by Sam Juliano
Thanksgiving Day 2017 is imminent, and many of us will be holding true to long standing traditions, visiting family and cherishing yet another day with our loved ones. For Lucille, the kids and I it will mean out 22nd consecutive annual trek up to Butler, New Jersey to the home of Lucille’s sister and her husband and three grown sons. What always gloriously compliments this proposition is that Lucille’s brother-in-law has four brothers and a sister, and each has children, who also have children. The bottom line is that their sprawling, mansion-sized house (their living room is as large as the layout of our own entire first floor) on a hill at the end of a scenic cul-de-sac will be hosting around 60 people for quite a holiday smorgasborg, and an insane desert spread and late night second meal on the back yard barbeque that will serious challenge my controlled Type 2 diabetes situation. Over the extended holiday weekend Lucille and I also have (whag else?) some movie plans that will include some fo the year’s most anticipated prestige offerings: Mudbound, Call Me By Your Name and The Darkest Hour.
Part II of the Greatest Television Countdown will commence on February 14th, but I will delay the next group e mail notification till right after the Christmas holidays. The Caldecott Medal Contender series is ongoing and will continue until early February. Our resident film scholar Jim Clark has been publishing some stupendous comprehensive essays every third week.
We are all so thrilled to attend Saturday afternoon’s Manhattan Books of Wonder presentation by Caldecott winning artists Erin and Philip Stead who spoke of their heartening collaborartion with Mark Twain, “The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine.” Lucille, Jeremy and I got to chat with both artists (and their newborn child). Jeremy is pictured above with the Steads and their three 2017 picture book gems, including “Prince Oleomargarine.”
On Saturday evening we all attended the latest rock era revue by Nemyses at the Oak Ale House in Maywood, New Jersey, one which included some beautifully negotiated new song covers from the 60’s.
We saw a new film release in theaters:
Three Billboard Outside Ebbins, Missouri **** (Sunday) Chelsea Cinemas
Dark humor abounds in this rather violent drama about a woman (Francis McDormand) who finances three billboards to remind the local police officials, including the sympathetic sheriff (Woody Harrelson) of their failure to apprehend the monster who raped and killed her daughter months prior. The blistering drama is well-written and superbly acted (Sam Rockwell is especially extraordinary) but it loses a little steam near the end. Still well recommended.
Jeremy with Caldecott Medal winners Erin and Philip Stead (and their newborn daughter).
Click on names for archives
Writers/Founders
Wonders in the Dark 
I’ve heard a lot of great reports on Call Me by Your Name.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family!
Karen, we will be seeing it Saturday night. Will report on it Monday on the MMD.
Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for all the insights and support!
Happy Thanksgiving to you all Sam. Amazing that you have maintained that long standing tradition of attending at the same place for so many years. I’d love to see a photo of that crowd!
Aye Ricky! A tradition dear to all our hearts. Have a Happy my friend, and thanks for all you do!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
The Oscar-bait season surely is heating up! Though I’ve yet to see Three Billboards, I did see two major contenders this weekend:
Mudbound – ****1/2 – https://theschleicherspin.com/2017/11/18/land-needs-a-deed-not-deeds-in-mudbound/
Lady Bird – **** – https://theschleicherspin.com/2017/11/19/what-if-this-is-the-best-version-in-lady-bird/
Happy Thanksgiving David, and thank you so very much my friend! Will be seeing MUDBOUND this week! I responded to both your reviews. LADYBIRD is one of my favorite films of the year for sure!
Sammy! Hope you are doing well my friend and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I am currently in Kentucky on business, but aim to be home by tomorrow night, and then it’s on to Chicago for Thanksgiving with both sides of the family. We will be stuffed with turkey and pie no doubt! In between my long working hours, and reading Dickens’ Little Dorrit, I managed the following viewings…
A Ghost Story- I’m going 3.5/4 but this could rise to 4 stars over time. I was quite affected by this piece. There is something really moving about the film. It’s so simple, yet very nuanced. It also almost exists as a film without dialogue, but of course the score is terrific. Really a beautiful film and not quite like anything else.
Bedelia/The Stars Look Down – 3 stars on both of these Margaret Lockwood vehicles.
My wife and I are hoping to see Lady Bird very soon, perhaps on Wednesday. We are both huge fans of Greta Gerwig and are really hoping that this film delivers the goods!
Take care Sam!
As always so great to hear from you Jon! Happy Thanksgiving to, your wife and the girls! I see you are traveling as always, but at least will be back in Chicago for Thanksgiving! I am sure you will adore LADYBIRD, especially as a big fan of the director’s previous work. This is her very best film methinks. LITTLE DORRIT is one of the greatest reads in any department. Nice! A GHOST STORY is one of my own favorite films of the year, so I can appreciate that glowing assessment! You may indeed raise it higher. It is truly unique. THE STARS LOOK DOWN is a classic! Thanks again!
Happy Thanksgiving! You always do it up with class Sam.
Thanks so much Frank for those kind words and your unwavering support! Best to you and Carol!
Hello Sam!
Your Thanksgiving celebration sounds amazing! Have a wonderful time and safe travels. I will be in Indiana with my parents for the holiday, and also getting together with old, hometown friends on the following day.
This week I saw:
THE SQUARE – Bit of a disappointment, given all the hype and my love for Ruben Ostlund’s previous film, FORCE MAJEURE. There are a few very funny scenes – and one in particular that is absolutely electrifying – but the parts are more satisfying than the whole. Also had the unsettling experience of being the only person at an early evening showing.
JIM AND ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND: A Netflix documentary about the making of Milos Forman’s Andy Kaufman biopic (MAN ON THE MOON), using behind-the-scenes footage compiled by Jim Carrey. Carrey believes he essentially channeled Kaufman, rather than playing him – and the current-day interview with him that frames the older footage reveals him to be even nuttier than Kaufman was. Weird but fascinating.
LANDLINE – A slight, mildly satisfying family dramedy/rom com that plays on 90s nostalgia – not much to say about this one, except that I continue to enjoy the work of Jenny Slate. Nice performances from John Turturro and Edie Falco as her parents, too.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS – Loved it, very gorgeously shot and very entertaining. I’d never seen the 1974 Sidney Lumet version, so I came in with zero expectations. Not a great film, but a solid, 3.5 stars of out of 5 for this.
Sam, to you, your family and all the WITD regulars in the U.S. – a very happy Thanksgiving holiday!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family my friend! I can never thank you enough for your kindness, support, insights, sponsorship, the whole nine yards! Well, you are closer to my neck of the woods with your trip to Indiana. Sounds like a fabulous get-together too! Enjoy! Patricia, I haven’t actually seen THE SQUARE, but have it under my radar. Sorry to hear it doesn’t equate to FORCE MAJEURE, which I thought a masterpiece! Nice to hear you enjoyed MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, which was a pleasant enough diversion if not the best version of this novel. I pretty much concur with your estimation and summary judgement of LANDLINE, but have not seen JIM AND ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND. All your capsules here are wonderful and I will take note of your scene-specific point on THE SQUARE. The best to you always!
Right off the top of my addled little noggin some favorite films in which trains have either a starring or a supporting role: The Last Command and Shanghai Express; The General; The Palm Beach Story and The Lady Eve; The Lady Vanishes, Strangers on a Train and North by Northwest (three Hitchcocks!); The Narrow Margin and La Chinoise.
Gobble, gobble.
(Oh, yea, Frankenheimer’s The Train, duh)
A few in the trashier realms; di Leo’s ‘To Be Twenty’ (think Virgin Spring for the 70’s Italian Euro sleaze set) which was essentially the same plot as Lando’s Night Train Murders’ (if you watch them both back to back you’ll be sickened by different reason), Hammer’s ‘Horror Express’ where what looks to be a mutilated Ape is strange cargo, ‘The Midnight Meat Train’ that comes from a good Clive Barker short story and employs fake blood by the keg full, and the omnibus film ‘Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors’ where a bunch of people ride a train with the suave Peter Cushing who might also be doomed to die when they reach their destination.
Should’ve guessed you’d take the midnight slash-and-gore Express of the Damned. LOL.
In a much gentler vein there’s also ‘Dumbo,’ maybe my favorite cartoon of Disney’s golden era. And ‘Twentieth Century,’ ‘Some Like It Hot,’ ‘Brief Encounter’ etc.
Still haven’t see Costa-Gavras’ French all-star ‘The Sleeping Car Murders’ or (for shame) Reed’s ‘Night Train to Munich.’
Yep, good stuff, I’m also recalling Lang’s underrated HUMAN DESIRE, that has a lot of cool train labor from Glenn Ford.
And also Patrice Chéreau’s ‘Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train.’
Jamie, I have always counted DR. TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS as abn all-time horror classic, especially for those fabulous bookends with Cushing as the Tarot card dealer, and the first werewold segment, which was brilliantly atmospheric and terrifying. I saw this film for the very first time at the Embassy Theater in North Bergen at age 12, and I’ve considered it special ever since.
Mark, your train list is fabulous!! I love Duane’s singular addition and Jamie’s HORROR EXPRESS, which is a fine horror film!! How about THE TRAIN, RUNAWAY TRAIN and the 1974 THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE-TWO-THREE? Not all-time classic like the ones you noted but still fun. Kids will say THE POLAR EXPRESS. Ha!
BRIEF ENCOUNTER which you did mention is my own favorite train-themed film of all-time with THE LADY VANISHES Number 2.
Sam, I’d like to join the chorus in wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Same to all at Wonders in the Dark. This site remains relevant and enlightening, and has been so for almost ten years now.
Thanks so much for the very kind words Peter! Your support through these nine or ten years has been deeply appreciated and vital, Happy Thanksgiving to you and the family!
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.
I haven’t been able to get to a theater for a while so I’ve been watching a lot of old favorites. Just for fun I’m posting a little countdown of my top ten on my facebook page. As it happens, I’ll be arriving at number one on Thanksgiving morning. Apropos!
Duane, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and thank you for all you do all year round! Always a great pleasure to share opinions with you, and am much obliged for your kindness. Your Top 10 is a revelation, and have been much enjoying it!! Looking forward to the #1 post in the morning my friend!