Saturday Seven ~ Old Hollywood Royalty with @meganslayer #hollywood #filmstars #movies #list #oldhollywood

Look for the other Saturday Seven posts here!

For the last weekend in February, I thought I’d do an honorable mentions list for my Saturday Seven list. There are those actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood that shimmered, but they didn’t make the other lists. I probably thought of them AFTER I made the earlier lists. Hey, it happens. So here is my list of Honorable Mentions. Check them out.

7. John Payne

6. Maureen O’Hara

5. Natalie Wood

4. Cesar Romero

3. Claudette Colbert

2. Myrna Loy

1. Ava Gardner

As I’ve said before, I’m sure I missed a few. I’ll do lists of more current actors and actresses, but these are my Old Hollywood favorites. Did I miss some? Let me know. And don’t forget to check out the other Saturday Seven posts!

Saturday Seven ~ Screen Legends Ladies List with @meganslayer #movies #silverscreen #actresses #oldhollywood

Look for the other Saturday Seven posts here!

This week, I’m a little late. I’ve been busy writing, so forgive me. For the Saturday Seven, I’m continuing my list of seven fabulous Old Hollywood actresses. I love the old black and white movies and these ladies really made my day.  Here they are, but in no particular order.

7. Mae West

6. Barbara Stanwyck

5. Olivia De Havilland

4. Joan Fontain

3. Alice Faye

2. Betty Grable

1. Ginger Rogers

I’m sure you’ve got input. Do add yours to the list. They might be some I’ve forgotten. Grin.

And don’t forget to check out the other Saturday Seven posts!

Valentines and Hunky Guys ~ Modern Actors List with @meganslayer #hunks #hotties #list #valentines #sexy

Today I’m featuring my favorite modern day actors. Yes, hunks for today. I know beauty fades and tomorrow they might be haggard, but oh well. I’ll be wrinkly one day, too! Haha!

I’m expecting you to disagree or to have others to add to the list. Absolutely. Who knows. There might be a few I forgot or ones I hadn’t considered. Bring it on!!

Here’s my list. Grin. Oh, and in no particular order.

Colin O’Donoghue – I mean, he’s Captain Hook. I’d rather him stay the grouchy Hook, but you can’t have everything.

Matt Bomer – I’m not a fan of Magic Mike, but he had the moves. Yeah. And I loved the way he played the reporter in A Normal Heart. Tugged at my heart.

Matt Barr – I never watched the teen shows he was on, but I noticed him on the Hatfields and McCoys show. He wasn’t the brightest character, but there was a sweetness to him. Oh, and he looks great without his shirt.

Don Cheadle – he’s War Machine. Enough said. But also, he’s a good equal for Tony Stark. Plus, he looks great in that suit. I loved him in Reign Over Me.

Chris Pratt – he’s a dinosaur whisperer, likes gross things, laughs at himself, was just as handsome thick as thin, he’s genuine and funny as heck. Oh and he talks to raccoons.

Anthony Mackie – I saw him in person at a comic con and he’s genuine, too. He’s funny, blunt and plus he looks great in that Falcon suit. I love his voice and that smile. Yeah, he makes me melt.

James McAvoy – he first came onto my radar as Professor X. I’d seen him on promos for movies, but hadn’t really paid much attention. I mean, he was there, but I hadn’t really paid attention. Sad, really. Then I saw the X-Men First Class movie. Holy cow. What had I been missing? I had to watch the rest of the movies he’d been in. I loved The Conspirator, even though he doesn’t have his accent and it’s a depressing movie. I love when he’s super serious, when he’s funny and especially when he talks. I said he could read the phone book and I’d be there. I would.

Chris Evans – He’s Captain America. He’s a riot. He’s got his own thoughts. He speaks his mind. He’s got a great butt. I liked him as a jerk in Puncture and The Iceman, but just as much in What’s Your Number? and as Captain America. He commands the screen and can laugh at himself. How can I ask for more? He’s drool-worthy.

So who would be on your list? I’ve featured the Old Hollywood stars on other lists, but this is Valentine’s Day (Leading up to it) and I want to swoon. Who would you add?

 

 

Saturday Seven ~ Legends of the Silver Screen, Ladies Edition with @meganslayer #movies #ladies #actresses #list #silverscreen

Find the other Saturday Seven Posts here!

This week I thought I’d focus on the gals of the silver screen. I love the clothes, the cattiness and the fun of these ladies. I’m sure my list will have some that aren’t on yours and yours will have some I forgot. Here they are in no particular order:

7. Jean Harlow – she is the platinum blond and one heck of a funny lady

6. Carole Lombard – My Man Godfrey wouldn’t have been the same without her.

5. Jean Arthur – that voice, that way of telling people off while still sounding sweet…love her

4. Katharine Hepburn – I loved her in Bringing Home Baby and haven’t looked back. 🙂

3. Deborah Kerr – She could romance Cary Grant, make Robert Taylor nearly give up his life in a fire and still look elegant, even when ruffled.

2. Lauren Bacall – that voice and the whistle. I see why Bogie fell.

1. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford- these two only worked together once, but they’ve been linked forever. Not by that show, but by the competitiveness and the way they wanted to be better than each other. They both were forces on the screen and women to reckon with. I kind of think a picture where they were pitted against each other at a younger age would’ve been dynamite and would’ve been great for their acting chops. I admire them for their pluck, determination and grit.

Okay, I’m sure I left a few people out. I can think of about five honorable mentions. Guess I’ll have to write a second one of these lists, too. Grin. Who would you add? Let me know!

Saturday Seven ~ Legends of the Silver Screen, part 2 by @Megan Slayer #movies #actors #list #legends

This isn’t technically a Saturday Seven since it’s going up on Friday, but I’ve been asked for the second part of my film legends list. I guess not many people had ever heard of Franchot Tone. He married Joan Crawford for a while. Sweet, blond and soft-spoken. Kind of like a Tom Hiddleston of his time.

Anyway, you asked for the other half of my list. Or at least the second part. Here they are in no particular order:

7. Clark Gable – he’s the man and the legend.

6 Burt Lancaster – From Here to Eternity wouldn’t have been the same without him

5 Claude Rains – he should’ve been a leading man in a lot more. Charm, grace and that grin. 🙂

4. Gary Cooper – Tanglefoot!!

3. Kirk Douglas – Spartacus!!

2. William Holden – always makes me think of that episode of I Love Lucy where she gets to kiss him. Hehehe.

1 Humphrey Bogart – Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.

I’m sure I missed a few you might have mentioned. Let me know in the comments! 🙂 And stay tuned for my Women of the Silver Screen list tomorrow. 🙂

Saturday Seven ~ Golden Age of #Movies Hunks #saturdayseven #lists @meganslayer

Find the other Saturday Sevens right here!

This week for my Saturday Seven list, I’ve been thinking about what I wanted to spotlight. There are so many things I could spotlight, but I’ve been on an old movie binge. There are so many handsome men in those movies. Here is my list of seven, in no particular order.

7. Robert Taylor – Tall, Dark and Handsome and that voice.

6. Joel McCrea – he’s quite underestimated, but great.

5. James Stewart – he’ll always be Mr. Smith to me

4. Cary Grant – four words: Arsenic and Old Lace

3. Tyrone Power – sigh worthy every time

2. Montgomery Clift – that intensity

1. Franchot Tone – I could listen to him talk for hours.

What about you? Who are your favorites? I’ll spotlight the ladies next week. 🙂

 

Movie Review ~ Citizen Kane ~ #movie #review @MeganSlayer

 I decided long ago to start watching the classic movies . Why not? They are supposed to be great films. Why not watch them. So, the first one in this series of Classic Films is Citizen Kane.  I’d never seen this film. I know, that seems crazy. Everyone quotes the famous line, “Rosebud.” It’s all over pop culture. So, I needed to see it.

I have to start by saying I was a tad confused by the film at the first. It sure seemed like two films in one. But once I really paid attention and  drank in the lustrous situation, I really liked the film. Orson Welles has the grandeur of William Randolph Hurst nailed. The overwhelming home and property, the need for things, the need for beautiful women… having to have THE paper to end all papers. Yeah, the guy was a jerk–well, Kane was.

There is a lot of information in the film. Many places where one can’t be a casual observer. You have to pay attention. If you don’t have a lot of time or have to be doing something else while watching, then save this movie for later.

If you’re willing to give the time and patience to watching this movie, then Citizen Kane might be one for you. There is a lot going on, but it’s worth the viewing.

Movie Review ~ Goodbye, Mr. Chips ~ @meganslayer #movie #review #BWmovie

Depressing, but worth the watch. I’d never seen Goodbye Mr. Chips. I kept thinking, this is an award-winning movie. I should catch it. Did I? Not until the other day. I wish I hadn’t waited.

This movie ticked a lot of boxes for me. There’s adventure, a bumbling, but lovable hero, romance, and a few tears. Mr. Chipping, aka Mr. Chips just wants to teach at an all boys school. How he goes through is life and his trials is interesting. By the end of the movie, I felt like I knew the character well.

I rooted for him. Hoped he’d get what he wanted, then cried more than once at the end. Greer Garson plays a good foil for him in his love interest. I almost wished she were on the screen longer. Their interplay was great.

I wish it hadn’t been quite such a depressing film. Gracious. What that poor man went through during his time as a teacher and master. I felt for him, though, which was the point. I wanted to see him succeed. It’s a long movie for the time, but worth the watch. If  you’re in the mood for a movie that will tug at the heartstrings, then this might be the one.

Movie Review ~ Now, Voyager @MeganSlayer #movies #review #thoughts

I’ve been on a black and white movie binge for a while and the first one I watched happened to be Now, Voyager. I’ve wanted to catch this one for a while. I’m not sure why I hadn’t watched it before. I love a good Bette Davis movie and this one wasn’t bad.

I loved how Davis, as Charlotte, bloomed through the story. The way she grew and changed was great. Then there’s the romance that can’t be between Davis and Paul Henreid. I liked him in Casablanca, but here, Henreid shines. He’s a tortured man and trying to find happiness. Some of the reasons for his unhappiness are of his own making, but I could overlook it.

A few things I couldn’t overlook were how dated this movie truly was. Unfortunately, I initially watched it through the lens of current times. Just because Charlotte is brow-beaten doesn’t mean she should have to go to a sanitarium, but she does. She doesn’t get along with her mother–but who could! Mother was as coarse as they come. It’s no wonder Charlotte felt belittled. Then there was the scene with Tina. There’s no way someone who wasn’t the child’s biological relative would be able to not only take her out of the sanitarium for a camping trip without supervision, but to keep her out on said trip. No way they’d allow the pair, a motherly woman and a young teen to pair up the way they did or to allow the teen to move in with the woman. Without the parent’s approval? Oy. It bothered me. And how the father just went with it.

I liked the movie, but I had some serious issues with the emotional affair and the child situation.

Looked at through a more innocent lens, this movie is brilliant acting on the part of Davis. She shined in her role and the way she came out of her shell was great. Henreid played a handsome hero figure and the romance satisfied, despite it being doomed.

If you’re in the mood for a movie with an ending you won’t see coming, then this might be the one for you.

 

Thursday Movie Rundown ~ The DUFF #moviereview #review @meganslayer

This week, I’m a little late with the post, but it’s because I’ve been watching a movie I really love. The more I’ve watched this flick, the more I identify with the characters.

This week, I’m focusing on The DUFF. I wasn’t sure I’d like this movie because it seemed like yet another teen flick. What would make this one resonate with me? It’s about teens and I’m not a teen any longer.

It’s the pecking order thing and knowing your place. Bianca, the main character, has been labeled a Designated Ugly Fat Friend by her perceived as better looking friends. It’s all about perception. She thinks she’s not as good as the others, so she tries to find out why. Then there’s the social pecking order. The people who believe life in high school is only the start of how important they will be for the rest of their lives. This is a microcosm of high school. We want to find our places and how we fit into the world. Bianca chooses to try to improve herself, but all she really needs to do is be herself. High school only lasts for four years. Life goes beyond that.

I was that kid in high school that people knew, but didn’t pay much attention to. I sort of blended in until they needed something. Oh, and I was labeled. Not the DUFF, but a brown-noser. Yeah, how nice was that? I did my thing and didn’t complain, yet I was seen as someone who kissed up to the teachers. It took me a little longer than Bianca to realize I wasn’t just that one thing. So I was the weird kid? So I wasn’t like everyone else? Didn’t mean I didn’t want to be a little bit like them. Didn’t mean I didn’t want to be accepted. I’m older now and am comfortable in my own skin. The DUFF proves you should be yourself. It might not be the easiest thing to do, but it’s worthwhile. You’re being true to you.