, he adds his own unique take on punk and hip-hop.

This is White's oddest album to date, but what else would we expect from music's Willy Wonka? One of the oddest songs is Ice Station Zebra, but in a really good way. The overlapping piano and jazz beat with the electric sounds with the rap lyrics just mesh, taking classic White and turning it up.

The song Over and Over hearkens back to White's White Stripes days, but it has a sound that grows up on you and shows how the artist has grown up into himself and how much more confident he is with his own sound.

As good as this album is there is one song that could've been left on the floor : Everything You've Learned. I get the jest of the song, consumerism in America or something of that nature, but really Jack White's done better on the subject in songs Icky Thump (The White Stripes, Icky Thump, 2007) and Entitlement (Lazaretto). I'm also not a big fan of  Esmerelda Steals the Show, but that could be personal taste.

All in all White does a great job at giving more of his fans another album to add to what is the wonderment of White.

*I know that I had hit reset on this project before, but right after that happened I got hit with the most horrible flu and bronchitis ever. So I will start up again regularly today. and follow thru till  the end July.