4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Tod Browning Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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.

 Tomorrow will be the 146th birthday of director is Tod Browning, who started his career during the silent era, ended it in the sound era, and was responsible for some of the most important horror and suspense films of both eras!

It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Tod Browning Films

West of Zanzibar (1928, dir by Tod Browning, DP: Percy Hilburn)

Dracula (1931, dir by Tod Browning. DP: Karl Freund)

Freaks (1932, dir by Tod Browning, DP: Merritt Gerstad)

The Devil-Doll (1936, dir by Tod Browning, DP: Leonard Smith)

Scenes That I Love: Dracula Meets Van Helsing

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

146 years ago, on July 11th 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.

Music Video Of The Day: Dr. Feelgood by Mötley Crüe (1989, directed by Wayne Isham)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

This song spent 109 weeks on the charts after its release and it remains one of Mötley Crüe’s most popular singles.

Nikki Sixx, who wrote the song, later told Rolling Stone that the song was based on several different drug dealers that he had done business with before getting sober.  Just two years before Dr. Feelgood became a hit, Sixx had been a notorious junkie who, after a heroin overdose, was actually legally dead for two minutes before a paramedic was able to revive him with two shots of adrenaline.

Dr. Feelgood became Mötley Crüe’s first and, to date, only gold single in the United States.  The video follows the song’s title character as he goes from working the streets to owning a mansion.  In a repeat of what happened to Tony Montana, Dr. Feelgood’s own hubris eventually brings him down.  As for why Mötley Crüe is performing in a revival tent, it probably just looked cool.

Director Wayne Isham is one of the most recognizable names when it comes to music video directors.  If you were someone who was anyone in the music business, Isham probably directed at least one video for you.

Enjoy!

 

Song of the Day: Into the Storm (by Blind Guardian)

Posted on by Arleigh

Okay, so you have to listen to Into the Storm by Blind Guardian. I know, I know, it’s easy to dismiss power metal as just another fantasy genre, but trust me on this one. This track is the perfect storm of aggression and melody, and it kicks off the Nightfall in Middle-Earth album with such incredible energy that you’ll be hooked from the first riff. It’s a furious, catchy, and surprisingly deep dive into the lore of The Silmarillion, capturing the raw desperation of Morgoth and Ungoliant squabbling over the Silmarils. But seriously, don’t let the subject matter intimidate you; just let the music do its thing and you’ll be chanting along to the chorus before you know it.

The track is a masterclass in how to build intensity, but the real reason I’m writing this is to talk about the guitar solo by André Olbrich. It is, without a doubt, one of the most underrated moments in their entire catalog. If you pull up the remastered version, the solo hits right at the 2:37 mark and doesn’t let up until about 3:07. It’s a short, sharp shock of pure melodic bliss. What makes it so special is that it completely eschews the typical speed-demon shredding you might expect. Instead, it’s a soaring, beautifully constructed lead that sounds like it’s carrying the entire weight of the song’s story on its shoulders. It perfectly mirrors Hansi Kürsch’s vocal style, acting as another voice in the track to carry you forward into the chaos.

André is often listed among the greatest metal guitarists for a reason, and this solo is a prime example of his genius. He’s not interested in showing off; he’s interested in serving the song and elevating the epic feel. During those 30 seconds, his guitar weeps and soars over the frantic rhythm section, creating this incredible feeling of hope and tragedy all at once. It’s a moment of pure clarity and emotion amidst the storm, and it’s the perfect payoff to the frantic energy that came before it. It’s a piece of music that gets stuck in your head for days, and it’s a big part of why this track is such a fan favorite.

So, if you consider yourself a fan of powerful, storytelling metal or just appreciate a killer guitar solo, do yourself a favor and cue up Into the Storm. Turn it up loud, wait for that solo to hit, and let yourself get swept away. It’s a gateway into one of the most epic albums ever written, and I promise you, that brief, beautiful guitar break will be the moment that makes you understand exactly what Blind Guardian is all about.

Into the Storm

Give it to me
I must have it
Precious treasure
I deserve it

Where can I run
How can I hide
The Silmarils
Gems of treelight
Their life belongs to me
Oh it’s sweet
how the Darkness is floating around

We are following
The will of the one
Through the dark age
And into the storm
And we are following
The will of the one
Through the dark age
And into the storm
Lord I’m mean

(guitar solo @2:37)

Blackheart show me
What you hold in hand
I still hunger for more
Release me
From my pain
Give it to me
How I need it
How I need it
How I need it

I did my part
Now it’s your turn
And remember
What you’ve promised

Great Guitar Solos Series

Late Night Retro Television Review: Hunter 1.11 “The Garbage Man”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Hunter, which aired on NBC from 1984 to 1991.  The entire show is currently streaming on Tubi and several other services!

This week, Hunter and McCall deal with some familiar faces.

Episode 1.11 “The Garbage Man”

(Dir by Bruce Kessler, originally aired on January 11th, 1985)

This week’s episode is all about spotting the guest stars.

Hey, there’s Christopher McDonald as Sonny Dupree, a parolee who has been accused of murdering his parole officer.  He’s on the run but, when Hunter corners him, Sonny makes a convincing argument that he was set up.  It also turns out that someone doctored Sonny’s arrest record to make him look like a far more viscous criminal than he actually is.

Hey, there’s Nicholas Worth, playing a friend of Sonny’s.  Nicholas Worth might not be a household name but you’d recognize if you saw him.  He was big and bald and intimidating.

Oh my God, it’s Frances McDormand!  She plays a new parole officer named Nina and she develops a crush on Hunter!  At one point, McCall pretends to be Nina on the phone and does a fairly bad imitation of McDormand’s genuine Southern accent.

And wait, is that Ed O’Neill!?  Yes, it is.  A skinny Ed O’Neill plays Dan Colson, a parole officer who is determined to track down Sonny and who is even more violent than Hunter.  When Sonny explains that someone has been executing parolees, it doesn’t take a genius to guess who the killer is.

McDonald, Worth, McDormand, and O’Neill all give strong performances in this episode.  Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer get to be their usual dependable selves while the guest cast runs off with all the drama.

As for the overall episode, it features a few plot twists that don’t really make much sense.  We’re asked to believe that Sonny Dupree, who is trying to straighten out his life and who has a wife and daughter, would agree to have his criminal record doctored just so he could serve as bait for the vigilante.  There’s also — and this was often the case with Hunter — absolutely no suspense about who the murderer is.  As soon as we meet Colson, we know he’s guilty.  Even if he was being played by as complete nobody, we would know that he was guilty.  Hunter is not exactly a subtle show.

That said, this episode had some good action sequences and it also showcased the chemistry between Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer.  The scene where McCall and Hunter argue over who should chase Colson was a classic, with McCall sensibly pointing out that she didn’t want to dent up her new car.  Hunter’s car, naturally, was already covered in dents.

In the end, this episode worked.  The guest stars, the action, the comedy, it all added up to an enjoyable 48 minutes.

Retro Television Review: Decoy 1.37 “The Comeback”

Posted on 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 Thursdays, I will be reviewing Decoy, which aired in Syndication in 1957 and 1958.  The show can be viewed on Tubi!

This week, Peter Falk guest stars!

Episode 1.37  “The Comeback”

(Dir by David Alexander, originally aired on June 23rd, 1958)

When a fire breaks out at the race track, someone steals two rolls of blank tickets.  The police think that the syndicate is planning on printing up counterfeit tickets that they can use to make a killing at the track.  Casey quickly figures out that track clerk Fred Dana (Peter Falk) was in the perfect position to steal the tickets during the fire.

Because Fred already saw (and flirted with) Casey at the police station, Casey can’t do her usual undercover shtick.  Instead, when she later approaches Fred, she tells him that she’s looking to make some extra money and she’s willing to help Fred and his bosses get away with their crime.  Fred introduces Casey to his boss and then that boss introduces Casey to another boss and soon, Casey is working her way to the top.

However, Fred is worried that Casey is getting in over her head and starts warning her that she shouldn’t get involved.  When Fred figures out that Casey is just pretending to be crooked, he doesn’t betray her.  Instead, he betrays the Syndicate and helps to save Casey’s life.

Why?

Fred says that Casey has “class.”

Casey looks at the camera and tells the viewers that Fred is the one with class.

Awwww!

So, this was a typical Casey-Gets-In-Over-Head storyline.  We’re only two episodes away from Decoy’s finale and it’s hard not to feel that, as the series progressed, the writers made Casey less-and-less competent.  She’s gone from being a smart, streetwise cop to someone whose cover is continually getting blown.  This time, it’s Peter Falk who steps up to save not only Casey but also this entire episode.  Falk was 30 when he appeared on Decoy but he already looked several years older.  He gives an intelligent and sensitive performance here, one that almost feels like it could come from an alternative universe where Columbo became a low-level mob associate instead of a detective.  His scenes with Garland are especially interesting to watch.  It wasn’t unusual for Decoy to feature men hitting on Casey.  But this is the only episode (at least so far) where there was a genuine romantic chemistry.

Indeed, Fred had class.

Reblog: Big Brother 28 — The Big Question

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Don’t worry. The TSL is not turning into a Big Brother Blog. This is just my way of letting you know what I’ll be doing this summer when I’m not reviewing films over here! And if you happen to be a fan of the show, I’d love to hear from you over at RealityTVChatBlog. Thanks! — Lisa Marie

Big Brother 28 — The Big Question

Brad’s “Scene of the Day” – MATEWAN (1987), featuring Chris Cooper!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

Beginning in 2018, I fell in love with the state of West Virginia. It started because I fell in love with my beautiful wife who’s from West Virginia, but we’ve also driven across the state on multiple occasions, and I can easily say it’s one of the most beautiful states in this country.

As a movie lover, I began looking for films set in West Virginia when I came across MATEWAN (1987), which was written and directed by John Sayles. Of course, I knew about the film beforehand, but with my new interest in the state, I decided I would purchase it sight unseen from the Criterion collection and give it a spin. Based on the violent, true story of coal miners attempting to form a union in Mingo County, WV in 1920, I’ll just state here that I consider the film to be a masterpiece. I’ll probably write a full review for the movie at some point.

Chris Cooper plays the lead in the film, and interestingly, this was his film debut. Prior to MATEWAN, Cooper had only appeared in a couple of soap operas. After MATEWAN, he would steadily rise to be the Oscar-winning actor we know today. July 9th, 2026, is his 75th birthday, and I’m paying honor to him by sharing this excellent scene. Heck, I just may have to watch this movie again tonight!