Friday Night Popcorn

Random musings about the movies.

The Look of the Film

James Wong Howe vs Technicolor

Joel
Jul 30
The Look of the Film

Unfilmable

The Expendable Man

Joel
Jul 27
Unfilmable

Summer Under the Stars

Turner Classic Movies

Joel
Jul 23
Summer Under the Stars

Lesser Known Disney

live action Disney films

Joel
Jul 20
Lesser Known Disney

Jazz on a Summer's Day

The 1958 Newport Jazz Festival

Joel
Jul 18
Jazz on a Summer's Day

Traveltalks

James A. FitzPatrick "The Voice of the Globe"

Joel
Jul 14
Traveltalks

Elusive Finds

hard-to-find films

Joel
Jul 11
Elusive Finds

Growing Up

Two Overlooked Coming-of-Age Films

Joel
Jul 9
Growing Up

The Devil's Disciple

appreciating Richard Rodney Bennett's music

Joel
Jul 4
The Devil's Disciple

Way Up There...

I'm not afraid of heights, I'm afraid of falling

Joel
Jul 1
Way Up There...

Blind Spots

when a film-lover watches a classic film for the first time

Joel
Jun 27
Blind Spots

Summer Vacation

Monsieur Hulot's Holiday

Joel
Jun 5
Summer Vacation

Never Too Much of a Good Idea

Hollywood and the multiple versions

Joel
May 30
Never Too Much of a Good Idea

Revisiting the Coen Bothers

Film Influences

Joel
May 29
Revisiting the Coen Bothers

The Purple Plain

Sometimes a movie just sticks with you. This was my Memorial Day watch... can't stop thinking about it.

Joel
May 28
The Purple Plain

A Theater Experience

sometimes a good crowd makes the movie

Joel
Apr 15
A Theater Experience

What's Your Favorite Movie?

Discovering Black Orpheus - 1959

Joel
Feb 13
What's Your Favorite Movie?

Too Many Shortcuts

Thinking about the evolution of the filmmaking process

Joel
Jan 16
Too Many Shortcuts

Movie Resolutions

Roger Ebert's Great Movies

Joel
Jan 5
Movie Resolutions

New Year's Eve

two films for New Year's Eve

Joel
Dec 28 '25
1
New Year's Eve

The Lost Genre

Holiday made-for-tv movies

Joel
Dec 15 '25
The Lost Genre

Is This A Christmas Movie?

thinking about the holiday genre

Joel
Dec 11 '25
Is This A Christmas Movie?

Movies & Sports

One of my favorites - This Sporting Life

Joel
Nov 28 '25
Movies & Sports

Autumn Tale

an appreciation for simple films

Joel
Nov 26 '25
1
Autumn Tale

Why do a Remake?

Some of the best movies... are remakes

Joel
Nov 21 '25
2
Why do a Remake?

The Criterion Collection

I'm generally horrible with "favorite movie" lists. As soon as I'm done, I realize I've left five titles off the list that "have" to be included... Then I can't decide what should be removed... I ultimately just abandon the idea - too frustrated that I can't make a decision. That said, I realize the value of a list as they have helped introduce me to many films I may have never seen otherwise. I'm sure Eddie Muller could include hundreds of his favorite film noirs - but his list of ten favorites opened a door for me, that I've never closed.

Joel
Nov 12 '25
The Criterion Collection

The Movie Star

Robert Redford

Joel
Nov 4 '25
The Movie Star

The Influence of Frankenstein

a film within a film

Joel
Oct 19 '25
The Influence of Frankenstein

Haunted House with a Twist

Haunted House movie recommendations - of all types

Joel
Oct 17 '25
Haunted House with a Twist

A Great Recommendation

A note on the joy of giving and receiving a good movie recommendation

Joel
Oct 15 '25
A Great Recommendation

Curious Influences

When a filmed opera becomes a classic horror film

Joel
Oct 14 '25
Curious Influences

A Little Fantasy with the Romance

Blending genres films successfully

Joel
Oct 13 '25
A Little Fantasy with the Romance

A Zombie Double Feature

Zombie b-movies done right

Joel
Oct 12 '25
A Zombie Double Feature

Adult Conversations

the importance of good dialogue in movies

Joel
Oct 10 '25
Adult Conversations

Val Lewton

A look at one of the best film producers

Joel
Oct 3 '25
Val Lewton

A Halloween Treat

A look back at a TV Movie for Halloween

Joel
Sep 29 '25
A Halloween Treat

For the Love of Movies

Romantic movie recommendations

Joel
Sep 25 '25
For the Love of Movies

The Language of Films

Understanding the point of the film

Joel
Sep 19 '25

The Forgotten Genius

An appreciation for Jacques Tati

Joel
Sep 19 '25
The Forgotten Genius

Vindicated By Time

when it's not an instant classic

Joel
Sep 19 '25
Vindicated By Time