4 Shots From 4 Films: Happy Birthday Raymond Chandler


4 Shots From 4 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 is all about letting the visuals do the talking.

Raymond Chandler was born on this date in 1888. He began publishing his short crime fiction in the pages of the pulp magazine Black Mask, and soon became one of the greatest “Hard-Boiled” writers of the 20th Century. Chandler’s detective Philip Marlowe is the most iconic PI in fiction, and his novels and stories have been adapted to the screen numerous times. Here are 4 Shots from the movie works of Raymond Chandler:

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Murder, My Sweet (1944, D: Edward Dmytryk)

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Double Indemnity (1944, D: Billy Wilder)

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The Blue Dahlia (1946, D: George Marshall)

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Marlowe (1969, D: Paul Bogart)

4 Shots From 4 Films (William Atherton): Ghostbusters (1984), Real Genius (1985), Die Hard (1988), Die Hard 2 (1990)


Yesterday, Arleigh spotlighted Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears for Fears. I grew up listening to the song all the time because it was featured in one of my all-time favorite movies: Real Genius (1985). At the heart of the movie is a slimy embezzling college professor who is taking advantage of smart kids to build a special laser for the government to assassinate people from space. However, this wasn’t the first, or last time that Atherton was cast as a scumbag in the 1980s. I thought it would be fun to spotlight four of them, including his turn as Professor Hathaway in Real Genius.

Ghostbusters (1984)

Ghostbusters (1984, dir. Ivan Reitman)

Real Genius (1985)

Real Genius (1985, dir. Martha Coolidge)

Die Hard (1988, dir. John McTiernan)

Die Hard (1988, dir. John McTiernan)

Die Hard 2 (1990, dir. Renny Harlin)

Die Hard 2 (1990, dir. Renny Harlin)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Gone With The Wind, The Snake Pit, Lady In A Cage, The Swarm


Olivia De Havilland and Friends

Olivia De Havilland and Friends

I hope that you will join us all in wishing a happy birthday to the wonderful and legendary Olivia De Havilland, who turns 100 years old today!  Not only is Olivia the last surviving cast member of Gone With The Wind but she’s also one of the last surviving stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age!  Not only was she a wonderful actress but Olivia’s rivalry with sister Joan Fontaine continues to be one of the legendary moments of Oscar history!

This edition of 4 Shots From 4 Films features four movies that starred the one and only, Olivia De Havilland!

4 Shots From 4 Films

Gone With The Wind (1939, dir by Victor Fleming)

Gone With The Wind (1939, dir by Victor Fleming)

The Snake Pit (1948, dirby Anatole Litvak)

The Snake Pit (1948, dir by Anatole Litvak)

Lady in a Cage (1964, dir by Walter Grauman)

Lady in a Cage (1964, dir by Walter Grauman)

The Swarm (1978, dir by Irwin Allen)

The Swarm (1978, dir by Irwin Allen)

By the way, do you know who shares a birthday with Olivia De Havilland?  OUR VERY OWN PATRICK SMITH!  Happy birthday, Pat!!!!!!

4 Shots From 4 Films (Pierre Kirby): Thunder of Gigantic Serpent (1988), Dressed to Fire (1988), Hunting Express (1988), Zombie vs. Ninja (1989)


Maybe one of these days I’ll actually get around to reviewing all the films of Pierre Kirby. But for now, here’s four iconic and varied examples of his work as the world’s most obscure action star whose career was cut very short.

Thunder of Gigantic Serpent (1988, dir. Godfrey Ho)

Thunder of Gigantic Serpent (1988, dir. Godfrey Ho)

We remember Kirby one-liners like, “What a useless guy,” but usually not the names of the characters he played. Realistically, there is only one character’s name that people consistently remember. That’s because of his James Bond introduction in that shot above: Fast, Ted Fast.

Dressed to Fire (1988, dir. Phillip Ko)

Dressed to Fire (1988, dir. Godfrey Ho)

Pierre Kirby crying. There’s nothing else that needs to be said. Even in his 9 movie career, Kirby showed that he could probably have played just about any role.

Hunting Express (1988, dir. Phillip Ko)

Hunting Express (1988, dir. Phillip Ko)

Pierre Kirby as the villain. It’s the one and only time he did this, but he did it well. Those good looks and smile could just as easily be paired with evil as Sergio Leone did with Henry Fonda in Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). Little bit of additional trivia. The film that Thunder of Gigantic Serpent spliced Pierre Kirby into actual used not only the theme from The Terminator (1984), but Morricone’s main theme to Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) for its’ tragic end.

Zombie vs. Ninja (1989, dir. Godfrey Ho)

Zombie vs. Ninja (1989, dir. Godfrey Ho)

Despite the fact that Kirby certainly played other roles, he is most remembered as the ninja who wanders the endless forest battling other multi-colored ninjas.

4 Shots From 4 Films: A Fistful of Dollars, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Tighrope, A Perfect World


4 Shots From 4 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 is all about letting the visuals do the talking.

Happy birthday, Clint Eastwood!

4 Shots From 4 Films

A Fistful of Dollars (1964, directed by Sergio Leone)

A Fistful of Dollars (1964, dir by Sergio Leone)

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976, dir by Clint Eastwood)

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976, dir by Clint Eastwood)

Tightrope (1984, dir by Richard Tuggle and Clint Eastwood)

Tightrope (1984, dir by Richard Tuggle and Clint Eastwood)

A Perfect World (1993, dir by Clint Eastwood)

A Perfect World (1993, dir by Clint Eastwood)

4 Shots From 4 Films: An American Hippie in Israel, Ciao! Manhattan, David Holzman’s Diary, Eggshells


4 Shots From 4 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 is all about letting the visuals do the talking.

Let’s hop in the cinematic time machine and take a trip to the distant past with these 4 shots from 4 independent films!

4 Shots From 4 Films

David Holzman's Diary (1967, dir by Jim McBride)

David Holzman’s Diary (1967, dir by Jim McBride)

Eggshells (1969, dir by Tobe Hooper)

Eggshells (1969, dir by Tobe Hooper)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Friday the 13th, Friday the 13th Part 2, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood


4 Shots From 4 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 is all about letting the visuals do the talking.

Happy Thursday the 12th!  Guess what tomorrow is?  That’s right, it’s Friday the 13th, my favorite day of the year!

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These 4 Shots From 4 Films will help you get into the spirit!

4 Shots From 4 Films

Friday the 13th (1980, directed by Sean S. Cunningham)

Friday the 13th (1980, directed by Sean S. Cunningham)

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981, dir by Steve Miner)

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981, dir by Steve Miner)

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985, dir by Danny Steinmann)

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985, dir by Danny Steinmann)

Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood (1988, dir by John Carl Buechler)

Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood (1988, dir by John Carl Buechler)

Back in 2012, I reviewed every single film in the Friday the 13th film franchise!  It was a lot of fun!

Everyone loves Friday the 13th!

Everyone loves Friday the 13th!

My Friday the 13th reviews:

Happy Friday the 13th everyone!

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4 Shots From 4 Films: The Ape, The Broken Tower, Child of God, The Sound and The Fury


4 Shots From 4 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 is all about letting the visuals do the talking.

Happy birthday, James Franco!

4 Shots From 4 Films

The Ape (2005, dir by James Franco)

The Ape (2005, dir by James Franco)

The Broken Tower (2011, dir by James Franco)

The Broken Tower (2011, dir by James Franco)

Child of God (2013, dir by James Franco)

Child of God (2013, dir by James Franco)

The Sound and The Fury (2014, dir by James Franco)

The Sound and The Fury (2014, dir by James Franco)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Macabre, Demons, Demons 2, Dinner With A Vampire


4 Shots From 4 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 is all about letting the visuals do the talking.

Happy birthday, Lamberto Bava!

4 Shots From 4 Films

Macabre (1980, dir by Lamberto Bava)

Macabre (1980, dir by Lamberto Bava)

Demons (1985, dir by Lamberto Bava)

Demons (1985, dir by Lamberto Bava)

Demons 2 (1986, dir by Lamberto Bava)

Demons 2 (1986, dir by Lamberto Bava)

Dinner With A Vampire (1987, dir by Lamberto Bava)

Dinner With A Vampire (1987, dir by Lamberto Bava)

4 Shots From 4 Films: The Natural, Field of Dreams, Eight Men Out, 42


4 Shots From 4 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 is all about letting the visuals do the talking.

Two months ago, Lisa reviewed The Pride of the Yankees.  Two days ago, Gary reviewed Take Me Out To The Ballgame.  Erin just explained to me why the Orioles are going to lose this season and the Rangers are going to win.  Opening Day is almost here.

These 4 shots from 4 films are dedicated to baseball lovers everywhere.

4 Shots From 4 Films

The Natural (1984, directed by Barry Levinson)

The Natural (1984, directed by Barry Levinson)

Field of Dreams (1989, directed by Phil Alden Robinson)

Field of Dreams (1989, directed by Phil Alden Robinson)

Eight Men Out (1989, directed by John Sayles)

Eight Men Out (1989, directed by John Sayles)

42 (2013, directed by Brian Hegeland)

42 (2013, directed by Brian Hegeland)