dual personalities

Tag: movies

September 28, 2026

Sing praises now and evermore

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Mine was a lovely quiet one.

I had my semi-annual cancer check-up on Friday and that appears to have gone well. Daughter #1 and I celebrated with a visit to a favorite antique store and wine time at Llewellyn’s Pub. We had sliders for dinner.

On Saturday we went to one estate sale where the prices were ridiculously high, but we still found a couple of things–Christmas shopping, you know. We also went to the huge South County antique mall, but we only made it through about 1/3 of it before I was worn out. (Call me Oldie Hawn.) It was fun though and a good mall. We’ll go back.

I watched The Producers (1967), Mel Brooks’ directorial debut, the one about a mild-mannered accountant and a con artist theater producer who scheme to get rich by fraudulently overselling shares in a stage musical designed to fail. To this end, they find a play celebrating Adolf Hitler and the Nazis and bring it to the stage. I enjoyed it a lot.

On Sunday I went to church where the assistant pastor gave a good sermon on I Corinthians 1:18-31. My adult ed class was terrific–I am learning so much! Effectual grace! It is very exciting. After church my “fold” had a luncheon at our elder’s house which was very pleasant–we got to eat outside! The sun had finally come out after a week of clouds.

And this made me laugh:

Enjoy your Monday! Watch an old movie, pet a nice (dirty) dog! Sing praises now and evermore!

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September 25, 2026

That’s on me!*

by chuckofish

This interchange with daughter #2 made us think I should do a blogpost about our favorite out of context family movie quotes that we say constantly. She then mentioned Wes’s inner monologue/”Richard, what’s happening?” line from Tommy Boy (1995).

Daughter #1 chimed in with “Oh, I fell over!” from Austin Powers (1997). Of course, this made me think of “Austin-Powering it” whenever I try to parallel park.

This led to “most of the White Christmas script”:

Then there is Mean Girls (2004): “I did not leave the Southside for this!”

And Planes, Trains and Automobiles: “That’ll buff out no problem”; “Is this a good combo or what?”; “Kindness? KINDNESS?”; “Why do I feel like I’m at summer camp?”; “HOW may I help you?”

And Pillow Talk (1959): “Ain’t these tasty?” and “Jan, you’ve been crying for 60 miles.”

And Role Models (2008): “I don’t drink juice, biotch.”

And The World of Henry Orient (1964): “There are some people in the balcony who couldn’t hear you” and “Hello? Pan Am?”

Boy, I could go on and on…These are not classic lines from great movies, but we really do say these lines all the time. We are such nerds, I know.

Do you have movie lines you use with your family/friends?

*Melissa McCarthy in Spy (2015)

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September 24, 2026

Another history lesson

by chuckofish

Yesterday I worked on an article about Hiram Wheeler Leffingwell, one of the founders of Kirkwood. Did you know that he was also one of the movers and shakers of St. Louis who promoted the idea of establishing a large public park–Forest Park–in the mid-19th century? Well, he was.

There was quite a bit of opposition to his proposal from land holders and taxpayers and it took five years to see the plan through. The park was half the size as initially imagined, but in 1874 Governor Silas Woodson signed three acts establishing Forest Park as well as O’Fallon Park on the north side and Carondelet Park on the south.

There is no statue of Leffingwell in the park, but in the early 1990s Forest Park Forever did create an award named after him, given annually to a person who has devoted considerable time, talent or resources to restoring and maintaining the park. I guess that’s something.

Well, he was indeed quite a fellow. After retiring from the real estate business and serving a term as a U.S. Marshall, he retired to Bradenton, Florida where he died in 1897.

I also went to my public library to return some books and while perusing the stacks I found All About Me! by Mel Brooks. I am presently reading about his happy childhood in Brooklyn during the depression. He is 100 years old now, the same age as my mother would be. I am enjoying it. I have known a lot of guys in my life like Mel, i.e. funny Jewish guys.

“A lot of people think that comedy and getting laughs and applause is making up for an unhappy childhood. Au contraire! I think it’s just the opposite. All I can say is that in my case comedy was keeping the joy of a happy childhood going strong. I definitely wanted a continuum of the love that I got from my mother, brothers, and aunts and uncles.”

So a toast tonight to Hiram Leffingwell and to Mel Brooks! L’chaim!

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September 21, 2026

Come ye weary, heavy laden

by chuckofish

We had another very hot weekend, but they say we’re in for cooler temps this week. Let’s hope so. Today is the first day of fall, after all!

The gutter guys (moonlighting firemen) came on Friday to wash my windows and I had an interesting conversation with the head dude prompted by the picture of John Wayne in my kitchen.

This happens not infrequently. Kindred souls, you know. It periodically restores my faith in humanity.

I went to Mudd’s Grove in the afternoon to do a little research and then I enjoyed wine time with daughter #1 at our favorite local watering hole. I also enjoyed therapy time with Mr. Smith who was newly shampooed.

On Saturday I decided not to attend the Greentree Festival parade in my flyover town, instead planning to go to the bud’s soccer game, but I was foiled in my efforts when there was absolutely no place to park in all of Shaw Park. (There was also some art fair going on and half of Clayton was blocked off.) So I headed over to daughter #1’s house and we went to two estate sales in her neighborhood. They were both in old houses where the people had obviously lived for many years. This is the kind of estate sale we like best. Fascinating. We found a few things and spent less than $20. Afterwards we went to the new hip restaurant in her neighborhood–Cibo–the one in a renovated gas station, for a yummy lunch. Then I went home to recover from walking around in the 95+ degree sunshine.

Later she came over to my house and we went to the Greentree Festival for wine time and live music. We parked in my friend Carla’s driveway and walked over–again very hot! It was fun to people watch, but we didn’t stay too long. We hoofed it back to Carla’s where she and her husband gave us glasses of ice water and a cool house to cool off in. I did not go to the Pig Pickin’ dinner at church that night, opting to stay home and watch A Mighty Wind (2003). Having just watched No Direction Home (22005) documentary, it was doubly hilarious.

On Sunday I met the boy and the twins at church. As usual, the music was wonderful and the entire congregation sang with gusto. The choir was in great form as was our resident violinist. We sang my favorite hymn (Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy) and Lottie’s favorite (Yet Not I, But Through Christ in Me). The sermon on I Corinthians 1:10-17 about Christian unity was very good, as was our Sunday School class, continuing on the Union with Christ theme. We were all energized when we left church. Imagine that.

I went home and worked on my blogpost and did the homework for my Monday afternoon Bible Study. I went back to church Sunday night for a presentation about our mission work in Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, and around the world. Amazing work being done by God! When I got home, it started to rain and the temperature dropped.

Stay positive. Choose joy.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32) 

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September 16, 2026

I walked abroad

by chuckofish

Today we toast T.E. Hulme (1883-1917), an English critic and poet who, through his writings on art, literature and politics, had a notable influence upon modernism. Hulme volunteered as an artilleryman in 1914 and served with the Honourable Artillery Company and later the Royal Marine Artillery in  France and Belgium. He was killed by a shell in West Flanders.

A touch of cold in the Autumn night –
I walked abroad,
And saw the ruddy moon lean over a hedge
Like a red-faced farmer.
I did not stop to speak, but nodded,
And round about were the wistful stars
With white faces like town children.

We are in the middle of another hot week in the 90s, so I won’t be doing much walking abroad! All the better for catching up on my Bible study homework and other reading. I am also re-watching No Direction Home Bob Dylan, the 2005 documentary by Martin Scorsese, and really enjoying it.

Have a good Wednesday! Read some poetry, re-watch a good movie, listen to some Bob.

(The painting is by Atkinson Grimshaw, a Victorian artist.)

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September 3, 2026

How’s it going?

by chuckofish

It has been steamy hot all this week so I have been working on inside projects and getting ready to head up to the prairie on Friday for the long weekend.

I have, as usual, been reading several different books, including Agatha Christie’s autobiography. She really was quite an unusual person who seemed to think nothing of traveling to exotic places like Bagdad alone. She was always very lucky and found people to stay with and hang out with for lengthy periods of time. It was a different world–at least for people of her social class etc. If they had made a movie about her, she would have been played by Margaret Rutherford, if you can imagine Margaret Rutherford surfing. (I can.) She was married twice and had one child, who was shipped off to boarding school at age eight–don’t worry–she wanted to go. Agatha, of course, never had any formal education, but was, of course, much better “educated” than most modern students. It is a fascinating read, but I’m not sure how much of it I actually believe.

Indeed. what can beat a train?

This is a really interesting short film I saw on TCM about the making of The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)–back when making movies was a true collaboration of real artists. It was an entirely different endeavor from today when everything is done on computers. They were crafting illusions and bringing them to life through brilliant camera work, art direction, costumes, music, makeup, acting. Wow. Fascinating!

Down to the buzzing of the arrows, they don’t don’t make ’em like this anymore!

Well, have a great Thursday! Keep cool.

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August 18, 2026

Thrills and laughter, Concert after

by chuckofish

Today we remember this day in 1852 when Captain Jack’s Floating Palace arrived in St. Louis. Built in Cincinnati to carry the famous Spalding and Rogers Circus, its amphitheater for equestrain performances was capable of seating 1,000 people. Its museum contained about 100,000 “curiosities”, including Indian weapons, old-world relics, oil paintings, and zoological exhibitions of wild and rare animals.

The boat was 200 feet long – approximately two-thirds the length of a football field, and 60 feet wide. There were 1,100 cane-bottom arm chairs sold on a reserved basis. There was the “family circle,” consisting of cushioned settees to accommodate another 500 people. Finally, there were 900 gallery seats.

So many people crowded to the wharf in St. Louis for admission that special tickets were sold to those willing to watch the show through the windows.

Performers included: William Lawrence Slout; Miss Rosaline Stickney; H.P. Madigan, who served as a ringmaster, equestrian, gymnast, vaulter and pantominist; E.S. Perry; Charles Crosby, a gymnast who worked for Spalding and Rogers from 1852-56; D.W. Stone; Dr. Reed; the Le Pantomime Troupe; Masters Eustache & Jean and Monsieur Benoit. In addition, John Gossin was a clown, rider, tumbler and still vaulter. Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., surnamed the Grimaldi of America, he was an immense favorite of audiences in the United States.

Each performance was two to three hours in length. Once a show concluded and passengers debarked, a steamboat pulled the elegant barge to the nearest small town.

The palace kept a busy schedule until the outbreak of the Civil War, when it was seized by Confederate forces and and fitted out to serve as a military hospital.

I was never a big fan of the musical Show Boat or of the movie Show Boat (1951)–based on the novel by Edna Ferber–although it would seem an appropriate historical diversion.

But it does kind of make me want to watch Circus World (1964).

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August 17, 2026

He will hold me fast

by chuckofish

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty quiet, mostly due to the weather, which was not particularly condusive to activity.

I did take the speedwagon in for an oil change and 6-month check-up on Friday morning. I was given a loaner, so I got to drive around a 2026 4-door Mini Cooper which was fun. I still love my Countryman though.

That evening daughter #1 and I braved the heat and went to see our friend Gary and his band, Colonel Ford, play, which was very enjoyable!

On Saturday, after my night out, I had to get up early and go to Trader Joe’s to buy some flowers and then go to church to arrange them for Sunday,

After that, I went home and took it easy. I watched The Searchers (1956) on TCM in the afternoon. It is a flawed but great film–John Wayne is awesome. It was amazing watching it again having been to Monument Valley recently.

Amazing.

I took those chairs over to daughter #1’s house after that and had a glass of wine

That night I watched 28 Days (2000)–the one where Sandra Bullock is in rehab with Viggo Mortensen. I had not seen it in a long time and enjoyed it a lot. (Not to be confused with 28 Days Later (2002) about the apocalypse.)

On Sunday I went to the 11:00 service, because the boy and the twins could come to that service. However, they had a car accident on the way there, so they didn’t make it. They are fine, but quelle pain in the neck. Anyway, I saw a lot of people at the later service that I hadn’t seen all summer because I went to the 8:30 and that was nice.

We sang a hymn which seemed appropriate to the circumstances…

When I fear my faith will fail,
Christ will hold me fast;
When the tempter would prevail,
He can hold me fast!

Refrain:
He will hold me fast,
He will hold me fast;
For my Savior loves me so,
He will hold me fast.

(Ada Ruth Habershon, 1861-1918)

Our pastor gave a good sermon on Psalm 37 (Trust in the Lord’s timing!) I went to the adult ed class on prayer–another great one led by another seminary student who was learned and funny. He got a couple of good laughs from this serious Presbyterian audience, which is saying something.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

–Psalm 37:2-4

We went to the boy’s house later where he grilled smashbergers–an excellent end to a lovely weekend. Life is good.

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August 11, 2026

“Look what TJ Maxx dragged in”

by chuckofish

We are going through another of those “heat advisory” periods where, yes, it’s hot–but nothing unusual for St. Louis in August. The weather people just love to be so dramatic. But staying inside and watching a movie is not a bad idea.

So yesterday I went to my friend-with-the-really-big-television’s house to watch The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026). Unfortunately I thought it was pretty lame.

Twenty years (!) after the original, “Andy Sachs reunites with Miranda Priestly as they navigate their careers amid the decline of traditional magazine publishing.” There is a lot of talk about journalism and the inference is that we should care about journalism. And should we care about high fashion and really rich people acting badly? Not if they’re not even funny. Meryl Streep is very good as usual, but she is playing a terrible person and that joke gets old. There was really no one for me to like. Also it dragged. The other ladies in attendance at this viewing thought “it was cute”, but, sorry to be a grouch, I didn’t.

You’re much better off checking out TCM and their Summer Under the Stars schedule. Here’s the schedule for the rest of this week:

Watch an old movie! You’ll be glad you did.

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July 29, 2026

What’s playing at the Roxy?

by chuckofish

What have you been watching lately? Anything good? Me neither.

I did watch the movie RV (2006) directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Robin Williams, Cheryle Hines (Mrs. RFK, Jr.), Jeff Daniels, and Kristin Chenoweth. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Sometimes you are just in the mood for such rated PG silliness. And there was a good moral to the story.

I also watched the classic John Huston version of Moby Dick (1956) with Gregory Peck, Richard Basehart and Leo Genn. It really is quite a good adaption of the huge and marvelous book, well worth watching.

Better yet, of course, to read the book, but do what you can.

Speak, thou vast and venerable head,” muttered Ahab, “which, though ungarnished with a beard, yet here and there lookest hoary with mosses; speak, mighty head, and tell us the secret thing that is in thee. Of all divers, thou hast dived the deepest. That head upon which the upper sun now gleams, has moved amid this world’s foundations. Where unrecorded names and navies rust, and untold hopes and anchors rot; where in her murderous hold this frigate earth is ballasted with bones of millions of the drowned; there, in that awful water-land, there was thy most familiar home. Thou hast been where bell or diver never went; hast slept by many a sailor’s side, where sleepless mothers would give their lives to lay them down. Thou saw’st the locked lovers when leaping from their flaming ship; heart to heart they sank beneath the exulting wave; true to each other, when heaven seemed false to them. Thou saw’st the murdered mate when tossed by pirates from the midnight deck; for hours he fell into the deeper midnight of the insatiate maw; and his murderers still sailed on unharmed — while swift lightnings shivered the neighboring ship that would have borne a righteous husband to outstretched, longing arms. O head! thou hast seen enough to split the planets and make an infidel of Abraham, and not one syllable is thine!

Also, yesterday was the 14th wedding anniversary of the boy and daughter #3. They have been a couple since 2009, and as you know, they were engaged at aged three while in preschool together.

They have been through a lot together and, God willing, they will have many more happy years together! L’chaim!

So watch an old movie, read an old book, celebrate a milestone. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

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