Over two weeks of films.....

Lady With Red Hair (1940) Miriam Hopkins, Claude Rains, Laura Hope Crews, Helen Westley. Mrs. Leslie Carter, famous actress of the Gay '90's and how she became a success. A socialite in Chicago, she is divorced by her husband and in the resulting scandal, loses her son's custody. Determined to get him back, she needs money and decides to go on the stage with little experience. She meets the famous empresario David Belasco in New York and he gives her a chance. Hopkins delivery of lines was always a bit off to me, but she is good as the frothy young woman who becomes the great actress. Crews and Westley as the mother and boarding house owner almost steal the movie. Two old pros who knew the real Mrs. Carter. 7/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032687/

Christmas In Connecticutt (1945) Barbara Stanwyke, Dennis Morgan, "S.Z. Cuddles" Sakall. Fun film to start off my Holiday viewing. TCM had it on Thanksgiving week, and I watch it every year. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037595/

The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers (1946) Barbara Stanwyke, Van Heflin, Kirk Douglas, Judith Anderson, Lisabeth Scott. Great film noir with black and white cinematography that is a primar of what it's all about. Three kids are friends and hang out at the freight yard. The poor boy lives hand to mouth. The rich girl hates her guardian aunt. The wimpy son of her tutor rounds out the the deadly trio. On a stormy, rainy night (always good for murder) the kids get picked up by the police and the two are returned to the mansion and the mean aunt. One thing leads to another and murder happens. 20 years later, while driving across the country, guy runs his car off the road and what-do-ya-know? It's near his old home town. And what happens next is a very satisfying story of lust, greed and retribution. Cast couldn't be any better. Douglas's first major film role, and he is wonderful. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038988/

The Bishops Wife (1947) Loretta Young, Cary Grant, David Niven. Another of my Christmas season films. Perfect in every way. I watch it every year. 10/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039190/

The Perils Of Pauline (1947) Betty Hutton, John Lund, Constance Collier, Billy DeWolfe. The film is loosely based on the life of silent screen star Pearl White, who was a super star of the silent era. I loved this as a kid when it came out. But even though I have it in my collection, I found I was irritated with every one of Betty's song numbers (I fast forwarded most of them), except the love ballad "I Wish I Didn't Love You So." That was lovely. The look at the way the silent movies were filmed right next to each other, and with all the bedlam going on, was a very funny scene, and done in one long tracking shot. Good stuff. 6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039698/

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Drew Barrymore, Robert Macnaughton, Peter Coyote. Beloved little E.T. just wants to go home. Haven't watched this in years, but decided the holiday period was a good time for a visit. Not as great as when we first saw it, but still love the little grey fellow. Cast is so good and Henry was perfect. "I'm keeping him." Spielberg hit a homerun. 9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083866/

The Bride With White Hair (1993-HongKong "Bai fa mo nu zhuan") Brigitte Lin, Leslie Cheung, 1) Awful screenplay. 2) Atrocious action choreography. 3) Dreadful editing. I could not get interested in the story. It takes 15 minutes to set up that the two main characters love each other - endless spooning in the water. Bad. So disappointed after reading many times that this was a favorite Hong Kong film of many. I've seen both leads in much better films. 5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106342/

The Great Debaters (2007) Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Denzel Whitaker. Very engrossing film about the teacher who developed a great debate team at a small college back in the 1930's, that took on all state comers and won. They then debated other colleges in other states and finally were asked to debate the Harvard debate team and won the big trophy. While there was some changing of facts, it is true that this small college did win its' most important debates and had an outstanding set of students on the team. They all went on to achieve much during the civil-rights movement. Very moving and thought provoking film. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427309/

The Ugly Truth (2009) DVD with Extras. Gerard Butler, Katharine Heigl. Very funny R rated comedy. Uptight TV producer Abby Richter(Heigl) has to contend with new hire call-in host Mike Chadway (Butler) who represents everything she hates about men. The dialog and banter is funny and Abby and Mike slowly begin to warm to each other as they try to get Abby's doctor neighbor for her boyfriend. As a different take on the rom-com formula, this is an enjoyable one. 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1142988/

Have some of my other favorite holiday films out ready to watch. And "the weather outside is frightful, and the fire is so delightful, and since I've no place to go, let it snow" -----
See you at the movies - in cyber space!