His Girl Friday (1940) starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell has long held a place on my list of favorite films. For many years I was a slightly obsessed Cary Grant fan, so I watched the movie for his portrayal of newspaper editor Walter Burns. I focused on the His in the movie as a Cary…
About: Kami Spangenberg
Author Archives: Kami Spangenberg
Classic Perspectives for the New Year
Leave it to two Hollywood legends to provide inspiration for 2019! “Well, we have a whole new year ahead of us. And wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all be a little more gentle with each other, and a little more loving, have a little more empathy, and maybe next year at this time…
2019 TCM Big Screen Classics Schedule
The 2019 TCM Big Screen Classics schedule has been released, and it’s going to be an epic year! Here’s the line up, chock full of anniversary showings: January 2019 The Wizard of Oz (1939) – 80th Anniversary from Warner Bros. Sunday, January 27 – 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. local timeTuesday, January 29 – 7:00 p.m. local timeWednesday, January 30 – 7:00 p.m. local time February 2019 My Fair…
Truly a White Christmas
Sadly the outing of the Raleigh/Cary TCM Backlot Chapter to see the TCM Big Screen Classics presentation of White Christmas was cancelled on Sunday, December 9, 2018 due to, quite fittingly, snow, snow, snow, snow, snow. Snow It won’t be long before we’ll all be there with snow Snow I want to wash my hands,…
TCM Classic Film Tour in NYC: It’s a Must!
I recently took the TCM Classic Film Tour in New York City and cannot recommend it enough! It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning in the city. The tour took three hours and was led by the very professional guide, Jason Silverman. Trained by Robert Osborne himself to lead this tour for…
Tidbits: White Christmas
Time to ready myself for the last TCM Big Screen Classics of 2018, White Christmas (1954), with some song and dance tidbits. Third of three films to feature Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas”. The other two are Holiday Inn (1942) and Blue Skies (1946). The Bing Crosby rendition of “White Christmas” is noted to be…
Die Hard and Celebrate the Season!
Last night the Raleigh/Cary TCM Backlot Chapter a.k.a. @TCMBacklotRDU met up to see the 30th Anniversary TCM Big Screen Classics screening of Die Hard (1988). During our pre-show dinner we discussed our excitement to see the film, realizing some of us had seen it in the theater 30 years ago, one of us in back-to-back marathon…
Tidbits: Die Hard
Looking forward to watching the 30th Anniversary TCM Big Screen Classics screening of Die Hard (1988) later this week. Seeking out tidbits from IMDB, I found the casting information intriguing. Actors considered for the role of John McClain included Don Johnson, Richard Dean Anderson, John Travolta, and Michael Madsen. Sam Neill and Robert DeNiro turned it…
Chaplin’s Great Speech
Recently I tuned into TCM and caught the last half of The Great Dictator (1941). It has been some time since I saw the film, and I was mesmerized, as I always am, by Charlie Chaplin. There are wonderful echoes of the Little Tramp in Chaplin’s portrayal of the Jewish barber and his physical comedy,…
Quotes to Die Hard For
On November 11, I plan to see the TCM Big Screen Classics 30th anniversary showing of Die Hard (1988). As a ramp-up, below are some of my favorite quotes from Alan Rickman’s iconic portrayal of Hans Gruber, a movie villain I admittedly love more than loathe. “When they touch down, we’ll blow the roof, they’ll…