In the 1959 premiere episode of The Twilght Zone, Earl Holliman explores a town completely deserted. After helping himself to some ice cream from the drug store soda fountain, he encounters wire spinner racks full of paperbacks, one of which is filled entirely with copies of the ominously titled “The Last Man on Earth.” In the age of the electronic book, wire book racks (as...
A well known Brazilian singer, Elis Regina, born on March 17, 1945 would have been 65. She unfortunately died very young at the age of 36 on January 19, 1982. Regina is most notable for singing Bossa Nova music. Elis Regina began her singing career at the age of 11 and released her first album when she was 16 years old. She had released around 30 albums between...
Film is escapism. Anyone who has seen “The Thomas Crowne Affair,” or a classic James Bond film knows that part of film fantasy is an exotic environment and all it contains. While that environment is not always true, in escapism people tend to look up at glamour rather than down at the real world. In film, fantastic environments are created by sets. Ironically, though, the...
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) begins with a hastily prepared animation sequence set to the sonic stylings of children singing “Hooray for Santa Claus.” Once the songs ends, we are told by the newscaster for KID-TV that they have sent a news crew to the North Pole to interview Santa Claus. I got excited upon hearing this news, only to find out in the...
To say the television series “Mad Men” has been influential would be an understatement. Aside from influencing screen drama towards more meaningful storytelling, the show has also influenced fashion, beauty standards, and revived interest in the mid-20th century and the Atomic Age / Lounge sub-culture of today. “Mad Men’s” approach to history has always been subtle. Its writers don’t “hang a lantern” on historical events...
Electrify your Christmas music mix with some Hammond organ sounds! Jimmy Smith originally was a pianist and later became an organist in the early 50’s. Smith signed on with Verve Records in the 60’s and had the opportunity to collaborate with the great Lalo Schifrin and Wes Montgomery. Don’t be mistaken; Jimmy Smith’s style is not your typical funeral or church organ music. His jazz...
What do a dude ranch, a hidden treasure, and an Elvis-battling ninja have in common? Tickle Me! Elvis Presley’s 18th studio film takes us to a dude ranch in the American Southwest where Elvis is helping out. Like many men his age, he wants to earn enough dough so that he can join the rodeo circuit. However, his plans are quickly forgotten when he meets...