Four years ago today I started this crazy mixed-up blog, and not a day goes by when I don’t wonder what the hell I have gotten myself into. As has become tradition, I present a lovely selection of my favorite photos to celebrate SBBN’s fourth blogiversary: Ann Sheridan, 1934 Constance Bennett Edward Woods Edwina Booth,…
An Infinite Patience for Stupidity: Big Trouble (1986)
There’s a palpable loathing for the 1986 film Big Trouble, mainly because it was John Cassavetes’ last and worst film, a bad combination for a man revered as a god by the stringent hipster crowd that film criticism seems to court with saddening regularity. How Cassavetes even became involved in Big Trouble is a…
Annette Kellerman
Above: A page of diving positions depicting swimmer and silent film star Annette Kellerman from Bernarr Macfadden’s 1928 book The Encyclopedia of Physical Culture. Interestingly, I stumbled across a slideshow of photos by Frederick W. Glasier. As you can see, he apparently took the photos for Macfadden’s book: And just to add to the Kellerfun,…
Jogging in Jeans
Andy Warhol, Grace Jones, Bill Boggs, Mason Reese, Dina Merrill, and Gordon Parks. Thank the gods for United Studios blog, because otherwise I never would have identified Boggs or Merrill. I believe they’re in Central Park, but why are they jogging? And couldn’t someone have lent poor Andy some sweats?
Tallulah, Redux (Again)
This photo has appeared on SBBN before, but it’s the iconic image from this photo set so I had to include it. This is a series of photos credited as anywhere from 1930 to 1955, most often as September, 1951 at the infamous Ritz Hotel press conference. Yet I noticed her outfit didn’t match the…
The Nicholas Ray Blogathon: "The Janitor" (1974)
“That’s the way film should be. An artist should not moralize. A person who has the audacity to make a film in the first place should never consciously put his own neuroses on the screen.” — Nicholas Ray, I’m a Stranger Here Myself, 1975 *** Wet Dreams is a 1974 compilation of short films…
Guest Post: Madam Satan (1930)
Today’s brilliant guest post is another from my friend and yours, Ivan of Thrilling Days of Yesteryear who, like Scott just last week, has beaten me to blogging about one of the essentials of WTF cinema: Madam Satan. Interestingly, this post documents the exact moment Ivan realized that I have really horrible taste in movies.…
Guest Post: Yor, the Hunter from the Future (1983)
We have a special treat to liven up your Monday: A second guest post from Scott Clevenger, the tortured genius behind World O’ Crap who also holds a third dan black belt in spaghetti measuring and is known worldwide for inventing Armageddon. When Scott told me he was going to watch and review Yor, the…
Guest Post from shahn of sixmartinis and the seventh art
Today I am truly pleased to present a delightful guest post by shahn of the irreplaceable sixmartinis and the seventh art. With her sharp eye and keen sense of design, shahn can distill the essence of a movie down to a few beautiful screen captures which are so lovely that you won’t even mind the…
Guest Post: Attack of the Giant Leeches
Today I am pleased to present a guest post by Mr. Gable, my go-to guy for any horror, cult, or Z-grade movie. Mr. Gable’s Reality is your one-stop shop for all things bad. If it’s a bad movie, Mr. Gable has seen it. Are you too scared to rent Killer Condom? Too intimidated to watch…