A Writer's Diary
Virginia Woolf and Lyndall Gordon
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Virginia Woolf 's A Writer's Diary, first published in 1953, consists of extracts from the diaries...
Albert Camus
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One of France's most high-profile writers, Albert Camus experienced both public adulation and...
The Lonely Londoners
Samuel Selvon and Nasta Susheila
8.0
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Both devastating and funny, The Lonely Londoners is an unforgettable account of immigrant experience...
University of Hunger: Collected Poems & Selected Prose
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The Guyanese poet Martin Carter (1927-97) was one of the foremost Caribbean writers of the 20th...
On the Wilder Shores of Love: A Bohemian Life
Lesley Blanch and Georgia de Chamberet
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Most famous for The Wilder Shores of Love, her book about four women travellers, Lesley Blanch was a...
The German-Jewish Cookbook: Recipes and History of a Cuisine
Gabrielle Rossmer Gropman, Sonya Gropman and Nach Waxman
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This cookbook features recipes for German-Jewish cuisine as it existed in Germany prior to World War...
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Giant (1956) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020
Out with the old, in with the new - for good and ill. Just a phenomenal epic in every way, doesn't feel a second of its gargantuan 201 minute runtime and honestly I wouldn't have minded another 201 minutes. Might very well be the best of its kind - a towering masterclass in K.O. acting (everyone is staggeringly great of course but James Dean gives what might unquestionably be the best performance of the 1950s), compelling characters, a laundry list of weighty (and still timely) themes (including but not limited to culture shock, classism, racial bigotry, sexism, toxic masculinity, parental selfishness, the intrinsic oppression that comes with capital or the lack thereof, and how we cope with the never-ending passage of time) handled with an uncommon sensitivity for the time, stunning cinematography, one hell of a grouping of period atmospheres, and no shortage of subversion. Just chock full of countless memorable quotes and damn good scenes one fired right after the other for almost three and a half hours. Comes temptingly close but not quite seamless, my biggest gripe is that with all this time we still never really get to see any of these couples *fall* in love - some of course had to be that way, sure (i.e. Hudson and Taylor as they reconcile with the trials of a whirlwind romance) but what about any of the others? Also has a couple arguably problematic tidbits, but honestly they're still far trumped by its sheer amount of nuance and perceptiveness - its willingness to confront itself, and the way it depicts time as an anomaly - stagnant one moment then stealthy the next. The only thing more fearsome than the years is yourself.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) in Movies
May 21, 2020
The plot: Remnants of a mysterious animal have come to light in a remote jungle, and a group of scientists intends to determine if the find is an anomaly or evidence of an undiscovered beast. To accomplish their goal, the scientists (Antonio Moreno, Richard Carlson, Richard Denning, Whit Bissell) must brave the most perilous pieces of land South America has to offer. But the terrain is nothing compared to the danger posed by an otherworldly being that endangers their work and their lives.
Creature from the Black Lagoon was filmed in 3D and originally projected by the polarized light method. The audience wore viewers with gray polarizing filters, similar to the viewers most commonly used today. Because the brief 1950s 3D film fad had peaked in mid-1953 and was fading fast in early 1954, many audiences actually saw the film "flat", in 2D. Typically, the film was shown in 3D in large downtown theaters and flat in smaller neighborhood theaters.
For marketing reasons, a comedic appearance with Abbott and Costello on an episode of The Colgate Comedy Hour aired prior to the film's release. The appearance is commonly known as Abbott and Costello Meet the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Ben Chapman reprised his role as the Gill-Man for the program.
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
2001: AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – Nominated
2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains:
Gill-man – Nominated Villain
Iike i said a classic universal monster.
The Ghastly One: The Sex-Gore Netherworld of Filmmaker Andy Milligan
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Nicolas Winding Refn presents one of the most acclaimed film director biographies ever published....