"JOHNNY TREMAIN" (1957) Screencaps Gallery

Below are screencap images from "JOHNNY TREMAIN", the 1956 Disney adaptation of Esther Forbes' 1944 children's novel. Directed by Robert Stevenson, the movie starred Hal Stalmaster, Luana Patten, Richard Beymer, Jeff York and Sebastian Cabot:


"JOHNNY TREMAIN" (1957) Screencaps Gallery

"THE KINGDOM" (2007) Review

"THE KINGDOM" (2007) Movie Review

Based upon a real life incident regarding a terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh Compound Bombings), ”THE KINGDOM” tells the story of an FBI Counterterrorist unit sent to Saudi Arabia to investigate a terrorist attack upon an American compound in Saudi Arabia. Directed by Peter Berg (”FRIDAY NIGHTS LIGHTS”) and produced by Michael Mann, the movie stars Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman.

The main question is . . . did I like ”THE KINGDOM”? And the answer is yes. In fact, I had enjoyed it very much. It had plenty of suspense, drama and especially action that should not leave anyone disappointed. Most of the story seemed to be focused upon the theme of American cops forced to deal with their country's own bureaucacy and with the hostility of foreign cops who resent the idea of Americans invading their turf. There have been other Hollywood crime dramas with similar themes. But in "THE KINGDOM", this theme is intensified due to the story's setting - namely Saudi Arabia and the Middle East culture and the current concern of terrorism. And I feel that screenwriters Matthew Michael Carnahan and Michael Mann did a great job.

The entire cast is first-rate . . . especially Jamie Foxx as FBI Agent Ronald Fleury and Ashraf Barhom as Col. Faris Al-Ghazi of the Saudi police, who managed to create a very credible relationship of two men whose different cultures would automatically make them enemies during this time in history. Yet slowly . . . surely, they managed to form a close friendship. My only problem with the casting was Chris Cooper. His character seemed a bit irrelevant and a little hammy at times.

About a month before the movie was released in the theaters, someone had written a review of the movie and considered it a potential for Academy Award nominations. To be honest, I do not know if I would agree with that assessment. As good as ”THE KINGDOM” was, I really do not see it earning any award nominations. At least of Oscar caliber. To me, it was simply a solid action-drama with a first-rate cast and good, solid writing. Worthy of an entertaining trip to your local movie theater.

Pioneer Cookery

Below are some recipes for dishes prepared by wagon train emigrants during the 19th century: 

PIONEER COOKERY

BUFFALO STEAK - Render some fat in a hot skillet. Add sirloin of buffalo steak and sear on both sides. At a lower heat, cook as beefsteak until done. For gravy, add a tablespoon of flour to the pan drippings and cook until brown. Stirring constantly, add a cup of milk and bring to a boil. Salt to taste.





BUFFALO JERKY - Slice buffalo meat along the grain into strips 1/8 inch thick, 1/2 inch wide and 2 to 3 inches long. Hang them on a rack in a pan and bake at 200 degrees until dry. To prepare outside, suspend them over a fire or drape them on bushes to dry in the sun.





FRIED CAKES - Combine 1 1/2 cups of flour with 1 cup of water. Mix well with a fork. Using plenty of flour on hands and a breadboard, roll out dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Roll into 2 inch balls or cut into 2 inch squares. Render beef fat in a skillet and add squares of dough. Brown slowly on both sides. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Makes about 20 cakes.





SODA BREAD - To make dough, mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 cup of warm water, add 2 1/4 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Knead well. The dough may be used at once or allowed to rise overnight in a warm place. In either case, flatten dough to a thickness of 1 inch. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake (in a 400 degree overn) for about 25 minutes.





MORMON JOHNNYCAKE - Combine 2 cups of yellow cornmeal, 1/2 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir in 2 cups of buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of molasses. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch pan and bake (in a 425 degree oven) for about 20 minutes. Cut into 16 squares. To make lighter cake; add 2 beaten eggs and 2 tablespoons of melted butter to buttermilk and cook about 25 minutes.





DRIED APPLE PIE - Soak 2 cups of dried apples in water overnight. Drain off the water and mix apples with 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon each of allspice and cinnamon. Line an 8-inch pie pan with a crust, add the apple mixture, dot with 3 tablespoons of butter and cover with a second crust. Make a few slashes in the top for ventilation and bake (in a 350 degree oven) for about 1 hour, until the crust is golden brown.

"THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL" (1982) Photo Gallery

Here are some photos from the 1982 television version of Baroness Emmuska Orczy's novel, "THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL". The movie starred Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour and Sir Ian McKellae:


"THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL" (1982) Photo Gallery

"HOT FUZZ" (2007) Review

"HOT FUZZ" (2007) Review

I have never never seen "SHAUN OF THE DEAD". Nor have I ever seen "SPACED", the TV series that first made British comics Simon Pegg and Nick Frost well known. And if I must be honest, I never really had any intention of seeing "HOT FUZZ" in the theaters. Until I saw the commercials for the movie on television five years ago. Thank God I had changed my mind. 

"HOT FUZZ" tells the story of New Scotland Yard police constable, Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg), whose uber-dedication to law and order, spotless arrest record (400% superior to his colleagues), and no-nonsense personality drives his superiors (which include Bill Nighy and Steve Coogan) to promote him to sergeant . . . and reassign him to the supposedly crime-free village of Sanford. Feeling like a fish out of water, Sergeant Angel struggles to adjust to rural crime fighting (like arresting underaged drinkers and a drunken future partner; and searching for a missing pet swan) and the slightly offbeat citizens of Sanford - especially his new partner, the affable Constable Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). What starts out as a mind-numbing experience for Angel, becomes intriguing when Sanford is rocked (well, as far as the intrepid police sergeant is concerned) by a series of grisly accidents. Angel eventually uncover the truth behind the so-called accidents. With the help of the eager Butterman (who happens to be an action movie fan) and the seemingly inept Sanford Police, Angel brings the . . . uh, guilty party to justice in a blaze of action-stylle gunplay.

Not only is "HOT FUZZ" one of the funniest movies I have seen in years, the screenwriters (director Edgar Wright and star Pegg) have created an array of eccentric and memorable characters that include Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (who plays Danny's equally affable chief of police dad, Frank Butterman) and Billie Whitelaw ("THE OMEN" fame) and BAFTA nominee Anne Reid ("THE MOTHER"). Also portraying some of the villagers are a collection of British talent from famous action-adventure sagas - Timothy Dalton (the 4th James Bond), Edward Woodward ("THE EQUALIZER"), Paul Freeman (Belloq in "RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK"), David Threlfall ("PATRIOT GAMES") and Stuart Wilson ("LETHAL WEAPON 3"). Even Pegg has appeared as an IMF computer tech and agent in the last two "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE" movies. And they are all hilarious . . . especially Dalton's smarmy supermarket owner who reminds me of a stock villain straight out of"THE PERILS OF PAULINE".

I must admit that I truly enjoyed watching Nick Frost's Danny get under Angel's skin. Not only was he extremely funny - and witty, but he was also so charming that it was easy how he managed to break down Angel's chilly exterior and befriend the London cop. And his penchant for American action films has endeared me to his character more than ever. I suffer from the same penchant.

But the real revelation - at least for me - turned out to be Sergeant Nicholas Angel, portrayed with such humorless zeal by star, Simon Pegg. Straight arrow types usually turn out to be the hero or anti-hero's long-suffering superior or rival in many action films. And it is usually the screw-up or anti-social characters who turn out to be the main character that end up being transferred away from the action. But in "HOT FUZZ", Angel's zealous competence causes him to lose his girlfriend (Cate Blanchett in a cameo), but earn the antipathy of his Scotland Yard colleagues (who are eager to get rid of him). I cannot explain it, but is something about Angel that I found very appealing and funny. I guess I simply found him fascinating. In real life, this guy would have seriously annoyed me. But thanks to great writing and Pegg's tight performance, I found myself rooting for him. The ironic thing about Nick Angel is that he will eventually discover that his nemesis is just as anal as he. Danny Butterman turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Some critics have complained that "HOT FUZZ" seemed to long for a comedy with a running time of 121 minutes. Considering that the movie was a send-up of action movies, which usually ran at two hours, I saw nothing wrong with the movie's length. To be honest, I was too busy laughing to notice. I have to say that without a doubt, "HOT FUZZ" is one of the funniest movies I have seen since . . . one of Danny Butterman's favorite movies, "BAD BOYS 2" and "STARSKY AND HUTCH" (both were released in 2003). It has become increasingly difficult to find a comedy that is smart and filled with rich characterization. "HOT FUZZ" can also boast some memorable scenes that I will never forget:

-Sergeant Angel's New Scotland Yard superiors giving him the news about his reassignment
-Angel's first night in Sanford (which includes arresting his future partner)
-David Threlfall and Lucy Punch's hilarious take on "ROMEO AND JULIET"
-Police Constable Doris Thatcher's witty repartee after dealing with one of Simon Skinner's employees
-Danny Butterman's send up on a scene from "POINT BREAK"
-Angel and Skinner's crazy hand-to-hand fight amidst a model of Sanford.

"HOT FUZZ" managed to reach American theaters at least two weeks before the start of the Hollywood summer season. And already, it has become one of my favorite movies from 2007. It is a hilariously rich and sharp tale about murder, consipiracy and a great friendship. Thank you Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright.

TIME MACHINE: Battle of Chickamauga

TIME MACHINE: BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA

Last month marked the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga, during the U.S. Civil War. Fought in southwestern Tennessee and northeastern Georgia, the battle served as the last Union offensive in that region between September 19-20, 1863. It was the first major U.S. Civil War battle to be fought in Georgia.

Following his successful Tullahoma Campaign, General William Rosecrans, who commanded the Union's Army of the Cumberland, set out to force the Confederate Army of Tennessee, under General Braxton Bragg out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. In early September 1863, Rosecrans consolidated his forces scattered around Tennessee and Georgia and forced the Army of Tennessee out of Chattanooga. Bragg and his troops were forced south of the city and the Union troops followed them. The two armies engaged in a brief clash at Davis's Cross Roads. Bragg became determined to reoccupy Chattanooga by meeting a part of Rosecran's army, defeat it and move back into the city. 

On September 17, his army marched north, intending to attack the Union's isolated XXI Corps. While Bragg marched north on September 18, his cavalry and infantry fought with Union cavalry and mounted infantry. The actual Battle of Chickamauga between the Army of the Cumberland and the Army of Tennessee began in earnest on September 19, 1863; near Chickamauga Creek in northwestern Georgia. This small body of water flows into the Tennessee River. Although the Confederate troops engaged in a strong assault, they could not break the Union line. 

General Bragg resumed his assault on the following day, September 20. In late morning, Rosecrans received erroneous information that he had a gap in his line. While moving units to close the alleged gap, Rosecrans had accidentally created an actual gap, directly in the path of a Confederate eight-brigade assault on a narrow front by Lieutenant General James Longstreet. Longstreet's attack drove one-third of the Union army, including Rosecrans himself, away from the field. Other Union forces spontaneously rallied to create a defensive line on Horseshoe Ridge, forming a new right wing for the line ofMajor General George H. Thomas, who assumed overall command of remaining Federal forces. Although the Confederates launched costly and determined assaults, Thomas and his men held until twilight. The actions of Thomas earned him the nickname of "The Rock of Chickamauga. He led the Union forces to Chattanooga, while the Confederates occupied the surrounding heights and commenced upon a siege of the city.

Unable to break the Confederates' siege of Chattanooga, General Rosecrans was relieved of his command of the Army of the Cumberland on October 19, 1863. He was replaced by General Thomas. During the siege, General Bragg commenced upon a battle against those subordinates he resented for failing him in the campaign. This conflict led to General D.H. Hill being relieved of his command and General Longstreet's corps being sent to fight in the Knoxville Campaign against General Ambrose Burnside. These actions seriously weakened Bragg's army at Chattanooga. General Bragg's siege of Chattanooga remained in effect for two months, until General Ulysses S. Grant broke it during the Chattanooga Campaign in late November.

For more information on the Battle of Chickamauga, read the following books:

"The Chickamauga Campaign [Civil War Campaigns in the Heartland] (2010) Edited by Steven E. Woodworth

"The Battle of Chickamauga: The Fight for Snodgrass Hill and the Rock of Chickamauga" (2012) by Robert L. Carter