Category Archives: Film

“Shooting the Mafia” – An Archive of Blood

Posted on November 21, 2019 by Ted Hicks

“I was saved by photography. I was a young, intelligent, desperate woman. My encounter with photography allowed me to express my thoughts, my rebellion, my social and political commitment.” — Letizia Battaglia This astonishing documentary, directed by Kim Longinotto, is … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Documentaries, Film, Film posters, History, Non-Fiction, photography, TV & Cable | 3 Comments

The Family Frankenstein – Etc.

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Ted Hicks

Here are a few more Frankenstein-related items to close out this series. I couldn’t resist. The first of these is a brief interview with Boris Karloff from 1963 regarding his role as the Monster in the original Frankenstein (1931). I … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Comics, Documentaries, Feature films, Fiction, Film, Film posters, History, Home Video, Streaming, TV & Cable | 1 Comment

The Family Frankenstein – Supplemental

Posted on October 29, 2019 by Ted Hicks

Frankenstein Fake News It was initially planned by Universal that Bela Lugosi would take the role of the Monster in the original Frankenstein (1931). Due to the heavy makeup required and the fact that the character does not speak, Lugosi … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Comics, Feature films, Fiction, Film, Film posters, History, Home Video, Music, Streaming, TV & Cable | 4 Comments

Bookish 2 – Favorite Film Books, Then & Now

Posted on October 2, 2019 by Ted Hicks

Over the years, many of the film books I’ve acquired — and still have — are collections of reviews; interviews with directors, screenwriters, editors and cinematographers; studies of directors such as Stanley Kubrick and Buster Keaton; and encyclopedic listings of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Documentaries, Feature films, Film, Film posters, Home Video, Streaming, TV & Cable | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Recent Documentaries – Supplemental

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Ted Hicks

Here are supplemental materials for the documentaries discussed in the previous post. These include interviews, Q&As, podcasts and performance clips. I realize these may be more useful once you’ve seen the films, but I leave it up to you. ___________________________________________________ … Continue reading →

Posted in Documentaries, Film, Home Video, Music, Non-Fiction, TV & Cable | 1 Comment

Random Notes on Recent Films – Documentaries!

Posted on August 14, 2019 by Ted Hicks

I’ve recently seen several exceptional documentaries. They cover a range of topics and experience, but all have very human concerns. Here are my impressions of them. _____________________________________________________ Echo in the Canyon (Andrew Slater, director)  This brilliant display of nostalgia centers … Continue reading →

Posted in Documentaries, Film, Film posters, Home Video, Music, Non-Fiction, TV & Cable | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

To the Moon!

Posted on July 20, 2019 by Ted Hicks

I was stationed in Thailand with the U.S. Air Force when the first manned moon landing happened on July 20, 1969. (That’s me defending the free world at right.) We received news there via armed forces newspapers and radio, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Documentaries, Feature films, Fiction, Film, Home Video, Non-Fiction, TV & Cable | 4 Comments

“Nice Guys Finish Dead” – Part 2

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Ted Hicks

I had so many great covers left over from the last post that I decided to put them in a follow-up. As with the first batch, these depict lives largely lived in dirty back alleys with broken bottles on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Fiction, Film | 4 Comments

“Nice Guys Finish Dead” – and Other Hard-Boiled Visions

Posted on July 12, 2019 by Ted Hicks

I’ll get back to film-related subjects shortly, but in the meantime, there’s this. Started by Fawcett Publications in 1950, Gold Medal Books was notable for introducting paperback originals. Other paperback publishers dealt in reprints. No one had done this before, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Fiction, Film | 11 Comments

Bookish – Favorite Books, Then & Now

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Ted Hicks

As far back as I can remember, I was always reading. I grew up on an Iowa farm in the 1950s. As an only child, I created my own world and spent as much time there as possible. All the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Film | 7 Comments