Tuesday's Overlooked Films: Unbroken (Current Movie)

I read the 2010 nonfiction [book:Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption|8664353] by Laura Hillenbrand, and liked it enough to want to go see the movie version playing in  theaters around the nation.  Actress Angelina Jolie directed and produced the movie which centers around the eventful if not inspiring life of American Olympian and athlete Louis "Louie" Zamperini who is portrayed by actor Jack O'Connell. Zamperini died recently in 2014. The movie is mostly about his experiences during World War Two as first a bombardier stationed in the Pacific and later as a POW at different Japanese war camps. As far as I can remember, the movie is pretty faithful to the book. The movie is a long one, and it could stand a bit more of humor. The book had some humor, especially during the grim, brutal POW life. This movie isn't film noir, but it's easy to see what the war vets had gone through before they returned home. It's little wonder such gritty, dark film noir had its emergence. Anyway, Unbroken is entertaining and even uplifting. Some of the violence is a bit heavy, but you know how it's going to end.

This Year Our Neigborhood Broke With Its Holidays Tradition

                                 
Every year for as long as I have lived in my Northern Virginia suburb, we have set out the luminaries on a scheduled day. But this year, the homeowners voted to discontinue the holidays tradition. We voted to keep it, but the majority ruled. I'm not sure what the argument was against the luminaries. I know the weather isn't the greatest when folks put out the white paper bags with sand and candles. It's tricky trying to light them and keeping them lit. But the soft, reflective glow effect is nice to look at when everybody does it. Maybe there will be future community traditions established, but this one looks to be a no-go now.

I Found A Nice Way To Catch The Holiday Spirit

Last night we did the Meadowlark's Winter Walk of Lights located out in the Northern Virginia suburbs. The outdoors temperature was 49 degrees before we left, so it was nice enough to be out and not shivering from the cold throughout the walk. It's about one mile long. Naturally, there's lots of bright, cheerful lights. You might need to wear sunglasses. Just kidding. Some lights are shaped like woodland creatures like owls and woodpeckers. A creek is simulated with fish and frogs. The strawberry field display is my favorite. There's a bunch of stuff to take in, so we go through twice. Every year there seems to be more cell phone cameras. Everybody wants to stop and frame a snapshot. Some of the grumpy old men grumble about it, but everybody is generally patient with a sense of humor. There's no rush to finish the walk. It's not a race unless you want to get to the hot chocolate and marshmallows served at the end. The holiday walk might become a yearly tradition. At least it's a way to get out and enjoy the holiday lights up close instead of viewing them from a passing vehicle. I hope your holidays are going well.

One Writer's Post-Christmas Blog

The mild weather for Christmas 2014 was a nice change from the frigid temperatures we'd been getting in December. Travel is less stressful in good weather, isn't it? Except the radio station I was listening to stopped playing their holiday songs and returned to their regular format. Well, I needed to get back to my writing, anyway. I have two Isabel & Alma Trumbo cozy mysteries I'm finishing up for publication in 2015. The series has been a lot of fun over the past few years for me to write. Readers have liked them, and the sales have been high enough for me to continue writing the books. I didn't realize how much I miss about living in a small town until I undertook writing the series. So, it's been a homecoming of a sort for me. Quiet Anchorage is a nice place to visit and also live. The only bad thing is all of the murders that keep cropping up. Luckily, the sheriff has a couple of sister sleuths he can call on for their assistance. He begrudgingly admits he's grateful they're on his side. Books 4 and 5 will carry on their adventures. Be looking here for further updates.

Happy Holidays For 2014

I've been lax in posting my blogs this month, even my film noir reviews, with my trying to get a couple of new books ready for release in 2015. The good news is I've made fairly rapid progress, so I'll be posting announcements about them later. Meantime, I'll take this opportunity to wish everybody a happy and safe holidays. I'd also like to thank my readers for their continued support in 2014. It has meant a lot to me.

Update On My New Cozy Mystery Series

Shortly after the holidays in 2015, I'm going to release the first title, The Corpse Wore Gingham, in my new cozy mystery series featuring Piper and Bill Robins, a wife and husband sleuthing duo.

The Robins live in the suburbs of Northern Virginia outside of Washington, D.C. I've been working hard on The Corpse Wore Gingham throughout much of 2014. It includes lots of humor, fun characters, and a traditional whodunit fair-play murder mystery plot.

The Corpse Wore Gingham complements my established Isabel & Alma Trumbo Cozy Mystery Series, my pair of sisters who sleuth away in their small town of Quiet Anchorage, Virginia. Isabel and Alma will also be back next year in one or two new books. More on that later.

I've also been keeping a board at Pinterest for each of my cozy mystery series if you hang out at Pinterest.

Piper & Bill Robins' Pinterest board link: http://www.pinterest.com/edlynskey/my...

Isabel & Alma Trumbo's Pinterest board link:http://www.pinterest.com/edlynskey/my...

Tuesday's Overlooked Movies: The Limping Man Starring Lloyd Bridges

NOTE: I'm posting my weekly blog early this week due to the holidays.
REVIEW: I got a big kick out of watching this nifty 1953 crime drama starring Lloyd Bridges, Moira Lister, and Leslie Phillips. Since it was filmed in the U.K., I didn't recognize any of the actors except for the Yank, Mr. Bridges who was lent out to the British film company. The marketing idea was to help the movie gain a U.S. audience if Bridges was one of the marquee stars. I know he starred in High Noon, but I didn't think he had that much public fame. Lloyd plays Frank Prior, a construction engineer, flying overseas to London to see his wartime girlfriend when he was stationed there as a G.I. I like the premise from the get-go. Of course, when he arrives in London, he discovers all is not as it was six years before when he left his girlfriend. The South African actress Moira Lister (died 2007) playing his girlfriend is something of a daredevil driving fast cars and boats. I like how Bridges is drawn into her web of intrigue, and we're never sure about her sincerity. The 76-minute movie is fast-paced and well-acted. IMDb.com rates it 5.9 but I give it a solid 7.0 because I like Lloyd Bridges, and there is a neat surprise ending. Great postwar stuff.

Tuesday's Overlooked Movies: The 49th Man Starring John Ireland

This 1953 espionage drama is a fun and watchable movie. Where else can you see Peter "Hollywood Squares" Marshall play a gun-toting, nasty bad guy? I'm a big fan of John Ireland who plays the U.S. agent who is charged with tracking down nuclear devices getting smuggled into the U.S. Richard Denning plays his square-jawed boss who is just as determined as Ireland is to stop the bad guys from building of a nuclear bomb to be detonated in a big U.S. city. Their investigation eventually leads Ireland to France where he runs into Marshall and his wife played by Suzanne Dalbert who are "working" in a jazz band. There are a couple of neat twists dropped in as the film closes in San Francisco. Good to see Mike (credited as "Touch") Connors in an early, small role. It isn't a great film, but still offered enough action to hold my attention until the end.