Long before Mamma Mia and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again hit the big screen (and entered my constant-rewatch rotation), there was another ABBA film, appropriately titled… ABBA: The Movie. Where the modern musical tales have plots full of complicated personal relationships, family secrets, and romance, ABBA: The Movie doesn’t have much of a plot at all. The musical performances are thinly connected by an … Continue reading ABBA: The Movie (1971)
Welcome to Films + Songs, the series where I draw parallels between songs from my music library and films I’ve watched! Songs are selected at random by putting my entire music library on shuffle. As in Vol. 1, I’ll be discussing five songs today. On to the good stuff! “…Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears + Angel Face (1940) Eddie Muller’s commentary of Angel … Continue reading Films + Songs, Vol. 2
When I listen to music, I can’t help picturing mini-movies in my head, visuals to match the song’s mood or lyrics. Sometimes songs even remind me of films I’ve seen, parallels drawn between a line or two and a particular character or scene in a movie. I was recently listening to Pandora and pondering the film equivalents of my favorite ’80s pop hits when an … Continue reading Films + Songs, Vol. 1
When I decided to watch Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, I wasn’t planning to do a full post on it. I needed some background noise while reorganizing my book collection and when I need background noise, I turn to Netflix’s 21st century offerings. I thought I’d half-watch it on my Kindle and maybe write up a sentence or two for a … Continue reading ‘Seeking a Friend’ and the Apocalyptic Tunes of the Midcentury
It’s not exactly uncommon for Hollywood stars to decide they want to put out an album, nor is it uncommon for singers to take on big-screen roles. Say what you will about these crossovers, but some of them produce damn good results! Today I’ll be sharing a short list of three of my favorite songs sung by actresses of today who have made the move … Continue reading Actresses who sing: three favorites
I’ve got something a little bit different to share today: a music post! I recently ran across an article about Tony Bennett’s thoughts on modern pop music. The comments section of the article is peppered with “Shut up, old man” comments, but also some thought-provoking commentary on what makes a song a “classic” and which of today’s songs will stand the test of time. As … Continue reading Midcentury Playlist: Forgotten Hit Songs of the 1950s
Reviewin’ the Box: Judy, Frank & Dean: Once in a lifetime What’s in the box?: A single disc including including musical performances from Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. These performances come from a 1962 televised special. Packaging: This DVD, released by KULTUR, comes in a standard plastic case. The cover design is simple, but nice. The back cover could use more pizazz but … Continue reading Reviewin’ the Box: ‘Judy, Frank & Dean: Once in a lifetime’
TMP celebrates a very special birthday today! One of my favorite performers of all time, Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, was born on June 30, 1917. Though she moved around the country quite a bit during her childhood, often traveling with her mother, by the 1930s Horne had made it back to her birth state of New York, where in 1933 she joined the Cotton Club … Continue reading Lena Horne: a tribute
Dori (Tuesday Weld) is a teenage girl who, like just about any teenage girl of the 1950s, likes to spend her whole allowance to play Elvis songs on the jukebox or go to the movies. When she’s not using up that money, she likes to go shopping for clothes and charge them to her father’s account. But when her father catches wind of her less-than-smart … Continue reading Mill Creek Musings: Rock Rock Rock! (1956)
Terry Wells (Patricia Morrow) is headed to California with two of her friends, Sylvia (Lory Patrick) and Junior (Jackie DeShannon), to visit her brother and learn to surf. Upon arrival in the sunny state, it doesn’t take long for the girls to get settled in and become a nuisance to the local police sergeant, who seems to disapprove of the beach bum lifestyle. The sergeant … Continue reading Surf Party (1964)
