Yeti Hideout

I'm still reading through all of the old diaries and journals that I kept as a teenager - I have stacks of spiral-bound notebooks that range from the years 1987 to the early 1990s. There are some interesting sketches and drawings, a lot of angst and some wild fantasies. For a long time I wanted to be a film director. A filmmaker that specialized in horror films. Even at such a young age I was already becoming obsessed with character actors and influenced by 1970s horror films, John Waters and Tim Burton. I would get so bored and impatient with myself that I would write reviews for the films that I hadn't even made yet. I found a few of those capsule reviews. Sadly, most of my "stars" have since passed away. Another sad thought is the fact that these excited aspirations have since died as well.

Not only was yesterday (February 26) William Frawley's birthday, but it was also the 97th birthday of another favorite curmudgeon - Jackie Gleason! I'll share with you an article I wrote devoted to Jackie from 2010 that originally appeared on my friend Less Lee Moore's terrific website, Popshifter . My Heart Belongs to Jackie

This article on Flesh (1968) and Trash (1970) originally appeared on tcm.com and is reprinted with permission. Between 1968 and 1972 director Paul Morrissey wrote, shot and directed three influential films that were later to become known as the "Flesh" trilogy. The first, Flesh , in 1968 was an early attempt of Morrissey to break away from his previous experimental film work with Andy Warhol during the heyday of the "Factory" years. Though his name is often credited in the titles, such as Andy Warhol's Flesh  or Andy Warhol's Trash , Warhol merely financed the films and had little or no actual creative development with them. Flesh was a film that, compared to the other Warhol films of the time, actually followed some sort of a plot, albeit a very loose one. Prior to the "Flesh" trilogy, the majority of the films being released were experimental, with titles like Sleep (1963) (six hours of footage of a man sleeping) and The Chelse...

Part three of my series devoted to memorable and favorite character actors from over the years. Greenwood in a photo from Picture Show Annual, 1952 This is an actress I first noticed on the British sitcom, “Girls on Top” (1985-1986) - a sort of all-female version of "The Young Ones" which was created by and starred Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French. Joan played Lady Chloe Carlton, the bizarre landlady to the four main female characters. Lady Carlton was a romance novelist who appeared to live in her own world and was kept company by her beloved and stuffed pet dog. The thing that struck me the most about her was her smoky voice and slow articulation - very reminiscent of Carrie Nye (who, in my opinion, has The Greatest Voice of All Time). I did some further research on Joan and discovered that she was in a film that I absolutely adored; Ealing Studios’ 1949 revenge comedy, Kind Hearts and Coronets . I rewatched the film specifically to see her and was captivated b...

Continuing my series on character actor appreciation, here are a couple of additional people I would like to showcase. Ottiano with Lionel Barrymore in The Devil-Doll (1936) The second I saw this actress appear in Tod Browning's impressive The Devil-Doll , I fell hopelessly in love. Playing Malita, the damaged assistant to Lionel Barrymore's revenge-seeking, escaped convict Paul Lavond (who, in his effort to elude the authorities, disguises himself as an old woman), Ottiano's first appearance is a bit startling. Sporting a shock of unruly hair that includes an artistically arranged white streak (perhaps inspired by the Bride of Frankenstein?) and hobbling around on one crutch, I was reminded of two current actresses that I also admired - Grace Zabriskie and Diane Salinger. Perhaps a bit too stylized in an attempt to let the viewer know that she was the villain of the piece, her performance is fun and her facial reactions and wild eyes are put to great effect in ...

character - adjective Theater a. ( of a part or role) representing a personality type, esp. by emphasizing distinctive traits, as language, mannerisms, physical makeup, etc. b. (of an actor or actress) acting or specializing in such roles. Earlier this week saw the sudden passing of actor Glenn Shadix. Len and I were totally shocked and deeply saddened by the news as we had previously corresponded with him at various points over the past couple of years. Glenn came across as an extremely friendly and generous man with great style and a terrific sense of humor. In early 2009, he had invited us to a housewarming party he was planning on having when he moved into his new home in Birmingham, Alabama. For whatever reason we were unable to go, but the very notion of him inviting us was a sweet and kind gesture on his part. He seemed like such a great guy and I'm terribly sad that Len and I never had the opportunity to get to meet him in person and share some time wi...