The Silver Screen Oasis

LORNA TO THE GROUP: “I would like to talk about…MURDER SHE WROTE.”

THE GROUP: (SCREAMS IN UNISON)

Three days later…

LORNA TO THE GROUP: “I would like to talk at length about Italian exploitation cinema of the 1970s and 80s…”

THE GROUP TO LORNA: “so, you remember the episode where Jessica goes to prison?”

as maybe a PALETTE CLEANER, I will mention that I rented SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (is it 1937 or 1938?) on youtube...I mention this because it was only about $4 to do and they let me have it for THREE DAYS as opposed to AMAZON's 48 hours.

I love this movie on a level I cannot explain, something about the colors and movements SPEAKS TO MY RODS AND CONES and beguiles me- I'll even watch the non-WICKED QUEEN/HAUNTED FOREST scenes, although I will admit that while I have come to accept SNOW WHITE's frankly insipid nature, out of the dwarves- DOC gets on my ****ing NERVES- like, "Who the Hell elected YOU the leader?" and honestly, HAPPY is really, REALLY Underwritten- AS IS SNEEZY, but at least he has a more discernable trait.

Grumpy is and will always be the leader both in spirit and in my heart. one day i may write a FAN FIC PIECE where HE AND THE WITCH get together and START THEIR OWN SHOW ON FOX NEWS called "I DUNNO WHAT IT IS, BUT I'M AGIN' IT!!!"

CinemaInternational wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 5:19 pm

Lorna wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 5:11 pm

CinemaInternational wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 2:05 pm Hey, Lorna, I saw part of one of your favorite Murder, She Wrote episodes last night, Jessica Behind Bars with the women's prison riot. Remember when I thought on the old boards of a way to use that episode as part of a way to cap off the series in grand fashion?

Actually, I hope you forgive me, but no. I can’t say as I recall that exactly at the moment. (It’s been a wild couple years)
Refresh me.

I suggested that, instead of the four TV movies that followed the show, they could have capped off the series around 1997 or 1998 with a two night 4 hour TV event called The Siege of Cabot Cove, where there was a big jailbreak at the women's prison and Adrienne Barbeau, backed up by some of the female killers that Jessica put away in Cabot Cove over the years (think Carrie Snodgress, Holland Taylor, Susan Clark, Marion Seldes, Carroll Baker, etc.) would hold the town hostage as revenge, while Jessica and friends get unlikely help from a group of recent female parolees who would be played by veterans of 40s/50s noirs. And after all the chaos would be stopped, Jessica would finally follow through on years on build-up and marry Seth Hazlitt, with the ladies from Loretta's Beauty Parlor as her bridesmaids.

LOL! I love it! I was so disappointed the series ended with no big send off. But considering the bad feelings involved in how it came about, not surprising. A big two parter set in Cabot Cove with former guest stars and Loretta's gang would've been great. And Jessica retires and marries Seth. I always thought they should've developed Jessica's life more. Have a relative involved with a murder (didnt she have any living brothers and sisters or in-laws?) Or Jessica herself being the main suspect and jailed!

txfilmfan wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 11:04 pm

CinemaInternational wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 5:19 pm

Lorna wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 5:11 pm

Actually, I hope you forgive me, but no. I can’t say as I recall that exactly at the moment. (It’s been a wild couple years)
Refresh me.

I suggested that, instead of the four TV movies that followed the show, they could have capped off the series around 1997 or 1998 with a two night 4 hour TV event called The Siege of Cabot Cove, where there was a big jailbreak at the women's prison and Adrienne Barbeau, backed up by some of the female killers that Jessica put away in Cabot Cove over the years (think Carrie Snodgress, Holland Taylor, Susan Clark, Marion Seldes, Carroll Baker, etc.) would hold the town hostage as revenge, while Jessica and friends get unlikely help from a group of recent female parolees who would be played by veterans of 40s/50s noirs. And after all the chaos would be stopped, Jessica would finally follow through on years on build-up and marry Seth Hazlitt, with the ladies from Loretta's Beauty Parlor as her bridesmaids.

Cabot Cove - highest murder rate per capita in the country. Even though Jessica solved most of her crimes elsewhere, the writers still managed to knock off about 5 Cabot Cove citizens and/or visitors every year, which is a lot for a town of 3500 people.

YES! They should've added that to the town sign when visitors approach. BEWARE!

Lorna wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 5:13 pm (It’s funny I was watching that episode too.)

Love how Adrienne Barbeau keeps improperly handling her pump shotgun throughout the ep though

I love that episode! She is SO bad!!! And Vera Miles' awful wig (so distracting in her scenes). And super blowsy Yvonne DeCarlo, barely recognizable from her Hollywood prime years. I guess she needed the money.

Vera is still alive (barely, I hear) She's in her mid 90s.


A.B. was in an other Murder episode in another butch role as some tv production assistant. I remember she chided Jessica for not calling her MS.! I think it was the one where they were investigating poorly made teddy bears! (LOL).

The other day, when describing a Best Picture nominee from this year, The Zone of Interest, I borrowed Hannah Arendt's phase "the banality of evil" to describe the plot even though I had yet to see it. But given that the film concerns the commandant of Auschwitz and his family it seemed appropriate. Now, having seen it as it hit HBO today (presumably Max streaming too, and memo to all of you, I'm willing to share my account sign-in to that service if anyone wants HBO access), it turned out it was a correct phrase For every chilling scene such as the commandant going over plans for a crematory chamber , the revelation that the commandant's house abuts the camp seperated only by a brick wall, the war room gathering late in the film, or the nasty anti-Semitic comments, the film busies itself more in showing how this callous family goes about household chores, day outings, small talk, gardening, and family time, completely oblivious to all the carnage they are responsible for. Meanwhile, the soundtrack is filled with all these subterranean groans, creaks, and screaming plus a shrill discordant musical score to indicate the unseen horrors on the other side of the wall (the film does show some modern day footage of the sobering displays at a Holocaust museum near the end, but shows no bodies or skeletons). It's clear that this is meant as a chilling and sobering art piece, which it is, but at times it just goes over the line into too many avant-garde qualities.

HoldenIsHere wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 5:21 pm

Lorna wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 5:13 pm (It’s funny I was watching that episode too.)

Love how Adrienne Barbeau keeps improperly handling her pump shotgun throughout the ep though

Ah , Adrienne Barbeau!
Loved her as Catwoman in BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES.

She has a good part in The Fog, directed by her then-husband. It's a better than average horror film. And Janet Leigh is in it too....

Lorna wrote: ↑April 5th, 2024, 8:13 am as maybe a PALETTE CLEANER, I will mention that I rented SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (is it 1937 or 1938?) on youtube...I mention this because it was only about $4 to do and they let me have it for THREE DAYS as opposed to AMAZON's 48 hours.

I love this movie on a level I cannot explain, something about the colors and movements SPEAKS TO MY RODS AND CONES and beguiles me- I'll even watch the non-WICKED QUEEN/HAUNTED FOREST scenes, although I will admit that while I have come to accept SNOW WHITE's frankly insipid nature, out of the dwarves- DOC gets on my ****ing NERVES- like, "Who the Hell elected YOU the leader?" and honestly, HAPPY is really, REALLY Underwritten- AS IS SNEEZY, but at least he has a more discernable trait.

Grumpy is and will always be the leader both in spirit and in my heart. one day i may write a FAN FIC PIECE where HE AND THE WITCH get together and START THEIR OWN SHOW ON FOX NEWS called "I DUNNO WHAT IT IS, BUT I'M AGIN' IT!!!"

It's 1937. I admit I didn't see it very often asa child because the appearance of the hag scared the living daylights out of me. Still does to a degree. I saw it as a teenager and still had some tenseness in the chest during those scenes.

Lorna wrote: ↑April 5th, 2024, 5:33 am

LORNA TO THE GROUP: “I would like to talk about…MURDER SHE WROTE.”

THE GROUP: (SCREAMS IN UNISON)

Three days later…

LORNA TO THE GROUP: “I would like to talk at length about Italian exploitation cinema of the 1970s and 80s…”

THE GROUP TO LORNA: “so, you remember the episode where Jessica goes to prison?”

I would never get tired of talking about Murder She Wrote (or 80s drama series in general). And no, there was nothing wrong or amiss with talking about Italian grindhouse cinema. You can speak of any film you wish.

CinemaInternational wrote: ↑April 5th, 2024, 5:44 pm I would never get tired of talking about Murder She Wrote (or 80s drama series in general). And no, there was nothing wrong or amiss with talking about Italian grindhouse cinema. You can speak of any film you wish.

Seconded!

CinemaInternational wrote: ↑April 5th, 2024, 5:40 pm

HoldenIsHere wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 5:21 pm

Lorna wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 5:13 pm (It’s funny I was watching that episode too.)

Love how Adrienne Barbeau keeps improperly handling her pump shotgun throughout the ep though

Ah , Adrienne Barbeau!
Loved her as Catwoman in BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES.

She has a good part in The Fog, directed by her then-husband. It's a better than average horror film. And Janet Leigh is in it too....

I also like Adrienne Barbeau in ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, another movie directed by John Carpenter.

As some posters here who also posted on the old TCM message boards may know, I hate the movie GREASE (I love GREASE 2 though), but I do like the Original Broadway Cast Album of GREASE and especially love "There Are Worse Things I Could Do," sung by Adrienne Barbeau (who played Betty Rizzo is the original Broadway production of the musical).

Had no idea that Adrienne played that part on Broadway. From the recording, I bet she was pretty good. Not particularly a fan of the movie, but I did like the Live! version that was on TV a few years ago - particularly the performance of this song.

Lorna wrote: ↑April 1st, 2024, 7:41 am

Allhallowsday wrote: ↑April 1st, 2024, 12:09 am THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (1965)
I missed my favorite part where SHELLEY WINTERS pops out of the crowd, bounces off Jesus and says: "I'm cured...? I'M CURED!!!" To which I always reply: "No you're not. You're still Shelley Winters."

(seriously, i read that at 5:00 am this morning and I am STILL laughing.)

Aww, guys. leave Shelley alone . . .

dianedebuda wrote: ↑April 6th, 2024, 6:03 pm Had no idea that Adrienne played that part on Broadway. From the recording, I bet she was pretty good. Not particularly a fan of the movie, but I did like the Live! version that was on TV a few years ago - particularly the performance of this song.

She was Tony nominated for Grease. I think she fell into the typecasting pitfall after she left Maude, where I think she was underutilized.

HoldenIsHere wrote: ↑April 6th, 2024, 2:36 pm

CinemaInternational wrote: ↑April 5th, 2024, 5:40 pm

HoldenIsHere wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 5:21 pm

Ah , Adrienne Barbeau!
Loved her as Catwoman in BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES.

She has a good part in The Fog, directed by her then-husband. It's a better than average horror film. And Janet Leigh is in it too....

I also like Adrienne Barbeau in ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, another movie directed by John Carpenter.

As some posters here who also posted on the old TCM message boards may know, I hate the movie GREASE (I love GREASE 2 though), but I do like the Original Broadway Cast Album of GREASE and especially love "There Are Worse Things I Could Do," sung by Adrienne Barbeau (who played Betty Rizzo is the original Broadway production of the musical).

I also like Adrienne Barbeau's recording of "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee" on the Grease Original Broadway Cast Album better than the one from the movie.