Category Archives: Editorial

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 3/10/25 — 3/16/25

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone!  The 17th is not only St. Patrick’s Day but it’s also Kurt Russell’s birthday!  Buckle up because things are going to get wild in about an hour!

Here’s a quick look at what I watched over the previous week.

Films I Watched:

  1. Bagdad Cafe (1987)
  2. Blood Father (2016)
  3. Captain Ron (1992)
  4. Circle of Friends (1995)
  5. The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)
  6. Deepwater Horizon (2016)
  7. Dixie Dynamite (1976)
  8. Executive Decision (1996)
  9. Fools’ Parade (1971)
  10. The General (1998)
  11. Get Shorty (1995)
  12. The Food of the Gods (1976)
  13. Hogan’s Goat (1971)
  14. Michael Collins (1996)
  15. Now You See Him, Now You Don’t (1972)
  16. Poseidon (2006)
  17. The Snapper (1993)
  18. Soldier (1998)
  19. The Strongest Man In The World (1975)
  20. Superdad (1973)
  21. Swing Shift (1984)
  22. The Van (1996)
  23. The Velvet Underground In Boston (1967)

TV Shows I Watched:

  1. Check It Out!
  2. CHiPs
  3. Dark
  4. Degrassi High
  5. Fantasy Island
  6. Friday the 13th: The Series
  7. Highway to Heaven
  8. Homicide: Life On The Street
  9. Miami Vice
  10. Pacific Blue
  11. St. Elsewhere
  12. Welcome Back, Kotter

Links From The Site:

  1. Arleigh reviewed Code of Silence!
  2. Jeff reviewed Sidekicks, Born To The West, and Far and Away!
  3. Brad reviewed Shane and Red Sun!  He wrote about Blood Father and shared scenes from Karate Kid and Lone Wolf McQuade!  He paid tribute to Paul Fix!
  4. Erin reviewed Touchback and Dreamer!  She also shared The Strangest Sin, Wild Parties, Swamp Sister, Born Innocent, The Canceled Czech, The Ides of March, and Climb A Broken Ladder!

News and Links From Last Week:

  1. Producer Stanley R. Jaffe Dies At 84
  2. A profile of Isabella I of Castile
  3. March 15 Painting For Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2025! Painting Chicago’s River Green! Here’s How They Do It!

Want to check out last week?  Click here!

 

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 3/3/25 — 3/9/25

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Easy Rider (1969, dir by Dennis Hopper, DP: Laszlo Kovacs)

I’ve been feeling better this week.  For whatever reason, the spring forward time change always agrees with me.  For the record, I gave up cursing for Lent (again).  “Since when do you curse?” my sisters said to me, again.  Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday are two of my favorite traditions.

Here’s what I watched this week:

Films I Watched:

  1. A Time To Revenge (1997)
  2. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
  3. Carbon Copy (1981)
  4. Confessions of a Romance Narrator (2025)
  5. Dark Blue (2002)
  6. Goddess of Love (1988)
  7. The Golden Voice (2025)
  8. Pitch Black (2000)
  9. Presence (2025)
  10. Tough and Deadly (1995)
  11. Woman On The Run (1950)
  12. Your Mother Wears Combat Boots (1989)

Television Shows I Watched:

  1. Check It Out
  2. CHiPs
  3. Dark
  4. Degrassi High
  5. Fantasy Island
  6. Friday the 13th: The Series
  7. Highway to Heaven
  8. Homicide: Life On The Street
  9. King of the Hill
  10. The Love Boat
  11. Malibu CA
  12. Miami Vice
  13. Monsters
  14. Pacific Blue
  15. St. Elsewhere
  16. Welcome Back Kotter

Live Tweets:

  1. Tough and Deadly
  2. Carbon Copy
  3. Assault on Precinct 13
  4. Pitch Black

Links From The Site:

  1. Arleigh shared a song and a scene!
  2. Brad reviewed Shane and Escape From Sobibor!  He shared scenes from The Killer and Karate Kid!
  3. Jeff reviewed The Bad Man, Your Mother Wears Combat Boots, The Super, Dead Man’s Gold, Goddess of Love, The Lone Rider Rides On, Silent Assassins, and Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All!
  4. Erin shared Detective Fiction Weekly, Mardi Gras 1936, Ash Wednesday In New Orleans, Dawn at The Alamo, As Bad As They Come, Triangle of Sin, and The Time And The Place!
  5. I reviewed Mad Max, Presence, and Confessions of a Romance Narrator!

News From Last Week:

  1. Gene Hackman died of heart disease and his wife died of hantavirus, investigators say –What a heartbreaking story!  To be honest, this is more or less what I suspected happened after it was revealed that there were no signs of a gas leak.  Unfortunately, the online conspiracy theories are still going strong.  “Something doesn’t add up,” some people are saying on Twitter.  If you’ve ever had to care for someone with Alzheimer’s, the story totally adds up and is heart-breaking.
  2. Oscars Audience Up To 19.69 Million After Disney Adds Mobile & PC Viewing — That’s still nothing to brag about.  The Oscars days as a annual television event are clearly numbered.
  3. Peter Engel Dies At 88 — Rest in peace to the man who gave us Saved By The Bell and California Dreams.
  4. Actress Pamela Bach Dies At 61 — She was David Hasselhoff’s ex-wife.

Links From Last Week:

  1. Why Did 007’s Guardian Get Whacked? How Amazon’s James Bond Took Out Barbara Broccoli! — John Rieber takes a look at the recent big news about the future of the Bond franchise.  Unfortunately, that future does not look good.
  2. From House M, here’s a profile of the amazing Anne Bonny!

Want to check out last week?  Click here!

 

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 2/24/25 — 3/2/25

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Awards season over!  Now, we can finally move onto 2025.

Hopefully, my being sick will be over soon as well.  I did nothing this week but sleep and feel miserable.  It was the perfect storm of asthma, congestion, hormonal pain, ankle pain, and — as of Sunday night — back pain.  I always tell myself that, whenever I get like this, I’m going watch a hundred movies.  It’ll be fun!  I’ll just stay on the couch and watch whatever.  Instead, I just end up feeling gripey and sleeping.

*sigh* Well, I’m running behind.  Here’s a quick week in review, from me to you, babe.

Films I Watched:

  1. The Day Mars Invaded Earth (1961)
  2. Gammera: The Invincible (1966)
  3. Moonshine Country Express (1977)
  4. The Seven-Ups (1973)
  5. The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1971)

Television Shows I Watched:

  1. Dark
  2. Devil In The Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke
  3. Kitchen Nightmares
  4. The Oscars

News From Last Week:

  1. The big news has, of course, been the death of Gene Hackman.  Until we have more firms details on what happened, I have been avoiding the stories about the investigation into the death of him and his wife.  The speculation that I’ve seen online has just been too heart-breaking to consider.
  2. The passing of Michelle Trachtenberg, at just 39, also broke the hearts of those of us who grew up alongside her on television.  I related to Dawn Summers.  Michelle had recently had a liver transplant and had been in poor health for a while.  The tabloid attempts to make her tragic death into something sordid was our media at its worst.
  3. David Johansen of the New York Dolls and also the man who wrote Hot Hot Hot passed away at 75.  Remember Michael Scott singing, “Hot!  Hot!  Hot!” after returning from Jamaica?  A true New York character, Johansen was also an actor.  He’s in Scrooged, driving Billy Murray into the past.
  4. Author Joseph Wambaugh died at 88.  I have several Wambaugh paperbacks in my collection.  I may give them a read and also watch the movies based on them over the upcoming month.  Brian Dennehy reportedly modeled his performance in Best Seller after Wambaguh.

Links From Last Week:

  1. Want To See What They Eat At The Academy Awards? Celebrate “Oscar Sunday” By Eating Food With The Stars! — I always enjoy John Rieber’s posts about what goes on behind the scenes!
  2. At House M, find a look at Tituba, the first person convicted of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials.
  3. The World’s Common Tater has a moving post about Adjusting, one to which I think we can all relate.
  4. Here at TSL, be sure to check out Arleigh’s review of The Monkey, Brad’s look back at the 2000 Oscars, Jeff’s review of Twice In Lifetime, Leonard’s review of Emilia Perez, and Erin’s story of the two horses!

Want to check out last week?  I was pretty sick then too!  Click here!

Welcome To Oscar Sunday!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Oscar, in happier times

Welcome to Oscar Sunday!

Today is practically a holiday for me.  As someone who loves movies and who also loves award shows, the Oscar Ceremony is an important annual event.  I really don’t feel like the previous year is over until the Oscars have been handed out.  For me, I won’t truly be able to move on from 2024 and really plunge into 2025 until the award for Best Picture is handed out.

This Oscar Sunday might be a little bit more lowkey than past Oscar Sundays but we’ll be here, the TSL crew, watching the show and rooting for our favorite films!  We’ll be posting all the winners, maybe a few reviews, and I’ll be tossing out some Oscar thoughts throughout the day.

Remember that picture below?  That was supposed to be the defining moment of the Oscars, an announcement that the Academy was still relevant and that Hollywood could compete with an increasingly online world.  Today, it can easy to forget just how fawning the coverage was over the 2014 Oscar selfie.  The picture is kind of a Rorschach test.  Do you see Hollywood fun and glamour or do you see a bunch of smug celebrities?  I’ve heard both answers.  I’ve always liked Bradley Cooper’s smile and Jared Leto trying to get in the shot.  What’s often forgotten is that poor Liza Minnelli was in the back of that crowd, trying to get in the picture but being not making it.

The Oscar selfie started out as a good thing but then it inspired other “celebs are just like us!” Oscar moments and boy, did those get old fast.  Chris Rock making people buy Girl Scout cookies was okay.  Jimmy Kimmel sending an army of celebs to interrupt a movie playing next door was Hollywood at its most self-important, walking into a movie that people had paid to see and loudly announcing themselves.  (If that movie’s audience cared about the Oscars, they wouldn’t have been at a movie during the ceremony.)  The infamous Stephen Soderbergh-produced Oscars were the worst, a COVID-era slog that couldn’t even pull off its grand emotional finale.  Probably the most spontaneous and human moment on a recent Oscar telecast was Will Smith punching Chris Rock on live TV, cursing at the top of his lungs, and then rambling about God after winning his Oscar.  Last year, Oppenheimer’s victory felt right and Robert Downey, Jr’s Oscar win felt like a moment that deserved a cheer.  It was a return to the wonderful Oscars of old but now, this year, we’re back to largely obscure nominees and the front runner’s chances falling apart because of things she posted online.  The big question tonight is not whether Emilia Perez will win (it won’t) but whether or not Karla Sofia Gascon’s tweets have taken down Zoe Saldana’s chances along with her own.  The old Oscar selfie hits a bit differently after all that.

Of course, the most interesting thing about this selfie is that, for all the attention it received, it ended up being memory holed, largely because of Kevin Spacey managing to get in the frame.  Ellen DeGeneres, as well, is no longer quite as beloved as she once was.  This picture truly is an artifact of a different time.  Myself, I like old movie so I’m always going to prefer Audrey Hepburn with her telegrams.

Enjoy Oscar Sunday!

A Note From Lisa To You Regarding Retro Television Reviews

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

So, some may have noticed a lack of retro television reviews this week.  I wish I had a better excuse than me being sick to give you but seriously, I’ve just been under the weather big time this week.  I went from 9 degree temperatures at Lake Texoma to 67 degree temperatures back home in Dallas and my asthma has basically just been kicking my ass for a week and a half now.  Plus …. well, I won’t go into the gory details but let’s just say this is not my week when it comes to feeling well.

I was going to try to get caught up on my television reviews today but then I realized that would essentially mean writing and posting 9 television reviews in one day and it would also mean that I would inevitably have to rush to get them all completed.  That, along with me being tired and ill, would probably lead to some badly written reviews on my part.  Add to that, the Oscars are approaching this weekend and Oscar Sunday is a big tradition around these parts.  It’s a tradition that also requires a bit of focus from me.

Long story short: I’m bowing to reality.  I’m sick and the world’s not going to end if there’s a week’s delay in reviewing the next episode of Malibu, CA.  I’m accepting that what Erin always tells me about taking care myself is true and that I need to perhaps get a little rest so I can get back to being 100% healthy and alert.  Retro Television Reviews will return on March 3rd with Miami Vice!  Thank you for your understanding and patience!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 2/17/25 — 2/23/25

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Jeff and I spent most of this week up at beautiful Lake Texoma.  In other news, the average temperature at Lake Texoma was 9 degrees.  I’ve had a cold for the past few days but I’m feeling better now, just in time to get ready for the Oscars next week!

Here’s what I watched this week:

Films I Watched:

  1. A-ha: The Movie (2021)
  2. America 3000 (1986)
  3. Big Trouble In Little China (1986)
  4. Bloodknot (1995)
  5. Brewster McCloud (1970)
  6. Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976)
  7. The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (1988)
  8. Cattle Queen of Montana (1994)
  9. Conspiracy (2008)
  10. The Delinquents (1957)
  11. Flight 7500 (2014)
  12. The Grudge (2004)
  13. The Long Goodbye (1973)
  14. McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)
  15. Nightmare in Chicago (1964)
  16. The Shadow Returns (1946)
  17. Used Cars (1980)

Television Shows I Watched:

  1. American Murder: Gabby Petito
  2. Check it Out
  3. CHiPs
  4. Cobra Kai
  5. Dark
  6. Degrassi High
  7. Fantasy Island
  8. Friday the 13th: The Series
  9. Highway to Heaven
  10. Homicide: Life On The Street
  11. Kitchen Nightmares
  12. The Love Boat
  13. Malibu, CA
  14. Miami Vice
  15. Monsters
  16. Pacific Blue
  17. Scamanda
  18. St. Elsewhere
  19. Welcome Back, Kotter

Live Tweets:

  1. America 3000
  2. Flight 7500
  3. Big Trouble In Little China
  4. The Grudge

News From Last Week:

  1. Actor Peter Jason Dies At 80
  2. Singer Jerry Butler Dies At 85
  3. Spirit Awards: ‘Anora’ Takes Best Feature, Director & Lead Performance; Three Wins For ‘Baby Reindeer’ & Two Each For ‘A Real Pain’ & ‘Didi’
  4. Box Office: ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Suffers 68% Drop in Second Weekend
  5. Amazon MGM Studios announces new joint venture with Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for James Bond franchise rights

Links From Last Week:

  1. Blepping
  2. Do You Know the Rubber Ducky “Moby Duck” Incident? Here’s Their Wild Adventure!
  3. Tater’s Week in Review 2/21/25

Links From The Site:

  1. Arleigh shared an AMV of the Day and the greatest Beatles song ever!
  2. Brad reviewed The Osterman Weekend, Gang War, The Far Country, Shane, and The Seven-Ups!
  3. Brad shared the trailer for the latest from Chow Yun-Fat and wished John Travolta a happy birthday!
  4. Erin took a look at Edward Gorey!
  5. Erin reviewed Sidelined: The QB  and Me and Art Show Bingo!  She also shared a song of the day for Presidents Day!
  6. Erin shared Presidents, Ranch Romances, Raising The Flag On Iwo Jima, All-Sports, Sports Action, The Shadow, and Preying Streets!
  7. Jeff reviewed Tennessee’s Partner, The Guns of Fort Petticoat, Cattle Queen of Montana, Popeye, The Getaway, Bar-Z Bad Man, and Guns In The Dark!
  8. Jeff paid tribute to Sam Peckinpah!

Want to see what I did last week?  Click here!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 2/10/25 — 2/16/25

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Greetings from Lake Texoma!

This will be another mini-week in review because Jeff and I enjoying a nice Valentine’s Day weekend and the time has kind of gotten away from me.  My usual, big, in-depth week in review will return next Sunday.  As for now, here’s what I watched this week!

Films I Watched:

  1. Archie: To Riverdale and Back (1990)
  2. Charming Sinners (1929)
  3. Crash Landing (1958)
  4. The Crush (1993)
  5. Dangerous Curves (1929)
  6. The Fourth Wall (1969)
  7. Frank and Ava (2020)
  8. Funeral Home (1980)
  9. Killed By A Rich Kid (2022)
  10. Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects (1989)
  11. Lake Lavon (2022)
  12. A New York Story (2023)
  13. Red Haired Alibi (1932)
  14. Top of the World (1997)
  15. The 27th Day (1957)

Television Shows:

  1. Abbott Elementary
  2. Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown
  3. Check It Out 
  4. CHiPs
  5. Dark
  6. Degrassi High
  7. Extracted
  8. Fantasy Island
  9. Friday the 13th
  10. Highway to Heaven
  11. Homicide: Life on the Street
  12. Kitchen Nightmares
  13. The Love Boat
  14. Malibu CA
  15. Miami Vice
  16. Monsters
  17. Pacific Blue
  18. Scamanda
  19. St. Elsewhere
  20. The Story Behind
  21. Welcome Back Kotter

News From Last Week:

  1. Actor Kevyn Major Howard Dies At 69
  2. Actress Genevieve Page Dies At 97
  3. BAFTAs: ‘Conclave’ Wins Best Film in the Latest Awards Season Shake-up

Links From Last Week:

  1. Would You Sleep In The “Deepest Darkest Hotel Room In The World?” What If You Were Trapped? Here’s The Story…
  2. Tater’s Week in Review 2/14/25
  3. World Pangolin Day
  4. Leonard reviews the latest Captain America film!
  5. Check out Erin’s look at Love for Valentine’s Day!
  6. Jeff reviews MacGruber!
  7. Arleigh takes a look at the trailer for The Accountant 2!
  8. Brad reviews I Can Only Imagine!

Want to check out last week?  Click here!

Happy Valentine’s Day From The Shattered Lens

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

Whether you’re single or if you’re in a committed relationship or even if you don’t care about any of that stuff, the Shattered Lens wishes you a happy Valentine’s Day!  Or, if you’d prefer, a happy February 14th!

(As for myself, I think any day is a good day to celebrate love!)

Have a wonderful day, no matter what you celebrate!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Review: 2/3/25 — 2/9/25

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Whoops!  I was so tired after returning home from some much needed hot tub time that I fell asleep before I got a chance to do my full week in review!  Here’s an abbreviated summary.

Films I Watched:

  1. Cannibal Apocalypse (1980)
  2. The Double (2011)
  3. 8th Round Pick (2020)
  4. The Forbidden Dance (1990)
  5. Lambada (1990)
  6. MacGruber (2020)
  7. Mouse of Horrors (2025)
  8. The Leech Woman (1960)
  9. Speedtrap (1977)

Television Shows I Watched Last Week:

  1. Abbott Elementary
  2. CHiPs
  3. Dark
  4. Fantasy Island
  5. Friday the 13th: The Series
  6. Hell’s Kitchen
  7. Highway to Heaven
  8. King of the Hill
  9. Kitchen Nightmares
  10. The Love Boat
  11. Malibu CA
  12. Miami Vice
  13. Monsters
  14. Pacific Blue
  15. Scamanda
  16. St. Elsewhere
  17. Super Bowl LXI

News From Last Week:

  1. Actor Tony Roberts Dies At 85
  2. Author Tom Robbins Dies At 92
  3. Jacques Audiard Hasn’t Spoken to Karla Sofía Gascón Since Her Apology: She’s Being Too ‘Self-Destructive’
  4. Anora Wins At The DGA and PGA

Links From Last Week:

  1. Have You Seen A Movie Rated Zero? One Reporter Watched Them All – Some With Big Stars Getting NO Stars!
  2. Going with the FLOW of Life
  3. Tater’s Week in Review 2/7/25

Click here for last week!  And hopefully, I’ll get more rest over this upcoming week so I can actually do a full week in review next Sunday!