Wire photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Jack Lemmon really wasn’t one of your cool, macho sort of leading man actors. Instead, he typically played the everyday, normal, and, well, goofy kind of guy. Even though he was sometimes impatient, sometimes short-tempered (sort of a human Daffy Duck), he was usually a …
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Category:Couch Potato
The Couch Potato’s Guide to the Perfectly Strange
Film Review of Nine Perfect Strangers Photo by Papaioannou Kostas on Unsplash By Geoff Carter The opening sequence of Hulu’s Nine Complete Strangers is reminiscent of classic murder mysteries like And Then There Were None or Clue. A varied assortment of characters, including a dysfunctional family, a disillusioned writer, an alienated couple, an irrepressibly cheerful middle-aged woman, a wise-cracking misanthrope, and a secretive …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to Old and New Hollywood: The Legacy of Clint Eastwood
English: “Copyright © by Warner Bros. Inc.” Photographer unknown., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Clint Eastwood has been a screen icon for the past sixty-six years. He’s acted in over seventy-two films, directed forty-five, and produced more than fifty, sometimes wearing all three hats during a single project. He has been responsible …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to New Hollywood: The Legacy of Meryl Streep
Jack Mitchell , CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Meryl Streep is nearly universally acclaimed as the finest actress working in cinema or on the stage today—or any other day. Her name is synonymous with the absolute gold standard of acting, and she has appeared in some of the most outstanding and unusual films …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to the New Hollywood: The Legacy of Tom Hanks
Yeoman 1st Class Donna Lou Morgan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons In the last few weeks, the Couch Potato has looked at some of old-time Hollywood’s greatest actors, discussing the best films of James Stewart, Paul Newman, Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, and John Wayne. Even though this survey has barely scratched the surface …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to Old Hollywood: The Legacy of John Wayne
20th Century Fox, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter That languorous drawl, that odd rolling gait, the quick draw, and that look of steely determination comprised the essence of probably one of the most famous of all American cinematic heroes. He starred in countless Westerns, private eye flicks, war movies, and even dabbled …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to Old Hollywood: The Legacy of Katherine Hepburn
Unknown author Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio publicity photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Katherine Hepburn was not just an actress; she was a force of nature. Hepburn was a spirited, outspoken, intelligent, and assertive woman who just happened to be one of the most distinctive actresses of her generation. According to Sheridan Morley, one …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to Old Hollywood: The Legacy of Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda in 12 Angry MenUnited Artists, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Over the course of five decades on the stage and screen, Henry Fonda evolved from playing innocent, usually countrified characters like Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath into strong paternal types like the titular role of Mr. Roberts, the unnamed president striving …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to Downtown Easttown: Review of “Mare of Easttown”
Artwork by Michael DiMilo Review by Geoff Carter HBO’s limited series Mare of Easttown is a compelling seven-part thriller that stretches the boundaries of expectations for the criminal drama genre. Mare Sheehan, Eastown’s veteran police detective, is not a typical TV cop. Although skilled, conscientious, and devoted to duty, Mare is also acerbic, brutally honest, and has–not …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to Old Hollywood: The Legacy of Audrey Hepburn
Paramount-photo by Bud Fraker, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Only a few actresses had the ability to exude the easy elegance, charm, and vulnerability of Audrey Hepburn. Grace Kelly could at times, but she didn’t quite match Hepburn’s otherworldly onscreen presence. Hepburn radiated natural uncontrived beauty and flawless grace, and she seemed …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to Old Hollywood: The Legacy of Paul Newman
Warner Bros., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Paul Newman was a master of cool—right up there with his peers Brando and James Dean—except he also had a certain down-to-earth quality the others lacked. Like Dean or Brando, he excelled at portraying characters that were typically a mixture of charm, intelligence, and sometimes …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to Old Hollywood: The Legacy of James Stewart
Liberty Films, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter I was flipping around the TV dial a couple Saturdays ago, and there wasn’t much on—more ubiquitous reruns of Law & Order, even more overbearing chatter on MSNBC, and an endless line of banal reality shows. Then I happened to flip to TCM and caught the …
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