Scenes That I Love: Dracula Meets Van Helsing

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

143 years ago, on this date in Kentucky, director Tod Browning was born. Though Browning was a director who was comfortable working in any genre, he is today best remembered for the horror films that he directed for Universal studios. Today’s scene that I love comes from Tod Browning’s 1931 adaptation of Dracula.

In this scene, Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) is introduced to Prof. Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan). Van Helsing notes something interesting about Dracula’s reflection, namely that he doesn’t have one. Needless to say, the Count is not amused.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Monte Hellman Edition

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

94 years ago today, the great director Monte Hellman was born in New York City. Though Hollywood never quite understood Hellman or his idiosyncratic vision, he and his films have inspired a countless number of independent filmmakers. Hellman started his career with Roger Corman and was one of the first directors to recognize the talent of actors like Jack Nicholson and Warren Oates. When Monte Hellman passed away in 2021, he was eulogized as one of the key figures of the Hollywood counterculture. Today, we celebrate Hellman and his films with….

4 Shots From 4 Monte Hellman Films

The Shooting (1966, dir by Monte Hellman, DP: Gregory Sandor)

Two-Lane Blacktop (1971, dir by Monte Hellman, DP: Jack Deerson)

Cockfighter (1974, dir by Monte Hellman, DP: Nestor Almendros)

China 9, Liberty 38 (1978, dir by Monte Hellman, DP: Guiseppe Rotunno)

Retro Television Reviews: Fantasy Island 3.5 “The Chain Gang/The Boss”

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing the original Fantasy Island, which ran on ABC from 1977 to 1986. Almost entire show is currently streaming is on Youtube!

What I’ve long-feared has happened.

Tubi has removed the original Fantasy Island from its site. The recently-canceled Fox version can be viewed but not the original. Don’t get me wrong. I liked the new Fox version. But these are Retro Television Reviews and a show that premiered in 2021 is not yet retro.

Fortunately, quite a few episodes are on YouTube and it’s probable that the original complete series will again end up streaming somewhere. So, I’m going to try to continue to review this show. I can’t guarantee that I won’t run out of episodes at some point. For instance, it doesn’t appear that much of seasons 6 or 7 can be found, even on YouTube. (Unfortunately, it appears that only the first three seasons of Fantasy Island have been released on DVD.) But I’m going to do my best!

Episode 3.5 “The Chain Gang/The Boss”

(Dir by Michael Vejar, originally aired on October 19th, 1979)

Tattoo has decided that he wants to be an artist! Mr. Roarke demands to know why because God forbid Tattoo have a life outside of spotting the plane. Tattoo admits that he wants to get the island women to pose for him. Mr. Roarke orders Tattoo to abandon his art career and head down to the docks to meet the plane.

The plane is carrying two guests who hope, much like Tattoo, to change their lives.

Cindy Carter (Donna Mills) is a switchboard operator who has a crush on her boss, Brent Bailey (Brett Halsey). Her fantasy is to be the boss of her own company. Mr. Roarke grants her wish and soon, Cindy is in charge of her own multi-national corporation. In fact, her corporation owns Brent Bailey’s business! Cindy also gets a executive assistant named Gary Pointer (Roddy McDowall). Unfortunately, it turns out that Brent isn’t a very nice person and he’s been siphoning money out of the pension fund. He threatens to frame Cindy to keep her from approving an audit of the fund. However, with Gary’s support and eventual love, Cindy stands up to Brent and reveals his wrong-doing. Mr. Atwell (Stacy Keach, Sr.), the presumed-dead head of the company, suddenly shows up at the stockholder’s meeting and announces that he faked his own death to discover who was embezzling from the pension fund. The stockholders applaud as Brent Bailey is taken away from the police. It’s all rather silly and melodramatic but the likable presence of Roddy McDowall kept the story entertaining.

Meanwhile, Mike Jenner (Dennis Cole) came to the Island to confront Eddie Collins (Cameron Mitchell), the criminal that Mike believes murdered his father and framed him for a theft. (There’s a lot of theft in this episode.) Mr. Roarke reveals that Eddie lives in a nearby fishing village. Mike goes to the village, spots Eddie, and punches him. Eddie hits back….

….and both of them are sentenced to spend a year on a chain gang!

Fantasy Island has a chain gang!? And the chain gang is overseen by a redneck named Captain Hawks (R.G. Armstong)!? Why has this never been mentioned before? I mean, is it normal to sentence paying guests to spend a year on the chain gang?

Anyway, Eddie and Mike set aside their difference and break out out the prison camp. (Fantasy Island has prison camps!?) During their escape, Eddie gets trapped in quicksand. Mike does eventually rescue him but only after Eddie confesses to having framed Mike’s father. As soon as Eddie confesses, Mr. Roarke shows up in his jeep. Apparently, Mike is now free to leave the Island with his fiancee (Pat Klous) while Eddie is sent to the Fantasy Island prison for the rest of his life. Much as the other fantasy was saved by the reliable likability of Roddy McDowall, this episode was saved by Cameron Mitchell’s grouchy presence. One could always trust Mitchell to give it his all while playing a bad guy.

With the fantasies taken care of, Tattoo returns to his art. When he asks his model to pose naked, she destroys all of his paintings while Mr. Roarke laughs and laughs. Mr. Roarke really does hate his assistant.

Retro Television Reviews: Hang Time 5.9 “Tolerance” and 5.10 “Big Brother Blues”

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Mondays, I will be reviewing Hang Time, which ran on NBC from 1995 to 2000. The entire show is currently streaming on YouTube!

This week, many important lessons are learend.

Episode 5.9 “Tolerance”

(Directed by Miguel Higuera, originally aired on November 13th, 1999)

Even though none of them have ever been seen or mentioned over the course of the previous 87 episodes, the episode reveals that Deering High is home to several students who dress in black, wear black eye-liner, and who hang out at a coffeehouse called The Morgue.

I know what you’re thinking. They’re Goths, right?

No, according to Hang Time, they’re called Grotes, which is short for Grotesques. Uhmmm …. okay. Was Grote actually a term that was used in 1999? Maybe it’s an Indiana thing. Who knows?

Anyway, everyone at school is scared of the Grotes, which makes it awkward when Kristy is assigned to work with one of them for her science class. At first, Syd (Alicia Lagano) dismisses Kristy as just being a typical popular cheerleader but she’s impressed with Kristy actually shows up at the Morgue. Kristy learns that the Grotes are human underneath all of their dark makeup and she also realizes that her two best friends are incredibly shallow when they start making fun of the Grotes. While it’s in character for Mary Beth to be judgmental of someone else’s fashion choices, I was a little bit surprised to see that the show portrayed Julie as being equally close-minded. Usually, Julie is portrayed as being a near-saint. You would think that, with all trouble Julie has supposedly had getting people to accept her as a basketball player, she would be a bit less …, well, mean. Mary Beth makes fun of the Grotes for wearing too much makeup. Julie goes as far as to say that the Grotes should expect to be picked on if they’re going to insist on being so different.

Kristy decides to teach her friends a lesson by dressing up like a Grote. At first, Julie and Mary Beth are shocked to see Kristy dressed in black and wearing too much eyeliner. Later, they’re stunned to learn that Kristy has been beaten up by two non-Grote bullies. At the homecoming dance, Mary Beth is elected Homecoming Queen and she spends her acceptance speech apologizing for judging the Grotes. She gives her crown to Kritsy as way to thank Kristy “for teaching me about tolerance.” The audience goes, “Awwwww!” but it’s hard not to notice that none of the Grotes are at the dance.

Meanwhile, Eugene is dating a woman who has graduated from college! It turns out that he lied to her about his age. Despite the fact that everything about Eugene screams “High School Sophomore!,” Eugene convinces her that he’s a college student. But then Eugene’s girlfriend (Veronica Lauren) is hired to teach at the school! Uh-oh! Is Deering about to become a crime scene? Fear not. It turns out that Eugene’s girlfriend is a genius who graduated from high school when she was 12 and is only 16 years old. Uhmm, okay.

This episode aired a year after “A Guy and a Goth,” the episode of City Guys where Chris dated a goth girl and briefly dressed up like a goth himself. This is actually a rare example of City Guys handling a topic better than Hang Time. First off, City Guys actually used the term “goth” as opposed to “grote.” As well, there’s something painfully self-congratulatory about the Hang Time version of this story. Mary Beth apologizes to the Grotes but there aren’t any Grotes at the dance so it’s not really going to do them a lot of good. In the end, the audience said “awwwww,” not because Mary Beth was being tolerant but because Kristy, Mary Beth, and Julie agreed to still be friends.

How much you want to bet that we’ll never see Eugene’s girlfriend or the Grotes again?

Episode 5.10 “Big Brother Blues”

(Directed by Miguel Higuera, originally aired on November 20th, 1999)

The Tornadoes are one victory away from making the playoffs!

Yes, apparently, the Tornadoes have been having another successful season. Up until this episode, we really haven’t heard much about Deering’s latest season. I imagine this is because Season 5 and 6 were originally meant to be one season before NBC decided to not only split the show’s final 26 episodes into two seasons but also to show the episodes out of order. Just judging from the episode descriptions that are available on Wikipedia, it appears that most of the basketball episodes were moved to the sixth season.

Anyway, as I said, the Tornadoes are once again one game away from making the playoffs. However, they have to defeat the Mustangs, a team that Deering hasn’t defeated in over 11 years. The team is convinced that they’re jinxed. Coach K. brings in a “jinx exorcist” who works with the NBA. He dramatically banishes the jinx from the locker room. With their confidence intact, the Tornadoes dominate the first half. However, at halftime, they discover that the jinx exorcist was just some random guy that Coach K paid to fool them. The Tornadoes lose their confidence and nearly lose the game. In the end, thanks to Silk’s final shot, the Tornadoes win by …. you guessed it …. one point!

Meanwhile, Michael and Silk sign up for the Big Brother program and are assigned to spend time with a kid named Daniel. Daniel loves hanging out with Michael and Silk but it turns out that Daniel’s mom is a racist who doesn’t want her son to hang out with anyone black. Daniel still comes to the game but, after the Tornadoes win, he’s dragged away by his mom. Daniel runs back into the locker room to give Silk a hug but it’s pretty clear that the two of them will never see each other again,

What a sad ending!

This episode featured both Mary Beth and Julie talking about how much they hate it when people are judged by how they look. Interestingly enough, no one says, “You mean like how you judged the Grotes?” That said, it was a heartfelt episode with a good message and Danso Gordon does a good job of portraying Silk’s anger and sadness. The final scene was far more moving that what one would typically expect of a Peter Engel-produced sitcom.

Next week: the team gets cocky!

Monday Live Tweet Alert: Join Us For Parts: The Clonus Horror and Men In Black!

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in hosting a few weekly live tweets on twitter and occasionally Mastodon. I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of Mastodon’s #MondayActionMovie ! Every week, we get together. We watch a movie. We snark our way through it.

Tonight, for #MondayActionMovie, the film will be 1979’s Parts: The Clonus Horror! I picked it so you know it’ll be good.

Following #MondayActionMovie, Brad and Sierra will be hosting the #MondayMuggers live tweet. We will be watching 1997’s Men In Black! The film is on Prime!

It should make for a night of fun viewing and I invite all of you to join in. If you want to join the live tweets, just hop onto Mastodon, pull up Parts: The Clonus Horror on YouTube, start the movie at 8 pm et, and use the #MondayActionMovie hashtag! Then, at 10 pm et, switch over to Twitter and Prime, start Men In Black, and use the #MondayMuggers hashtag! The live tweet community is a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

What If Lisa Marie Had All The Power: 2023 Emmys Edition

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Emmy Nominations are due to be announced tomorrow so it’s time for the Shattered Lens to play a game that should be familiar to our longtime readers, What If Lisa Marie Had All The Power.

Below, you’ll find my personal Emmy nominations. Keep in mind, these are not necessarily the shows and performers who I think will be nominated, though a few definitely will be. Instead, these are my personal picks. This is what would be nominated if I had all the power.

Now, there’s a lot of Emmy categories. I went through the Emmy submissions and I picked nominees for every single category. However, in the interest of space, I can’t list all of them in this post. Instead, below, you’ll find my picks for the major categories. If you want to see the complete list of my nominees, you can see it by clicking here!

Looking over my full list of nominees, you’ll see that there are some shows that I really, really liked. Those shows include A Small Light, Poker Face, The English, Andor, The Traitors, Abbott Elementary, Ghosts, Making the Cut, Wednesday, Better Call Saul, Barry, The Bear, Bob’s Burgers, South Park, Beef, Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe, Black Bird, Atlanta, Five Days At Memorial, Daisy Jones and the Six, Prey, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, The Amazing Race, and The Last Thing He Told Me. Interestingly enough, a lot of my favorite shows aired their final season over the past year. I look forward to seeing what replaces Barry and Better Call Saul in my annual Emmy line-ups.

Here are my picks for the major categories, with my winners in bold!

Animation

Outstanding Animated Program

Archer — “The Big Con” (FX)

Bob’s Burgers — “Plight Before Christmas” (FOX)

Harley Quinn — “Batman Begins Forever” (Max)

Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butthead — “Meditation Suck/Polling Place” (Paramount Plus)

Rick & Morty — “Night Family” (Adult Swim)

South Park — “World Wide Privacy Tour” (Comedy Central)

Documentary

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special

Bama Rush (Max)

Elmore Leonard: But Don’t Try To Write (PBS)

Inside High Noon (PBS)

Pamela, A Love Story (Netflix)

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Hulu)

The Princess (HBO)

Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me (Apple TV+)

Serial Killer Capitol: Baton Rogue (Peacock)

Shania Twain: Not Just A Girl (Netflix)

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Apple TV+)

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series

American Masters (PBS)

Artful (BYUTv)

Cold Case Files (Netflix)

Cold Justice (Oxygen)

Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields (Netflix)

MH370: The Plane That Disappeared (Netflix)

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence (Hulu)

Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 (Netflix)

The U.S. and the Holocaust (PBS)

Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix)

Host

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program

Alan Cumming for The Traitors (Peacock)

Cat Deeley for So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)

Phil Keogan for The Amazing Race (CBS)

Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn for Making The Cut (Prime)

Jennifer Nettles for Farmer Wants A Wife (Fox)

Jon Taffer for Bar Rescue (Paramount)

Outstanding Host For A Game Show

Wayne Brady for Let’s Make A Deal (CBS)

Brooke Burns for Master Minds (GSN)

Drew Carey for The Price Is Right (CBS)

Pat Sajak for Wheel of Fortune (CBS)

Performer

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Utkarsh Ambudkar in Ghosts (CBS)

Donald Glover In Atlanta (FX)

Bill Hader in Barry (HBO)

Ralph Macchio in Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Steve Martin in Only Murders In The Building (Hulu)

Jason Segel in Shrinking (AppleTV+)

Martin Short in Only Murders In The Building (Hulu)

Jason Sudiekis in Tad Lasso (AppleTV+)

Jeremy Allen White in The Bear (Hulu)

William Zabka in Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

Penn Badgley in You (Netflix)

Jeff Bridges in The Old Man (Hulu)

Kevin Costner in Yellowstone (Paramount)

Harrison Ford in 1923 (Paramount Plus)

Diego Luna in Andor (Disney+)

Bob Odenkirk in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Pedro Pascal in The Last of Us (HBO)

Matthew Rhys in Perry Mason (HBO)

Michael Shannon in Waco: The Aftermath (Showtime)

Dominic West in The Crown (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited or Anthology Series

Steve Carell in The Patient (Hulu)

Joe Cole in A Small Light (National Geographic)

Taron Egerton in Black Bird (Apple TV+)

Jesse Eisenberg in Fleishman Is In Trouble (Hulu)

Jake Lacey in A Friend of the Family (Peacock)

Eric McCormack in Slasher: Ripper (Shudder)

Ewan McGregor in Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+)

Kumail Nanjiani in Welcome to Chippendale’s (Hulu)

Chaske Spencer in The English (Prime)

Steven Yeun in Beef (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Movie

Bryan Cranston in Jerry and Marge Go Large (Paramount)

Josh Duhamel in Shotgun Wedding (Prime)

Andy Garcia in Father of the Bride (Max)

Kelsey Grammer in 12 Days of Christmas Eve (Lifetime)

Dennis Quaid in On A Wing and Prayer (Prime)

Daniel Radcliffe in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Roku)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Christina Applegate in Dead To Me (Netflix)

Rachael Brosnahan in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime)

Quinta Brunson in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Linda Cardellini in Dead To Me (Netflix)

Anna Gasteyer in American Auto (ABC)

Selena Gomez in Only Murders In The Building (Hulu)

Natasha Lyonne in Poker Face (Peacock)

Rose McIver in Ghosts (CBS)

Jenna Ortega in Wednesday (Netflix)

Melissa Rauch in Night Court (NBC)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Tawny Cypress in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Juliette Lewis in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Melanie Lynesky in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Helen Mirren in 1923 (Paramount Plus)

Sophie Nelisse in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Kelly Reilly in Yellowstone (Paramount)

Charlotte Ritchie in You (Netflix)

Keri Russell in The Diplomat (Netflix)

Imelda Staunton in The Crown (Netflix)

Roselyn Sanchez in Fantasy Island (Fox)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited or Anthony Series

Emily Blunt in The English (Prime)

Lizzy Caplan in Fleishman Is In Trouble (Hulu)

Whitney Cummings in Accused (Fox)

Vera Farmiga in Five Days At Memorial (Apple TV+)

Jennifer Garner in The Last Thing He Told Me (Apple TV+)

Riley Keogh in Daisey Jones and the Six (Prime)

Elizabeth Olsen in Love and Death (Max)

Bel Powley in A Small Light (National Geographic)

Naomi Watts in The Watcher (Netflix)

Ali Wong in Beef (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Movie

Annette Bening in Jerry and Marge Go Large (Paramount Plus)

Danai Gurira in Richard III (Great Performance) (PBS)

Jennifer Lopez in Shotgun Wedding (Prime)

Amber Midthunder in Prey (Hulu)

Angourie Rice in Honor Society (Paramount Plus)

Sidney Sweeney in Reality (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

Benjamin Bratt in Poker Face (Peacock)

Anthony Carrigan in Barry (HBO)

William Stanford Davis in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Harrison Ford in Shrinking (Apple TV+)

Thomas Ian Griffith in Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Brian Tyree Henry in Atlanta (FX)

James Marsden in Jury Duty (Freevee)

Stephen Root in Barry (HBO)

Tyler James Williams in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Henry Winkler in Barry (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama

Jonathan Banks in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Timothy Dalton in 1923 (Paramount Plus)

Giancarlo Esposito in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Cole Hauser in Yellowstone (Paramount)

John Lithgow in The Old Man (Hulu)

Johnny Lee Miller in The Crown (Netflix)

Jonathan Pryce in The Crown (Netflix)

Stellan Skargard in Andor (Disney+)

Kyle Soller in Andor (Disney+)

Elijah Wood in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited or Anthology Series

Murray Bartlett in Welcome to Chippendale’s (Hulu)

Hayden Christensen in Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+)

Colin Hanks in A Friend of the Family (Peacock)

Paul Walter Hauser in Black Bird (AppleTV+)

Richard Jenkins in Monster: Dahmer — The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix)

Greg Kinnear in Black Bird (AppleTV+)

Ray Liotta in Black Bird (AppleTV+)

Robert Pine in Five Days At Memorial (AppleTV+)

Stephen Rea in The English (Prime)

Liev Schrieber in A Small Light (National Geographic)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In Movie

Julian Black Antelope in Prey (Hulu)

Marchant Davis in Reality (HBO)

Dane DiLiegro in Prey (Hulu)

Josh Hamilton in Reality (HBO)

Cheech Marin In Shotgun Wedding (Prime)

Rainn Wilson in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Roku)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Zazie Beetz in Atlanta (FX)

Alex Borstein in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime)

Sarah Goldberg in Barry (HBO)

Janelle James in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Danielle Pinnock in Ghosts (CBS)

Sheryl Lee Ralph in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Kristen Schaal in What We Do In The Shadows (FX)

Juno Temple in Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

Lisa Ann Walter in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Rebecca Wisocky in Ghosts (CBS)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Amy Brenneman in The Old Man (Hulu)

Carol Burnett in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Elizabeth Debicki in The Crown (Netflix)

Denise Gough in Andor (Disney+)

Samantha Hanratty in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Lesley Manville in The Crown (Netflix)

Christina Ricci in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Rhea Seehorn in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Sophie Thatcher in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Olivia Williams in The Crown (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited or Anthology Series

Annaleigh Ashford in Welcome to Chippendale’s (Hulu)

Maria Bello in Beef (Netflix)

Billie Boullet in A Small Light (National Geographic)

Ashley Brooke in A Small Light (National Geographic)

Clair Danes in Fleishman Is In Trouble (Hulu)

Li Eubanks in Mike (Hulu)

McKenna Grace in Friend of the Family (Peacock)

Cherry Jones in Five Days At Memorial (Apple TV+)

Juliette Lewis in Welcome to Chippendale’s (Hulu)

Anna Paquin in Friend of the Family (Peacock)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Movie

Jennifer Coolidge in Shotgun Wedding (Prime)

Gloria Estefan in Father of the Bride (Max)

Spencer Grammer in 12 Days of Christmas (Lifetime)

Melissa Joan Hart in Dirty Little Secret (Lifetime)

Julianne Nicholson in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Roku)

Evan Rachel Wood in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Roku)

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

Matthew Baynton in Ghosts (CBS)

Jon Bernthal in The Bear (Hulu)

Eric Berryman in Atlanta (FX)

Adrian Brody in Poker Face (Peacock)

Paul Walter Hauser in Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Luke Kirby in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime)

Joel McHale in The Bear (Hulu)

Tim Meadows in Poker Face (Peacock)

Nick Nolte in Poker Face (Peacock)

Matt Walsh in Ghosts (CBS)

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series

Murray Bartlett in The Last of Us (HBO)

Bryan Cranston in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Timothy Dalton in The Crown (Netflix)

Tony Dalton in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Bruce Davison in 1923 (Paramount Plus)

Joel Grey in The Old Man (Hulu)

Greg Grunberg in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)

Nick Offerman in The Last of Us (HBO)

Aaron Paul in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Andy Serkis in Andor (Disney+)

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

Ellen Barkin in Poker Face (Peacock)

Clea DuVall in Poker Face (Peacock)

Ayo Edebiri in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Lisa Gilroy in Jury Duty (Freevee)

Sian Heder in Barry (HBO)

Taraji P. Henson in Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Judith Light in Poker Face (Peacock)

S. Epatha Merkson in Poker Face (Peacock)

Chloe Sevigny in Poker Face (Peacock)

Catherine Zeta-Jones in Wednesday (Netflix)

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series

Betsy Brandt in Better Call Saul (AMC)

Claire Foy in The Crown (Netflix)

Christine Hakim in The Last of Us (HBO)

Vanessa Kirby in The Crown (Netflix)

Melanie Lynseky ih The Last Of Us (HBO)

Natascha McElhone in The Crown (Netflix)

Nico Parker in The Last of Us (HBO)

Ashley Platz in Yellowstone (Paramount)

Ella Purnell in Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Fiona Shaw in Andor (Disney+)

Program

Outstanding Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Atlanta (FX)

Barry (HBO)

The Bear (Hulu)

Cobra Kai (Netflix)

Ghosts (CBS)

Jury Duty (Freevee)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime)

Poker Face (Peacock)

Wednesday (Netflix)

Outstanding Drama Series

Andor (Disney+)

Better Call Saul (AMC)

The Crown (Netflix)

House of the Dragon (HBO)

The Last of Us (HBO)

1923 (Paramount Plus)

The Old Man (Hulu)

Perry Mason (HBO)

Waco: The Aftermath (Showtime)

Yellowstone (Paramount)

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Program

Beef (Netflix)

Black Bird (Apple TV+)

Daisey Jones and the Six (Prime)

The English (Prime)

Fives Days At Memorial (Apple TV+)

Fleishman Is In Trouble (Hulu)

A Friend of the Family (Peacock)

The Last Thing He Told Me (Apple TV+)

Slasher: Ripper (Shudder)

A Small Light (National Geographic)

Outstanding Television Movie

Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe (Paramount Plus)

Father of the Bride (MAX)

Honor Society (Paramount Plus)

Jerry and Marge Go Large (Paramount Plus)

On A Wing and Prayer (Prime)

Prey (Hulu)

Shotgun Wedding Prime)

Sick (Peacock)

The 12 Days of Christmas Eve (Lifetime)

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Roku)

Outstanding Talk Series

Hart to Heart (Peacock)

Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

The Talking Dead (AMC)

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon (NBC)

Outstanding Scripted Variety Program

Amazon Music Live (Prime)

Studio C (BYUTv)

Outstanding Variety Special (Live)

The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna (Fox)

Chris Rock: Selective Outrage (Netflix)

The Oscars (ABC)

29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (YouTube)

Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)

Bill Burr: Live at Red Rocks (Netflix)

The Fangoria Chainsaw Awards (Shudder)

Richard III (Great Performances) (PBS)

South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama, or Variety Series

I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson (Netflix)

The Party (YouTube)

Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series

A Look Inside Five Days At Memorial (Apple TV+)

Tasting Wild (National Geographic)

Yellowjackets: Behind the Buzz (Showtime)

Yellowstone: Tales From The Bunkhouse (Paramount Network)

Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series

History’s Greatest Mysteries (History Channel)

On Patrol: Live (Reelz)

Outstanding Structured Reality Program

Antiques Roadshow (PBS)

Bachelor in Paradise (ABC)

Bar Rescue (Paramount)

60 Days In (A&E)

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

Intervention (A&E)

Married At First Sight (Lifetime)

Naked and Afraid (Discovery)

Selling Sunset (Netflix)

Outstanding Reality Competition Program

The Amazing Race (CBS)

The Circle (Netflix)

Dancing With The Stars (Disney+)

Farmer Wants A Wife (FOX)

The Floor is Lava (Netflix)

Hell’s Kitchen (FOX)

Making the Cut (Amazon Prime)

So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)

Survivor (CBS)

Traitors (Peacock)

Outstanding Game Show

Let’s Make a Deal (CBS)

Master Minds (GSN)

The Price is Right (CBS)

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Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 7/3/23 — 7/9/23

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

This week, I celebrated the 4th of July with my sisters, I binged a lot of television to get caught up for Tuesday’s Emmy nominations, I read a lengthy and heavily detailed book, and I also watched quite a few films.

I’m tired.

Check out what I watched, read, and listened to this week while I go get some sleep.

Films I Watched:

12 Days of Christmas Eve (2022)
Elmore Leonard: But Don’t Try To Write (2022)
Father of the Bride (2022)
Graduation Day (1980)
High & Outside: A Baseball Noir (2018)
Inside High Noon Revisited (2022)
Jerry and Marge Go Large (2022)
Jesus Revolution (2023)
Kemper: The CoEd Killer (2008)
Over The Top (1987)
Pamela, A Love Story (2023)
Prey (2022)
The Princess (2022)
Shania Twain: Not Just A Girl (2022)
Sheena (1984)
Sick (2023)
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023)
The Zebra Force (1976)

Television Shows I Watched:

60 Days In
Big Beasts
City Guys
The Crown
Daisy Jones & The Six
Dead To Me
Diff’rent Strokes
The Diplomat
House of the Dragon
Fleishman Is In Trouble
Forgive or Forget
The Last Of Us
The Last Thing He Told Me
The Love Boat
The Master
MH370: The Plane That Disappeared
Midnight Special
The Old Man
Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields
Real Time With Bill Maher
Rollergames
Slasher: Ripper
Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99
Welcome Back, Kotter

Books I Read:

The Shards (2023) by Bret Easton Ellis

Music To Which I Listened:

Britney Spears
Camila Cabello
Carrie Underwood
Felony
Gwen Stefani
The Hues Corporation
Kelly Clarkson
No Doubt
Olivia Roridgo
Taylor Swift

Live Tweets:

Trailers:

News From Last Week:

Links From Last Week:

Link From The Site:

Jeff shared music videos from Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Beck, Ringo Starr, The Backbeat Band, ZZ Top, and Alice In Chains!
Jeff shared a scene from Stripes!
Erin shared Mammoth Detective, Cartoon Humor, Man To Man, Bedside Manner, The White Bikini, Ribbon, and True Cases of Women In Crime!
Erin invited us to celebrate Bikini Day and International Kissing Day!
Erin wished everyone a happy 4th of July!
Erin shared a scene from A Boy Named Charlie Brown!
Erin shared some vintage fireworks, The Covers of Ace G-Men Stories, 42 Texas Ranger homeruns, and celebration of rural America with the pulps!
Erin reviewed A Baseball Noir!
I shared a music video from Lady Gaga!
I reviewed Hang Time, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, City Guys, The Master, and Welcome Back Kotter!
I shared my week in television!
I shared a scenes from Shaft and Tropic Thunder!
I paid tribute to Jean Cocteau, Michele Soavi, and films featuring fireworks!
I reviewed Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway and Detective Knight: Independence!
I shared an AMV of the Day!

More From Us:

At Days Without Incident, Leonard shared music from Cymande!
At her photography site, Erin shared Ribbon, Happy 4th of July, Red Flowers, Caddo Lake, Armadillo, Spring Creek Nature Trail, and Spring Creek Nature Trail 2!
At my music site, I shared songs from Taylor Swift, Hues Corporation, No Doubt, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Carrie Underwood, and Olivia Rodrigo!

Check out last week by clicking here!

Retro Television Reviews: Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway (dir by Randal Kleiser)

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Sundays, I will be reviewing the made-for-television movies that used to be a primetime mainstay. Today’s film is 1976’s Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway! It can be viewed on YouTube!

Dawn Wetherby (Eve Plumb) is fifteen years old. She’s naive. She’s innocent. She’s …. well, let’s just be honest and admit that she’s not particularly bright. Sick of being embarrassed by her alcoholic mom (Lynn Carlin), Dawn decides to hop on a bus and travel to Hollywood. Maybe she can make a new life for herself in California.

Of course, it doesn’t take long for Dawn to discover that Los Angeles is not a city where dreams magically come true. It’s a tough and harsh town and it’s not like Dawn has any money or any particular skills. When she tries to get a job, she’s told that she’s too young. When she tries to rent a room, she’s told that ten dollars is not enough to cover two weeks rent. When she gives a dollar to a boy who says that he needs it, he responds by mugging her for the rest of her cash. A prostitute named Frankie Lee (Marguerite DeLain) takes some sympathy on Dawn and tells her to call if she ever wants to make some money.

Eventually, a nasty cough leads to Dawn going to the free clinic. That’s where she meets Alexander (Leigh McCloskey). Alexander is a teen runaway, just like Dawn. However, Alexander also can somehow afford an apartment and food to eat. Alexander invites Dawn to live with him and Dawn, realizing she has no where else to go, agrees. Alexander offers to look after her but, after Dawn discovers that Alexander makes his money by working as a male prostitute, Dawn decides that she needs a job of her own.

It’s time to call Frankie Lee! And it’s time for Frankie Lee to introduce Dawn to Swan (Bo Hopkins), a pimp who lives in a nice house and who offers to put Dawn to work….

Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway is an earnest film that was obviously made with the best of intentions and which actually did have something say, in its melodramatic way, about the dangers of running away from home and trying to make it on your own when you’re not even old enough to drive. That said, I imagine that most people who go through the effort to track down this film will do so because it stars The Brady Bunch‘s Eve Plumb as an underage runway who ends up walking the streets and taking men back to her motel room. The movie might as well be called Jan Brady Goes Bad, because Eve Plumb does essentially give the same performance that she gave when she was playing the whiniest member of the Brady Bunch. There’s nothing tough or streetwise about her, which works for the first half of the film but not during the second half. Once Dawn has been on the streets for a bit, you would expect her to toughen up a bit but she still comes across like she’s mad at Greg and Bobby for tying up the phone. Dawn goes through a lot and becomes a bit jaded as a result but, every time she speaks, you expect her to exclaim, “Why does Marcia get to runaway from home but I don’t? It’s not fair!” Far more impressive are the performances of Bo Hopkins and, in the role of Dawn’s probation officer, George Stanford Brown. William Schallert also has a good bit as Dawn’s first client, who ends up feeling so sorry for Dawn that he just give her twenty dollars and then tells her to go back home.

Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runway is one of those film that was obviously designed to make parents worry about their kids. It seems to be asking, “Do you know where your children are tonight?” In 1976, I imagine they were busy watching Jan Brady try to make it on the mean streets of Hollywood.

Scenes I Love: The Opening of Shaft

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today is the birthday of Richard Roundtree so, of course, today’s scene that I love could only be the classic opening of 1971’s Shaft.

By doing something as simple as walking down a street in New York, Roundtree shows us exactly who Shaft is and why Shaft does what he does. This is one of those scenes that’s been parodied so many times that it’s actually surprising to rewatch and see how just defiant and sexy Richard Roundtree’s confident strut actually was.

On another note, I enjoy seeing all of the names of the movies that were playing on 42nd Street when this scene was filmed.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 7/2/23 — 7/8/23

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

This week was all about getting caught up on the shows that might be nominated for this year’s Emmys. I ended up watching a lot of TV. Here’s a few thoughts on it all!

60 Days In (A&E)

I watched this show’s seventh season this week. Sending former criminals undercover was an interesting idea and Carlos, who struggled with the temptation to return to his old ways, was definitely the most compelling character this season. It really was one of the worst jails that they’ve ever featured on this show. It’s easy to be dismissive of a show like this and it definitely is a bit exploitive. But it also does portray why jails fail to rehabilitate its inmates.

Big Beasts (Apple TV+)

I watched an episode on Friday about the great whales! I enjoyed it. Whales are fascinating creatures and it certainly didn’t hurt that the whole thing was narrated by Tom Hiddleston.

City Guys (YouTube)

I wrote about City Guys here!

The Crown (Netflix)

I’ve always had mixed feelings about The Crown. On the one hand, I absolutely love it as a well-made, well-acted, and well-produced royal soap opera. On the other hand, I have never been comfortable about the idea of turning anyone’s life into a miniseries while they’re still alive. Of course, Queen Elizabeth passed away last year but the show itself still feels a bit invasive. That said, the fifth season was as addictive as ever. Imelda Stauton took over at Elizabeth. Dominic West made Charles into a far more interesting person than he probably is in real life. Of all the seasons so far, this season was the most melancholy as it portrayed a world that was suddenly changing faster than ever before. Not only did Charles and Diana divorce but the UK lost Hong Kong. The decommissioning Britannia felt like the true end of an era. It was hard to watch this season without thinking about how the people portrayed had no idea how much worse things were going to get in just a few more years.

Daisy Jones & The Six (Prime)

I binged this miniseries on Tuesday and Wednesday. Full of music and 70s atmosphere, this series charted the rise and the fall of a fictional rock group. Riley Keough, who really seems like she should be a bigger star, was wonderful in the lead role.

Dead To Me (Netflix)

Unfortunately, I really haven’t had time to binge the final season of Dead To Me but I did jump ahead and watch the final episode on Saturday afternoon. Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini were still a great and messy team and I definitely got a bit watery-eyed at the episode’s conclusion.

The Diplomat (Netflix)

I watched the first episode of this show on Wednesday. It didn’t really hold my attention but Keri Russell was convincing as the title character and it was kind of amusing to see Michael McKean playing an apparently sincere and idealistic president.

Fleishman Is In Trouble (Hulu)

This was an excellent miniseries that I binged on Monday and Tuesday. Jesse Eisenberg and Claire Danes were excellent as a divorced couple who struggled with life in New York City. This miniseries felt like some great 70s movie that just happened to be set in 2016.

Forgive or Forget (YouTube)

I watched an episode on Thursday. Former best friends were demanding apologies. Very few apologies were given, which I think may have been due to the fact that host Robin Givens kept interrupting everyone so that she could yell at them. If Mother Love had been there, everyone would have come through the door.

House of the Dragon (HBO)

HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel turned out to be quite a bit better than I was expecting. That said, I would be lying if I said that I was always able to follow what was happening on the show without the help of Wikipedia. I had the same problem with Game of Thrones, to be honest. However, the chaos and the feeling that you could never be sure who was actually plotting what was one of the things that made both the early seasons of Game of Thrones and the first season of this show so intriguing.

The Last Of Us (HBO)

I binged this throughout the week and I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed in myself that I didn’t watch it earlier. Because I had so much to watch this week, I feel as if I rushed through the show, going from one episode to another so quickly that I didn’t get a chance to really contemplate and savor everything that happened. That said, The Last Of Us was well-acted and created a convincing dystopian society. For once, the “zombie” apocalypse felt realistic as opposed to contrived.

The Last Thing He Told Me (Apple TV+)

Enjoyably twisty and melodramatic, this adaptation of Laura Dave’s novel featured great performances from Jennifer Garner, Angourie Rice, and David Morse. Even though I had read the novel and knew what was going to happen, the show still held my interest

Love & Death (Max)

Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons were great but this limited series’s story was better told by Hulu’s Candy. As a producer and a writer, David E. Kelly has always had a tendency to rely on easy caricatures and too much of Love & Death felt like a Yankee fantasy of what life in small town Texas is like.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

The Master (Tubi)

I wrote about The Master here!

MH370: The Plane That Disappeared (Netflix)

During the early hours of Wednesday morning, I watched this 3-part docuseries on the Malaysian airline that mysteriously disappeared a few years ago. (Remember Don Lemmon suggesting it had flown into a black hole?) It was interesting viewing, though ultimately I think it works better as a look at how quick people are to buy into conspiracy theories than anything else.

Midnight Special (YouTube)

From 1973, the first episode of Midnight Special was hosted by Helen Reddy and featured performances from Ike and Tina Turner, George Carlin, Curtis Mayfield, Don McLean, Rare Earth, Kenny Rankin, The Byrds, and The Impressions. Helen Reddy was a bit of a boring host but the music was great.

The Old Man (Hulu)

With the Emmy nominations due to be announced next Tuesday, I finally got around to binging The Old Man this week. On the one hand, it was yet another morally ambiguous thriller featuring the government pursuing a former agent who had gone underground. On the other hand, Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, and Amy Brenneman all brought a lot of conviction to their roles and the film was as much about dealing with one’s own morality as it was about dealing with the dark side of the intelligence community. I liked it far more than I was expecting too.

The Patient (Hulu)

I watched the first three episodes of this miniseries on Monday morning and that was enough for me. Steve Carell plays a psychiatrist who is being held captive by a serial killer (Domhnall Gleeson) who is looking for help curbing his homicidal impulses. Carell gave a great performance, proving again that he’s just as capable of doing drama as he is comedy. But, other than Carell’s performance, I found the show to be tedious and I haven’t felt any real desire to finish binging it.

Real Time With Bill Maher (Max)

I watched the episode where Russell Brand yelled at John Heilenmann. I was on Brand’s side but a lot of that has to do with Heilenmann just be annoying in general. Bernie Sanders was also on the show and seemed kind of tired of the whole thing.

Rollergames (YouTube)

On the 2nd episode of Rollergames (which I watched with Jeff and our friend Pat on Friday night), the Thunderbirds competed against Bad Attitude. Thunderbirds were heroic but Bad Attitude had style. I’m not sure who actually won.

Slasher: Ripper (Shudder)

I’m always tempted to call this program Canadian Horror Story but Slasher is actually far better than Ryan Murphy’s show. The fifth season, which I binged throughout the week, has an intriguing mystery, many macabre deaths, a lot of atmosphere, and a wonderfully villainous performance from Eric McCormack.

Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 (Netflix)

I finally watched this docuseries on Saturday morning, after finishing up Midnight Special. I guess I was in a musical mode. The mix of hubris, greed, and celebrity that went into making Woodstock ’99 a disaster will never not be fascinating.

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back Kotter here!