Conservatives deal with facts and reach conclusions; liberals have conclusions and sell them as facts.
I caught Taco on satellite radio, performing his own weird version of Irving Berlin’s Puttin’ on the Ritz. I thought I’d do a little collection of videos showing that song playing out over the decades. Here’s Harry Richman, for whom Berlin wrote the song, performing it in 1930, in one
Continue readingWhen I first heard about this laughably stupid “I pledge” video emanating from the usual Hollywood yahoos, I thought to myself, “How interesting can something like that really be?” Fortunately, Iowahawk got hold of the rough cut and, frankly, I’m impressed.
Continue readingCheck out Ed Morrissey’s suggested list of worst political movies and see what you think. I agree with him. Indeed, I was savvy enough even in my pre-neocon days to recognize how awful some of them were, especially Oliver Stone’s JFK, which I thought was one of the stupidist, most
Continue readingSadly, Hollywood isn’t only a mirror of culture but it’s also a cultural leader. During WWII, it took the lead in promoting American values and urging American victory. In the past decades, and with increasing energy in the current decade, Hollywood has taken the lead in hostility to American values
Continue readingI’m buried up to my whatsis in work this morning, so can’t blog. Before I turn this post into an open-thread, though, I wanted to suggest that you read William Katz’s article, which looks at the way in which the movies that showcased the wonderful Van Johnson (who died the
Continue readingAs this Reason.tv video explains, while Hitler is appropriately reviled, something that occurs because he is wrongly associated with the Right, despite the fact that his politics were to the Left, Hollywood and pop culture just love Leftist mass murderers: This video reminds me why I was so horrified when
Continue readingThe other day I was speaking with a man who commented that the proliferation of Obama bumperstickers on luxury cars (not to mention the fact that the very rich in blue communities had flocked to the Obama banner) comforted him that Obama would not destroy the US economy by trying
Continue readingWWII was a dreadful time, with about 400,000 American military deaths suffered during those four years. Just for perspective, we’ve been in Iraq for almost six years and, thank God, have sustained only 4,200 deaths. Nevertheless, there’s a tendency to look back with nostalgia on America’s time during WWII, and
Continue readingOccasionally, the New York Times surprises me and prints genuinely useful information, such as this tidbit: It was the highest-grossing film of 1943, but “This Is the Army” has never been available on home video in an authorized edition. But now Warner Home Video has managed to clear the rights
Continue readingIt’s not high art, but it’s not meant to be: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWhbjDrQJJE[/youtube] To me, this movie will be a success if the 16-26 year old demographic goes to laugh (and maybe to be de-programmed, just a little bit).
Continue readingI hadn’t missed the fact that Paul Newman died of cancer this weekend. I always admired him, not for his screen presence, but for his off-screen decency: a fifty year marriage to the same woman and a twenty year commitment to children’s charities. As for his on-screen presence, I too
Continue readingI indulged myself and bought a newly remastered version of Singing in the Rain, which I consider one of the best movies ever made. It was made when Hollywood believed that its primary role was to entertain, and it did a damn fine job. The only question I have when
Continue readingMany years ago, courtesy of Turner Classic Movies (my favorite TV station), I watched The Farmer’s Daughter, a 1947 film starring Loretta Young and Joseph Cotten. Over the years, I’ve carried a strong memory of liking the movie a great deal, and no memory at all of the plot. So,
Continue readingMy Dad and I used to watch old slapstick together on Saturday and Sunday morning TV: Laurel & Hardy, Abbot & Costello, Charlie Chaplin, even the Three Stooges (whom I didn’t like). I’ve always had a fondness, therefore, for silly humor. When I finally saw Airplane, I thought it was
Continue readingWhat our kids hear, day in and day out, is moral relativism. It’s the top note to their lives, whether it comes on TV, in cheesy movies, on the news or, most commonly, at school. That might not be the only lesson they’re learning, though. The other lesson, the subliminal
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