R.I.P Chuck Norris

 Actor, martial artist, fitness enthusiast, Chuck Norris passed away.

A video of his journey from a karate champion to fame...

Here is his Top 10 moments according to someone...

I mostly remember him from watching Walker, Texas Ranger with my Dad...

What is your biggest memory of Chuck Norris?

He will be missed by his family, friends and fans but his work will live on through old movies and reruns

R.I.P Robert Redford

 Broadway, TV, movie award winning actor Robert Redford passed away recently at the age of 89. Recognized by Presidents with the National Medal of the Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was honored at the Kennedy Center. He was won Academy Awards and Golden Globes.

A clip from "The Natural"...

"Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid"

What a career so many roles. He will be missed by family, friends and fans.

R.I.P Kris Kristofferson

             

Kris Kristofferson passed away leaving Willie Nelson as the last remaining Highwayman.

It was a "Sunday Morning Coming Down"

Above is a classic trailer of the 1981 film "Rollover" not only was Kris a singer/songwriter but he had an acting career. His roles in The Blade Trilogy stand out to me. However, I did get to see him in concert opening up for Bob Dylan.

He wrote "Me and Bobby McGee" which was made famous by Janis Joplin.

He had a successful life and career. At 88 he lived a full life, but he will be missed by his friends, colleagues and fans. 

"Why Me Lord"

R.I.P Tanya Roberts

 Actress Tanya Roberts passed away on January 4th at the age of 65. Her career she wen from model, to Charlie's Angel, to Bond girl, to housewife on "That 70s Show."

A clip from "A View to a Kill"

A clip from "That 70's Show"

She had a successful career starring in movies and television. She will be missed by her family, friends and fans.

R.I.P Sean Connery

 Sean Connery best known for being the first and arguably the best James Bond has passed away at the age of 90. He was more than just Ian Fleming's character brought to life on the silver screen.

A clip from Connery in "The Untouchables" where he won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for best supporting character...

Below is Connery in "Highlander" 

Here is his first scene as James Bond in "Dr. No"

A clip "From Russia with Love"

He was an icon, a sex symbol, an award winning actor who will be missed by his friends, family and fans!

R.I.P Chadwick Boseman

 Chadwick Boseman passed away on August 28 due to cancer. The actor best known for his starring role in "Black Panther." Most of the tributes on him focus on that role. It was a successful movie, it set up some roles in other movies, there might be a sequel. 

                                            Here is a clip...

Ironically he starred in the last movie I watched. I had been wanting to see "Get On Up" the James Brown biopic which I enjoyed.

The trailer for the film...

He also starred in the baseball movie "42"

Below is a clip...

He portrayed a lot of important people and was in the prime of his career. He leaves behind a legacy of incredible films. What is your favorite movie starring Chadwick Boseman?

R.I.P Ennio Morricone

Starting this post off with the Grammy Award nominated theme to The Good The Bad and The Ugly. Iyt was Ennio Morricone's first Grammy Nomination he would eventually win two.

In his life he composed the scores for over 400 movies and television shows. Considered among the best. if not the best at what he did. He was very influential and his legacy will continue with his influence.

"For A Few Dollars More"

The opening track for The Hateful Eight

That movie won him an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a few other awards.

The theme to "The Mission"

His music came alive in the movies we watched. Setting the mood, the scene, and your reaction. His work will live on as part of the films. He will be missed!

R.I.P Doris Day

Doris Day passed away yesterday at the age of 97.  During her long career as an actress and singer she has earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Lifetime Achievement Grammy.

                                           "Que Sera, Sera"

Here is one from early in her career "Sentimental Journey"

A look back at some of her celebrated roles..

"Secret Love" from Calamity Jane

She will live on in her recordings. She leaves behind quite a legacy on film and in song. She will be missed.

Battle of the Bands: I'm Still Standing

Elton John won my last Battle of the Bands and I really didn't have a song in mind for this round. So, I decided I would use the winner for inspiration. Elton John has had a long, successful career filled with a ton of songs.

The song for this round is "I'm Still Standing."

Contender One: Martha Wash

Contender Two: Taron Egerton

Both of my covers can be found on movie soundtracks. Martha's on The First Wives Club and Sing! Also all three of the versions on this blog are lyric videos. Another random set of coincidences is the voting is done in the comments. You pick your favorite from the two contenders and I tally the votes and announce a winner sometime before Christmas I mean July 1st. Hope you enjoy the battle and I will have another post up soon!

Farewell Lois Lane! R.I.P Margot Kidder

Superman couldn't save her in the end. Margot Kidder the actress who garnered most of her fame by playing Lois Lane in the Superman films from the late 70s and 80s alongside Christopher Reeve.

Here is a clip from "Superman"....

and Superman IV

She did other roles as well. Like "The Amityville Horror" and "Heartaches" where she won awards for her roles.

News of her passing...

She will be remembered by her fans and family. She will live on in reruns of her shows and movies.

Blogging from A to Z: X-Men

Opening up the post with the trailer from the first X-Men movie from way back in 2000. Trailer from the 2017 film in the series..

A clip from the first movie..

Well I will be back soon!

Blogging from A to Z 2018: J is for James Bond Movies

Yesterday I blogged about the creator of James Bond. You can read about that here. However, I discovered James Bond first through the movies.

Sean Connery's first appearance as James Bond in Dr. No...

Maybe a Ski Chase featuring Roger Moore..

Timothy Dalton with a little Aston Martin...

a bit of a jump in Golden Eye with Pierce Bronson...

Daniel Craig being tested in Skyfall..

Who was your favorite James Bond actor? Favorite James Bond movie? Feel free to share in the comments. I will continue the challenge tomorrow with a K related post.

Blogging from A to Z 2018: F is for The Finest Hours

A lot of my reading of late is influenced by television and the movies. My latest read is a prime example of that. The Finest Hours was made into a movie in 2016. A trailer for The Disney Movie is below...

The Coast Guard men in the book/movie came through in their finest hours. It was based on a true story and without a doubt they were heroes. Obviously the men had to enlist into thw Coast Guard. Second a bad storm needed to develop. The tragedy of two ships falling apart in the frigid waters needed to fall in place. Lastly the Coasties needed to rescue folks to be heroes. The book discussed one boat which was unsuccessful. The brave men where lucky to return to shore. The book went farther than the movie and discussed some if the guilt and other feelings that went with becoming heroes. The story had been told before and was choppy at times. However, the story did tell the tale of some courageous Coast Guard members. 

Thoughts on Black Panther

Black Panther is another action packed blockbuster based on a Marvel Comic. What do you like in an action movie? If it is car chases, incredible special effects, and battles then you should check out the film!

The film is Sci-fi without leaving the Earth! What if a third world country hid an advanced society?

I also enjoyed the Stan Lee cameo.

Black Panther is a fun ride and an entertaining movie!

R.I.P Warren Miller

When I think of ski films the first name that comes to my mind is Warren Miller. His film caught the beauty of the location, the ruggedness of the terrain and the final productions were master pieces. He was a pioneer in the extreme, adventure sport entertainment industry.

"Don't take life too seriously, because you can't come out of it alive" was a quote from Warren Miller who passed away at the age of 93 last week.


Below are some goofiest moments from his films..

The trailer for his 1985 film "Steep and Deep"..

My favorite quote from him was "If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do."

The film world lost a legend but his legacy lives on through his films.

Holiday Read: Skipping Christmas

Spending most of the afternoon catching up with a couple of bloghops. Some of my responses were a tad late. About to end the year with a huge a roadtrip to see relatives and my daughter had a big production that ended last weekend.

I did finish the Christmas book I was reading, "Skipping Christmas" written by the popular author John Grisham.


I have seen many of his novels turned into movies but I have never read any of his works before. This book also has been turned into a movie "Christmas with the Kranks" which I have not seen. I enjoyed the book it was easy to get into. It had a huge plot twist two-thirds into the novel which gave it  an interesting end.

Well I hope everyone is enjoying the Holidays. I have 11 months or so to figure out what my next Christmas read will be.

Holiday Reading and a Giveaway

Last Holiday Season I finally read "A Christmas Carol." I knew the Dickens classic well through television, movie and theater productions of the famous Holiday tale. I reviewed several theater productions of this story so it was probably past time for me to read the book.

The most unique version of the story I witnessed was a one man version at the Olney Theatre. It was quite the performance. Holiday memories

This year I am reading John Grisham's "Skipping Christmas" which I just found out was turned into a movie called "Christmas with the Kranks."  I will let you know what I think about it when I finish reading the book.

Well, I have talked about doing a giveaway on my blog before and now I am doing one. I am giving away a copy of "Skipping Christmas" using my facebook writer page.

Here is a link to the giveaway:  http://www.giveawaytab.com/mob.php?pageid=171327449557105

If you are using a mobile device this one might work if the other one does not: http://www.giveawaytab.com/giveaway2/mobile.php?pageid=171327449557105


If your interested in the used book please enter the contest and good luck!

I am also curious what are you reading this Holiday Season? Any all time favorite Holiday books? Feel free to share in the comments.

R.I.P Daniel Licht

You might not recognize his name but if you watch movie, television, Showtime, or Netflix then you have probably heard Daniel Licht's music. He is best known for creating the score for the popular series "Dexter".

Here is an example of his work an extended version of Dexter's Blood Theme...

Live "Honor for All" from Dishonored video game..performed with his brother Jon..

a piece called "Hide Your Tears"..

"Dexter Suite" performed live..

Future movies and shows may not be complemented by his music. However he leaves behind a legacy found on soundtracks that enhanced the shows we watched.

Movie Review: Atomic Blonde

I will admit I do enjoy a majority of movies and shows created from comics and graphic novels. Some how I missed out on reading them, so the stories are fresh to me. I may need to add some to my reading list. Please feel free to leave me recommendations in the comments. This movie was based off Sam Hart and Antony Johnston's graphic novel The Coldest City.

I didn't know much about this movie before I went to see it. I caught a preview while watching another movie. It appealed to the I'm a guy part of me. Meaning it had me with an action thriller movie featuring an ass kicking blonde lead.

This movie had a lot of things that made James Bond and other spy films the hits they were. Car chases, difficult situations, a bit of humor, and even a signature drink. James Bond was always cool and in "Atomic Blonde" Lorraine Broughton matches the coolness.

While Bond flicks included violence. It was never this bloody nor graphic. James Bond had a way with woman and so does Lorraine. I can't imagine James Bond having a gay affair. It works in "Atomic Blonde" with the lesbian. I wonder why the male on male affair hasn't made it on a spy movie scene? That could be another blog post.

Another thing I enjoyed about this film was the soundtrack. The movie was set in the days right before the Berlin wall fell in Germany. They pull some great songs from that era that really fit with the film. David Bowie, Nena, Til Tuesday, George Michael, The Clash, Flock of Seaguls, and Siouxsie and the Banshees definitely highlight the album. There are some new songs and new takes as well.

The movie stars Charlize Theron and David Percival. The film is an action packed ride of car chases, violence, and double crosses. It is rated R for good reason, so if you are okay with that see the film if not stay home. The end result is a fun, summer spy movie.

Disclosure: I paid my own way for this movie, unbiased opinion.

R.I.P Robert Hardy

Opening my tribute post to actor Robert Hardy with a clip from "All Creatures Great and Small."

Robert Hardy passed away at the age of 91 earlier this week. He is best known for his role in the  Harry Potter movies and "All Creatures Great and Small." However he has appeared in over 30 movies, several television shows and many stage productions over his long career. A career highlighted by being appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

A clip from the Harry Potter series..

Here is a vintage clip of Robert Hardy performing in Shakespeare's Henry V on the BBC..

The entertainment world lost a great one. However, Robert Hardy left behind an amazing recorded legacy. May he Rest in Peace.