Robert Redford is my choice for the Reel Infatuation Blogathon of 2018. I don’t believe this is an unusual pick. Like my crush on Outlander’sSam Heughan, there is a lot of love (by the millions) out there for these two Strawberry blonde (gingers?) actors. The multi-talented Redford has done more than just perform in 79 movies. Besides acting, he directed ten movies; and in my humble opinion, two of those ten films are near perfect examples of the best kind of film making: Ordinary People (1980) and The Horse Whisper (1998). Along with acting and directing, he has also produced 50 films.
In addition to his amazing body of work within the industry, he has been active in many social issues. He is nearly legendary in his work as an environmentalist and his philanthropy. To add to all of this, he is the founder of the largest independent film festival in the United States: Sundance Flim Festival. Now, before I go further, I would like to thank two wonderful young ladies and bloggers: Ruth from Silver Screenings and Maedez from Font and Frock and A Small Press Life. I hope they will host, like they have for last three years, next year too. To read about more posts about Reel Infatuation, please use the links below:https://silverscreenings.org/2018/06/08/reelinfatuation-2018-day-1/ORhttps://fontandfrock.com/2018/06/08/welcome-to-the-2018-reel-infatuation-blogathon/Why Did I Pick Robert Redford?I chose Redford because he is my first ever crush on an actor. As we all know, you never forget your first love. Unbelievably, my love for Redford didn’t begin because of his stunning good looks or his magnetic screen presence or even for my loving every one of the his 79 movies.My magical crush happened when he very young (26 years old) and complete unknown to me and the rest world. He had been acting on numerous television shows from 1960 to 1964. He first showed up on one of my favorite shows: Maverick starring James Garner. During this four-year span of time, he had guest starred on quite a number of popular shows at the time: Perry Mason, Route 66, The Untouchables, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Dr. Kildare, Naked City etc … His last television appearance was in 1964 on The Defenders.
I “fell in love” with Redford while watching a re-run of a very popular television show Twilight Zone (1959-1964). For those unfamiliar with this American television show, it was created by Rod Serling. He was a producer, playwright, and screenwriter. In addition, he introduced and closed each episode with his compassionate pathos and unique voice.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cxf_Dvy0VLs
The Twilight Zone This series is a science-fiction, fantasy, horror anthology. It was brilliantly written, acted, and realistically presented with twists and turns in the end. Also, and maybe more importantly, it usually had a philosophical, howbeit hidden, message about the nature of mankind and what life lessons we need to be learning. Usually, this was an emotional truth that Serling felt should be shared. The legacy of his Life Lessons.
A Few Notes About The Creator of Twilight ZoneRight out of high school, Serling joined the Army to fight in WWII. He was wounded several times; but, he kept going back to combat duty. He fought hand-to-hand combat in the Philippines. After the war, he suffered from severe PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) that haunted him with night terrors for the rest of his life. While working in Hollywood, he was known as an “angry young man.” There were issues that he continuously fought against: racism, the Vietnam war, and censorship.
Twilight Zone: Nothing in The DarkIntroduction An old woman living in a nightmare, an old woman, who has fought a thousand battles with death and always won. Now she’s faced with a grim decision – whether or not to open a door. And in some strange and frightening way, she knows that this seemingly ordinary door leads to the Twilight Zone. Many writers write from their soul. So, their personal emotions can be seen in their work. With that said, imagine this introduction being said by an ex-combat solider who has witnessed and survived death; and he is still haunted by it in his dreams.
More People Behind The ScenesNothing in The Dark first aired on January 5, 1962; and, it only ran for 24 minutes. There are three actors: Gladys Cooper, Robert Redford, and R.G. Armstrong. It was co-written by screenwriter George Clayton Johnson (Logan’s Run (1976), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), and Ocean’s 11 (2001). Here are a couple of pics of Johnson with Redford and Gladys Cooper.
This episode is directed by Lamont Johnson who will go on to win two Emmys for Directing two made for television movies: Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story (1985) and Lincoln (1988). In this clip he explains how the unknown twenty-six year old Redford was hired and the superb British actress, Gladys Cooper reaction after meeting him. This interview was published in October of 2010…48 years after it first aired in ’62.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2-BSFlzaU8A
Summary of Nothing in the DarkThis story centers around a sad, lonely old woman, Wanda Dunn, (Gladys Cooper) whose fear of Death is so great that it has forced her into isolation for most of her life. Oddly enough, she can recognized Death in his infinite forms and disguises. She “knows him” and has been able to avoid him for years. However, there is a cost to pay for having this amazing skill: fearful isolationism. She has never really lived her life because her fear has trapped her from others. As a result, she lives alone on the bottom floor of a dilapidated apartment building. With double locks on her door, she is totally alone, as she nervously sleeps.One snowy night, she is awaken by the sound of class breaking, probably her own window; then, she hears a whistle and then, gun shots. A policeman, Harold Beldon, (Robert Redford) is shot and begs for help. Should she open her door and try to save him? Is it Death tricking her?She finally gives in to his cries and helps him into her flat. She places him on her bed as he profusely thanks her. Then, he begs her to call a doctor, or the police, or an even a neighbour. She explains that she does not have a phone and all the neighbors have moved away. She refuses to go outside to look for help because “he” is out there waiting for her. She decides she can trust the young man; since, she didn’t die when he touched her. She reveals her life story and her gift of recognizing death.Here is a clip of those first 3 minutes of their encounter.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gK1MCE3teZ8As incredulous as Wanda’s story sounds, Beldon is sympathetic to her tragic situation. Suddenly, there is someone banging on her door. She is too afraid to answer it. Someone is breaking in the door. Finally, the door flies open; and, Wanda crumbles to the floor, unconscious.
A contractor ( R.J. Armstrong ) is relieved that she is still alive. He explains that she must leave because he is tearing the old building down to build a new one. He tries to calm her down by explaining that how things work in life. Wanda is terrified to go outside; so, she asks Beldon to help her explain it to him. The contractor looks at her like she is crazy. He warns her that she must gather all the things she doesn’t want to leave behind. He said he would help her move her them; once, he comes back in an hour.Wanda is feeling so hurt and overwhelmed that she cannot understand why Beldon did not say anything to the contractor to help her. Then, she realizes that Death tricked her. I must say Ms Cooper’s performance is this show is what ” pulled me in, hook line and sinker.” I felt so sorry for her and what she missed in her life. All because of a fear of something that was enviable.I was completely into this story. So, you might understand how shocked I was when I learned that twenty years earlier, Cooper played Betty Davis’s BITCH mother in Now, Voyager (1942). Who I hated. Cooper plays a better bitch than Betty Davis in any of her best Bitch roles. This is quite a compliment to Cooper, who I love as Wanda Dunn.Once Wanda realizes that Beldon is Mr Death, he begins to calm her down and reassure her she has nothing to fear from him. He charms her and convinces her that she will be at peace and in comfort. In order for Wanda to surrender her will to Beldon there has to be a believable sense of compassion and trust. Not only for the characters, but also between the actors too. This can then be felt by the audience: The connection is successful. This bond and chemistry between Gladys Cooper (who was 74 years old) and Robert Redford (who was 26 years old) was very strong and compelling.When he reaches for her hand and begs her to trust him and to come with him, I wasn’t sure if she would. Then, in one second everything changed. It changes with two heartfelt words. He softly, begs: Please, Mother. That was the moment that I cried and fell in love with Redford. I doubt Wanda has ever been married or had children. Beldon is probably the only person/Inhuman ever spoke those words to her in her entire life. In the video clip, Lamont Johnson tells the story of the actors mutual respect. Without their mutual regard and respect, this performance could not have been as successful.Rod Serling closes this episode with the following words:There was an old woman who lived in a room. And, like all of us, was frightened of the dark. But who discovered in a minute last fragment of her life that there was nothing in the dark that wasn’t there when the lights were on. Object lesson for the more frightened amongst us, in or out, of the Twilight Zone.Here is a 2 minute video clip that I found on You Tube that mashes scenes together to summarize the story. Unfortunately, the “Mother” was completely left out. To me that was a huge mistake.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i9JZCo912kIIn closing, I have added an interview clip with Redford published four years ago. He is reminiscing about this 52 year old episode. It is very interesting because he mentions the “wonderful dynamic” between the two characters. It’s funny because when most people think of great chemistry between actors, they usually refer to sexual attraction. However, for actors it means so much more.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JuuAEEj1fq0I once remembered a quote that defined love not in years but in moments … if that is true; the, my “Reel Infatuation” with Redford only started in a moment; but, happily his work keeps adding more moments over the years.
Please check for more “Reel Infatuation” stories by using the links near the top of this post.
Like most people, I have always been fascinated by the concept of Time Travel. Back in the early 80s, I remember a reading an article written by astronomer Carl Sagen. He was so excited about the “reality” of sending a letter to anywhere in the world, in mere seconds. Can you imagine sending humans across the universe to a parallel universe or better yet to another era of earth time? I often wondered if he ever thought that the idea of faxing might be the building blocks to actual time travel?
I also wonder if Albert Einstein believed time travel was possible in the 20th century; since,he spent so much of his energy/time and space on this possibility. As a result, he left us with his time-continuum theory/ theory of Relativity. Even today, it is one of the most recognizable or iconic equations of all time: E=MC2. Basically, this is an equation that symbolizes the conversion of mass into energy and energy into mass by manipulating the travel-speed of light.
As you can probably tell, I am excited about the theme of this blogathon: Time Travel in the movies. I want to thank Rich of Widescreen World and Ruth of Silver Screenings for hosting this event. Please use the link below to find more articles on time travel in the movies:
This movie is based on a book: Timeline (1997) by author Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, Coma, Andromeda Strain, Westwood...). Due to his background in medicine, he immersed his novels with his science and medical knowledge. One of the reasons I choose this movie was because of Crichton’s meticulous approach to details. When he sold the movie rights for this book, it was with the condition, they would use his back drop story. He had a theory about how time travel might actually be accomplished. He took the idea of faxing to a Time Travel level. Carl Sagan would be proud.
The Movie Summary
Professor Johnson (Billy Connolly) is working at an archaeological dig in France near a medieval castle, Castlegard. He is aided by his assistant, Kate (Frances O’Connor), and his son, Chris (Paul Walker) and his other assistant, Andre Marek (Gerard Butler). The funding of this dig comes from a corporation that is conducting experiments on an accidental “wormhole” it created while attempting to transport a box through a type of huge Fax machine (Time Machine).
All reports from the dig-site are sent to this corporation. The CEO, who receives the dig site reports, also directs the transportation project. He kind of reminds me of Bill Gates type, Dr. Robert Doniger, played by David Thewlis. At the dig site, Chris is trying to start a romance with Kate. Marek explains to him about true love. He uses a medieval grave site of a royal couple to help explain the aspects of true love.
Later, Kate and Marek are lowered into a “just found” tunnel. They find something that astounds all reason: Professor Johnson’s reading glasses are there. Unbelievably, the eye glasses are six hundred years old. Yet, they recently seen them on him the day before. When they try to locate the Professor, they find that he is missing. He was last seen going to the Corporate Lab to report dig findings. The three assistants, along with a few other scientists from the dig site, accompanied them to Corporate.
Frustratingly, Dr. Doniger gives them his explanation. Professor Johnson has been transported back in time to 1357 Castlegard, France. He has a “marker” that will direct him back to the 21st century as long as he is at the opening of the wormhole by the designated time. Problem is, he didn’t return. They are not sure what happened to him. The marker only works for a limited amount of time. So, Doniger elicits the help of the three assistants with their co-worker, Francois Dontelle (Rossif Sutherland) to go on a mission to bring the Professor back. To lead them and protect them, Frank Gordon (Neal McDonough) and a few other Corporate men go with the group.
Already, something about all this feels wrong. Why did Doniger wait to contact them about the missing Professor. They would not have known anything if the Professor had not left his glasses, five hundred years ago, as a clue. Plus, Gordon acts a bit afraid to go. Not quite trusting Doniger, the group agree with the plan to retrieve the Professor.
Sadly, the time machine looks like the transporter from 1960s classic TV show: Star Trek. There we find Engineer Scott “Transporting” Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Mr Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Doctor McCoy (Deforest Kelly) to the surface of a planet from space. A beam of light is manipulated to transport their bodies through space.
So with earth shattering pain from the transport, the adventure begins. They are transported back six hundred years ago. They arrive in the middle of a war. This war is the Hundred Years War between France and England. The same war that saw combat action from Richard III, Henry V, and Joan of Arc, although they never actually met on a field of battle or anywhere else. A time period where the Black Plague was prevalent and European men loved cropped hair styles God and obeyed the Church.
Before the Professor can be found and just after they appear in 1357 France, a couple of the Corporate guards are murdered by English soldiers. Marek rescues a boy from English soldiers only to find out the boy is a girl, Lady Claire (Anna’s Friel). Then, the whole group is captured by the English Lord Oliver (Martin Sheen) as French spies. We also learn he is holding the Professor prisoner too. To keep Oliver from killing him, the Professor promised to make him a weapon to defeat the French: ” liquid Fire” or Greek Fire. This plays havoc on the whole changing the future idea.
Back at corporate headquarters, one of the wounded men is sent back. Unbeknownst to them, he had pulled the pin to a grenade (illegally brought to the past) while he was fighting the English for his life. Right after the body is transported, the grenade in his hand blows up in the time machine. So, Doniger is busy trying to repair the damage before the time will expired to bring the group back.
The group escaped Lord Oliver but get separated. Marek rescued Lady Claire again. Professor Johnson, Chris, and Kate are captured again. After all these rescues, Marek and Lady Claire begin to fall in love. They have some cute courting miscommunication even though Marek is the only one who speaks her archaic French language (Occitan). They are eventually found by her brother, Prince Regent, Lord Arnaut (Lambert Wilson).
When Marek leaves the French camp to find his friends, he becomes captured again by the right hand man of Lord Oliver, Sir Dekere. As a prisoner, Marek is reunited with his friends who are also prisoners. Soon they learn, that Sir William Deker (Marton Csorkas) is really William Decker from their time. He was left behind and assumed dead. He is convinced that the group is there to kill him. He explained that he has Time travelled several times. He reveals to the group a secret. A secret that Dr. Doniger wants to kill him for in order to ensure his silence. The secret: Each time you go through the transport, your cellular atoms mutate. Due to the internal damage, you will eventually die sooner than you normally would.
Dr. Doniger really wants this rescue mission to fail; and, he sabotages the efforts to fix the time machine before the wormhole appears again. Not wanting to spoil the interesting ending, I will leave the summary here.
Personally, I enjoyed the movie. I don’t know anyone who didn’t like this movie. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its flaws or that there are people who hated it. Crichton hated the movie so much that he refused to sell any more movie rights for his books. However, after he died of cancer in 2008, his estate did sell his friend, Steven Spielberg, the rights to Pirate Latitudes.
So, what happened to this “could have a great movie?”
It is directed by Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon [1 – 4], Superman (1978), Goonies (1985), Scrooged (1988)…) The cast is exceptional: Sir Billy Connolly, David Thewlis, Gerard Butler, Paul Walker, Frances O’Conner, Michael Sheen, Anna Friel, Neal McDonough, …. It had a generous budget of 80 million dollars. By all rights this movie should have been a huge hit with some sequels.
Again, it has a great story, an excellent director, cast and crew and mucho money. So, what happened?
First: It was a disaster at the box office. The first week it opened it made a little over 8.4 million dollars. It grossed not quite 20 million in the USA. In the international market it made 43.9 million. In other words, it lost money.
Second: The hype was overwhelming….people wanted to see this movie. Yet, release dates kept changing. Donner had to ‘re-cut this 136 minute movie to 116 minutes. The studio sent this movie back four times for edit/cuts. Of course, details of the story were cut out of the film. These details helped audiences understand the story; and, allow it to be believable. As a result, it became an action movie and the valuable concepts and plots were lost on the audience.
Third: Possibly, the heart of the movie was removed. At the beginning of the film, Billy Connolly had a prologue that explained his character’s disappearance. This was vital to the story: and helped introduce the plot. Instead, the movie starts with some guy in a robe running around in the desert/forest. One minute he is in a forest running from a knight on horseback. Then, he is struck down by sword. Then, he falls in the middle of the road in the desert. A car stops to assist. We don’t know the guy; and, he dies in the emergency room. Some suits show up to retrieve his medical records and x-rays. The attending doctor says there are abnormalities in the x-rays. For me, this was too soon for a such a small clue for me to use later. Of course, I completely forgot the scene because it is not memorable.
Fourth: Historically the film is inaccurate. There was no Battle of Castlegard. The language was neither French or English. It was before Shakespeare and after Chaucer. In the book, Crichton gave each of them a high-tech ear translator. This was not done in the movie. The language barrier was not appropriately addressed. On top of that detail, the shields had emblems of countries and regions that did not exist in 1357. Canada is one and Germany is another country.
Last Thoughts
Again, I thought Timeline was an enjoyable movie. No, it does present a reliable theory concerning Time Travel or its impact on society. If there was a perspective about Time Travel in this film, it might be that time travel should not be attempted. What good can come from tinkering with the past? Besides, according to this movie, the human body was not made to withstand the subatomic makeover from travelling the speed of light; with or without a wormhole. It is sad that the movie was edited and cut to its death. This promised to be a great movie; but, was reduced to enjoyable in 116 minutes.
Presently, quantum physicists are still working on the possibility of time travel. What I do know is that six years ago, college students were able to bend light from another room. At this rate, who knows if space and time travel is not only possible but may actual happen in our near future. Honestly, didn’t we just send a Tesla car into space blasting David Bowie’s Space Oddity on the radio. On second thought, maybe there are travels that we, as humans, will find beyond of our realm of attainable possibilities.
With a new year, you can expect new challenges. As a blogger, my year started out with a FANtastic challenge. This year I have been offered the opportunity to write a post that “pays forward” The Twelve Days of Christmas. The gifts given here is from the popular television series, Outlander, specifically Season 3. These gifts were givento fans of Outlander throughout this past year of 2017.
The illustration of this Children’s book has a Scot theme with characters who remind me of Highlander Jamie Fraser with his wife, Claire.
Many people, including myself, believe that the true spirit of Christmas should not be celebrated once a year but everyday of the year. So with that said, allow me to present to you, dear reader, with The Twelve Days of Outlander. I begin this post by highlighting “some” of Season 3’s main events. It would be impossible to include everything in this post from Season 3; since, there is an over abundance of memorable scenes and surprises. So, I begin by discussing some of those major events (plot and subplot themes). I will include the first and second day of Outlander gifts 🎁 to fans within this long review. Afterwards, I will conclude with listing the final ten gifts.
🚫SPOILER WARNING🚫
If you have notseen Season 3 or read Gabaldon’s Voyager, you need to know that this post is loaded with spoilers. For those of you, like me, who are in Droughtlander (a space of time between two seasons), I hope you will enjoy this post; and, for you, who are just curious, I hope you too will enjoy the post.
What are some of the Events in Season 3?
Jamie and Claire Fraser’s twenty years of separation, the Battle of Culloden, their reunion, the journey and adventure to rescue Wee Ian Murray from pirates, fighting the Bakra and a Sea wreck on the coast of the New World.
The Reunion and Tweny year Separation
Season 3 is based on the third book, Voyager, by Diana Gabaldon. Personally, this is one of my favorites from the eight-book series. One of the most significant events in the book is the Jamie and Claire reunion after being separated for over twenty years. Here we find a much older Jamie and Claire struggling to find their comfort zone in each other’s hearts and matured lives.
Let’s face it: An 18th century Scottish Highlander-warrior has different skill-sets and cultural perceptions when compared to a 20th century English mother and Combat-Army nurse who had struggled to become a Civilian surgeon in the late 1950s. Without a doubt, they will need years to work out their personal differences and on going martial issues. Added to these tantamount obstacles, there is also a bit of explaining to do for all their decisions and mistakes made during the last twenty years. On the first night of their reunion, Jamie questions Claire about her motives for coming back to him, 20 years later. To say the least, time travel is a bitch.
Jamie drives home the point: He is not the same man that she once knew. Now he has additional aspects to his complex life: 7-Years as a cave dwelling hermit, ten more years of prison, smuggler, printer, treasonous writer, second marriage, his son: Willie… Nor, is she the same Claire, he once knew: a mother who raised a twenty year old daughter, a married woman of 23 years to Frank, a doctor with a Harvard degree, Women’s Liberation, The Civil Rights Moment, a man on the moon, penicillin…. Regardless of the time traveling consideration, life has a way of changing us through our experiences. Claire and Jamie are no exception to this rule.
Personally, Claire has more trust issues and lacking a bit of confidence in herself. Whereas Jamie is extremely stoic and definitely trusts no one, completely. Due to his criminal actions, Jamie is very complex person with a very complex life. For instance, depending on what he is doing at the time, he has various names or aliases for of his various actions or occupations. Obviously, Jamie and Claire have major difficulties to resolve in their ongoing relationship. Fortunately, they have common bonds besides their enduring love for one another, both mirror each other in courage and perseverance. Plus, they have aged well; and, they are still the sexiest couple on film and probably on the planet.
Outlander Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan photographed on the Outlander set in Cape Town, South Africa on March 9, 2017 by Ruven Afanador Balfe’s Costume: Marnie Ormiston; Hair and Makeup: Anita Anderson; Heughan’s Costume: Kirsty Allen; Hair and Makeup: Wendy Kemp Forbes; Set Dressers: Jason Broderick and Thomas Leppan; Production: Baker Kent Productions
Outlander Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan photographed on the Outlander set in Cape Town, South Africa on March 8, 2017 by Ruven Afanador Balfe’s Costume: Marnie Ormiston; Hair and Makeup: Anita Anderson; Heughan’s Costume: Kirsty Allen; Hair and Makeup: Wendy Kemp Forbes; Set Dressers: Jason Broderick and Thomas Leppan; Production: Baker Kent Productions
🎁 🎼 So, on the First Day of Outlander Gifts 💝 fans were given a hilarious and imaginative parody of Jamie and Claire’s visit to CouplesTherapy provided by MTV’s funny man David Horowitz ….🎼 Fala La La La 🎶 La La La🎶
🎁🎁 🎼 On The Second Day of Outlander Gifts 💝 fans were given superbperformances by Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Tobias Menzies, Grant O’Rourke, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin, David Barry, Steven Cree, Laura Donnelly, Hanna James, and by the whole hard-working cast. In addition to the performances, fans were gifted by the producers, directors, writers, art and set designers, cinematographers, makeup artist, and anyone who worked on any part of Season 3’s episodes. Thanks to you all for your gifts of creativity and hard work…🎼 Fa La La La La; Fa La La La🎶
The following contain several gifted scenes and pics from Season 3: The Separation years and the Battle of Culloden (Episodes 1 – 5).
Another Major Event in Season 3: The Battle at Culloden
🚫Dear Reader: Unless you are suffering from Droughtlander (the space between seasons) or you just like to read, you may wish to scroll through the next several paragraphs; until, you reach the rest of the Outlander “Pay It Forward” Gifts 🎁 🚫
Another major event in Season 3, the book and Scottish history: the Battle of Culloden. The last battle for the Jacobite Rebellion. The images within these scenes are not only memorable but eerily beautiful.
The opening scene has to be one of the best in television history. If Sam Heughan’s (Jamie Fraser) performance in these scenes does not receive critical praise; then, I am convinced that critics are either dishonest in their reviews; or, they haven’t a clue as to what a great performance looks like. As the scene begins. an unconscious and wounded Jamie is lying among the massive number of dead on the battlefield. He awakens with his body partially covered by the dead body of Captain Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies). His first thoughts: I am dead. He goes in and out of consciousness as he remembers bits and pieces of the battle and his life with Claire (Caitriona Balfe)
Jamie is waiting for death. He wants to die. He not only wants to end his physical pain; but, his emotional heartbreak as well. This was the last major battle of the Jacobite Rebellion. They fought to put the “rightful” King (Prince Charles Edward Stuart/ aka Bonnie Prince Charley) on the British throne. With the poor leadership of Prince Charley (AndrewGower) along with terrible strategies, the Battle of Culloden becomes a horrific defeat for the Scots. Scotland will forever be changed due to hundreds of years oppression that follow this defeat. Most highlanders were killed in battle or soon after. Jamie wanted to die in that battle. He sent his wife and unborn child into the future, never to see them again. Of course, he wanted to die. In his mind, life was not worth living anymore.
As he suffers from his wounds, he awaits for the Angel of Death or the blade of a British solider’s bayonet to end his life. All around him, wounded highlanders are killed by British soldiers. Then, a light snow descends from the night sky. Near him, he watches a bunny rabbit scampering about. While lying there, Jamie has a vision of Claire.
His cousin, Rupert Mackenzie (Grant O’Rourke), finds him dying. He refuses to leave him there and helps him off the battlefield to a small cottage (the only building) on the battlefield. Eventually, the remaining Highlanders are found and kept there as prisoners; until, each is executed: One at a time while the other prisoners can can hear the shots.
Jamie listens as each man gives his name to be recorded just before they are shot. Then, near the cottage, Jamie painfully listens to the fatal shots. Sadly, some of the men were as young as sixteen. The tears start flowing when Rupert says his goodbyes to Jamie after he volunteers to go next.
Twenty Years of Separation for Jamie and Claire
For Claire: Co-parenting her daughter, Brianna, with Frank is a double edge sword: She loves that Frank is a wonderful father; but their marriage as a couple is void of passionate love. She cannot forget Jamie, especially while loving his ginger haired daughter. So, she continues to pine for him even though he died two hundred years ago. To her credit, she tried to leave Jamie in the past. She even agreed to never speak of Jamie or to tell Bree about him while Frank was still alive. However, talking and thinking are two different things. So, cleansing Jamie from her was impossible for Claire. Nothing can stop Claire’s love for Jamie Fraser. Naturally, Frank resents her for this. For Bree’s sake they remain together as parents; but their marriage is a sham: “friends” with benefits as Frank promises to be discreet with his girlfriends. How utterly lonely for Claire. This will have a negative effect on her self-confidence and trust in others.
Frank cannot compete with the memories of Jamie. As a result, Professor Randall looks for love and companionship with his female students. Unfortunately for Claire, Frank not only left her feeling lonely and unwanted, he also did not appreciate her mothering duties. He encourages her to go back at school. However, once her schooling was complete, he resented her leaving their home and child to go to work and making friends like Joe Abernathy. Frank was a man of his times. He accepted the social rules of separating the races while he secretly thought Claire was having an affair with Joe. This was not touched on in the show but was mentioned in the books as one of his reasons for wanting to take Bree back to England and leaving Claire. I am glad the writers left this out.
Claire has entered into a “man’s profession” of medicine. She receives little support except for her friend of color, Joe Abernathy (Wil Johnson), who is also on his own due to “Separate but Equal” policies of segregated America and during the Civil Rights Movement. These are major changes in Claire’s life which also affects Claire’s character and personality.
There are plenty of life changes for Jamie Fraser as well. He was seriously injured in the fatal Battle of Culloden. But he lived when nearly every warrior he knew and fought side by side with died. He survived. Despite the fact, he is sent home to die, he survives and becomes a hunted man. To avid capture, he lives in a cave for seven years; and, he hunts food at night and sneaks it to his sister’s home at Lallybroch. He provides food for his sister’s family who happens to be his only family now. While hiding in his cave and avoiding capture, he becomes part of the Scottish lore, The Red Bonnet.
Eventually, after young Fergus (Romann Berrux) has his hand lobbed off, thanks to the to the Redcoats trying to find Jamie, he has had enough of his family being harassed and arrested because of him. He decides that it is time to turn himself in to the redcoats. He begs his sister to work with the British to trap him; so, she can collect the award money. This award money is desperately needed to help all the families on the Lallybroch lands.
Jamie goes back to prison for another ten years. There his finds his “godfather,” Murtagh Frizgibbons (DuncanLaCroix), barely alive; yet, he too is a survivor of the Battle at Culloden. Eventually, Jamie is befriended by the new prison commander, Lord John Grey (DavidBerry). Grey is secretly gay and falls desperately in love with Jamie knowing Jamie cannot and will return his love. Yet, the two men learn to trust each other, eventually. Grey realizes he is fortunate to earn Jamie’s trust and friendship. Both men respect each other and consider the other as a honorable man.
The following is a clip of a scene between Jamie and Grey as they reveal their sorrow for love ones they lost.
Grey’s appearance in Season 3 is pure joy. He is a fascinating character that Gabaldon has dedicated another series of books too. I hope if there is a spin-off show off of Outlander, I hope it is Lord John Grey.
When the prison closes, Grey prevents Jamie from going into transportation to the American colonies as an indentured servant. Instead he arranges for Jamie to go to the English country estate of Helwater. Jamie’s rebel prisoner status is kept a secret from the Earl’s wife, Lady Louisa Dunsany (BethGoddard). The Dunsanys’ son was killed in a battle against the Jacobites. When Jamie expressed sympathy for the Dunsanys’ lost, he explained to the Earl that he understood since he had lost his own two children. The Earl of Dunsany was moved by Jamie’s statement. He agrees to give him a small stipend and his prisoner status to be kept secret. Although Jamie remains a prisoner, he is “hired” as a groom due to his skill with horses.
Poor Jamie! Why does everybody want to jump his bones? Soon after he begins his work as a hired groom, he is blackmailed by the Geneva Dunsany (HannahJames). A seventeen year old daughter of the Dunsanys who is arrogant, lacks self-discipline and is spoiled rotten. In addition, she is a virgin who is betrothed to the Earl Of Ellesmere (a man in his 60s). She is determined that her first sexual experience will be completed with someone she is actually attracted to and is powerless to refuse her. Hello, Jamie! According to Geneva, Jamie is an ideal candidate because he has been married; and “he will know what to do.”
Two days after Geneva loses her virginity to Jamie Fraser, she marries the elderly Ludovic Ransom, The Seventh Earl of Ellesmere (JamesCameron Stewart). Apparently, one night of love-making with Jamie was too much for Geneva’s fertile eggs. Geneva becomes pregnant; and, nine months later, she delivers a healthy baby boy. Sadly, Geneva, like many women of her time, dies within hours after giving birth. As the Dunsany family gather to Geneva’s dying side, she confides to her sister the identity of the real father. Soon after Geneva dies, a grieving Isobel (TanyaReynolds) confronts Jamie. She is interrupted by a servant who cries for their help. Lord Elesmere verbally attacks Geneva’s grieving parents. He yells about the betrayal and sham of his marriage. He knows the child could not be his; since, he and Geneva had not consummated their marriage. He is beyond angry: Raging mad is a better description. The Dunsanys beg Lord Elesmere to give the baby to them. Suddenly, he threatens to kill the newborn. As he holds a knife over the baby and about to plunge it into its small body, Jamie shoots a pistol and kills Elesmere. Jamie kills the Earl; but, he saves his own son.
William makes child number three for Jamie. The first two were girls: Faith and Brianna. Even though Jamie never met either of them, he continued to feel the hurt and pain of a Father who lost his children. On the other hand, his son, William, is there; and, Jamie can see, touch, and speak to him. What he cannot do is claim William as his own. Eventually, Lady Dunsany shows her appreciation to Jamie for saving her grandson’s life. Through her husband’s influence, she offers him a promise to obtain his pardon from the King. After years of being hunted and held as a prisoner, he can finally be free again and go home to Lallybroch. Jamie thanks her but asks if he would be allowed to stay on as a stable hand instead. He cannot leave William behind; nor can he confide this to Lady Dunsany. Instead, he explains that his family in Scotland are on hard times; and, they need the money he sends them. So, Mackenzie (Jamie) stays on at Helwater as a free man, a groom; but, more importantly, as a father to watch, observe, and be near his son, William.
A major obstacle appears as William (ClarkButler) grows older. By the time he is six, his has a near identical resemblance to Jamie. The only difference is their hair color. Willie has his mother’s dark hair instead of Jamie’s Ginger hair. However, people are starting to notice Jamie and William’s uncanny resemblance. Jamie will not jeopardize Willie Ransom’s wealthy inheritance and title as the future Eighth Earl of Ellesmere.
Mackenzie/Jamie tearfully says goodbye to the Dunsanys, Lord John Grey and his son. Isobel and Grey marry and become legal guardians of Willie. They both promise Jamie to love and protect Willie while keeping Jamie’s secret.
Jamie goes home; but, he is painfully lonely. He misses Claire and their baby; and his his heart aches for Willie. So, his sister plays matchmaker. At Lallybroch on Hogmanay (Scot’s New Year Eve party). Jamie is charmed by two adorable little girls. The younger one’s name is Joan (LaylaBurns), and; has red hair like Brianna; and, her slightly older sister’s name is Marsali (LaurenLyle). They plea with Jamie to dance with them. Which makes Jamie laugh; since, it is usually the males who ask the females to dance. During Jamie’s dance with both girls, Jamie openingly laughs and smiles. He has a soft spot for children; plus, he was reminded of his own two lost daughters. Because the girls are fatherless; and Jamie yearns to be somebody’s father and someone’s husband again, he marries their mother. The mother is “A want-to-be-Jamie’s girlfriend” Laoghaire Mackenzie (NellHudson).
This is definitely not one of Jamie’s wisest decisions. The marriage fails almost before it started. He soon finds himself, alone again, and making a living as a printer in the city of Edinburgh. There, he finds very little profit as a printer. So, he resorts to the lucrative, but criminal, side business of smuggling French wines into England. He is always taking care of love ones first; so, he sends money to his sister, Jenny Murray (LauraDonnelly) and her family in Lallybroch; and, he also sends money to Laoghaire for her care and his “adopted” daughters. To save money, he has arranged for a free room that is close to the docks and harbor. It includes free meals and privacy in a location that is another shocker for our honorable Jamie Fraser: a brothel. This is provided by a Madame who not only owns the brothal but who is also one of Jamie’s best customers. She buys a great deal of smuggled French wines.
The Reunion of Claire and Jamie
That moment when Claire and Jamie see each other after twenty years is priceless. Take a look at it in the following clip.
Has Jamie and Claire changed after twenty years? Without a doubt. No matter how much the lives and personalities have changed, there is one thing that stays constant: Their connected souls. When your love is shared Soul Deep, there is nothing that can separate you from that love. Jamie and Claire will learn to adapt to each other’s changes and begin a new life together.
The next scene reveals their awkward awareness of each other:
The long-awaited event of Jamie and Claire’s Reunion is not the only romantic event in Season 3. There are other loving couples such as Bree and Roger and Fergus and Marsali.
We are introduced to an adult Bree (SophieSkelton) in the sweetest romance with a Scot who is Oxford history Professor, Roger Wakefield (RichardRankin). Bree lives in Boston. Roger travels from Scotland, at Christmas time, to present to Claire proof that Jamie survived Culloden. Plus, he wanted to see the Randell ladies because he has a huge crush on Bree. When Bree learns that Jamie survived Culloden, she encourages her mother to go back to him. She wants to make her mother happy again; and, she wants to thank Jamie for his sacrifice and love. This may be the only time she can communicate to her real father that she loves him too. Claire travels back in time to find Jamie Fraser again.
Once back and reunited with Jamie, Claire is shocked and surprised to learn of Jamie’s second marriage to Laoghaire Mackenzie. This is a shocker since Laoghaire tried to have Claire burned as a witch. Laoghaire wanted no obstacles in her way in securing Jamie’s love. Claire also finds the Lallybroch family has grown up since she had last seen them, especially wee Ian (JohnBell). Young Ian is a sixteen year old who is determined to be with his idolized uncle Jamie that he repeatedly runs away from Lallybroch to be with him.
We also learn of the deaths of Black Jack Randall and Claire’s first husband, Frank. Finally, we meet Jamie’s newest loyal friend, Lord John Grey (DavidBarry). I hope some smart producer or producers will make this character into a spin-off series. The Grey books are crime solving mysteries with a lot of humor in them. Plus, Jamie Fraser appears in some of the books to help him out.
A brief summary of the Second Half of Season 3
The second half of the season is like the rollercoaster ride of adventures. Wee Ian is kidnapped by pirates while trying to recover a small treasure chest hidden on a small island in Northern Scotland. Jamie and Claire use Jamie’s uncle Jarred’s ship, the Artemus, to follow and rescue the lad. While at sea, a British man of war seizes the Artemus looking for doctor to help treat the crew who are quickly dying from an unknown disease. Claire volunteers to go on board against Jamie’s objections. The British Captain (CharleyHiett) promised to return her; but, he lied. One of the British crew recognized Jamie as Alexander Malcolm: A Scot printer who is wanted by the British crown for treason and the murder of a government employee. In fact, it was actually Claire who accidentally killed the government inspector while she was defending herself from being sexually assaulted in Jamie’s room at the brothel.
Voyages And Shipwrecks
Since most of the senior officers have died from the mysterious disease, a recently promoted and very young, Captain Leonard keeps Claire on board his ship to make sure Jamie follows him to Jamaica. He hopes his much larger and faster ship will reach Jamaica before Jamie’s cargo ship. He wishes to set a trap and arrest him for murder and treason. The Captain of the Artemus has agreed to help the British captain capture Jamie. When Jamie insists they throw cargo overboard in order to make the ship lighter so they could catch up with the British man-o-war. The Captain wastes no time in having Jamie arrested and thrown in the brig.
Before reaching Jamaica, Claire jumps overboard and swims ashore to a small island. Jamie’s ship hit rough waters full of rocks and cliffs. They are shipwrecked on the same island that Claire swam to. Neither knows the other is there.
Once they discover each other, they repair the ship’s mast and sail to Jamaica. Looking for Jamie’s nephew, young Ian who was kidnapped by pirates, they inadvertently purchases a slave. Jamie also discovers that his friend, Lord John Grey, is the new governor of Jamaica. He and Claire go to the governors’ ball to see if Lord Grey can assist in finding the boy. They ask their slave to inquire from other slaves information that help them find Ian too. For his help, they promise to free the slave. He confirms that young Ian is seen at the Abernathy estate.
Before, the Frasers reach the estate, Jamie is arrested by Captain Leonard. Before Jamie is incarcerated in a prison cell, he is bought before his newest best friend, Governor Lord John Grey. This next scene is one of my favorites for the whole season. It not only showcased the actors’ prowess, it was exciting to watch John Grey’s “set down” to Captain Leonard. There are three actors in this scene. One of them, Heughan, never says a word; but, his reactions to the other two men, as they confront each other over the his arrest, speaks volumes for his acting chops. This scene is one of favorite scenes in the season. Kudos to David Berry. Watch how Jamie’s buddy (Lord Grey) handles the ambitious Captain Leonard. It is brilliant.
Of corse Jamie and Claire locate Young Ian at the Abernathy estate. However, the widower, Mrs. Abernathy, is none only Gellis Duncan. Another time traveler who befriended Claire. Gellis is a “witch” and Claire thought she burned at the stake in order to help Claire escape her fate. She is also bat shit crazy. She hired pirates to steal young, virgin boys in order to bathe in their blood, to remain young. Mrs. Abernathy is known as the mysterious monstrosity known as the Bakra. Lucky for young Ian, he was not a virgin. Of course, Jamie and Claire will save him from certain death.
When escaping Jamaica, their ship runs straight into the eye of a hurricane. At the beginning of episode 13, the last episode, Claire says: Iamdead. Just like Jamie did at the beginning of episode 1 of season 3. While Jamie awoke, seriously wounded, Claire didn’t wake, she was drowning in the ocean. Again, this is one of the most stunning scenes I have ever seen on film. As Claire drifts to the ocean bottom, Jamie is finally seen trying to cut the ships ropes from her body. Then, he kisses her and breathes his last breath as he blows air into her mouth. This is the following scene.
🚫🎄🏴🎁🚫🎄🎁🚫🎄🏴🎁🚫🎄🏴🎁🚫🎄🏴🎁❤️🚫
OutlanderPayItForwardGifts…Continues
With the completion of season 3 overview by highlighting superb performances and production Gifts (Day Two 🎁 🎁), let us continue the Outlander Christmas “Pay it Forward” in the spirit of The Twelve Days of Outlander 🎶
🎁🎁🎁 🎼 On the Third Day of Christmas, Starz Outlander gave fans Seasons 3 and the working of Season 4; and by the January of this year, they received yet another gift: the “probable” gift of Seasons 5 and 6….Fa La La La La Fa La La
🎁🎁🎁🎁 🎼 On the Forth Day of Christmas, Outlander presented to fans a Twitter account from the writers of the show: @Outlander Writers. This a Twitter account that fans may directly ask questions to the writers after each episode has aired. Fans receive feedback to their questions every Tuesday…Fa La La La La Fa La La La🎶
🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁 🎼 On the Fifth Day of Christmas, Outlander presented to fans online corrected scripts, Behind the scenes pics and discussions, games and quizzes for each of the Season 3 episodes (13)…Fa La La La La Fa La La La🎶
Writers Matthew B. Roberts and Toni Graphia discuss the last episode with executive producer Ron Moore. These discussions can be found for each episode. These discussions have interesting behind the scenes information. Thanks Matt Roberts, I now want to use a water hose too after listening to you describe how much fun you had in spraying Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan.
🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁 🎼 On the Sixth Day of Christmas, Outlander presents to fans opportunities at Con Gatherings to meet and greet: cast members, producers, writers, and musicians. These gatherings may include photos with fans, autographs, eating and dancing….Fa La La La La Fa La La La🎶
🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁 🎼 On the Seventh Day of Christmas, Outlander presented fans with wonderful newcostumes from Terri Dresbach. Season 3 is known as the season of the Skirt for Claire and the Tricorne hat and blousy shirt for Jamie…Fa La La La La Fa La La La🎶
🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁 🎼 On the Eighth Day of Christmas, the Outlander cast, crew and producer, Ron Moore, provided numerous opportunities for QuestionsandAnswers from Ten minutes to thirty minutes; off and on throughout the year. These are really fun; and, if they pick your question, it feels like you have won the lottery. In addition, cast and crew are constantly tweeting fun stuff about their work and playing practical jokes on each other. For instance, they love stealing each other’s phones and taking selfies of themselves; then, sharing them on Twitter… Fa La La La La; Fa La La La🎶
I must add StevenCree who plays Ian Murray. Ian is Jamie’s best friend since childhood. He even married Jamie’s sister, Jenny. Steven is also a real life friend to Sam Heughan. Cree loves to use his Twitter account to engage Outlander fans with his Heughan Talks video clips. Cree disguises his voice to talk for Sam (thehostwiththemost) and Sam’s guests, like Michael Jackson. These guests are actually dolls or pics on the computer monitor or on a tablet. Once, for 2017 Christmas, he filmed the real Sam. It reminded me of my sister who aggravated me while I tried to ignore her. Of course, you can tell, both men are having a great time, along with the fans.
🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁 🎼 On the Ninth Day of Outlander, fansweregifted with the added the talents of NEW CAST MEMBERS! Here are a few that comes to mind; but, there were many more …Fa La La La La; Fa La La La🎶
David Berry, John Bell,Lauren Lyle, Caesar Domboy
David Berry as Lord John Grey
John Bell as young Ian Murray
Lauren Lyle as Marsali and Caesar Domboy as Fergus
Hanna James, Wil Johnson, and Gary Young
Hanna James as Lady Geneva Dunsany
Gary Young as Mr Willoughby
Wil Johnson as Joe Abernathy
🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁 🎼On the Tenth Day of Outlander, the fans were gifted with a lovely surprise: Murtagh Fritzgibbons (DuncanLacrox) survived Culloden. In the book, he was killed as he “killed” Black Jack Randall. Some fans do not like it when the main storyline is distorted from the books. I loved that Jamie’s wise and experienced “godfather” was found in Ardsmuir prison. I hope to see much more of him in Season 4 …Fa La La La La; Fa La La La🎶
🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁 🎼 On the Eleventh Day of Outlander, fans were gifted with the sweetest Christmas scene between Roger and Bree. Their first Christmas together and a kind of bittersweet date; since, Claire just left to go back through the stones and back to Jamie. When Roger first visits Claire and Bree, he confessed that he wanted to spend an American Christmas with them. He wanted to eat Boston cream pies and eat lobster rolls. Claire told him that the few Christmas traditions the Randall’s had shared had consisted of reading The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens toa much youngerBree was much younger. Of course, Claire realizes that this was the first Christmas Roger would celebrate without his father who recently died. She also understood that he wanted to spend Christmas with a friend who knew his father and who has a beautiful daughter that he was seriously crushing on. In the following scene, Bree is comforted by Roger. Her mother just said goodbye. Bree watched her from the window as her mother takes a taxi to the airport for a flight to Scotland. I think Bree and Roger are so adorable as they try to cheer each other up and rekindle the joyful spirit of Christmas together. I am really looking forward to seeing more of these two and Season 4…Fa La La La La; Fa La La La🎶
🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁 🎼 On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, Outlander fans could once again see some their past favorite actors and characters help Season 3 become the BEST SHOW on TELEVISION. Thank you actors, all: for reprising your roles …Fa La La La La; Fa La La La🎶
Bill Paterson as Lawyer Ned Gowan
Lotte Verbeek as Gellis Duncan/Mrs. Abernathy
Nell Hudson as Laeghaire Mackenzie
And of course the whole recurring cast of Outlander, including production teams, writers, and crew that make this show an exceptional delight to watch and follow as the “gifted” fans do. People say that Outlander has the best fans. When in truth, how could they be otherwise with such wonderful gifts from such an Outstanding show. Have a wonderful and Happy New Year everyone.
David Berry as Lord John Grey
Lotte Verbeek as Gellis Duncan/Mrs. Abernathy
Realweegiemidget Reviews’ Gill Jacob, offered up the “pay it forward” using The Twelve Days of Christmas theme as a challenge to several bloggers. She chose our particular topic, I am honored she singled me out to write a post on the Outlander. I pride myself as one of the millions of avid Outlander fans (book series and the show). I hope you will enjoy reading this post whether you are a fan too or even if you know nothing about the show. If you would like to read other ”Pay it Forward” posts with the focus on other popular TV shows and movies, please use the following link:
I am am not going to tag you in order to draw you into a public challenge. Instead, I hope you do write your own “Pay it Forward” in the spirit of the Twelve Days ofChristmas. It would great for you to join in the fun, especially after you read other posts submitted to this Blogathon. However, my friends, I truly hope you will not be offended that I included a few of you have in my tags at the bottom of this post. I hope that it is not too intrusive. If it is, please let me know. I hope everyone has a wonderful and successful year.
***I do not own any of the images found in this post***
What is it about “mad scientists ” that is so appealing to film audiences? Is it their crazy ideas that fascinates? Or maybe, it is their passion for possibilities of the unthinkable. Real scientists like Albert Einstein, NikolaTesla, or LeonardoDaVinci were thought “mad” at times too. Their ideas shocked their contemporaries; and yet, their passions eventually changed our perception of our world which resulted in changing our lives for the better too. It is only natural that we find ourselves drawn to these “mad” geniuses. Christina Wehner and Ruth from Silver Screenings invited bloggers to write a post about a mad scientist from the movies. Please use the link below to read more blogs on movie scientists of all sorts:
My original “mad scientist” was Doctor Frankenstein from the Mary Shelley’s book and from the multiple film incarnations of him. I also love comedies. Logically, I was going to write a post about MelBrooks‘ Hilarious YoungFrankenstein. However, as I was watching Igor (pronounced I-Gor not E-Gor) looking for a human brain, I had a better idea…Brains….the Human brain.
What if Dr. Frankenstein took the brain and put in in a dead body? I mean a body that wasn’t pieced together from many body parts. Just pick a whole dead body and put in a “good” brain. Or, as Brain Surgeon Doctor Micheal Hfuhruhurr (SteveMartin) said:
Ladies and gentlemen, I can envision a day when the brains of brilliant men can be kept alive in the bodies of dumb people.
So instead of Young Frankenstein (1974), my post will be about another hilarious movie scientist, Dr. Hfuhruhurr, in the film, The Man Wiith Two Brains (1983). This is the third of four movies that CarlReiner directed that starred comedic, mastermind SteveMartin:
TheJerk (1979)
Dead Men Don’t Ware Plaid (1982)
The Man With Two Brains (1983)
All of Me (1984)
The three comedy writers who wrote TheMan With Two Brains also wrote the screenplay for DeadMenDon’t Wear Plaid: Carl Reiner, Steve Martin and George Gale. This movie mostly spoofs horror films of by gone years. I feel it is only proper to mention each of the films since they not only inspired The Man With Two Brains; but, they have “mad” scientists who should not be ignored in a blog that honors them.
Donavan’s Brain (1953)
Blood Devils (1970)
They Saved Hitler’s Brian (1968)
TheBrain That Wouldn’t Die (1983)
A Brief look of these Four Horror Movies that Influenced The Man With Two Brains: All movie trailers are added at the end of this post.
This first one, Donovan’s Brain, stars Nancy Davis. I think this is interesting because she will become the future First Lady married to President Ronald Reagan. In this film, she is marry to a kindly doctor who keeps a criminal’s brain alive; however, the evil brain slowly takes over the doctor’s mind and body.
The second movie is known as Blood Devils in the United States and Beast of Blood in the United Kingdom. This one is a rare treat because it is a Filipino Horror flick that is Dubbed in English. This movie has a disfigured evil doctor on an island who loves making zombies by transplanting heads. He keeps the head and body of a man-beast alive. The head controls its detached body. The last scene in this movie trailer is a funny due to the dubbing process.
Third movie has one of the most unique titles that I ever heard: They Saved Hitler’s Brain. Besides the title, the making of this movie is unique too. They had a theatrical release of this 70-minute movie in 1963. Then in 1968, the movie distributor asked UCLA students to add 20-minutes more footage to the ending. This was adapted for television. According to this movie, Hitler didn’t shoot himself in the head. His Nazis henchmen smuggled his living head to an island near a country, Mandoras , in South America to be attached when the Third Reich could be revived. Hence, it prompted another movie title: The Madmen of Mandoras.
The last horror film to influence the comedy writers of The Man With Two Brains is The Brain That Would Not Die (1983). This time the mad scientist has a girlfriend whose head is decapitated in a car wreck. He keeps her head alive while she begs him to allow her to die. When he tells her he knows what he is doing because he has done it before. Even though he created a living mess with the poor guy. She really begins to hate her boyfriend as he goes lurking for a body to attach to her head. He is little choosy too because his looks for victims at a burlesque show and a beauty pageant. The head really hates it when he decides to killed an old ex-girlfriend for a body. The head nags him so much, he tapes her mouth shut.
These four movies influenced the making of The Man With Two Brains. Inthis film, we meet “mad scientist” or should I say mad Brain Surgeon, Doctor Hfuhruhurr who perfected the “cranial screw-top” brain surgery. He describes his over inflated talents to a reporter in this way:
My brilliant research in brain transplantation is unsurpassed, and will probably make my name live beyond eternity.
When he asks the reporter to read his statement back, he asked him to remove the word “probably” because it made him sound to “wishy, washy.”
Dr. Hfuhruhurr is a widower who still grieves for the lost of his wife and soul mate. He explains to the reporter that a gardener, Ramon, gave him a Barbie doll that was made with his dead wife’s hair. He keeps the doll on the dash of his car. While driving he explains to the reporter. Suddenly, he accidentally hits Delores Bennett ( Kathleen Turner) with his car. He immediately goes to help her and tells a four-year little girl, who witnessed the accident, to go for help. Carl Reiner says this is his favorite scene in the whole movie because that amazing little girl, who could not read, memorized her lines so well that the scene was shot in one take. The following video is that scene and many more chuckles too.
He operates to save her life. I love the cats that keep showing up during surgery. Doctor “H” yells at them to “Scat! Damn cats around here.” Little does he know, Delores is a recent widower. She is looking for another wealthy man to marry in order to scam him from all of his money; until, he “accidentally” dies and will leave her even more money through his insurance which is left to her through his Will.
Kathleen Turner is so smooth, sexy, and decadent in this movie. It was an eye opener for audiences to see her in a comedy after seeing her explosive portrayal as Matty Walker in noir thriller, Body Heat (1983). She claimed she wanted to do a comedy because Delores is so outrageous and “it wasn’t a token female role.” Besides, the fact she could work with creative funny men like Reiner and Martin must have attracted her too.
They marry. But you feel this gold digger is going to be wife in name only. After the preacher pronounces them man and wife and that he may kiss the bride, she turns her cheek to the Doctor ” H” to kiss and says, “Not now.” He is sexually frustrated for six weeks; before, he tells his new wife that he is going on a business trip that can easily be a substitute for a honeymoon too. They travel to Venice where unbeknownst to them there is an “elevator killer” terrorizing the women of the city. Here he meets another “mad scientist” Doctor Alfred Necessiter (David Warner). I love to watch Warner’s work in anything. He is such a great actor.
Doctor Necessiter discovered a radical technique to store living brains of the victims of the Elevator Killer. Because the killer injects the victims with window cleaner, it allows the doctor to keep the brain alive. However, the brains only have a limited time to live in the liquid before it dies. In addition, he has perfected a method of transplanting a human brain in a gorilla.
While visiting the Necessiter, Dr. H finds he can communicate with one of the ladies brains. She has the sweetest voice (uncredited Sissy Spacek) and although, no one can hear hear her she communicates to Dr. H using telepathy. He is intrigued and wants to help her out of her darkness. He later learns the brain’s name is Annie Uumellmahaye. You just know by the unusual names that they are meant for each other: Hfuhruhurr and Uumellmahaye 💖
Carl Reiner wanted Annie and Dr. H to have a loving romance that time and memories could not prevent. He believes “Random Harvest” (1942) to be the greatest of movie love story. It stars GreerGarson and RonaldColman This movie inspired the greatest romance of man and brain in the movie.
He decides to kidnap Annie and keep her until he finds a suitable dead body to attach her head. The trip to the morgue turns up some pretty bad options. He confessed to Dr. Necessiter “I cannot F**k a gorilla.” Unfortunately, Dr. “H” decides to murder a woman for her body.
One of the funniest moments in this film is when jealous Delores follows her husband who goes out on a date with Annie’s stolen brain. Their confrontation is hilarious.
I am not going to spoil this movie but writing what happens from this point. I will say it has more surprises; and, it stays hilarious to the end. Michael Hfuhruhurr represents all kinds of scientist. He is good, mad and lonely. He is a perfect match for the Scientists Blogathon (2017). Again, thank you Christina Wehner and Ruth from Silver Screenings for allowing me to add this post late, despite Hurricane Irma (2017). I have decided to watch all five of these horror flicks Halloween week, one for each day.
I hope you will enjoy watching this very funny horror movie. If you want to read more about a variety of film scientists in this Blogathon, please use the following links below.
The Man With Two Brains was inspired by the following movies. Here are the Trailers
Carl Reiner said he loved the movie, Random Harvest (1942). It is a tender love story. That tenderness inspired him as he help write somebody of the movie script for Man With Two Brains (1987).
My literary crush is actually on a married couple. A husband and wife team by the names of Jamie and Claire Fraser from the book seriesOutlander. It may sound a bit odd to have a crush on a couple; but, it is more common than you think. They are not my first couple crush. My first couple crush was on 1980s T.V. show, Hart to Hart. Then another couple crush came from watching The Thin Man movies on TMC.
Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers in Hart to Hart
William Powell, Aster the dog and Myrna Lloyd in The Thin Man
Caitriona Balfe and Sam Hueghan in Outlander
All these couples have some common elements in their relationships. Their spouse is their best friend, they live an adventurous life, and there is always some mystery or act they must perform to protect each other or society as a whole. I loved the dynamics of their relationship and especially their intimacy or chemistry. They are ways smart, witty and fashionable. I am in good company with this particular infatuation of Jamie and Claire Fraser because there are millions of fans following Outlander books by brilliant author Diana Gabaldon and its adaptation on the cable network, Starz.
Outlander (1991) is not only the first book of the series, it is Gabaldon’s first novel too. Can you believe it? An author’s first book becomes a best seller and still is a best seller today. It happens but not often. Presently, there are a total of eight books in this historical, multi-genre series. Fans are thrilled by the near release of a Book 9, and promised Book 10 before the series is completed As a matter of fact, Book #9, Go Tell The Bees That I am Gone, is a work in progress. No release date in 2017 has been announced. However, Gabaldon graciously posts excerpts of this book, for her fans, as she continues to work on it. To view them on her site, just click on the link below:
I and all fans are forever grateful for Gabaldon’s literary genius in the creation of these two fictional characters: Scottish Highlander, Jamie Fraser and his time travelling wife, Claire Randall. To understand their phenomenal affect on women, it is important to analyze the entirety of Jamie and Claire’s characters, the circumstances that brought them together; and the kind of relationship they eventually develop.
The story begins:
Claire Randall (played by the lovely and talented Caitriona Balfe) is a married WWII combat nurse, who after the war, is trying to rekindle the magic that was in her marriage, before the war. She and her husband, Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies), plan a romantic trip to Scotland. It is there that she accidentally time travels from 1945 to 1743.
How does this time travel come about?
Frank Randall was a MI6 operative (a British Spy/Special Forces) during WWII. After the War, Frank becomes a history professor at Oxford. But, before he starts his new civilian job, he takes Claire on a second honeymoon to be reacquainted as a couple. They arrive on their second honeymoon in Scotland on Halloween (Samhain day: Ghosts of the dead are able to mingle with the living).
Unfortunately, un-romantic Frank spends most of his time doing research on his own family’s history. There are times when Claire must persuade her husband to abandon his research for more intimate, physical couplings with her. In other words, he seems to be slightly resistant to take the opportunities to have sex with his wife. I wonder if he is hiding something? Maybe the fact he was or is a spy makes me suspicious of him.
OUTLANDER SEASON 2 2916
On a rainy night, as Frank is returning (alone) to his and Claire’s room, he literally bumps into the ghost of 18th century of Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). Frank finds Jamie staring up at a second story window. Through the window, he can see Claire as she brushes her curly hair. Frank is totally shaken when the spirit passes so close as to pass through his shoulder. When he later discusses the incident to Claire, he reluctantly confesses that he might have seen a ghost. Then on second thought, he asks Claire if she tended a Scottish soldier. At first Claire remembers one that was scared of needles. Then, she realizes Frank is asking her if she had a Scottish lover.
Many fans love Frank as a character; and, I admire the actor, Tobias Menzies, who skillfullyplays both roles as lovely Frank and his villainous ancestor, Black Jack Randall; but, I suspect there is something inherently wrong with Frank’s character.
While Frank searches through dusty old records with his friend, Reverend Wakefield (James Fleet), Claire tries to keep busy by searching for medicinal herbs. Mrs Graham (Tracey Wikinson) who is the housekeeper for Reverend Wakefield sees how bored Claire is and invites her to tea in the kitchen. For a bit of fun, Mrs. Graham offers to read the tea leaves at the bottom of Claire’s cup. The reading is very confusing to Mrs Graham; but, she continues to reveal it to Claire. She tells Claire that she will be married to two men at the same time, (bigamy?). Also during this tea reading, Claire is informed that her husband (Which husband?) will not “stray from her bed” to be with other women (Boy, did she get that wrong). So much for tea readings!
Frank decides to do some voyeurism just before dawn. He is told by the Reverend Wakefield that on the Autumn solstice, a local ladies club (Druids) dress in white with lanterns, dance and sing, welcoming the new season. Mrs Graham is one of them. He convinces Claire to secretly watch this ancient ritual with him. They hide as they watch this mysterious performance. Once it is over, they begin to investigate the Standing Stones in an area called Craigh na Dun where all of this took place. Claire finds some very pretty blue flowers, maybe Forget-Me-Nots, growing very close to the face of one Stone. When one of the young dancing girls returns, they hide again and soon leave to keep from being discovered. Later, Frank announces he has more documents to research with Reverend Wakefield. While they research, Claire decides to go back to the Stones alone and gather samples of those blue flowers.
Once, she begins to gather them, she hears a humming noise coming from the Stones. She places her hands on the stone and feels a vibration. Then, she feels herself falling among chaos and screams. The noise and pain is so overwhelming she passes out. When she awakes, the terrain has changed and her car is missing. Then, in disbelief, she sees British soldiers running through the woods. Next thing she knows, they are shooting at her. While trying to escape, she runs into their captain, Black Jack Randall. At first she is confused and thinks it is Frank. But after he assaults her, she definitely knows: he may look like Frank, but this man isn’t Frank.
Outlander 2014
She is saved by a stinky Highlander. As Randall attempts to rape her, the Highlander comes up from behind and knocks him out. Then, he grabs Claire and covers her mouth to keep her quite. A British patrol is very close. Even though Claire is fighting for her life, the Highlander does not want to be discovered, so, he knocks her out with pummel of his sword as he hides them behind a tree as the British patrols passes them undetected. He then places her limp body on his horse.
Jamie Fraser Meets Claire Randall
He takes her to a cottage that is full of stinky, dirty Highlanders hiding from the British. These men are as shocked to see her as she is to see them. They are trying to find a logicial reason for her strange appearance: Claire, in her soiled 20th century dress, must be in her undergarments. She is indecent; and, therefore, she must be a whore. As she stands there in shock and being gawked at, she overheard a few of them discussing a young lad’s injuries. Soon, their leader, Dougal, turns his attention to her and tries to figure out if she is a French spy or a whore.
He knows they have precious little time before they will be found by he British; so, he must make quick decisions about the lad and the strange looking lass. The young man’s shoulder is out of place and is in too much pain to guide a horse. They are willing to take the chance to cripple him in order to set his shoulder or else they must leave him behind. At first, Claire tries to keep quite, but the healer/nurse in her will not stand by and allow them to break the young man’s bones. She yells at them to stop. And like the combat nurse, she is, she takes over and properly sets Jamie Fraser’s shoulder. Their first date is riding on horse together, in the rain, for two days. That is when I knew that I was totally hooked on their love story.
Outlander 2014
In Season I, Claire befriends the love smitten Jamie. He thinks she is a recent widow which explains, to him, why she is so sad and cries for Frank. Claire needs Jamie to help her get back to Craigh na Dun and the Standing Stones. She must travel back to the future and back to Frank.
However, sadistic Captain Black Randall demands the right to arrest her and to interrogate her as a French spy. Jamie reveals his dark history with the Captain. He tells Claire that he is a wanted for murder. Black Jack had Jamie arrested for stopping him for trying to rape Jenny (Jamie’s sister). That charge was for Obstruction of Justice. They whipped him and then arrested him. While Jamie is imprisoned, Black Jack has him fogged with a hundred lashes two separate times within a week. Most men would have died from the injuries. Jamie was flogged once for trying to escape and once for stealing a loaf of bread. He finally escapes for a second time; but, a soldier is killed during the process and Jamie is blamed.
To keep Claire safe from Black Jack, Jamie agrees to marry her. With Claire as a Scottish citizen, Black Jack would need permission from the laird (Jamie’s uncle) or chieftain of the clan territory before he could arrest her. All awhile, Claire is still trying to figure out how to get back to the standing stones; so, she can go back to Frank and her 20th century life. At this point, Claire and Jamie have become best friends. He has become her only trusted friend. But, she does not love him. Yes, she finds herself falling in love with him despite her best efforts not too.
To keep her out of the clutches of the evil Captain, she does marry Jamie. Soon she finds herself making the choice to stay with jamie in a dangerous time period or going back to the future with its comforts and Frank. Let’s s face it, 20th century Claire really sticks out in 18th century Scotland; and, it does not take long for the locals to find a reason for Claire’s odd ways; so, they accuse her of being a witch. When Claire confesses to Jamie that she is not a witch but a time traveller, Jamie believes her, but; jokingly says it would have been easier to help her if she had been a witch. All of this action takes place during the first half of season I. In Season II (book #2 Dragonfly in Amber), we find the Fraser’s living in France trying to stop the disastrous Jacobite Rebellion and Claire’s return to the 20th century. Season III (book #3 Voyager) begins this Fall of 2017. Here we will see what the couple has been up during their 20 year separation; and, their reunion with much more adventures in store for them.
Jamie and Claire love each other, unconditionally. Jamie loves Claire when she endangers their lives, swears like a soldier, tests his patience over her devotion to Frank, or tells him outlandish stories about time travelling and the future. He loves her when he questions her sanity or believes she might be a witch. He is there, through it all, for her. He believes and trusts her. If actions speak louder than words, then Jamie has proved his love and devotion from the sheer number of times he risks his own life to save hers.
Caitriona Balfe and Sam Hueghan in Outlander
But the same can be said of Claire. She too risks her life to save his. As a combat nurse, she learned early the dangers of helping people, risking your life for stranger or fellow solider. It is in her DNA. Jamie is not as stranger. She would never have a second thought to die for him, if need be. They give 150% to each other. Claire made a difficult decision in choosing Jamie over Frank. She not only changed husbands but a whole way of life that is much harsher and dangerous compared to the life she left.
They nearly always puts the other one first. Not only do they risks their life for each other, they are willing to live a painful life without each other, if it will keep their unborn child safe. Again, they prove this when Jamie painfully guides Claire to Craigh na Dun and the Standing Stones in order for her to go back to her time, not once, but twice!
Even when they are separated by 200 years, and haven’t seen each other for 20 years, their love for each other only grows stronger. In contrast, Frank and Claire were separated by a few war years and needed a second honeymoon to try to rekindle the magic in their relationship. When death beckons either Jamie or Claire to leave this world, it is their love for each other that holds them back and from crossing over. Their relationship is made up of loyalty, faithfulness, trust, love, forgiveness and bravery.
Jamie and Claire Fraser give hope to every potential relationship that true love does exists; but, it only happens with the “right” person. Frank was a good man; but, not the right man for Claire.
Jamie and Claire Fraser’s relationship also reminds us that it is possible to be happy in an unhappy situation and having a true friend maybe more valued than having a lover. It is important for a person to be well loved, and feel home in the arms of their love one…at home and in a safer place. For the millions of fans like myself, Jamie and Claire’s relationship represents our desire to be home, with our love; so, no matter where we are or where we go, as long as we share that mutual love, we are home.
This is a post for the 2017 Reel Infatuation Blogathon hosted by Ruth of Silver Screenings and Maedez from Font and Frock. From June 23rd through the 25th, use the following link to find more postings on character crushes ❤️
I started blogging last June of 2016. My second post, Why is Jamie Fraser the King of Men? would have been my first Blogathon entry; but, I missed the date for The2016Reel Infatuation Blogathon. This year, I did not want to make that same mistake. So, I saved some bits from last year and wrote some new bits for this year; and, the result is this post. My crush is on a fictional couple: Outlander’s Claire and Jamie Fraser. Thank you Madeza from Front and Frock and Ruth from Silver Screenings, they have graciously extended the invitation for for this post.
Seriously, why would Billionaire Bruce Wayne ever need to put on the Batman suit if it wasn’t for the flavor of the week, villain? Of course, he could wear it for Halloween or to attend a ComicCon convention, or even if he is a bit kinky in the bedroom. But let’s face it, without a villain, a big part of who Wayne is would fade away. The Batman would retire and not be needed anymore. He would probably end up as a CEO of various corporations worrying about profit margins and his trophy wife’s spending budget. The fact is that day agendas of the superrich is not as exciting as stopping a maniac from destroying the world. The spice of life is making the world a better place for everyone and all living creatures. Simply, in the world of the arts, we need villains; so, men and women can become heroes.
One of my favorite Batman (1966 -1968) villains is Vincent Price as the Egghead. To me, Price is the ultimate Villain. He has great screen present with that low menacing voice and an evil laugh to die for. According to many actors, playing a villain is a lot of fun. I used to laugh at how Egghead loved to pronounce words that started with “ex” as egg. Like the word, excellent would be pronounced egg-cellent or egg-actly for exactly. There is a humorous story about Price on the Batman set. He actually started an egg fight with the other actors and crew. Price must have been a lot of fun to work with. I often wondered if they cast him as Egghead because he was a was an actual gourmet chef, besides being an remarkable actor. Sometimes, villains can resemble other villains too. Don’t you think Tom Hardy’s Bad boy Bronson looks a little like Egghead in these pictures?
Now that I have established the need for villains, on to the next questions: How is a villain defined; and, what is an example of a great villain? To find a working definition, I used the meaning of the word, nemesis. In Greek mythology, Nemesis is the Greek goddess of indignation against undeserved good fortune. She is the goddess of fairness and a balanced proportion of reward. In other words, she is the goddess of “sour grapes” and “that’s not fair” emotions. This is the basic ingredient to the making of a villain. It is also something that all humans have experienced, to some degree.
So, I believe it is safe to say that there must be a little villain in all of us. You probably heard the Native American story of two dogs fighting within the soul of every man. One is evil and the other is good. The kind of man you are depends on which dog wins the fight: one is a hero and the other is a villain.
Maybe this is why we have such guilty pleasure while watching our favorite villain on film. The elements of a great villain is purely conjecture. However, I believe they must share similar characteristics with the hero. Usually, they have:
A Brilliant Mind
Are Wealthy (at some point)
Obsessive
Have Unique Personality Traits
Ingenious Plans and Strategies
Some Minions or A Sidekick
A Public or Secret Identity
A Strong sense of a Wrong that must be Righted
A Willingness To Sacrifice All In Order To Win
My favorite film villains are on a long list. However, as I mentioned before, Vincent Price is at the top. Price appeared in over 100 movies and has over 200 film credits to his name. They range from documentaries to voice overs. His voice overs include Saturday Morning cartoons, Scooby-Doo and the Thirteen Ghosts (1985); animated Disney movie, The Great Mouse Detective (1986) and Tim Burton’s short Vincent (1982). This also includes work in the music industry. For instance, his voice was recorded on rocker Alice Cooper’s Welcome To My Nightmare album and in pop star Michael Jackson’sThriller (1982).
When it comes to film acting, he is in superb company with the likes of Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. As a matter of fact, all three of them appeared in two horror movies together: Scream and Scream Again (1970) and House of Long Shadows (1983). Lee and Price were in a total of 4 films together and shared the same birthday, May 27th. Price is ten years senior to Lee. Crushing’s birthday was May 26th and was 2 years younger than Price.
With a film career that spanned over 50 years, there are many great movies starring the villainous Price. To choose only one as a favorite is near impossible. However, there is one movie that I thought went beyond the pale in regards to horror movies. I first saw it in the 80s even though it came out in 1971: The Abominable Dr. Phibes.
This movie is described as a comedy-horror movie. I did laugh quite often watching it, as well as being shocked and “grossed out…” Yes, it truly was a lot of fun. The movie begins with a hooded dark figure who is playing a console organ on a platform with a red curtain background. After all the credits roll by, the hooded figure finishes his song and steps off the platform onto a ballroom floor.
There are some doll-like figures with various musical instruments in their hands. He (Phibes) places coin in a slot and turns a crank. They start to play their instruments while he begins to lead the small orchestra into playing a beautiful melody. Then, a door opens and a gorgeous exotic women (Virginia North) sauntered down the steps. She approaches the conductor (Price); and, they begin to waltz around the room as the orchestra of robot dolls continues to play.
Once this new tune stops, the lady leaves. The hooded figure lowers a covered bird-cage through a hole in the ballroom floor. On the lower level is a car garage. We see a fashionably dress lady receiving the cage. As she places it in a car, the dark hooded man takes a seat in the back of the car.
In the next scene, an elderly gentleman is reading a newspaper in bed. His apartment is lavishly furnished. Once he is asleep, we see a ceiling skylight window being slowly opened. Gloved hands are gently lowering the covered bird-cage into his room. A few minutes later, the empty cage and its cover is pulled up by the same rope that lowered it into the room. The sleeping gentleman is awaken by an odd scratchy, sucky noise. Soon, we see him being attacked by bats. The man is bitten to death by hundreds of bats in his London flat.
When Scotland Yard shows up, they are completely shocked and puzzled by the bats in his room and with the manner of his death. As inspector Trout (Peter Jeffery) says it: He was shredded to death. Right here in the heart of London. Tom, the other inspector, remarks that it is the second strange death of a doctor in a week. The other doctor/victim was discovered with boils all over his body made from Bee stings. Inspector Trout asks: Bees in his Library?
So, 34 minutes into the movie, we have 4 doctors murdered in bizarre ways; and, Dr. Phibes has not uttered the first word; but, his music is great. During another murder, a clue is found by the inspectors. A necklace with a Hebrew symbol etched on an emblem was accidentally dropped at one of the crime scenes. It symbolized one of the ten curses/ plagues that God delivered to a pharaoh of ancient Egypt. Which is kind of funny because Vincent Price played a baddie working for the same pharaoh in The Ten Commandments (1956) with Charlton Heston.
The inspectors are told by Dr. Vesalius, Joseph Cotton, that he found the connection to all murdered doctors, which included himself. We learn that nine doctors had the same patient; Victoria Phibes; and, she died six minutes into surgery. Her husband, Dr. Phibes, raced to the hospital to be by her side; but, had a car accident. His car plummets over a cliff, catches fire and blows up. Vesailus was the head surgeon.
Did he really die in that accident? Was that Dr. Phibes body in the coffin? Or, was it someone else? It has been suggested that this is a spoof about avenging oneself against the medical industry. In light of the medical profession today, I can understand the analogy. Just a note, this is not the first time Price and Cotton were in the same movie. Cotton starred in Laura (1944) along with costar Price.
Without spoiling the ending for those who have not seen this film, I really urge you to watch this 70s movie classic. Yes, it is dated; and, yes, the graphics may look silly compared to today’s films made with CGI and green screens; however, it is still a fun experience to watch and when it is all said and done, that is all that matters anyway.
This post is part of The Great Villain Blogathon 2017. Please read about more film Villains using the following links. Many thanks to the three blog sites who hosted The Great Villain Blogathan 2017: Shadows and Satin, Sliver Screeningsand Speakeasy.
I was Tagged by Blogger, Gill, from the Realweegiemidget blog site. She is a wonderful blogger and friend who has taken me under her wing as a newbie blogger. Without her and MPC (My Peak Challenge), I would not have had the courage to blog. Like most of you, I love movies; so before I even dreamed about blogging, I followed Gill’s hilarious and informative blog posts which centered on movie reviews from the 1980s to the present. I learned a great deal from this “expat” from Scotland who lives in Finland with her “Darlin’ husband and super cool Step-Dudes.” I also want to mention that she gave me an appreciation for the T.V. Show Dallas.
Gill awarded me and other bloggers an Entertainment award. All I have to do is answer ten questions about my favorite movies: So here they are. Some these questions focused on Christmas movies and the other did not. The title of the question is typed in red lettering and the actual question is typed in blue.
Here are My Movie Mentions/ Favorites:
Note: The first 3 questions are Christmas/ Holiday Related ….movies can be of any genre or year.
All I Want For Christmas is You/ Which DVD/Blu-Ray would you like to receive this year?
I know this looks more like Holoween instead of Christmas presents; but, I love these old classic horror films. These two collections came out in May of 2017 on Blue-Ray. Both have 6 movies a piece. The last movie has comic duo Abbott and Costello meeting these monsters.
A) The Mummy Complete Legacy Collection (2017) There are six Movies from 1932 – 1955. .
B) Dracula Complete Legacy Collection (2017) There are six Movies from 1931 – 1938.
2) Jingle Bell Rock/ What is your Favorite soundtrack or song from a Christmas film?
A) Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) I love the jazzy soundtrack to this television special; so, I had to include it. Guaraldi’s music really sets the mood and reminds me my Christmases as a child. Plus, it is great to listen to while you are wrap presents.
B) Scrooge (1970) Great songs to compliment Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol. Strangely, my favorite tune is “Thank you Very Much.” It is sung in a possible future at Scrooge’s funeral…meaning, he done a nice thing by dying. Horrible I Know; but, great song.
3) Let it Snow/ What are your 3 of your favorite Holiday Movies?
A) Christmas Vacation (1989) Need I say more. This one hit home about family gatherings over the Holidays. It humorously captured the stress of the Holiday. When Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) frantically declares that his family was on “the threshold of Hell,” I knew that this was my number # 1 Christmas movie.
B) The Lost Christmas (2011) This is an unusual Holiday movie. It is gritty, mysterious and magical at the same time. Eddie Izzard stars as a homeless man who wakes up without prior knowledge about himself; but, who understands and “knows things” about the perfect strangers around him.
C) Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Edmund Gwen’s portrayal of St. Nick is perfect. I used to believe that he was Santa Claus, moonlighting on a movie set. This lovely story of a child’s need to believe in Santa Claus is just sublime. Watching adorable Natalie Wood, and the beautiful Maureen O’Hara and handsome, John Payne only adds to the charm of this sweet Christmas movie.
4) Donald Trump/ List A film that divides opinion…
I picked Locke (2014) as my dividing movie. During the whole movie, Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) is driving his car on a journey that he is not sure he wants to take; but, he knows he must. We listen in on his phone conversations for 90 minutes as he is pressured to meet several deadlines at the same time. We listen in as he solves problems and makes life altering decisions with people from every corner of his life, past and present.
I thought it was a brilliant piece film making; and, Tom Hardy’s performance is totally mesmerizing and believable as Locke. I admired Ivan Locke; and, more importantly, I cared for him. Hardy deserved at least a nod from the Academy for this performance.
Even though I loved the creative way this movie was made, not every one felt the same way. Many thought it was boring and a total waste of time. Hence, a movie that divides us.
5) Brexit/ What is your Favorite British Film…
Shakespeare in Love (1998) has all the things I love to see in a movie: the Arts, romance, humor, history, great acting, lovely costumes, and gorgeous settings. And as if that was not enough, Shakespeare’s sonnets and poetry 🙂
6) Fidel Castro | A film that divides opinion…/ Which film do consider as culturallysignificant?
The Big Lembowski (1998) is a comedy/crime drama by the Cohen Brothers. It was a flop when it was first released. It was ten years later before it became a cult movie. Now, this movie has a c following that the Rocky Horror Picture Show people would envy. The Dude (Jeff Bridges) just wants to get his frickin’ rug back: That’s all, mannnn. It’s all about the Dude and his friends who just want to bowl; but life keeps throwing unexpected bowling balls curve balls at their “just is” happy philosophy. But, the “Dude Abides” after a decade and now, according to the Rolling Stone, The Big Lembowski is “the most most worshipped comedy of its generation.” That rocks!
7) Starbucks/ What is your Favorite Film Franchise?
Yes, it is coming back for a 5th installment. The action packed franchise will once again save the world. Too bad all the adventure is in the past. Reports have confirmed the Older Indy (Harrison Ford) will be cracking his whip once more for his fans as he dodges snakes and crazy fascists.
8) McDonald’s Happy Meal/ Your Favorite Childhood Film?
Doctor Suess’ book is wonderful as it teaches children (and some adults) the true meaning of the Christmas spirit. I adore the television version of How The Ginch Stole Christmas (1964) and Ron Howard’s movie The Ginch (2000) version with Funny man, Jim Carry.
9) ‘Cheeky Nandos’/What is your Favorite Comedy?A
Here I go again. I love these old monster movies. Who to better spoof them than funny man, Mel Brook: a comedic genius. He spoofed two classic horror movies, Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935) in this one movie. Due to this comedy, I still cannot listen to the song, Puttin’ on The Ritz, without busting out in laughter. RIP Peter Boyle, Gene Wilder, Marty Feldmen, Terri Garr, Madeline Kahn, and Kenneth Mars.
10)A Must See Movie / Which film would you want all of your followers to watch?
Any movie with John Garfield. No great actor should ever be forgotten.
Here is a list of Garfield movies on the following link:
Now, that you know who Tagged me, most of you are probably wondering what this is all about. Okay, in a nutshell, according to the forces of the universe in Social Media, getting your blog Mentioned and Tagged is a good thing. It could expose your site to more readers. Plus, it helps us to better network within our blogging community. In addition, it allows bloggers to say a friendly Hello and get to know some of their peers. Either way, it is a fun way to recognize other bloggers wh you love to read.
I hope you join in the fun and write a post (copy and paste, if you like) and Tag 8 other bloggers. In your post please say who tagged you (me) and something kind about my blog or why you follow me. Below, I will share with you all, my category favorites.
Remember, the 8 Bloggers you Tag will Tag you back and share something about your blog in their post. Once you post your favorite films in the list provided, don’t forget to tag me too. I look forward to reading your lists!
Please copy and paste as much as you like of this post to help you organize your Tagging post for others, especially the questions template for the various categories. There is a “clean” one at the end of this post.
So looking forward to reading your replies… now you’ve been tagged!!!!
And the template…. Cut and Paste (or write in your time)
All I Want For Christmas is You | Which DVD/Blu-Ray would you like to receive this year?
Jingle Bell Rock | Favorite soundtrack or song from a Christmas film?
Let it Snow | 3 of your favorite Christmas films…
Donald Trump | A film that divides opinion…
Brexit | Favorite British Film…
Fidel Castro | A film that divides opinion… A film considered culturally significant
What literary character do I have a crush? That’s an easy question to answer. It is Highlander-warrior, James Fraser. To be exact, Outlander’s James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser (JAMMF). I can confidently say that I am not alone in this sentiment. There are millions of fans of the Outlander books by author Diana Gabaldon and its adaptation for a television series on the cable network, Starz.
Before the first episode aired, Starz promoted the show with several film “shorts.” These are approximately ten-minute sneak peeks and “behind the scenes” look at the upcoming new show. Ron Moore (producer, writer) reveled that he thought the most difficult role to cast would be Jamie Fraser. Why? Moore claims that Jamie Fraser is “Bigger than life…he is the King of Men.” This was the first time I heard Jamie Fraser described in this way. Ironically, this role was not hardest to cast; but, it was the easiest to cast. That is, after Sam Heughan’s Skype interview, and the viewing of his audition tape. The search for Jamie was over. It was over almost as soon as it began.
Not only is Outlander (1991) the first book of the series, it is Gabaldon’s first novel too. Presently, there are a total of eight books in this historical multi-genre series. Fans are thrilled by the promise of a planned total of ten books before the series is completed As a matter of fact, Book #9, Go Tell The Bees That I am Gone, is a work in progress. No release date in 2017 has been announced. However, Gabaldon graciously posts excerpts of this book, for her fans, as she continues to work on it. To view them on her site, just click on the link below:
JAMMF is an 18th century Highlander. He possesses numerous traits and talents. Here is a list of a few: He is brave, loyal, extremely intelligent, funny, resourceful, educated, mysterious, nobel, an outlaw, honest, has a high tolerance to pain, Scot-stubborn, and completely loveable. There are weaknesses too; for instance, he is tone-deaf (cannot hear the variations of the notes in music or pleasantly sing a tune), he cannot travel over large bodies water without becoming deathly seasick, and he cannot blink with only one eye. His physical attributes are varied: he has dark red hair, dark blue eyes, wide smile, stands 6’4″, has a charismatic personality, has a very hot internal body temperature, his back is severely scarred from 200 lashes given as punishment, and is drop dead gorgeous. His magnetism is so strong that most women, and a few men as well, would love to assist him in the removal of his kilt.
As magnificent as fictional Jamie Fraser sounds, Sam Heughan’s brilliant portrayal is nearly as remarkable. Jamie’s particular mannerisms are not missed in Heughan’s performances. It is so eerily perfect that many fans confuse Heughan, the actor, with Jamie, the book character. Despite this, most critics overlook his screen presence as nothing more than eye candy. Which is a shame because Heughan is definitely a skilled professional who does an astonishing job. One day in the near future, I hope he will be given the acting accolades he deserves.
So is Heughan’s portrayal of Jamie that remarkable that millions of women around the world are in love with Jamie/Sam?
In part, yes! But, to give proper credit where it is due, you have to look at Gabaldon’s literary genius in the creation of two fictional characters: Jamie and his time travelling wife, Claire. To understand this phenomenal effect on women, it is important to analyze the entirety of Jamie and Claire characters, the circumstances that brought them together; and the kind of relationship they eventually develop.
The story begins:
Claire Randall (played by the lovely and talented Caitriona Balfe) is a WWII combat nurse. She accidentally time travels from 1945 to 1743. How does this time travel come about?
Claire is married to Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies) who was a MI6 operative (a British Spy/Special Forces) during WWII. After the War, Frank becomes a history professor at Oxford. But, before he starts his new civilian job, he takes Claire on a second honeymoon to be reacquainted as a couple, after the years of separation. They arrive on their second honeymoon in Scotland on Halloween (Samhain day: Ghosts of the dead are able to mingle with the living). Unfortunately, un-romantic Frank spends most of his time doing research on his own family’s history. There are times when Claire must persuade her husband to abandon his research for more intimate, physical couplings with her. In other words, he seems to be slightly resistant to take the opportunities to have sex with his wife. I wonder if he is hiding something?
On a rainy night, as Frank is returning (alone) to his and Claire’s room, he literally bumps into the ghost of 18th century of Jamie Fraser. Frank finds Jamie staring up at a second story window. Through the window, he can see Claire as she brushes her curly hair. Frank is totally shaken when the spirit passes so close as to pass through his shoulder. When he later discusses the incident to Claire, he reluctantly confesses that it might have been a ghost; but, on second thought, he suggests that Claire might have had a Scottish lover. Many fans love Frank as a character; and, I admire the actor, Tobias Menzies, who skillfullyplays both roles as lovely Frank and his villainous ancestor, Black Jack Randall; but, I suspect there is something inherently wrong with Frank’s character.
While Frank searches through dusty old records with his friend, Reverend Wakefield (James Fleet), Claire tries to keep busy by searching for medicinal herbs. It is while she is having her tea leaves read by Mrs Graham (Tracey Wikinson) who is the housekeeper for Reverend Wakefield. During the reading of tea leaves that lay in the bottom of the Claire’s cup, she learns she will be married to two men at the same time, bigamy? Also during this tea reading, Claire is informed that her husband will not stray to other women’s beds (Boy, did she get that wrong). So much for tea readings!
Frank insists on doing some of his own voyeurism just before dawn. He is told by the Reverend Wakefield that on the Autumn solstice, the ladies dress in white with lanterns, dance and sing, welcoming the new season. He and Claire hide as they watch this mysterious and ancient ritual. Once it is over, they begin to investigate the Standing Stones where this all took place. Claire finds some very pretty blue flowers, maybe Forget-me-nots, growing very close to the face of one Stone. They leave quickly, when one of the girls return. Later, Frank announces he has more documents to research. Claire decides to go back to the Stones alone and gather samples of those blue flowers.
Once, she begins to gather them, she hears a humming noise coming from the Stones. She places her hands on the stone and feels the vibration. Then, she feels she is falling among chaos and screams. The noise and pain is so overwhelming she passes out. When she awakes, the terrain has changed. Her car is missing. She sees British soldiers running through the woods. Then, she is being shot at and chased by them. She runs into their captain, Black Jack Randall. At first she is confused and thinks it is Frank. But after he assaults her and nearly rapes her, she definitely knows: he may look like Frank, but that ain’t Frank.
She is saved by a stinky Highlander. He grabs her behind a tree trying to avoid passing soldiers. Claire tries to scream for help before he cold cocks her in the head with the cluff of his sword. She is taken to a cottage, full of stinky men who sees her dirty 20th century dress as an undergarment…indecent…whore? Here, she hears them discusses a young lady’s injuries. When their leader, Dougal, tries to figure out if she is a spy or what, he knows the British is near; and, they must leave as soon as possible. The young man’s shoulder is out of place. They may cripple him trying to set it. If they don’t set it, they have to leave him behind. At first, Claire tries to keep quite, but the healer/nurse in her will not allow them to break his bones. She yells at them to stop. And like the combat nurse, she is, she takes over and properly sets Jamie Fraser’s shoulder. Their first date…riding on horse, together in the rain for two days. That is when I knew that I was totally hooked on their story.
Have I lost you yet?
So, again I ask what is it that makes James Fraser so irresistible to happily married Claire? If you look at the some facts concerning Jamie Frazer you might wonder if she has lost her mind. You certainly would question giving him the honorable description of The King of Men.
Here is a brief list of some reasons why Jamie Fraser’s title should be questioned. First, he is a British outlaw, fought as a mercenary for the French army, a coo (cow) thief, a spanker of Claire’s bottom, penniless, stubborn, a flirtatious tease (he is a virgin), he is easily roused (constant horny mode), no plans for the future, lives off his relatives, gets seriously hurt a lot, is superstitious, and he gives his body over to Frank’s super great-granddad to rape and torture even though he will be hanged the next day. That is just in the first book.
Warning! 🚫 Possible Spoilers ahead 🔺 for those who have not read all 8 Books
In later books, he marries a woman (Laoghaire) who nearly has Claire burned at the stake for being a witch; he has sex with an 18-year-old engaged girl (she blackmailed him to bed her) that produces a son he cannot claim, he begrudgingly befriends a gay British officer who is in love with him who just so happens to be the commander of the prison he is being held in as a traitor; he murders a prison guard, but not out of self-defense; he leaves wife #2 but sends her money out of guilt, he lives in a brothel, he is a smuggler, he has numerous aliases; and, he composes and prints traitorous material.
He also tells lies that would shame a politician; he encourages his runaway nephew to stay with him while the boy’s parents (his sister and best friend’s child) are frantically looking for him; he keeps his second marriage a secret from Claire; and, he nearly beats an innocent man to death for mistakenly believing he raped his daughter.
Does this sound like the King of Men? Far from it!
So, why is it, with all these flaws and imperfections, do women find James Fraser so irresistible? Does he possess some magical spell that he casts over our hearts or maybe he possesses a spark of the divine in his words? Maybe in a way, he does all of this, for Claire. In my opinion, James Fraser’s secret isn’t that he is the King of Men. In fact, his flaws are very human and can be be found to some extent in Every Man.
Jamie loves Claire unconditionally. No matter if she endangers their lives, swears like a soldier, tests his patience over her devotion to Frank, or tells him outlandish stories about time travelling and the future; to the point he questions her sanity or believes she might be a witch. He is there, through it all, for her. He believes and trusts her. If actions speak louder than words, then Jamie has proved his love and devotion from the sheer number of times he risks his own life to save hers.
He nearly always puts her first. Not only does he risks his life for her, he is willing to live a horrible life alone without her, if it will keep her and their child safe. Again, he proves this when he painfully guides her to the Standing Stones in order for her to go back to her time and Frank, not once, but twice!
Even when death beckons him to leave this world, it is his love for Claire that makes him stay. Jamie is loyal, faithful, intelligent, loving, and caring to his family and friends. He is a hard worker, a good provider, open-minded, and inquisitive. However, what he is not is perfect!
Outlander 2014
FOR TV — DO NOT PURGE — Outlander 2014 Starz pictured: Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe), Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan)
James Fraser gives hope to every women, and man, that true love does exists; but, it only happens with the “right” person. This can be exemplified by Jamie Fraser’s second marriage.
Obviously, he wasn’t made to love Loaghaire even though she “thought” he was the love of her life. To “land” Jamie, she even schemes to place Claire in harms way and out of her way. Loaghaire loved the idea of loving Jamie and being married to him. To Loaghaire that’s all that was needed. Jamie feelings would naturally match her own; or, so she thought. That’s the problem. She worked hard “to get him.” Once she got him, it did not take her long to feel the void within her marriage. Unlike Claire and Jamie, she did not feel at home, or safe when they embraced or made love.
According to Loaghaire, Jamie didn’t need her; instead, she knew deep down in her heart that he still ached for Claire. Loaghaire felt miserable in her marriage and avoided sex at all costs. Sadly, Jamie tried to please her but failed. Again, if both partners are not equally committed, emotionally, they will soon feel alone in a failed relationship.
Jamie and Claire Fraser’s relationship remind us that it is possible to be with a flawed someone who is a true friend. A person that we feel well loved by and always at home with.
For the millions of fans like myself, yes, we swoon, we even lust a bit after Jamie Fraser because he carries with him our desire and wish to be wholly loved. To be home, with our love, no matter where we are or where we go, as long as we share that mutual love, together.
This is a post for the 2017 Reel Infatuation Blogathon hosted by Ruth of Silver Screenings and Maedez from A Small Life. From June 23rd through the 25th, use the following link to find more postings on character crushes ❤️
Why Did I Pick Robert Redford?I chose Redford because he is my first ever crush on an actor. As we all know, you never forget your first love. Unbelievably, my love for Redford didn’t begin because of his stunning good looks or his magnetic screen presence or even for my loving every one of the his 79 movies.My magical crush happened when he very young (26 years old) and complete unknown to me and the rest world. He had been acting on numerous television shows from 1960 to 1964. He first showed up on one of my favorite shows: Maverick starring James Garner. During this four-year span of time, he had guest starred on quite a number of popular shows at the time: Perry Mason, Route 66, The Untouchables, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Dr. Kildare, Naked City etc … His last television appearance was in 1964 on The Defenders.
That was the moment that I cried and fell in love with Redford. I doubt Wanda has ever been married or had children. Beldon is probably the only person/Inhuman ever spoke those words to her in her entire life. In the video clip, Lamont Johnson tells the story of the actors mutual respect. Without their mutual regard and respect, this performance could not have been as successful.Rod Serling closes this episode with the following words:There was an old woman who lived in a room. And, like all of us, was frightened of the dark. But who discovered in a minute last fragment of her life that there was nothing in the dark that wasn’t there when the lights were on. Object lesson for the more frightened amongst us, in or out, of the Twilight Zone.Here is a 2 minute video clip that I found on You Tube that mashes scenes together to summarize the story. Unfortunately, the “Mother” was completely left out. To me that was a huge mistake.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i9JZCo912kIIn closing, I have added an interview clip with Redford published four years ago. He is reminiscing about this 52 year old episode. It is very interesting because he mentions the “wonderful dynamic” between the two characters. It’s funny because when most people think of great chemistry between actors, they usually refer to sexual attraction. However, for actors it means so much more.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JuuAEEj1fq0I once remembered a quote that defined love not in years but in moments … if that is true; the, my “Reel Infatuation” with Redford only started in a moment; but, happily his work keeps adding more moments over the years.
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