Dr. Frank Parrish (Paul Langton) goes on an expedition to the Himalayas. There he recruits native bearers. The natives look surprisingly with language and garb as WWII Japanese.

Half way to his goal he is informed that the mythical yeti has pilfered the head Sherpa, Subra's (Teru Shimada), wife. Of course Dr. Parrish laughs it off. This sets Subra on a course of revenge, including stealing the guns and whisky. In the process using his phony sounding stilted English and a rifle, shoots the radio machine.

Sure enough they stumble upon a yeti family that tries to self destruct. The male yeti (Lock Martin) is saved and like King Kong is drugged and flown by way of TWA prop plane to Los Angeles. When he naturally escapes there is no Empire state building and he does not think of L.A. City Hall, so he take a clue from another well know 1945 minus "Them!" and finds a secret way of getting around. (Not like we did not think of it first).

Every time he finds a victim there is a white arrow on the street.
This is one cool yeti. So the question is does he get away? Will the authorities going after him get eaten by giant ants? I am sort of half hoping that he meets up with Dr. Frank Parrish's wife.

The filming location is the same as "Robot Monster", Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

This is real Gilbert and Sullivan from witty conversation to great music. And of course the twists and turns of culture and educate. Almost a Greek play turns out one of two republican gondoliers is in reality the king of Barataria and that is just for starters . Keith Michell (also played in Ruddigore) as Don Alhambra del Bolero does not have a lot of stage time but a great presents.

On the whole this presentation was quite satisfying.

Song index
1. Introduction: Doulas Fairbanks, Jr.
ACT I
2. Overture and Credits
3. List and lean, ye dainty roses
(Opening Chorus: Contadine)
4. We're called "Gondolieri"
(Duet: Marco and Giuseppe)
5. From the sunny Spanish shore Te Duke of Plaza-Tor'
(Entrance of Duke, Duchess, Casilda, and Luiz)
6. That celebrated, cultivates, underrated nobleman, The Duke of Plaza-Toro!
(Song: Duke)
7. There was a time...for ever gone...ah, woe is me!
(Duet: Casilda and Luiz)
8. Not that there is no matter of doubt No possible doubt whatever
(Song: Don Alhambra)
9. Try we life-long, we can never Straighten out life's tangles skein
(Quintet: Duke, Duchess, Casilda, Luiz, and Don Alhambra)
10. When a merry maiden marries
(Song: Tessa)
11. Kind sir, you cannot have a heart our lives to Part
(Song: Gianetta)
12. Oh, `tis a glorious thing, I ween, to be a regular Royal Queen!
(Quartet: Marco, Giuseppe, Gianetta, and Tessa)
13. For Everyone who feels inclined Some post we undertake to find
(Duet: Marco and Giuseppe)
14. In yonder isle beyond the sea, do not forget you've married me!
(Duet: Gianetta and Tessa)
15. Entr'acte: Fairbanks
Act II
16. Opening Chorus
17. Rising early in the morning We proceed to light the fire
(Song: Giuseppe and Chorus)
18. Take a pair of sparkling eyes
(Song: Marco)
19. After sailing to this island... We are all once more on dry land
(Duet: Tessa and Gianetta)
20. Dance a cachucha, fandango, bolero
(Chorus and Dance)
21. There lived a King, as I've been told
(Song: Don Alhambra)
22. In a contemplative fashion And a Tranquil frame of mind
(Quartet: Marco, Giuseppe, Gianetta, and Tessa)
23. On the day when I was wedded to your admirable sire
(Song: Duchess)
24. Small Tittles and orders of Mayors and Recorders
(Duet: Duke and Duchess)
25. I am a courtier grave and serious Who is about to kiss your hand
(Gavotte: Due, Duchess, Casilda, Marco, and Giuseppe)

I really wanted to like this album. I recognized the name and her song "La Vie En Rose" is part of everything French. After "La Vie En Rose" in the "'Allo 'Allo! (1982 TV series)" I thought I would take a chance on this album. Well it turns out I like Louis Armstrong better at that particular song.

I found Edith Piaf's voice to be a tad raspy and with the exception of the songs that really sounded French, she just grated. Most of the songs on this album make me thing that Edith was the Connie Frances of her time. Maybe part of the problem is I only understand a handful of the words. But I was hoping the other attributes would make up for that (they did not).

The package comes with a paper insert that has a list of the songs.

The artist, born Édith Giovanna Gassion led an interesting life. You could make a movie from it. However it is her music that interested me. That is before buying this album. Don't get me wrong. It is not bad, just not my taste.

Editor Jennifer Harris at the time of publication, Deputy Director and Curator of Textiles at the Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester, England.

To describe this book would take a book. It covers different textiles from ancient societies to present day. There are twenty-four experts that describe not only techniques but the meaning of the art in each culture. My favorite section is the first chapter that shows different types of looms. I was a little disappointed not to find any drafts; however the book is concentrating on culture.

This book also has a list of further reading and an extensive glossary.

The color plates alone are worth the purchase price.

Everyone is going to have a favorite film. However these work well as a set and are worth the purchase. And the extra goodies or special features of the set add to the experience.

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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

This is the first in a series of fun to watch action packed movies based on what an archeologist should be. Being a first you will not notice the pattern of the film unless you are used to Saturday matinees.

We hit the deck running on this one as we see Indiana Jones making a John Wayne type of entrance. So much that you do not notice the dubious looking character next to him Statipo (Alfred Molina). Until he says "Give me the Idle and I will give you the whip."

Now settled down, after his near miss with the natives, Harrison Ford is a professor (Indiana Jones) teaching the fact that archeology is a search for facts not some thrill ride.

That very afternoon he is confronted by some government agents. It seems that his old professor Abner Ravenwood has disappeared. They picked up some radio transmissions that contained the name of Abner and a city Tannis. Immediately Indiana Jones knows that the Nazis (natural bad buys) are looking for the Ark of the Covenant (which can be used as a weapon of unspeakable power) and somehow he must bet them to it for the sake of the world.

He is helped by an old love interest Marion (Karen Allen) and rivaled by an old nemesis Dr. Rene Belloq (Paul Freeman).

Does it really exist?
How can he beat them to it?
Why is he on the outs with Abner?

Hold on for a thrill a minute and don't eat any bad dates.
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

The "now standard Indiana" formula is there and there are a lot of fun parts to this movie. However the bad guys are too bad and the situation is too spooky. Be sure to watch "Riders of the Lost Ark" first even thought this takes place chronologically earlier.

Once again James Bond has nothing on Dr. Jones (Harrison Ford) as he negotiates for a treasure and is double crossed at every turn, barely escaping with his life, also the acquisition of a steriotipical blond singer Wilhelmina Scott (Kate Capshaw), and his new sidekick Short Round (Jonathan Ke Quan).

In his hasty retreat he does not realize that there are greater forces at work insuring that he fulfill his destiny to recover a sacred object and all the children of a beleaguered village.

Is he up to the challenge?
In this case does being blond help or hinder?
Will Short Shot prove that size does not matter?
Take heart!

Be prepared for a dark passage "a little too dark for my taste".
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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

It may just be coincidence but this time Harrison Ford that was a carpenter is not Dr. Indiana Jones (Junior) and his last crusade (until the next film) is to obtain a cup of a carpenter.

Even though this film can stand on its own, it can be more fully understood if you watch "Raiders of the lost Ark" first.

Once again we start out with a young Jones trying to save an artifact from pillagers. This lets us know of his heroic energy and introduces his father Professor Henry Jones (Sean Connery) and his obsession with the Holy Grail, even to the exclusion of his relationship with Junior.

Now grown Dr. Indiana Jones gives a class and explains that Archeology is a pretty strait forward science and not some search for legends. He receives a mysterious piece of post.

He is then approached by group of rich people that are in search of the Grail. It turns out that their top researcher has disappeared. Yep it is Professor Henry Jones. What can Indiana do but go looking for his father. He is accounted by his best friend who runs a museum Dr. Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliottt) as they team up with the last person to see his father Dr. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody.) He gets a final warning "Do not trust anybody."

Will he find his father?
If he dies what will they have to talk about?
Does the Grail really exist?
Who are the mysterious people following him?

One of my favorite scenes is where Dr. Jones disguised in a German uniform bumps into Hitler (Michael Sheard of Star Wars fame).

Have fun watching this great film with the banter between Hennery and Junior. And remember "do not trust anybody."

The intro or trailer tells the whole story. Good aliens fight bad aliens on Earth. The aliens good or bad get intertwined with earthlings. Evidently they did not hear Carl Sagan's warning that making love with an alien is like making love with a petunia.

There is a little valence and car chasing but no profanity, nudity, or blood. There is no number two.

I wonder if the same people will be in the TV series should this take place. I guess this presentation was tied to the book series do they could not really wrap it up in the end.

The DVD extras include deleted scenes. Becoming number six. After years Blu-ray and 60" TV's there is no need to tout the visuals and audio.

Actual quote "I think the chance of a man mating with a petunia is much greater than the chance of him being able to mate, much less produce offspring, with an inhabitant of another planet."

This is another caught in a leaky sub movie. You just have to enjoy this type of movie to watch it. No new revelations. Harrison Ford gets to play the misunderstood heavy Capt. Alexei Vostrikov; we have to remember he is a good actor and play on both sides of the fence. Harrison Ford is also the executive producer. If you have the heavy then you have to have the father figure played by Liam Neeson as Capt. Mikhail Polenin.

People like to compare this movie to other recent submarine movies but the formula was played out long ago in "Run Silent Run Deep" (1958) with Clark Gable as Cmdr. 'Rich' Richardson and Burt Lancaster as Lt. Jim Bledsoe. They had similar command and loyalty conflicts.

There are plenty of good books available on what films are out there and other books of the art of making films. We can find vertical market books on specific subjects that are film related. However this book is exactly hat the title implies. There is more depth to this book than just an overview or an introduction book. Although this book could be a good coffee table book it also makes a good desk reference book.

With 608 pages, most containing partial if not totally glossy color snaps from the famous and obscure movies of our time. The different subject or chapters have color coded tabs on the edge of the page allowing for quickly finding the information sought.

Although designed as a reference I found it more fun to read page by page picking up gems here and there that would never have been found by just reference searches.

Because you're mine

Antony Hopkins was really possessed with playing the part. Colin O'Donoghue spends most of his time walking around looking confused. Alice Braga is too cute for the part and almost distracting from the spooky scenes.

The story itself is just the old rehash of belief and disbelief. Of a coming of age story for many involved. Parts of the dialog are tongue-in -cheek as they make reference to the original exorcist movie. Lots of spooky ambiance and not an over done sound track. It is the acting and actors that give the good rating to this presentation.

Remember the possession is nine tenths of the law.

James Reid (Tom Wilkinson), newspaper owner and snot, gets a timely and deadly bee sting. This leaves his playboy son Britt (Seth Rogen) to run the show. Seth in turn is looking for a good cup of coffee which introduces him to an inventor and martial arts coffy maker Kato (Jay Chou). Out of boredom Britt and Kato come up with the Green Hornet thing. Lacking direction they pilfer ideas from criminology student Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz). Will their plans be foiled by a real criminal Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz)? Or will they be able to accomplish their goal? And does anyone get the girl?

Great Green Hornet movie. Seldom do we get a movie with a beginning and an ending to match. There is emotion, action and depth of character. With the exception of some rap music, the background and filler music matched the scene and did not overwhelm the dialog. There are plenty of car chases and structural destruction; yet in all of the mayhem there we do not see gratuitous blood and guts (maybe a few suggestive bullet holes.) Cameron may have been a distraction at first; however when she got down to acting you enjoyed watching her character.

On the DVD media (that I watched) itself there are the standard coming attractions before the film and plenty of fairly new Blu-ray gimmicks that are not relevant to the film.