Briefs for a Happy New Year 2016

TCM is ringing in the New Year 2016 with a showing of the six Thin Man movies airing in order, starting at 8:00 PM with the 1934 original. William Powell and Myrna Loy are great, and the first movie certainly fits on New Year's Eve since the movie is set around the holiday season. But sometimes I wonder whether TCM could come up with something different to show. I don't know how many times they've put all the Thin Man movies together. The second one, at 9:45 PM, should also be seen for the presence of a young James Stewart as well as actress Elissa Landi, who as I think I've mentioned before died in the same town where I was born. She's got a street named after her; one of these days I'll have to get over there and photograph the street sign.

New Year's Day on TCM brings several science fiction movies, with Time After Time at 1:45 PM deserving another mention, even though I blogged about it just a few months ago. It's one of the lesser-known movies on tomorrow's schedule. I suppose in that regard I should also mention Things to Come at 6:45 AM, although that's not a movie I particularly care for.

Watch movies for the acting talent of the celebrities therein, and not for their political views. Jewish comic actor Jerry Lewis appeared on Catholic cable channel EWTN, where he had a rather interesting interview, apparently. It's been covered by outlets of all political stripes; probably the most irreverent one I've seen would be at Reason magazine. (Warning: the habitues in the comments are a very saucy lot.)

Here's to a happy and healthy 2016!