Great Film Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss

 

Billy Collier (Sean P. Hayes) is a photographer working on a series of pictures featuring recreations of movie kisses, with drag queens playing the female roles. For his male model, he hires Gabriel (Brad Rowe), a young waiter on whom he has developed a serious crush. While Billy is openly gay, Gabriel says that he is straight and even claims to have a girlfriend. However, as they spend more time together and grow closer, Billy becomes increasingly unsure that this is true.

Released in 1998 the film launched Sean Hayes career.  Shortly after the film was made he landed "Will & Grace"  

I wish there was a follow up film.  There is still a story told be told here!. 

New name is coming

 This blog is dormant for sometime.  I will be returning soon.  New name but mostly be covering the same topics.  

A Star is Born 1954 & Michael Arick

 www.thejudyroom.com/asib/asib-article.html

The above web address is all about the rumors of Michael Arick having access to the original 3 hour version of "A Star is Born".   

Why I watch Christmas Movies Most of the year

Life is hard.  Watching the news is a chore.  There is so much negativity in the world that at times its hard too take.

Now to live a happier life I have limited my intake on the news.  I did have CNN on almost 24/7.  In 2014 I had an awakening.  See in the summer of 2014 I was stressed out.  Both my husband and dad were fighting cancer.  It was awful.  This was also an election year.  All the adds were negative political adds.   Flipping through the channels I realized there was nothing "Happy" on then Christmas popped into my mind.  I had several "Christmas Movies" that I never seen so in August 2014 I started watching them.

These films lifted my spirit.  Had I not set out on this quest for happiness I would of never discovered such gems.  I love the films "The Christmas Card" & "The Mistle-Tones".  Another great film is "The Christmas Ornament".  I also loved the original "Christmas in Connecticut" and "It Happened on 5th Avenue".  The film "The Great Rupert" is also a joy.

By watching these films I carry "Christmas with me all year".  Now I don't watch them everyday until August. Today I am closing on on 600 Christmas movies and Tv Specials".  Funny thing is I have just scratched the surface. 

Now watching Christmas movies is one thing but watching an old Variety Christmas Specials has been just as wonderful.  I discovered "Perry Como".  I love his cover of  "Toyland".

Now I need more than ever to start watching these movies again to lift my spirits.  My dad now has "Throat Cancer" and I am just heartbroken.  Movies will not make my dad better but these films offer an escape.  They also end with hope.  I need hope in my life.  I need faith.  I love that these films are available. I have recorded all of them and have them on DVD's.  So instead of Valium I put on a Hallmark film.   

Falling For Christmas

I Have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films and Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films.



Claire Benton is a figure skater who is broken on the inside and out. Driven to the brink by her coach, she is forced to spend the weeks leading up to Christmas in the picturesque mountain regions of Western Canada at a sports rehabilitation center. While resting, Claire meets Luke, a single father and former Canadian hockey player. Forced to retire early from the game due to an injury, Luke now spends his time raising his daughter while running the local ice fishing and tackle shop. This unlikely duo locks horns only to discover they have more in common than they thought. A true man of the Canadian north, Luke teaches Claire all the activities that personify a Canadian winter - from snowmobiling and ice fishing to chopping down a real Christmas tree for the holidays.

This film was a nice change of pace.  The romantic leads do not start off as adversaries.  However this film is really not about "Christmas".  "Christmas time" does not propel the story.  

My biggest gripe about this film is that the "Worlds greatest sports doctor" would never work in this small town.  

30th Anniversary Edition of Christmas Vacation Wanted

Hard to believe that in 2019 that we will be celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the holiday classic.  I hope Warner Brothers will  release the film with the deleted scenes.  There is one scene shown on a television special that showed a deleted scene (will it was actually a scene extension).  Funny thing is that is that is not billed as a "Deleted" or "Never Before scene footage". 

The film runs a brisk 98 minutes so I am sure there is plenty of deleted footage and it would be nice to see them. 

I would also love an audio commentary with Chevy Chase! 

IN 2019 Hallmark will premiere 40 New Christmas Movies

The Hallmark Channel knows that they are now the #1 place to go when you are looking for Christmas entertainment.  Each year they keep increasing the amount of new films they produce.  This year the announced 40 new films!  That is up from last years 34.   They made so many last year that I am still catching up with them.

With Hallmark producing so many film it looks like our Christmas season will be "Merry".  Don't forgot other channels make or play Christmas films as well including "Bounce" "Up" "Lifetime" and "Freeform".

It looks like we will be getting over 60 new films this year.   I love it!  With all that is happening in the world its always nice  "escape" to watch any "Christmas" film anytime of year. 

Now with Hallmark firing scandalous Lori Loughlin  it leaves a huge whole in their star line up.  I suggest they make more films with Ashley Williams.  She comes across as someone you just want to make Christmas cookies with. 

#hallmark #ashleywilliams  #christmasmovies  

Little Known Disney Film "The Rescuers" should be seen by today's children

This timeless classic is an underrated gem!


The story is about Penny she is in an abandoned river boat in Devil's Bayou, she drops a message in a bottle, containing a plea for help into the river. The bottle washes up in New York City, where it is found by the Rescue Aid Society, an international mouse organization inside the United Nations. The Hungarian representative, Miss Bianca, volunteers to accept the case and chooses Bernard, a stammering janitor, as her co-agent. The two visit Morning-side Orphanage, where Penny lived, and meet an old cat named Rufus. He tells them about a woman named Madame Medusa who once tried to lure Penny into her car and may have succeeded in abducting Penny this time.


This 1977 film is not well known today by today's children.  It is a forgotten classic.  Since the release of  "The Little Mermaid" "The Rescuers" seems to have fallen out of the good graces of the Disney. Yes there was an ill-fated sequel in 1990 but the original is far superior.

This film however is always available to buy and that is good thing.  It has a huge heart and & adventure story to boot.  I would love too see another attempt at a sequel.   There is stories that can be told and not repeated.

Even if you don't have children and you love animation then you should not miss this film. 

The Kids Are Alright ABC SAVE THIS SHOW

I am not sure if the show has been cancelled but trust me if you grew up in the 1970's you will love this television show.  Watch 5 minutes of any episode and you will be hooked.   A great cast enhances a well written show! 

I HAVE THE DVD OF THE ORIGINAL STAR WARS THEATRICAL CUT FOR SALE

LET ME KNOW  $10 INCLUDES ART WORK AND CASE NEW/SEALED
JAWSOFOZ@GMAIL.COM

Why "Solo" A Star Wars being a bomb is a good thing

"Solo: A Star Wars Story" was a major box office disappointment.  The film did not wow many people be it fans or critics.  The film went way over budget because Ron Howard was brought in and he re-shot most of the film.  Now most people don't care about how hard it was to get a movie finished. Most of us just want a good movie.  Well "Solo" is not a great movie.  However it is slightly better than "The Last Jedi".  However since both of these films did not sell many "Toys" Disney is now slowing down the output of "Star Wars" movies.   The best thing they did however is bringing back JJ ABRAMS to direct the next movie in the "Skywalker" story line.  Hopefully he can fix "Star Wars".  Major fans hated "The Last Jedi" and I am one of them.

Now that "Solo" is a major box office bomb (It cost over $300,000,000) Disney will need to excite fans again. It won't be that hard to do.  As mad as the fans are at Kathleen Kennedy there is one thing Disney can do to win back fans.  That is talking George Lucas into releasing the original theatrical cuts of  "Star Wars" "Empire" and "Jedi". 

George Lucas is on record saying those versions no longer exist but film preservationist Robert Harris said reassembling the film would not be hard at all because the original film elements are around!  Even if they took the LASERDISC 1993 transfers they could easily color correct those transfers with digital tools.   The soundtrack however would need very little clean up work.

Disney lost about $100,000,000  on "Solo".  "The Last Jedi" sold very little merchandising. So Disney needs to bring back the fans and giving them the original theatrical versions of the original trilogy is way to reignite the fan base and that would also boost toy sales. 

I see the original theatrical version of "Star Wars" coming in 2021. This will be part of the 9 part "Skywalker Saga".  I am sure that set will include 2 versions of each film.  

Superman and Margot Kidder

In 1977 "Star Wars" and "Close Encounters" were released and went on to become two of the biggest hits of all time. However as popular as those films were (I like them both) my favorite film was "Superman" which was released in 1978. "Superman" is my favorite film out of the three because to me because  it was so relatable!  

"Superman" was about a man who was trying "fit in" and as "Clark Kent" he was hiding his true self. (Hello That Was Every Gay Person in the 1970's). Behind Clark Kent was a "A True Lovely Spirit". He was secretly in love with Lois Lane and Lois was in Love with him. "Superman" was not just an epic film it had a love story in the center of it and that love story worked because not only because Christopher Reeve was a believable "Superman" but Margot Kidder was just as great as Lois Lane.

Now the next time when you watch "Superman" pay close attention to Margot Kidder. Every scene she is in makes this film sparkle and shine. Yes Christopher was the best "Superman" ever but Margot Kidder was the best "Lois Lane" She made Lois a no nonsense woman who wasn't afraid of anything and it was easy to see why "Clark/Superman" would have a crush on her.

Now it's a shame that the Motion Picture Academy ignored this film. However as time has gone by the films that won the major awards that year are not films people in droves watch today. In fact ask most people under 50 and chances are they never seen or heard of "The Deer Hunter" and "Coming Home". Those 2 films won the major awards that year. However today people still watch "Superman". It is on its 3rd generation of fans. You know why, because in reality "Superman" was the "Best Picture of the Year". (A close 2nd is "Grease") . The film worked so well because Margot Kidder really did help the audience believe "A Man Could Fly". She should have been nominated for an Oscar that year. She was incredible. You might even say "She Was Super".

Other people over the years have played Lois Lane. However none of them have come close to being as good as Margot. She made it look so easy.

Goodbye Margot Kidder. Somewhere Christopher Reeve and you are flying. This time now your not "Clark and Lois" but something better. You are now "Angels" flying.

Thank you for being part of our lives. You gave us countless & wonderful memories that very few people have ever done.

Keep Flying because now (Let me borrow from the Superman Song "Can you Read My Mind") "You Belong to the Sky".

#margotkidder #superman #loislane #thankyou

HIDDEN TREASURE "Fedora" is a little known Billy Wilder film

This is not a sequel to "Sunset Blvd" however "Fedora" reunits the director of "Sunset Blvd" (Billy Wilder) and star William Holden.

A Hollywood legend is being seeked out by a down and out film producer who needs "Fedora" in order to get his film made. However "Fedora" is now reclusive. She walked off of her last film. She is now a shadow of her former self however a producer is bound and detrimen to get her back in front of the cameras. When in pursuit of "Fedora" he stumbles upon one thing after another.

This film is well worth watching! Seek it out!

CBS OVERHAUL ON MONDAY NIGHT'S adding "Young Sheldon" "Murphy Brown" "Bull"

CBS can not get arrested anymore on Monday Nights.  The once crown jewel night in their line up has now become their most problematic night.  All shows on Monday Night for the 2017-2018 have sunk the night to historic lows for the Network. 

"Superior Doughnuts"  "9JKL" "Living Biblically" "Man with a Plan" "Kevin Can Wait"  & "Me Myself & I"have not only failed to catch viewers attention but all of these shows have scored almost no critical acclaim.  This is however the night on the network that had such popular & classic shows as "I Love Lucy" "Murphy Brown" "Designing Women" "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Two and Half Men".   However the ghost of seasons past can  rescue CBS Monday Nights for the 2018-2019 season.

The Ghost of the past "Murphy Brown" will most likely return next year in its original time slot which was Mondays 9:00 Pm.  The resurrected  show original aired on Monday nights for 9 seasons.

The Network will most likely will want to surround the show with "Newer yet established shows"  So look for "Young Sheldon" to anchor the night in the 8:00pm slot. Also look for "Bull" to close out the night at 10pm. 

I do not know what pilots CBS has on order for next year.  If they have a female driven comedy then that show most likely follow "Murphy Brown" to occupy the 9:30 slot.  So the 2018-2019 season on CBS MONDAY'S will most likely look like this

8:00     Young Sheldon
8:30     NEW SHOW
9:00     Murphy Brown
9:30     New Show
10:00   Bull 

However it is possible that CBS might leave "Young Sheldon" on Thursdays.  If that happens then Mondays could look like this

8:00     NEW SHOW
8:30     NEW SHOW
9:00     Murphy Brown
9:30     Mom
10:00   Bull

IF "Young Sheldon" stays on Thursdays then it will move to 9:00pm slot and "Mom" moves to Monday's. 

Con Man The Barry Minkow Story

This film subject is a great film to explore but the film fails on many levels! One thing is the fact the fact the real life subject plays himself. (Never a good idea). Also the film also is "Too Bright". The colors or over saturated. The is a crime story. Also the screenplay doesn't cover what happened to many of the people that helped Barry create his con.

In case you don't know the story Con Man is the real life story of Barry Jay Minkow, a son, businessman, fraud buster, actor, pastor... and felon. Born in 1967, Barry Minkow went on to set up a highly successful carpet cleaning company but was imprisoned in 1988 for one of the world's largest investment and accounting frauds through a Ponzi scheme..

This case is so interesting that I am positive another film will get made. I am sure it will be better than this attempt.

Forget "Three Billboards" "The Greatest Showman" should have won Best Picture

Many people argue that the Academy Awards most of the time rewards the wrong film or performance. Last year "Moonlight" won Best Picture and to me "Hidden Figures" should have won.

This year "The Shape of Water" won Best Picture  and to most people "Three Billboards"  should have won.  I was part of that group however that was until I saw "The Greatest Showman". 

To me this is what going to the movies was all about.  This film was a huge thrill to senses. From a great story to a great cast.  At times I felt I was in tears because I was just loving this movie.

This film however was shunned at The Academy Awards.  In fact it did not get a nomination for Best Picture will not prevent this film from becoming an endearing film like "The Princess Bride" & "Willy Wonka".  Neither one of those films were nominated but those films are beloved today.

"The Greatest Showman" however did catch the audience's attention.  It did stay in the top 10 Grossing Films of the week for months!   It's opening weekend it took in less then $10,000,000 dollars.  It ended up grossing almost $200,000,000 in the United States Alone. In fact after the opening weekend most box office watchers  wrote this film off (I did).  The film however proved it had legs and those legs could "Dance".  

See this movie...

MISTLE-TONES DVD FOR SALE

If you want it let me know $9.00 includes shipping
jawsofoz@gmail.com INCLUDES COVER ART AND CASE

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle I was shocked it was excellent

I was was very shocked that I loved the film "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle". I did not want to see this to begin with. I am not a fan of "Action/Adventure" or "Comic Book Movies". So I was shocked that I loved this movie. At the beginning I thought "Oh It's The Breakfast Club" stuck in a fantasy world.

Now I will say "That is still partially true" but what this film is rarely hits a false note. It was lots of fun with a huge heart.

If you are looking for a film to see (It hits DVD Soon) then make this your top choice.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL 1938 Reginald Owen Is The Best Version

Every year there is another version of "A Christmas Carol" produced.  It can be an adaption of the book set in the time in which the book was written but more & more version are "loosely based" on the Charles Dickens Story  and seem  set  the story in Modern Times.   I prefer seeing any adaption set in the 19th century.   I have seen  many television adaptions that adapt the story into modern times and all of them are not worth seeing again.

From the beginning of films "Hollywood" has made "Christmas Carol" movies.  The 1938 version produced by MGM is my favorite version of them all.

Made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and originally intended to star Lionel Barrymore (who played the role of Scrooge annually on radio but was forced to drop out of the film because of his arthritis, though he narrated its trailer),^[2] the movie starred Reginald Owen as Scrooge and the married couple Gene and Kathleen Lockhart as the Cratchits. Terry Kilburn, better known for his portrayal of Colley in Goodbye, Mr. Chips, costarred as Tiny Tim and a young June Lockhart (Gene and Kathleen's daughter) made her screen debut as one of the Cratchit daughters.^[3] Leo G. Carroll played Marley's Ghost. The characters of Fred (Scrooge's nephew) and Elizabeth, his fianceé (his wife in the novelette), were greatly expanded in order to work in a romantic angle to the story that Dickens did not intend. The couple was played by Barry MacKay and Lynne Carver. Ann Rutherford, better known as Polly Benedict in the Andy Hardy films and as Carreen O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, was a young and attractive Ghost of Christmas Past, rather than the somewhat unusual creation that Dickens described.


I am a child of 1970's. I grew up in the Los Angeles area. On Christmas Eve this film came on at 11:00pm on Channel 11. Every year my family would all gather together to watch this classic! Remember you could only watch this ONCE A YEAR and you had to catch it when it aired! . There was no such thing as Home Video or On Demand. Watching this film with my family is my happiest childhood memory. It was better than a trip to Disneyland. 

This production of "A Christmas Carol" was produced by MGM in its heyday. The film was shot In October and in theaters by December! So this rushed production over the years has been over shadowed by more lavish productions but casting wise this film has no equal. 

In this film Scrooge is a crusty old business man in old Victoria England. He seems to thrive on making money and not caring about anything else! He has alienated his only living family member and seems to thrive on making his trusted employee Bob Cratchit life a living hell. 

On Christmas Eve of course he gets visited by not 3 but 4 ghost. Bob Marley (his late former business partner) and the Ghost of Christmas Past Present and Future. The ghost of course come to teach Scrooge about the joy of not only giving but also the joy of living. 

This I think is the first film that makes the Ghost come in one night. In the book they come on different nights.

What also is great about this version is that its never boring! It moves quit quickly and watching this in black and white gives this a the correct tone. It is a delight! 

I am not lying at when I say my Christmas Season is not complete without watching this! This film plus "Christmas Vacation" are mandatory viewing in my home. 

Please if you have never seen this version you should. The Jim Carey version borrowed heavily from this adaption. 

I beg all of you to watch it with your family. There is something so special to me about this film and viewing it with family.

The Birdcage Special Edition wanted

The Blu-Ray Transfer is Terrible.  Also no Special Edition of this film has ever been released however this might be the reason. 

Mike Nichols might be a director that never wanted the deleted footage released on DVD.  It is not uncommon for a director not wanting them "out".  However most studios have content control over the Television Editions.  That is why the Television Cut of this film is about 30 minutes longer.  However it would be nice if the famous Nathan Lane Performance scene was released someday. When that scene was cut it was a huge blow to Nathan Lane and may have cost him an Academy Award Nomination! 

Now if we ever get a Special Edition I would Like To See

*Behind The Scenes Footage
*Making of documentary
*The Extended Broadcast Version
*The Nathan Performance That Has never been scene
*Cast Interviews
*Audio Commentary with Elaine May and nathan Lane