Song of the Day: Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Apparently, when Norman Greenbaum wrote today’s song of the day, he wasn’t quite writing a parody but, at the same time, he wasn’t being totally serious either.  Greenbaum wrote the song after watching a gospel performance on television and thinking, “Yeah, I could do that.”  By his own recollection, it took him 15 minutes to come up with the lyrics for Spirit In The Sky.

Originally, he was going to perform the song with a jug band.  (Yikes!)  He also tried to do a folk version.  (Double yikes!)  Fortunately, he ultimately went for the hard rock sound that made the song a legend.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Freddie Francis 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.

On this date, 108 years ago, Freddie Francis was born.  Though Francis may be best remembered as a cinematographer (who worked on three David Lynch films), he was also a director who did memorable work for both Hammer and Amicus in the 60s and 70s.  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Freddie Francis Films

The Evil of Frankenstein (1963, dir by Freddie Francis, DP: John Wilcox)

The Skull (1965, dir by Freddie Francis, DP: John Wilcox)

Dracula Has Risen The Grave (1968, dir by Freddie Francis, DP: Arthur Grant)

The Creeping Flesh (1973, dir by Freddie Francis, DP: Norman Warwick)

Monday Live Tweet Alert: Join Us For 12 Disasters of Christmas!

Posted on 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 2012’s 12 Disasters of Christmas!

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, find the movie on YouTube and hit play at 8 pm et, and use the #MondayActionMovie hashtag!  The  watch party community is a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.   

See you soon!

Music Video of the Day: It’s Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries by Carly Rae Jepsen (2020, dir by Josh Forbes)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Usually, I’m the one who cries on Christmas.  This is the month that I allow myself to get sentimental and everything.  Seeing my presents.  Getting my presents.  Unwrapping my presents.  Trying my presents on.  Showing my presents off.  Seriously, it touches my heart every time.

Enjoy!

I Watched “Holiday In Handcuffs” (2007, Dir. by Ron Underwood)

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

Lisa recommended Holiday in Handcuffs to me.  I said, “I need a break from Hallmark Christmas romances.”  She said, “A.C. Slater in handcuffs.”  I said, “I’ll hold onto the key.”

It’s Christmas time but Trudie (Melissa Joan Hart) doesn’t want to go home.  She fears that she’s disappointed her parents (Timothy Bottoms and Markie Post) because she’s only a cook in a diner and she doesn’t have a rich boyfriend.  Then she sees the obviously successful David Martin (Mario Lopez) having lunch at the diner so she decides to kidnap him, take him home for Christmas, and tell everyone that they’re a couple.  That’s a crime, by the way.

I’m almost embarrassed about how much I enjoyed this movie.  I respect the law and I don’t think you should break it, even to get a boyfriend.  You shouldn’t kidnap anyone, especially at Christmas.  Trudie and David won me over, though.  This was made for ABC Family so even though it involves a kidnapping, it’s a very nice kidnapping.  Trudie may have committed a felony and, at first, David isn’t happy about being kidnapped but soon, Trudie and David are falling in love.  David goes from calling the cops to getting down on one knee. June Lockhart plays Trudie’s grandmother and calls the police “pigs.”  That’s the power of Christmas.   It’s a cute movie that features a heroine who does the exact thing that you should not try at home and who gets Mario Lopez as a result.  Maybe it’s just the holiday spirit getting to me but I loved this unhinged Christmas romance.

Artist Profile: Kunrong Yap (aka Krypt)

Posted on by Arleigh

Kunrong Yap, aka Krypt, crafts sci-fi concept art that drops you into wild future worlds. His work shows off huge alien vistas, bio-mechanical mashups, and futuristic gear, all with sharp details in big layouts. Check out his portfolio at ArtStation (krypt.artstation.com).​

He mixes tight digital skills with smooth organic touches, throwing in strong lights and chill atmospheres for that spooky space vibe. Cool blues, shiny metals, and faint fire pops build up with stacked textures and soft blends that feel real.​

From Singapore roots and Tokyo days, Yap pulls in subtle Asian vibes and punchy Western film energy through bold angles and story-heavy designs for games and movies. It keeps his range wide with a solid cyberpunk kick.

Here are the 2025 nominations of the Utah Film Critics Association!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are the 2025 nominations of the Utah Film Critics Association!

Best Picture
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Train Dreams

Best Achievement in Directing
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners

Best Lead Performance – Male
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme

Best Lead Performance – Female
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Best Supporting Performance – Male
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Performance – Female
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners

Best Ensemble
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Warfare

Vice/Martin Award for Performance in a Science-Fiction – Fantasy – or Horror Film
Alfie Williams – 28 Years Later
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Elle Fanning – Predator: Badlands
Indy the Dog – Good Boy
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein

Best Screenplay
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sorry, Baby

Best Cinematography
F1
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

Best Score
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners

Best Film Editing
F1
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Warfare

Best Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Frankenstein
Predator: Badlands
Sinners
Superman

Best Sound
F1
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Warfare

Best Stunt Design
F1
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
Predator: Badlands
The Running Man

Best Documentary Feature
2000 Meters to Andriivka
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
The Librarians
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Perfect Neighbor

Best Animated Feature
Arco
Elio
K-Pop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

Best Non-English Language Feature
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt