Cheers! Let’s have a drink, shall we? Watching old movies, movies set in the 30’s-50’s there’s always some drinking going on. The fellas come home from a hard day and pour themselves a drink. They go out to bars and joke with the bartender and drink down shots. Well I’ve recently watched some movies with interesting drinks I have never tried or never heard of before and one day I would like to drink them. Yup.

Below is a list of some drinks and the movies they were mentioned in, yup. (I’m sharing drink recipes that I’ve found on the internets and checking them in a handy bartender book my guy Dave has, yup.)

StingerKISS THEM FOR ME (1957) Cary Grant Suzy Parker Kiss Them For Me movie

A Stinger is made by adding crème de menthe to brandy/Cognac, you take a mixing glass filled with ice, add the crème de menthe (2/3 ounce) and brandy (1 3/4 ounce), stir and then strain it into a cold cocktail glass. It can also be served on the rocks.

 

 

gun runnersBoilermakerTHE GUN RUNNERS (1958)

A shot of Whiskey and a glass of beer. You drink the whiskey first and then chase it with a beer (A shot and a beer) OR you can mix the shot into the beer and drink together.

 

 

Pink Lady –  TOPPER (1937) THE DEVIL DIAMOND (1937)

Pink Lady-0007A gin drink and the main ingredients are gin, grenadine and egg white. Though it seems some recipes call for cream instead of egg white but then it’s a Pink Shimmy. It is said apple jack is in the original recipe for a Pink Lady which gave the drink it’s distinct flavor so you mix the gin (1 1/2 ounce), apple jack (3/4 ounce), grenadine (1-2 dashes), and 1 egg white into a shaker with ice, shake vigorously and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

As I discover more drinks in movies I will add to this list, so stay tuned!  I do hope to have a day, party or gathering where I can try these drink myself and share them with my friends. Who’s up for a round? Cheers and drink responsibly! Never, EVER Drink And Drive, like they did in those old movie! Stay safe people, stay safe!

It’s never too late to share the movies you love and in rounding up my favorite 2014 releases I have put together a list of a few of my favorite oldie movies that I watched. So, here are some films, all before the year 2000 that entertained me throughly one way or another. Yup.

Cop_Hater_poster1. COP HATER (1958) – An early Robert Loggia film where he is Detective Steve Carella in this police procedural set at the 87th Precinct in New York City. During a heatwave two cops have been murdered and Steve and his partner are on the case. It’s a good drama and I loved the who done it angle. It was also great to see actors Jerry Orbach and Vincent Gardenia in cameo roles, both so young! What a time it was in the 50’s to see how those Detectives lived.

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2. ANY NUMBER CAN WIN (1963) – A french heist film. Mister Charles (Jean Gabin) is released from prison and right away sets things up for a heist at a casino in Cannes. He enlists the help of others, including Francis (Alain Delon). We get to follow along with the whole plan every step of the way and well, I can’t say more, you just gotta see it.

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3. NOMADS (1986) – Finding this was due to a random pick on Netflix and it truly was a great discovery. Young Pierce Brosnan is a French anthropologist who recently moved to Los Angeles. At the start of the film he arrives at the ER in a hectic wild state. Just before he dies he utters some last words to the doctor who attended him and she is then thrust into his life, reliving his experiences. We learn there are Nomads roaming the streets of Los Angeles, though they may just seem like street punks in a gang to the average resident. A fascinating mythology is set up here, dealing with evil spirits. A real highlight to the film for me was actress Mary Warnov as one of the Nomad punks.

 

HotelSahara4. THE HOTEL SAHARA (1951) – An adorable comedy set during World War 2 starring Yvonne De Carlo as Yasmin and Peter Ustinov as Emad. The two are engaged and running a hotel out in the dessert. As the war campaign continues and each side is storming through the dessert their hotel is evacuated of guests. Yasmin and Emad decide to stay and run their hotel so it is not destroyed and looted by the soldiers who are sure to come storming through. With the help of an employee and Yasmin’s mother they all maintain the hotel for each army faction that makes a stop. It’s truly a delight seeing Yasmin tease and tempt each man in charge while Emad tallies up their bills. The cast was great and it delivered lots of fun.

Robinson_crusoe mars5. ROBINSON CRUOSE ON MARS (1964) – A clever retelling of Robinson Cruose. We follow an Astronaut who has been stranded on Mars and must find a way to survive. At first he only has a monkey for companionship, and oh that cute little monkey! They have to find a way to get oxygen, food and just stay alive through a series of dangers. It was a technicolor film and looked great, I’d love to see it on a big screen someday. Being a Sci-Fi fan I really dug this space age little film.

 

 

king of mountain6. KING OF THE MOUNTAIN (1981) – I got to see this movie on the big screen at the New Beverly Cinema thanks to Mark Heuck and his Cinema Tremens series. It was one of my favorite viewings there! Actress Deborah Van Valkenburgh was also in attendance along with director Noel Nosseck. Harry Hamlin is Steve, a mechanic by day, street racer by night. His racing turf is Mulholland Drive and he’s the best of the best. He lives with his brothers (pretty sure they were brothers, or maybe best pals) who also have a love of racing but are now in different careers in the music business. Tina (Deborah Van Valkenburgh), a young upcoming singer comes into Steve’s life and he begins to question his future desires. The film also features Dennis Hopper who works with Steve at the garage and is an ex top dog racer himself. The racing was great. It’s a great capsule of the times too, Los Angeles at the start of the 80’s.

Now, here’s two films that are a bit more recent then what’s listed above. These just made me giddy with laughs and I say they are worth checking out too. Yup.

so excited posterI’M SO EXCITED (2013) – A Pedro Almodóvar film. A comedy. Most of the film is set in an airplane that has some mechanical problems with it’s landing gear. We spend our time with a cast of quirky characters, the three flight attendants who have a flare for entertaining their passengers with musical numbers, and the pilots one of whom is questioning his sexuality. There’s a psychic woman who’s sensing the disaster and looking for love and a few other love triangles are going on in the mix. I honestly found this wildly entertaining and laughed a whole lot. Yup.

walk of shameWALK OF SHAME (2014) – Another comedy makes my list, and I think this film deserves a little more attention. I really like Elizabeth Banks, she’s funny and not afraid to be in comedy. Here she is a television newscaster, Meghan, who is at the cusp of a big break to become an Anchor.  After being dumped by her boyfriend and likely to not get her new job she’s left wallowing and sad. Then Meghan’s two best pals show up to take her out for a night on the town. Meghan meets Gordon (James Marsden) and they have a one night stand. It really all gets started with Meghan’s misadventures when she has to get to the studio for her official Anchor audition/interview. She’s Downtown, with no car, no ID and having the hardest time getting people to believe that she’s not a prostitute. It is sometimes crude, but like I said I like Elizabeth Banks, and sure the comic relief pals did their shticks, but it’s a comedy. It was a comedy that didn’t make me feel dumb when it was done, I just got to have some laughs and a fun time.

It seems that the big theme for these picks is that they made me laugh. I am pretty picky when it comes to comedy and lately it seems I am looking for flicks that will make me laugh and be happy. Life is always a bit better when you can have a laugh and some fun and I’m glad these movies are here to entertain and make me happy. Thanks movies, you rock! Yup.

etsylogoA little self promotion time! I started an Etsy shop! FUZZ JOY

Yup! It’s my little spot to share and sell my handmade creations! There’s felted things! I’ve got a Mini Baby Groot,  a shark who likes to dance on the left, little Nemo, a worry doll mermaid and some felted cigarettes in a vintage cigarette case. Just some random odds and ends that are made by me and one of a kind! Yup!

Thanks for checking it out! Yup! Craft and make things! It’s a lot of fun.

I do love talking about movies and my plan is to keep up with sharing all the movies I’m watching this year right here on my blog. I thought I was having a slow month here in January but it looks like I saw plenty of fun little flicks along the way.

NEW MOVIES:

  1. THE INTERVIEW (2014) | 01/01/15 | Google Play
  2. HERO AT LARGE (1980) | 01/01/15 | DVD
  3. MURDER SHE WROTE: SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST (1997) | 01/01/15 | YouTube
  4. APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH (1988) | 01/01/15 | YouTube
  5. THE BLACK CASTLE (1952) on Svengolie | 01/03/15 | MeTV
  6. THE AMAZING ADVENTURE (1936) | 01/06/15 | YouTube
  7. TAKEN 3 (2014) | 01/08/15 | AMC Burbank 6
  8. JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (2014) | 01/11/15 | Amazon Instant
  9. THEY MADE ME A FUGITIVE (1947) | 01/12/15 | Amazon Instant
  10.  HIGHLY DANGEROUS (1950) | 1/13/15 | Amazon Instant
  11.  WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (2013) | 1/15/15 | Netflix
  12.  REPEAT PERFORMANCE (1947) | 1/17/15 | Amazon Instant
  13.  WOLF OF NEW YORK (1940) | 1/17/15 | Amazon Instant
  14.  CHINESE ZODIAC (2012) | 1/18/15 | Netflix
  15.  FeardotCom (2002) | 1/19/15 | HBO GO
  16.  BIG HERO SIX (2014) | 1/20/15 | DVD
  17.  BEING AGAIN (2013) | 1/24/15 | DVD
  18.  THE PRINCE AND ME (2004) | 1/24/15 | Amazon Instant
  19.  RUNAWAY DAUGHTERS (1994) | 1/25/15 | Netflix
  20.  KISS THEM FOR ME (1957) | 1/25/15 | Netflix
  21.  EMERGENCY HOSPITAL (1956) | 1/25/15 | Netflix
  22.  BREAKFAST IN HOLLYWOOD (1946) | 1/25/15 | YouTube
  23.  CAGE OF EVIL (1960) | 1/26/15 | Netflix
  24.  CRIME AGAINST JOE (1956) |1/26/15
  25.  THE FUZZY PINK NIGHTGOWN (1957) | 1/26/15
  26.  THE GUN RUNNERS (1958) | 1/28/15 | Netflix
  27.  88 (2015) | 1/31/15 | Netflix

RE-SEE MOVIES:

  1. WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) | 01/04/15 | Netflix
  2. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014) | 01/10/15 | DVD
  3. JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NEW FRONTIER (2008) | 1/17/15 | Xbox Video
  4. THE LOST BOYS (1987) | 1/22/15 | DVD
  5. HUDSON HAWK (1991) | 1/22/15 | DVD
  6. CLUELESS (1995) | 1/25/15 | Netflix

That’s 27 new movies and 6 re-sees for 33 movies in January. TAKEN 3 was the only movies I saw in theaters this month. Netflix and Amazon Instant have been supplying me with plenty of oldie classics. I have a good time following the web of watching one old movie and seeing what’s recommended and finding something I’ve never seen or heard of. The highlights of my month go like this:

Hero_at_largeHERO AT LARGE (1980) – John Ritter is aspiring actor Steve Nichols who takes a turn as a Super Hero when he does a heroic deed, stopping a robbery at a small liquor store. The chance to be a real life CAPTAIN AVENGER appeals to Steve, the kind of guy who’s happy-go-lucky and believes in the goodness of man. Steve quickly realizes how dangerous the super hero lifestyle is and is then cohered into further promoting the latest CAPTAIN AVENGER film with more deeds. Between it all he’s also pursuing this new neighbor J. Marsh (Anne Archer) finding some romance. This truly was a sweet and endearing film. A look at media and how people don’t always believe someone is in it for the good deeds and not the fame. John Ritter made a great CAPTAIN AVENGER.

 

amazingadventure1

THE AMAZING ADVENTURE (1936) a little film with Cary Grant as a rich man who’s made a bet with a doctor who said he couldn’t leave his money behind and work for a living for a whole year. Cary takes the bet, works his way up, meets a gal and proves he’s not just a rich spoiled man.

 

 

fugitive made meTHEY MADE ME A FUGITIVE (1947) – An old noir with great visual cues starring Trevor Howard as Clem who joins a gang that’s involved in bootlegging. When Clem realizes big boss Narcy is passing along drugs too he wants out but gets framed for murder and sent to jail. Clem escapes and is set to clear his name but more misfortune seems to follow him every step of the way.

 

RunawayDaughters

 

RUNAWAY DAUGHTERS (1994) is from the “Rebel Highway” series of TV movies from the 90’s and this one was directed by Joe Dante. I am a sucker for a film like this, a throwback to old 50’s films. Runaway Daughters was well cast and full of Joe Dante regulars. The best thing though was Paul Rudd who is the leather jacket wearing hood who likes to say “Don’t crowd me.” In this film three girls go in pursuit of the boy who knocked one of them up. It was a fun girls on the road having run in’s with quirky characters.

 

 

EmergencyHospitalStillNetflixEMERGENCY HOSPITAL (1956) is a night at the ER of a city hospital. The on call woman doctor starts her shift after her speed racer boyfriend drops her off. She’s thinking of leaving him worrying that his speedy ways could get him tangled up and he wants her to leave the hospital for a fancier practice in Beverly Hills. (Ugh! She’s a good doctor, let her do her job!) At the hospital there’s the local detective on his shift too and he’s a good guy who cares. This is a soild capsule of 50’s life and some tropes in between. I caught myself arguing with screen once or twice, especially when it came to the father who didn’t want to prosecute the man who assaulted his daughter! Seriously! He was gonna make her move away to forget it all…but the head nurse and the detective made him see the light. Whew!

 

fuzzyTHE FUZZY PINK NIGHTGOWN (1957) Jane Russell is movie star Laurel Stevens and on the night of her movie premiere for THE KIDNAPPED BRIDE! she’s kidnapped by Mike Valla (Ralph Meeker) and Dandy (Keenan Wynn). Is the whole thing a publicity stunt? The studio head wants his leading lady back, the hollywood columnist is ready to tear her down if it’s all a sham. FUZZY is a good jab at the biz. Laurel is a star cashing in on her sex appeal, and she wants her career, but once she meets Mike something changes. Mike isn’t all bad, but he has a plan that he was going to stick too. He feels he’s owed big time after being stuck in jail for something he hadn’t done. Of course his rough exterior is soon broken down by Laurel. It’s a cute and funny film filled with a great cast including Aldolphe Menjou. I really enjoyed this little rom com adventure.

Here’s to more movies in February! Yup!