Dinner and a Movie with Moxie

  Forrest Gump (1994) I haven't seen this film in about 20 years I don't think, I chose it for Maine Movie Mondays, after visiting the lighthouse here in Maine that was used in the filming of this movie.  Most people don't think of Maine when they think of Forrest Gump, usually it conjures thoughts of south, where the bulk of the film was set, however there was a part where Forrest decides to run, and he runs from coast to coast until one day he decides that he is done running.  There is one shot in the film that took place in Maine, and that shot was where he ran on a footbridge to a small lighthouse tower on the coast of Maine.  The lighthouse where that was filmed was the Marshall Point Lighthouse near Port Clyde Maine, in the township of Saint George.  Marshall Point Lighthouse has become a popular tourist location where tourists will take pictures of themselves reenacting the scene from the film.  Being that the location of this lighthouse is on the mi...

  Haunted Ranch (1943) Horror film fans are mostly likely familiar with Glenn Strange because of the horror films that he has done, for example playing Frankenstein's Monster in the later films in the Frankenstein franchise. However non horror fans most likely know him from his work in westerns, for example his work in the television series Gunsmoke.   In 1943 he starred as the main villain in the twentieth installment of the Monogram Pictures' The Range Busters series entitled Haunted Ranch.   This film attempts to play itself as a light horror/mystery/western film.  Though any attempt at being a horror film was dispelled rather quickly when the film immediately gives away that the ranch is not haunted by a ghost by by villainous cowboys that are seeking the treasure hidden in the ranch, also any real mystery is quickly dispelled as well, as the film seems to love to just lay out exactly what is going on without much actual mystery involved.  Though t...

  Creature Of The Walking Dead (1965) Creature Of The Walking Dead, is really just an English language adaptation of the 1961 film La Marca Del Muerto (or Mark Of The Dead Man), but rather than remaking the film with an English language cast, as was once the practice, or even just re-releasing the film with English dubs or subs as was also a common practice, director Jerry Warren used mostly the original Mexican film, but then shot some scenes with an American cast, and the results were a jumbled up mess of a film.  I think that there is actually a decent film somewhere in this mess, and honestly I would love to find the original 1961 film, and watch that instead.   My first impression of the film was that it was much older than it actually was, I was expecting it to be from the 1930s or 1940s based on the tone and feel of the film, but then to find out that it is actually from 1965, makes the film feel like it was a weak film for its time period.  I also though...

  The Hobbit (1977) I remember I was in middle school when I first was introduced to JRR Tolkien's classic children's novel The Hobbit, and soon after reading the book, I was introduced to the Rankin and Bass animated film adaptation of the novel.  To me this is still the best film adaptation of Tolkien's beloved classic novel, it adds nothing to the story, and only takes out what it has to, in order to keep the pace moving, and to fit into the television time slot in which it aired.  The was a beautiful adaptation, with beautiful artwork inspired by the artwork of Arthur Rackham, and an amazing cast of voice actors, and it keeps close to the book upon which it is based.   The Hobbit tells the story of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who is recruited by the wandering wizard Gandalf, to be the burglar for a party of 13 dwarves who seek to reclaim their kindow that was taken from them by  dragon.   Along the way he has adventures and learns that there...

  The Blob (1958) This next film ranks among one of my all-time favourite films!  The Blob from 1958, was a low budget science-fiction/horror film, that featured a young Steve McQueen in his first starring role in a feature film.  The Blob cold have easily become just another forgotten b-horror/sci-fi film, but it had this special quality to it that made it appealing and endearing to audiences.  The film was first of all shot in widescreen format and beautiful colour, and it had a playful tone to it, not taking itself too seriously.   The film was originally intended to have a more serious tone, but thankfully that opening theme was changed to this cute catchy theme song, written by Burt Bacharach and Mack David, which helped set the tone for the  film.  This is a fun film, and it was a huge hit with film goers in 1958, and has always been a beloved classic b-horror film, but I can't call it a cult classic, because it has been successful since its...

  The Hideous Sun Demon (1958) Actor/director Robert Clarke, after experiencing success with the low budget film The Astounding She-Monster, which he starred in, decided that he could do it himself, and that he did.  The Hideous Sun Demon was his attempt to make a low-budget b-horror film, armed with a crew of amatures made up mostly of University Of Southern California students, and a cast of students, amatures, friends, and family and a miniscule budget he made a film.  Was it a good film, well no, neither was it a successful film, but it did go on to become a cult classic, and an unintentional comedy, so I guess in a way, that would make it a success.   I personally find this film to be dull, with some unintentional comedic parts, it is definitely one of those films that is best watched when Elvira or Mystery Theater 3000 is mocking it, or to do something like that yourself with friends, but to watch it as a serious film is kind of chore, and I found my atten...