d-day revisited

Here is a repost from last year. Being the 64th Anniversary of that moment when the whole world held it's breath, we wanted to bring this well received piece from last year's recognition of D-Day. We never tire of thanking the vets- and all whose sacrifices were made during that time. So if you will indulge us- Please feel free to comment below.

Today marks the 63rd anniversary (editor's very obvious note: 64th this year!) of the launch of the Allied force's invasion of continental Europe, starting with German-occupied Normandy. The invasion of Normandy was dubbed Operation Overlord, but it is remembered as D-Day. On that single day there were more casualties than we have suffered in the entire War on Terror. Then, as now, heroes gave their all for all of us, and for people across an ocean they did not know. Let us not forget.
Last year, I wrote an article about D-Day. I link to it here, but I also want to quote a part of that post:

Then that fateful day of June 5th (that's right, June 5th) the day that was designated for the invasion, weather caused great concern. The leaders, and ultimately Gen. Eisenhower decided to hold off for a day, in hopes of more favorable weather. June 6th came and while the weather was not perfect, a window of opportunity arose and Gen. Eisenhower gave the order- "Ok, we go." On those words an invasion involving over 150,000 men and 5000 naval craft, numerous aircraft began. Some landing boats were blown out of the water. Thousands died just trying to make it to the beach, and then those cliffs. Many more died trying to take those cliffs and quiet those guns. It was a day of sacrifice for the allies, and the people who gave their all did not die in vain. The invasion succeeded. The allies were able to take Normandy, establish supply points and a naval base of operations. Valuable reinforcements came, landing strips for Allied aircraft were secure. Over the next year the Allies pushed ahead to Germany, with the Russians pushing from the East. The hope and the fears of the free world went with them every step of the way.

These boys...these men who gave their all were previously neighbors. Sons. Brothers Husbands. Students. Teachers. Ball players. Butchers. Milkmen. Farmers. Accountants. Shop clerks. Builders. Trash men. They were, in short, the people we knew. And they were the best of us. They were Americans; raised in a country of freedom, hardened during a time a depression, and conditioned to defeat a terrible foe with terrible means. They knew what had to be done. The people back home knew what had to be done. Everyone knew that it came with a price. These men of D-Day paid that price.
Think about that. They knew the cost, and they paid it. Don't we need to remember that and cherish it? Don't we need to thank them for that? What strikes me today is that every time I talk to a friend, a soldier who is just home from Iraq and Afghanistan is that fact that they also know what is at stake and that the freedom for our futures and for the future of others exacts a price. As the cliche goes, and is true as most cliches are, freedom is not free. The sooner we remember that... the sooner we remember the true value of it, the better off we will be.

I want to also share a couple of videos. One is a segment from a documentary entitled Voices of the Veterans. The men being interviewed were from a town in Virginia that lost more men per capita that day than any other town in America.They were in the very first wave.



The second video is an episode from a History Channel documentary entitled: D-Day June 6th, 1944: The Total Story. The documentary was narrated by Gerald McRaney and debuted in June of 1994, on the 50th Anniversary.



I offer a thank you to all of the families who lost someone that day. Thank you for your sacrifice. It is not forgotten. A prayer of gratitude to those men who went into that day, scared and unsure, but going into the breech nonetheless. And a thank you to any veterans of D-Day and World War II. We are lucky and grateful that you are with us. May we learn from you and always treasure the freedom you fought for. I know it may not seem like many do if you watch the news, but so many untold millions are grateful. And lastly, thank you to my Grandfather. Your example will always be a guiding force in my life.



Let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

another great one gone...

Long before Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz broke each other up on SNL, Harvey Korman and Tim Conway were doing it on The Carol Burnett Show. Well- really Tim was cracking Harvey up. They were such a joy to watch and have been among my favorites, as I am sure among your favorites.

Now word comes that Harvey Korman has passed away at the age of 81 after a long illness. With so many legends and those who have contributed so much to our culture dying, it's terribly sad to see another one go. I loved Harvey on The Carol Burnett Show, and of course as Gazoo on The Flinstones, but perhaps my favorite Harvey Korman moments came in the Mel Brooks films- especially Blazing Saddles.


Very few could play the straight man so well, much less the humorous villian or charming rogue. Harvey had a special quality that in many ways reminded me of Bud Abbott. In fact had Harvey and Tim been active in the 40s and 50s, they might have been another famous comedy duo of that time and give Abbott and Costello a run for their money. It was nice to see that not too long ago, Conway and Korman were performing their two man shows again.


You can read the news of his passing here and here, and of course see imdb for more about his career. I'd like to remember him, laughing at Tim and his impossible straight face, and then fuming with comic menace.

Check out this clip of a skit of Tim and Harvey together from The Carol Burnett Show-classic stuff.



And, one of the funniest of Harvey's scenes in Blazing Saddles, where, among other things, we learn to bring enough gum for everyone:



He will be missed....




It's not Hedy, it's Hedley. Hedley Lamarr.

thank you...

Today is the day (which should be one of many) that we set aside to remember those who fought for our freedom and to defend it. I know many of us will be grilling and doing lots of other things, as it's become more of an unofficial kick off to summer. But let's take a moment and remember what the day really is for, and perhaps to thank those who have served or currently serve in the military.

I personally would like to thank my own dad who served in the Air Force during the Vietnam Era and my grandfather who was in the Army during World War II. The both served with honor. Thank you Dad and Papa, for not only your service, but for your example and the hundreds of lessons you taught me.

I like to also read or reread books about the soldiers such as D-Day, Citizen Soldiers, The Coldest War and so many more, but one of my favorites is Ambrose's Band of Brothers. It was turned into one of the best mini-series/movies I've seen about the subject. I'm posting two clips from the series; one from the beginning where the 101st Airborne drops into Normandy as an advance for D-Day, and one from near the end of the series where a patrol comes across a Concentration Camp. WARNING- some of the scene is a bit graphic, but nothing too bad. But watching these two clips remind me of how much they saw, but how much they accomplished.

Here is clip one from Band of Brothers: Episode 2, Day of Days


And here is the second clip. This time from Episode 9: Why We Fight


Thank you- and Happy Memorial Day.



I've come to realize that there is nothing good about war, but there is good in why you fight wars.

jeff corwin's back!

Congrats to our Sabrina winners! It's was one of our biggest contests yet! If you didn't win, don't worry- our new contest begins today.

Out of all of the emails, we will randomly pick several winners who will each receive a copy of the recently released The Jeff Corwin Experience: Season Two. You may remember we had a contest for the Season One set earlier this year. Well here's your shot at Season Two. Everybody loves Jeff!
All you have to do send an email to randomshelf@hotmail.com (note the rules below) with a subject of Jeff Corwin 2 Giveaway in the subject line by June 1st at 11:59 pm est.

The rules are simple:

Email us your entry at randomshelf@hotmail.com
1.You MUST include: Your name and full address in the body of the email, and "Jeff Corwin 2 Giveaway" must be in the subject line.
2. The contest is only open to US residents
3. Only one entry per email address (and household, please!)
4. Contest ends on Wednesday, June 1st at 11:59pm. We will draw the winner and notify them by email sometime after the morning of June 2nd.

Please note that your information will be held confidential and will not be published and only used solely for identifying the winner and shipping the prize. Also, we will mail the prize to you, but cannot guarantee that the post office will treat it with the same respect as we will when we send it out. We will only guarantee that we will mail it to the address you provide to us.
So get those emails in and good luck!

Let the contest begin!



I thought we were gonna get television. The truth is... television is gonna get us.

three kings...

Just stopping by to share a youtube clip I found. I had no idea there had been a stage built that was strong enough to hold this much power. Enjoy!!





Please feel free to comment if the need strikes you.




It is better to die as a wolf than living like a dog.

film class redux

As many of you many remember I have been teaching an Introduction to Film Studies Class, and I asked readers to contribute suggestions for films to show to a class who have no experience in watching classic films. For the purpose of the class, I defined classic films as pre-1967 and modern classics as 1967-1999. Everything else fell under the heading of "recent." And, wow, there were some great comments everyone and great suggestions. (Impressive lists Laura & Jacqueline).

Here are some of your suggestions:
Ed: The Thin Man series.
Tammy: Casablanca & Citizen Kane
Caitlin: The Adventures of Robin Hood (Flynn style, yo)
brewjoe: The Wizard of Oz
Laura: Singin' in the Rain, The Searchers, Rio Bravo, Meet Me in St. Louis, Love Me Tonight, and of course Hitchcock: Notorious, Foreign Correspondent, North By Northwest and Rear Window.
Bryan: To Be or Not to Be (the mighty Jack Benny and lovely Carole Lombard)
and
Jacqueline: The Grapes of Wrath, My Man Godfrey, Mrs. Miniver, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, The Kid, Sullivan's Travels, Top Hat (or any Fred and Ginger), 42nd Street and The Lady Eve.

I also think Jacqueline had a great comment that deserves to be repeated: " I think we must make clear first that watching a classic film is like time travel. You just have to accept things you don't quite understand. Eventually, you will understand." That is very true, but I have also experienced that the basic elements of story and character can transcend time. The other parts of the film that may be dated or different, can be understood later. Which is one reason why repeated viewing of classic films can be great or instructive.When I interviewed Robert Osborne, erstewhile TCM host, earlier this year, I was struck by a comment he made:

"...some of these great movies we have..., [The thing about them] is that they almost refuse to let you leave once you get in. They’re like page turners in a book. One scene just takes you to the other. I’m forever saying, “Oh, well, I’m just going to wait until that scene where they do this or that scene where Ingrid Bergman does that”, but you’re still there at the end of the movie. It’s one of those things that’s so great about good film making."
Great films, not just classic films, all have the same quality: The ability to suck you in.

I've taken some of your suggestions and incorporated some of them. I've exposed my class to quite a bit, with varying degrees of success. My number one rule with them was, even for their weekly personal film viewing assignments, to watch something they've never seen before.
We watched in class:
The Third Man
In the Heat of the Night
Rio Bravo
The French Connection
The Jazz Singer
Double Indemnity
Bad Day at Black Rock
Singin In the Rain
North By Northwest
The Searchers

It has been interesting to hear their comments. I was really surprised by how much they took to certain films - like Singin in the Rain. None of them expressed any fondness for musicals- but they loved it. As Laura said: "Singin' in the Rain is a good one because the comedy wins them over." Very, very true! They were also impressed by the dancing- it really floored them. Some of them even asked why we don't see that kind of talent anymore. It goes to show - sometimes a great flick is a great flick.

I've even been more surprised by some of their personal choices- one student watched Anna Karenina with Vivian Leigh because it was on, and she needed to watch a film for class. She loved it and has since been exploring more of Vivian Leigh's films. She also loved Imitation of Life- and I've recommended some other films like Waterloo Bridge, All This and Heaven Too, Gaslight, Camille, and others- and now that student is off on a great journey of her own.

In an introductory class such as this- I think the main goal is just that: introducing students to many types of films and give them the tools to be able to interpret or understand them. That requires lessons in film terms, film techniques and film history in addition to showing films that display some of the topics discussed. For a more advanced class I think silent films, foreign films and others would be ripe for discovery. In fact, if I had access to a decent copy of Greed, I would've shown it anyway- it is that good.



All in all, I think success comes from their willingness to explore more films (especially further back than the 80's as I found that's where their "movie memory", as it were, stopped). And I don't think I could've said it better than one student who said- "the great thing about these old movies, is that there a whole bunch of them to watch." Exploring is always more fun when there is a lot of treasure to find.



Talking pictures, that means I'm out of a job. At last I can start suffering and write that symphony.

this contest will put a spell on you

Congrats to our Growing Up Wildcats winners! We've had many entries- so thanks for entering and if you didn't win, don't dispair...
Our new contest begins today. Out of all of the emails, we will randomly pick 3 winners who will each receive a copy of the recently released Sabrina: The Teenage Witch: The Complete Series. You remember all the Archie series from the sugarery cereal overload from the Seventies? Well you'll remember Sabrina too. Archie fans will want to get in on this one. All you have to do send an email to randomshelf@hotmail.com (note the rules below) with a subject line of Sabrina Giveaway in the subject line by May 14th at 11:59 pm est.

The rules are simple:

Email us your entry at randomshelf@hotmail.com
1.You MUST include: Your name and full address in the body of the email, and "Sabrina Giveaway" must be in the subject line.
2. The contest is only open to US residents
3. Only one entry per email address (and household, please!)
4. Contest ends on Wednesday, May 14th at 11:59pm. We will draw the winner and notify them by email sometime after the morning of May 15th.

Please note that your information will be held confidential and will not be published and only used solely for identifying the winner and shipping the prize. Also, we will mail the prize to you, but cannot guarantee that the post office will treat it with the same respect as we will when we send it out. We will only guarantee that we will mail it to the address you provide to us.
So get those emails in and good luck!

Let the contest begin!



I thought we were gonna get television. The truth is... television is gonna get us.

yes, yes, I know...

We haven't had a post in over a week. Believe me, it has been one doozy of a week. With finals in a few of my classes coming through, it should lighten up just a bit. Meanwhile, when I can spare a little time, I've been watching films for review here on the Shelf.

Here are the upcoming reviews being written, written, or worked on by the staff here at The Shelf:
Forbidden Hollywood Vol. II
The Fall of the Roman Empire
Bette Davis Signature Collection Vol.3
Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory Vol.3
Sabrina the Teenaged Witch the Complete Animated Series
What Not to Wear: Mom Makeovers
Trading Spaces: The Specials

And a couple more coming up - so stay tuned this week. We will also have a special post on Frank Sinatra and the goings on in May at TCM.

In the meantime- I've got a short polling question for all you Shelfers out there. I am finishing up a film studies class and I have been showing classic films to the class, which has been their first exposure to them. What film would you recommend for a first time viewer of classic films. The class has seen, among others, The Third Man, In the Heat of the Night (which they loved), Rio Bravo, The General (Keaton) and others. What are your picks? Please put your suggestions in the comments section of this post and we'll gather your picks for a future post on an introduction to classic films!



I've got to get busy writing - busy, busy, busy!

contest time yet again

Congrats to all of our winners of the Trading Spaces giveaway! Copies are headed your way! But now...

Our new contest begins today. Out of all of the emails, we will randomly pick 5 winners who will each receive a copy of Growing Up Wildcats. This is courtesy of the folks at Animal Planet and Genius Entertainment. Those of you who won in the Growing Up Artic a while back, may want to get in on this. SO GET THOSE EMAILS IN! All you have to do send an email to randomshelf@hotmail.com (note the rules below) with a subject line of Growing Up WIldcat in the subject line by APRIL 30th at 11:59 pm est.

The rules are simple:

Email us your entry at randomshelf@hotmail.com
1.You MUST include: Your name and full address in the body of the email, and "Growing Up Wildcat Giveaway" must be in the subject line.
2. The contest is only open to US residents
3. Only one entry per email address (and household, please!)
4. Contest ends on Wednesday, April 30th at 11:59pm. We will draw the winner and notify them by email sometime after May 1st.

Please note that your information will be held confidential and will not be published and only used solely for identifying the winner and shipping the prize. Also, we will mail the prize to you, but cannot guarantee that the post office will treat it with the same respect as we will when we send it out. We will only guarantee that we will mail it to the address you provide to us.
So get those emails in and good luck!

Let the contest begin!



I thought we were gonna get television. The truth is... television is gonna get us.

happy day(s)!

To all who celebrate: Happy Passover!
I am not Jewish myself, but growing up I had several good friends who were, and I attended a number of Holiday meals and celebrations. I was invited to several Passover meals and enjoyed being there and learning a lot about my friend, his faith and his family. I have been intrigued by it's history and it's connection to Christianity. And of course who can forget the accounts of Moses displayed onscreen in The Ten Commandments. When a society rejects religion in place of it's worship of big government, it loses not just a baseline need or motivation for ethics, citizenship and morality that religion instructs and supports. Society also loses some of it's sense of place and history. One of the big reasons for the week-long celebration is for Jews to remember and not forget their heritage. All of us could learn a little from that.

I found some interesting links for you perusal of commentaries and on the history of Passover:Maggie's Farm has linked to some good essays.
Check this nice post out at Seraphic Secret (hat tip to Libertas)
The History Channel website has a bunch of stuff including video clips.


Also today is Patriot's Day. It's the day following Paul Revere's Ride in which the minutemen and colonials along the route of the march of a British regiment at Concord fired upon them to prevent them from siezing and destroying a supply of weapons and ammunition; as per General Thomas Gage's orders:

Having received intelligence, that a quantity of Ammunition, Provisions, Artillery, Tents and small Arms, have been collected at Concord, for the Avowed Purpose of raising and supporting a Rebellion against His Majesty, you will March with a Corps of Grenadiers and Light Infantry, put under your Command, with the utmost expedition and Secrecy to Concord, where you will seize and distroy all Artillery, Ammunition, Provisions, Tents, Small Arms, and all Military Stores whatever. But you will take care that the Soldiers do not plunder the Inhabitants, or hurt private property.

Check out Jules Crittenden's blog for a wonderful section and essay including many first hand accounts. Do yourself a favor - read them and remember why the Right to Bear Arms was right up there with Free Speech and Free Worship with the Colonists. "Clinging", indeed.
Therefore, it's also the 233rd anniversary of Paul Revere's ride. Please check out our good friend, Laura and her great post about PR and several corresponding links she has posted! It's good stuff!

As far as reading more about it, might I recommend one of the best accounts, not only of Paul Revere's ride, but his place in history and American culture (or lack thereof) in the intervening years. It's David Hackett Fischer's aptly titled Paul Revere's Ride. It's authoritative, well written, well researched and highly readable. Pick up a copy- it's one for your personal library. Another great book is Robert A. Gross's The Minutemen and Their World. It's an excellent look at the people and families of Concord and Lexington. And Laura's recommendation of Esther Forbes' Paul Revere and the World He Lived In and Arthur Tourtellot's Lexington and Concord: The Beginning of the War of the American Revolution are Shelf recommended as well.
Maybe reading these will help us to remember...



All who thirst for freedom may come with us. The shadow of death will pass over us tonight, and tomorrow we will see the light of freedom.

the last of nine legends...

Sad news this week. It seems we've lost another legend in as many weeks. Veteran animator, director and author Ollie Johnson passed away at the age of 95. He lived a full life and gave so much to others and of course to the world through his work. He was one of nine other Disney animation legends referred to as the "Nine Old Men"; including Ward Kimball, Frank Thomas, Wolfgang Reitherman, Les Clark, Eric Larson, John Lounsbery, Milt Kahn and Marc Davis.

If you've ever seen Snow White, Bambi, Pinocchio, Johnny Appleseed, Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp and countless other Disney films and shorts - you've seen his work. His long time collaborator Frank Thomas passed away a few years ago, and their work together was legendary. A great documentary film about their work, Frank and Ollie is a must see. Ollie was legendary in animation circles and animation and Disney fans around the world are in mourning.

There are some great tributes from around the web; here are some that are really worth reading:
Cartoon Brew: Jerry Beck and Amid have pulled together a cadre of articles and posts on Ollie that are "must reads."
Our good friend Laura has a wonderful post full of other links about Ollie over at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings.
Laura also including this nice article by Jim Hill over at Jim Hill Media.
Michael Barrier also remembers Ollie.
Here is the Frank and Ollie site. You can read his "Disney Legends" official bio at Disney (also the source of our picture- thanks!) and a list of his work at imdb.com.
And of course here are some of the news articles about his passing.

And here is something very special I found via Google (UPDATE: Cartoon Brew also has this posted at their site I found out later). It's a documentary from the Disney Channel (back when they showed Disney Vault, animation and stuff other than Hannah Montana) from a series called The Disney Family Album. It's the Ollie Johnson story (much of it in his own words). (You can also click the YouTube stuff and find links to other Disney Family Episodes.) Priceless stuff you should see. Here it is in three parts:
Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


The best way to remember is to enjoy their work again. Thanks Ollie.




Aw, come on, kid. Start building some memories.

preview: role model- gene wilder

I know today is probably not a typically happy day for some people. April 15th isn't known for it's levity. However, I have good news for those of you mired knee deep in W2s, 1040s, receipts and a whole bunch of other forms that I am sure are just between you and your accountant. Tonight Turner Classic Movies debuts a new series entitled Role Model, and it's initial offering features none other than actor, author and director Gene Wilder. The idea behind Role Model is to feature an actor or actress in conversation with someone they consider a role model. In tonight's special actor Alec Baldwin has a one on one conversation with the legendary Gene Wilder. In the introduction of the special Baldwin says, "I’m so grateful that Turner Classic Movies asked me to be a part of this project. I’m a big fan of the network, so I jumped at the chance when I was asked, ‘What movie star would you like to have a conversation with?" Filmed at Waveny House in New Canaan, located in Wilder’s home state of Connecticut, the conversation is relaxed, funny and at times very revealing.

The thing that struck me most about the special is how much this is a conversation, rather than a typical interview. With good reason as well. TCM Executive Producer Robert Trachtenberg has experience in this regard, having producer several excellent "conversations" for TCM including The Dick Cavett Show with Mel Brooks and directed several other great specials and documentaries such as Cary Grant: A Class Apart and Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer. But it's cozy, engaging feeling is also due to how comfortable Wilder is with Baldwin and how well the two get along. Baldwin has good instincts in this conversation/interview and is able to pull Wilder into deeper territory in talking about his life with Gilda Radner, his working relationship and friendship with Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor, and the two even banter a bit about marriage and first wives. (Uh, we won't go there.)

During the hour long special, Wilder and Baldwin talk about the theater, comedy, directing and film and Wilder's long career and current projects. Some of the most interesting parts of the conversation are Wilder discussing the early part of his career, like his experience filming Bonnie and Clyde and working with the late Lee J. Cobb on a television production of Death of a Salesman. I also enjoyed learning some behind the scenes information on his work on Young Frankenstein, especially his experience in writing the screenplay. Interesting too, was how he developed the Willy Wonka character that millions have come to know and love. Wilder says that he insisted on doing the physical bit with Wonka the limp and the cane in his first scene, or he wouldn't do the film. The director gave in and Wilder brought a classic character to the scream. When asked why it was so important to do that scene in that manner, Wilder responds, "Because after that, you don't know if he is a liar or not."

Wilder has many memories to share about Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, Madeline Khan (who he describes as one the three greatest actresses of all time) and others. And Baldwin shares some of his own experiences too, in commiserating with Wilder over the difficulties of directing and acting in the same film, working at comedy and the joys of an audience, although Wilder says he prefers film over theater: "The thing I love about making movies is the peace of mind that I know I don’t have to be perfect the first time. I can be perfect the second time or the third time." But I don't want to reveal everything! You need to check out Role Model tonight and not only laugh, but learn about the man behind so many classic comedy roles.

Role Model leads off an entire night of Gene Wilder classics on TCM. Here is tonight's schedule:
(all times are EST- check local listings)
8 pm - Role Model: Gene Wilder
9:15 pm- The Producers
11 pm - Blazing Saddles
1 am - Encore presentation of Role Model: Gene Wilder
2:15 am - Start the Revolution Without Me

TCM continues to produce first rate original programming that is right in line with the TCM mission to show Classic Films. Shows like this and Private Screenings and others, only enhance the film lover's experience and knowledge. One can only hope to see more Role Models in the future. So put down that calculator and stubby pencil. Slip that envelope in the mail early. Then unwind and relax with Gene Wilder and TCM. Oh, yeah- don't forget to breathe. Just breathe easy. It'll be April 16th before you know it.




For what we are about to see next, we must enter quietly into the realm of genius.

trading spaces giveaway

Congrats to all of our winners of the Walker Texas Ranger giveaway! Copies are headed your way! But now...

Our new contest begins today. Out of all of the emails, we will randomly pick 3 winners who will each receive a copy of Trading Spaces: The Specials. This is courtesy of the folks at the TLC Network. SO GET THOSE EMAILS IN! All you have to do send an email to randomshelf@hotmail.com (note the rules below) with a subject line of Trading Spaces Giveaway in the subject line by APRIL 21st at 11:59 pm est.

The rules are simple:

Email us your entry at randomshelf@hotmail.com
1.You MUST include: Your name and full address in the body of the email, and "Trading Spaces Giveaway" must be in the subject line.
2. The contest is only open to US residents
3. Only one entry per email address (and household, please!)
4. Contest ends on Monday, April 21st at 11:59pm. We will draw the winner and notify them by email sometime on April 22nd.

Please note that your information will be held confidential and will not be published and only used solely for identifying the winner and shipping the prize. Also, we will mail the prize to you, but cannot guarantee that the post office will treat it with the same respect as we will when we send it out. We will only guarantee that we will mail it to the address you provide to us.
So get those emails in and good luck!

Let the contest begin!



I thought we were gonna get television. The truth is... television is gonna get us.

lost and found.....

It's been a while, but of course you all know that. It's been quite a year for me. I've been out of state a few times. Some for work, some for pleasure. Aside from that, I have been investing most of my free time into my day job. I've been doing a lot of statistic collecting, closed door meetings and high pressure presentations. Doesn't sound much like cop work, huh? Believe it or not it has been quite essential for me lately and I have had to do it along with my standard patrol/supervisor duties and often for no extra pay. I'm not trying to make you all weep for me with this. I just feel that if I read a page often and one of it's writers ended up on the back of a milk carton I would appreciate a little explanation.

The good news in all of this is that the work has payed off and a new position has been created by my employer as a result and I will be assigned to this position beginning sometime in July. It will allow me to create my own schedule and will be mostly a 9 to 5 sort of thing. It's great news to my wife and kids and hopefully to those of you who may be interested in all of those little blurbs I used to throw up here on the Shelf as I will have much more time for this sort of thing. I plan on a post here fairly soon in reference to the current state of our wonderful country as soon as I can get it completed. If you can bear with me, I promise to return to 'active duty' here at the Shelf in the near future. In conclusion; how about a round of applause for JC and Mrs. Baravelli for pickin' up my slack!



Please feel free to comment if the need strikes you.




It is better to die as a wolf than living like a dog.

tv on dvd review: walker texas ranger season 4

Hello Shelfers and welcome to our first ever TV on DVD review. For our inaugural offering we reached out to Mrs. Baravelli, she of the popular White Christmas post from last year. She is a fan of Walker Texas Ranger, and since we are on our final night of our Walker contest, we thought it would be a perfect time for a review of the Season 4 set we are giving away. And yes, this is the last night for the contest so get your email entry in! Just send us your name and address to randomshelf@hotmail.com and be sure to put "Walker Texas Ranger Contest" in the subject line. We'll be randomly drawing 5 winners from the entries tomorrow, so good luck! Now without further adieu... Mrs. Baravelli, take it away!

I must say that I was pleased and honored when J.C. requested my assistance at reviewing a new DVD collection he received. Was it because of my keen television intellect, my knowledge of acting facts and history, or my concise reporting style? Oh, but all of these reasons are for naught. The biggest reason J.C. requested my assistance is that I am a big….wait for it….DORK!!! Yes, I am a big dork and oft-times my choice of television and film entertainment is proof of this disease. For this reason, and this reason alone, I was asked to review the collection of the 4th season of Walker, Texas Ranger.

Now, I am certainly not trying to under play the value of this television program by saying that I am a dork. I just like my entertainment simple. I don’t need the high drama or the Emmy winning acting - none of which is found in this program. I don’t particularly like hanging on week after week and having to remember what happened in the 1st episode of the season to follow along in the 18th. I also don’t enjoy the grittiness that some of today’s programming brings. I follow the time old adage of KISS - keep it simple stupid. That ‘s what this show did. This box collection brings all of the episodes from the ‘96-’97 season of Walker.


The Hard Facts
Walker Texas Ranger: The Fourth Season
27 episodes from the 1996-1997 season come in a 7 disc set
Studio: Paramount
Full Screen Format
Stereo Surround
Release Date: 2-19-08
Rated: NR
Stars: Chuck Norris, Clarence Gilyard, Jr, Sheree J. Wilson, and Noble Willingham

The Show:
Chuck Norris stars as Texas Ranger Cordell Walker who fights crime in the big state of Texas more with his kicks and Cherokee instinct than with his gun. His partner, Ranger James Trivette, helps in the fight with his computer savvy skills, quick wit, and unending loyalty to his partner. Along for the ride are Assistant District Attorney Alex Cahill, Walker’s love interest, and his best friend and retired Ranger, C.D. Parker. The four friends help fight crime with high adventure and often while saving each other at one point or another.

This season was full of feel good, “after school special” plot lines, including Buddhist reincarnation, a small girl standing up to gang violence, and Christmas with a host of orphans. It also includes some more action packed sequences with some ex-cons, a white supremacist group, drug smugglers, and kidnappers of a bus full of children - now that’s what I call family entertainment!! This season is also where we get to see what happens to Alex‘s stalker “Victor LaRue”, my favorite returning character, only because the actor added a little spark to the story. We meet Alex’s father, Gordon Cahill, played by veteran television and screen actor Rod Taylor. We also meet Trent Malloy and his family in the Sons of Thunder episodes, later created as a short -lived spin-off to Walker, which I also watched.

If you’re looking for some action packed adventure without all of the blood and gore on today’s screen then this box set doesn’t disappoint. In the episode “Swan Song” Walker tracks down the wreckage of a small plane used in a bank robbery many years before. Alex insists on joining him, thinking it will be a fun adventure for the pair. Little do they know that some other criminals are also trying to find the plane wreckage, along with the money stolen in the robbery. In this one episode Walker and Alex scale a mountain under gun fire, Walker gets attacked by a bear and Alex has to, for once, help him - mixing herbs, making a poultice, and keeping him warm so he can recover from his wounds. As if it couldn’t get any worse, there’s also a scary cannibal on the loose. So much for the mountain get-away! A lot is going on in this episode and the same can be said of the entire box set.



Bonus Features:
Sad to say there are no bonus features in this set. I think it would have been a lot of fun if Paramount had included some behind the scene action sequences or even a fun blooper reel.

Audio/Video:
The visual and sound effects on the box set are just as good as when the episodes originally aired.

The Bottom Line:
So, is this collection worth the trip to to your local big box store? As a fan of Walker, I would say yes. I still catch a rerun or two now and again. It would definitely have been a lot more enjoyable with some extra bonus behind the scenes features, however, the episodes are just as I remembered. I guess they’re following my advice - KISS.

Overall rating:
4 stars (Groucho Glasses)







Posted by Mrs. Baravelli


You know? Life's funny - you can sleep off a hangover but you can't sleep off ugly.

a legend is gone

Very sad news today. Charlton Heston has passed away at the age of 84. He passed away at his home on April 5, 2008 with his wife of 64 years (wow! imagine that in Hollywood!) Lydia, by his side. Earlier this year, it was feared that he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, and that he wouldn't survive the year. Sadly our worst fears became true. Heston publicly disclosed he was suffering from Alzheimer's in 2002.One of the few real movie stars from his generation that we had still with us. He was a lion of an actor, a spokesman for the second amendment, and just a great man. Some on the left derided him for his strong religious beliefs and for being a spokesman for the NRA. but yet his strong principles for what was right and true made him a hero to millions more. Many forget that Heston was an outspoken supporter of Civil Rights and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of a few white actors who not only marched with Dr. King, but consistantly so, and one of the few at the March on Washington.

I could go on and on about his films, which I love, but I'm sure you have your favorites as well. We recently reviewed the new El Cid limited edition DVD, and it's an excellent introduction to the actor. Of course he would be iconic for The Ten Commandments, Planet of the Apes or Ben-Hur by themselves- but all of them make him a legend. Just one of his other films like Khartoum, The Agony and the Ecstasy, The Three Muskateers (1973), The Omega Man, Major Dundee, Will Penny, 55 Days at Peking, Julius Caesar, and A Touch of Evil would've made any other actor's career- it made his historic.

Oddly enough, one of my favorite Heston moments isn't from any of these films (though I do have countless favorite moments from them)- instead it comes from a cameo, late in his career. Yes, it was Wayne's World 2, as stupid as it sounds. I liked Wayne's World, silly and sophmoric, but full of pop culture gags. There is a scene where Wayne is racing to get to a church and stop the wedding of the girl he loves. He stops at a gas station to ask for directions to Gordon St. The gas station attendant fumbles through some lines, prompting Wayne to break the fourth wall and ask- "I know it's a small part, but can't we do better than this?" Some one from the crew escorts that actor out and brings in Charlton Heston who makes an epic acting moment out of the small part. I love this moment because it's funny, but it also speaks to the special talent of the man himself- and well- see for yourself:




You can read an excellent article about his life and career and the sad news of his death at Foxnews. Charlton Heston, 1924-2008: a great actor, a great American, and a great man, we'll miss you.

Update: There are bound to be many, many tributes on the web today and perhaps throughout the week, but here are a few from some of my favorite places on the web: Laura's Miscellaneous Musings has a nice tribute with more to come, Dirty Harry at Libertas has a great tribute plus an ongoing post of tributes from around the web, and Michelle Malkin has a nice post and clips from a Heston speech. Good Stuff.



I've played three presidents, three saints and two geniuses - and that's probably enough for any man.