Foibles Episode 29: ”That Demmed Elusive Pimpernel” The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

Book:

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy, published 1905.

11 sequels plus numerous short stories

Movie adaptations:

Scarlet Pimpernel (1934), starring Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon- The BEST adaptation

Pimpernel Smith (1941), Leslie Howard- Meh.

The Elusive Pimpernel (1950), David Niven and Margaret Leighton- Rita hated, Xoe loved the surreal sets.

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982), Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour- Solid adaptation.

TV:

Scarlet Pimpernel (1999)- Not very good.

Foibles Episode 28: The Prior Brothers, Genre Film‘s Born Killers

Experiences the child-like joy of gleaming muscles, flashing teeth, ill-timed explosions, and mayhem by the best of the worst.

Link to Ted's IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0697961/

Xoe and Rita's Top 7 Ted Prior Movies:

Sledgehammer (1983)

KILLZONE (1985)

Born Killer (1989)

Future Zone (1990)

Raw Nerve (1991)

Possessed by the Night (1994)**

Day of the Warrior (1996)*

Honorable Mentions:

Hardcase and Fist (1989)

Raw Justice (1994)

The Last House (2015)

*Xoe's unique pick

**Rita's pick

Thanks as always to Powerbleeder for our theme song "Future Mind". Listen Here

Foibles Episode 27: Archy and Mehitable- Toujours Gai

archy and mehitabel by don marquis is a collection of newspaper columns in verse without kapitalization or punctuation except occasionally  published between 1916 and 1936

filled with social and politikal commentary along with a very wry perspective on human foibles and the vagaries of life for all life forms

wonderful stylized illustrations by george herriman who wuz also the author of the krazy kat comics

first half of the full collection is highly recommended interest peters out in the second half

marquis's hit play old soak wuz definitely of it time its humor does not hold up at all

always speshial thanks to david plell and powerbleeder for our muzak

Foibles Episode 26: The Murderbot Diaries

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

All Systems Red - 2018 Nebula Award for Best Novella; 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novella; & 2018 American Library Association’s Alex Award; nominated for 2017 Philip K Dick Award

Artificial Condition - 2019 Hugo Award

Rogue Protocol

Exit Strategy

Network Effect

Fugitive Telemetry - Published in 2021. We have not read it yet

Read these in order!

The 1st three following novellas had enough votes for the 2019 Hugo Award final ballot but Wells declined all nominations except for Artificial Condition, which won.

Thanks to David Plell with Powerbleeder for our theme Future Mind.

Foibles Episode 24: The Silver Prose of Mary Mapes Dodge

Thanks for listening to the long saga of visionary film producer Val Lewton! This episode is a one-off, and the author only wrote two novels.

Mary Mapes Dodge (1831-1905)  Writer, editor, widow, single mother

She was instrumental in encouraging Rudyard Kipling to write The Jungle Book. She also published books of sketches and poems.

Novels:

Donald and Dorothy (1883)

Hans Brinker; or the Silver Skates (1865)

Special thanks to David Plell and Powerbleeder for the theme song "Future Mind"!

Foibles Episode 23 Pt. IV: Val Lewton- Fadeout

Special Thanks to Adam Roche for his excellently researched podcast The Secret History of Hollywood - Shadows. This is a multi-hour epic documentary about Val Lewton's life and work. https://www.attaboyclarence.com/the-secret-history-of-hollywood

Val Lewton (1904-1951) (nee Vladimir Ivanovich Hofschneider in Imperial Russia; mother's maiden name was Leventon)

Top Four Must-See Val Lewton movies:

1) I Walked with Zombie

2) Cat People

3) Rita: The Ghost Ship; Xoe: The 7th Victim

Universal Studios horror classics:

Frankenstein (1931) - starring Boris Karloff

Dracula (1931) - starring Bela Lugosi

The Black Cat (1941) - exemplar of Universal formula mixing equal parts of suspense/horror and comedy; directed by Albert Rogell, brother of Sid Rogell who was Val Lewton's boss for during his early career.

Lewton's filmography as producer:

Cat People (1942) (Jacques Tourneur)

I Walked with a Zombie (1943) (Tourneur)

The Leopard Man (1943) (Tourneur) 

7th Victim (1943) (Mark Robson)  

The Ghost Ship (1943) (Robson) - Theme: Corruption caused by power/authority

Curse of the Cat People (1944 (Gunther von Fritsch, Robert Wise)

Mademoiselle Fifi (1944) (Wise) 

Youth Runs Wild (1944) (Robson)

The Body Snatcher (1945) (Wise) 

Isle of the Dead (1945) (Wise) 

Bedlam (1946) (Robson) 

My Own True Love (1948) (Paramount)

Please Believe Me (1950) (MGM)

Apache Drums (1951) (Universal)

Intro and extro music: "Future mind" by Powerbleeder. Thanks David!

Foibles Episode 23 Pt. III: Val Lewton- The End of the Golden Age

Special Thanks to Adam Roche for his excellently researched podcast The Secret History of Hollywood - Shadows. This is a multi-hour epic documentary about Val Lewton's life and work. https://www.attaboyclarence.com/the-secret-history-of-hollywood

Val Lewton (1904-1951) (nee Vladimir Ivanovich Hofschneider in Imperial Russia; mother's maiden name was Leventon)

Top Four Must-See Val Lewton movies:

1) I Walked with Zombie

2) Cat People

3) Rita: The Ghost Ship; Xoe: The 7th Victim

Universal Studios horror classics:

Frankenstein (1931) - starring Boris Karloff

Dracula (1931) - starring Bela Lugosi

The Black Cat (1941) - exemplar of Universal formula mixing equal parts of suspense/horror and comedy; directed by Albert Rogell, brother of Sid Rogell who was Val Lewton's boss for during his early career.

Lewton's filmography as producer:

Cat People (1942) (Jacques Tourneur)

I Walked with a Zombie (1943) (Tourneur)

The Leopard Man (1943) (Tourneur) 

7th Victim (1943) (Mark Robson)  

The Ghost Ship (1943) (Robson) - Theme: Corruption caused by power/authority

Curse of the Cat People (1944 (Gunther von Fritsch, Robert Wise)

Mademoiselle Fifi (1944) (Wise) 

Youth Runs Wild (1944) (Robson)

The Body Snatcher (1945) (Wise) 

Isle of the Dead (1945) (Wise) 

Bedlam (1946) (Robson) 

My Own True Love (1948) (Paramount)

Please Believe Me (1950) (MGM)

Apache Drums (1951) (Universal)

Intro and extro music: "Future mind" by Powerbleeder. Thanks David!

Foibles Episode 23 Pt. II: Val Lewton- Women in the Shadows

Link to "Shame & Scandal (In the Family): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJyVB_sqh3E

Special Thanks to Adam Roche for his excellently researched podcast The Secret History of Hollywood - Shadows. This is a multi-hour epic documentary about Val Lewton's life and work. https://www.attaboyclarence.com/the-secret-history-of-hollywood

Val Lewton (1904-1951) (nee Vladimir Ivanovich Hofschneider in Imperial Russia; mother's maiden name was Leventon)

Top Four Must-See Val Lewton movies:

1) I Walked with Zombie

2) Cat People

3) Rita: The Ghost Ship; Xoe: The 7th Victim

Universal Studios horror classics:

Frankenstein (1931) - starring Boris Karloff

Dracula (1931) - starring Bela Lugosi

The Black Cat (1941) - exemplar of Universal formula mixing equal parts of suspense/horror and comedy; directed by Albert Rogell, brother of Sid Rogell who was Val Lewton's boss for during his early career.

Lewton's filmography as producer:

Cat People (1942) (Jacques Tourneur)

I Walked with a Zombie (1943) (Tourneur)

The Leopard Man (1943) (Tourneur) 

7th Victim (1943) (Mark Robson)  

The Ghost Ship (1943) (Robson) - Theme: Corruption caused by power/authority

Curse of the Cat People (1944 (Gunther von Fritsch, Robert Wise)

Mademoiselle Fifi (1944) (Wise) 

Youth Runs Wild (1944) (Robson)

The Body Snatcher (1945) (Wise) 

Isle of the Dead (1945) (Wise) 

Bedlam (1946) (Robson) 

My Own True Love (1948) (Paramount)

Please Believe Me (1950) (MGM)

Apache Drums (1951) (Universal)

Intro and extro music: "Future mind" by Powerbleeder. Thanks David!

Foibles Episode 23 Pt. I: Val Lewton and The Dark Subconcious

Val Lewton (1904-1951) (nee Vladimir Ivanovich Hofschneider in Imperial Russia; mother's maiden name was Leventon)

Top Four Must-See Val Lewton movies:

1) I Walked with Zombie

2) Cat People

3) Rita: The Ghost Ship; Xoe: The 7th Victim

Universal Studios horror classics:

Frankenstein (1931) - starring Boris Karloff

Dracula (1931) - starring Bela Lugosi

The Black Cat (1941) - exemplar of Universal formula mixing equal parts of suspense/horror and comedy; directed by Albert Rogell, brother of Sid Rogell who was Val Lewton's boss for during his early career.

Lewton's filmography as producer:

Cat People (1942) (Jacques Tourneur)

I Walked with a Zombie (1943) (Tourneur)

The Leopard Man (1943) (Tourneur) 

7th Victim (1943) (Mark Robson)  

The Ghost Ship (1943) (Robson) - Theme: Corruption caused by power/authority

Curse of the Cat People (1944 (Gunther von Fritsch, Robert Wise)

Mademoiselle Fifi (1944) (Wise) 

Youth Runs Wild (1944) (Robson)

The Body Snatcher (1945) (Wise) 

Isle of the Dead (1945) (Wise) 

Bedlam (1946) (Robson) 

My Own True Love (1948) (Paramount)

Please Believe Me (1950) (MGM)

Apache Drums (1951) (Universal)

Special Thanks to Adam Roche for his excellently researched podcast The Secret History of Hollywood - Shadows. This is a multi-hour epic documentary about Val Lewton's life and work. https://www.attaboyclarence.com/the-secret-history-of-hollywood

Intro and extro music: "Future mind" by Powerbleeder. Thanks David!

Foibles Episode 22: Mildred Pierce: Good Mother or Martyr?

MILDRED PIERCE
Novel: Mildred Pierce by James M Cain, 1941. Still entertaining

Film: Mildred Pierce (1947) - starring Joan Crawford, Ann Blythe, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden - The classic holds up

Miniseries: Mildred Pierce (2011) 5 episodes - starring Kate Winslet, Evan Rachel Wood, Guy Pearce - Atmospheric, well-acted and directed, a little too slow because there is not enough material from the novel to fill 5 episodes.

Reccomended movies mentioned:
The Bad Seed (1956)
The Babadook (2014)
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Duel in the Sun (1946)