ON THIS DAY in 1797, the 44-gun United States Navy frigate USS Constitution was launched in Boston Harbor. The ship is depicted in the 1926 silent film, OLD IRONSIDES, starring Charles Farrell and Wallace Beery.
Film
Trick & Treat for October 20th:
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999; with Heather Donahue)
When you first bit into a Milk Shake bar, given its name you probably thought you’d experience the taste of a real milk shake. You probably were a little disappointed that you’d been tricked. The same might go for a first viewing of this film. They apparently do not make the Milk Shake anymore. It’s this writer’s opinion that the same should go for further iterations of BLAIR WITCH. We’re supposedly watching found footage showing a trio of college kids who went on a camping trip in the woods. They ran into some trouble, and not the “I forgot to bring hot dog buns” kind. It’s all recorded on tape by a camera that, you’ll quickly see, does not have the “Steadicam” feature. (Incidentally, even though they brought a camcorder, they don’t have phones.) And so, like the more recent film CLOVERFIELD, we get something more approaching “Jitterycam”. Very quickly, we wish the witches would just do their thing and put these kids and the audience out of is nauseous misery. The movie’s totally dependent on you believing this is a documentary. Good luck with that, and good luck pretending you’re drinking a Milk Shake and not eating one. 
Who wants to wait until the 31st to wallow in Halloween indulgences and scary movies?! Home Projectionist doesn’t! And so we’ll have pairings of 31 Frights and 31 Bites every one of October’s 31 nights: a scary, snack size movie “trick”, and a delicious “treat” to go along with it.
IMDb.com
I got in a movie line once just because the line was long. “Something good must be happening,” I thought to myself. It was dark and cold outside, winter in Chicago, and I took my place, alone and shivering, Polish-speaking people in front of me, Polish-speaking people queuing up behind me. The Village Theater marquee said only “Welcome to the Chicago Film Festival.”
It turned out that the movie was SEX MISSION (or SEKSMISJA, as originally — phonetically? — titled), and I fell in love with this sci-fi/political satire comedy. If only the subtitles had done the movie justice for this lone English speaker in the room.
To be sure, I laughed as the two fumbling male protagonists awaken, after having been left in a cryogenically suspended state for 50 years. They come to consciousness and discover a world of women living in a post-apocalyptic underground compound. The story, the surprises, and the sight gags all work. Hilarity definitely ensues.
While I chuckled out loud, the Polish-speaking crowd roared, and I mean roared, with that kind of knee-slapping, tear-inducing laughter. More than a few times, the audience erupted with laughter when the simplest declarative statement appeared in English at the bottom of the screen. I felt like a stranger in a strange land, much like the hapless male characters in the movie. Oh how I wished the subtitles would have captured what the Polish speakers understood. Even though I missed most of the jokes, I still recall the sheer pleasure of being in a theater with such a connected and happy crowd.
A recent article by Anthony Paletta in The Wall Street Journal referenced the book, Is That a Fish In Your Ear?, by translator and author David Bellos. Bellos refers to English translators as “among the least-loved and least-understood language athletes in the modern world.” Their job is an art, and it’s a hard one. Not only do they translate dialogue, but they also must capture a character’s essence, create subtleties in meaning, and communicate authenticity. In addition to that, they have the added challenge of adhering to restrictive guidelines, especially in terms of space limitations that dictate the size and length of the subtitles on the screen.
We’ve all experienced the humorous slip up with a subtitle. When there’s a mistake we understand, we smile and forget. Some are classic bloopers, like the one cited in the article of the amusing French translation gaff from Peckinpah’s CROSS OF IRON. The “exclamation of ‘Tanks! Tanks! appears in subtitle form as “Merci! Merci!’.”
Mistakes will be made, as they say. How many times have we been unintentionally fooled or misled?
The future brings us a potential slippery slope. Thanks to today’s technology, there are now open-source subtitle platforms emerging, like Amara, which provide for on-line collaborative subtitle creation.
In our global village, access to translation of videos will open doors of communication like never before. But if subtitling done by professionals is such a painstaking, nuanced, and challenging task subject to errors and failure in interpretation, what will actually be lost in translation when amateurs and volunteers provide the lexicon? What will happen in a brave new world when translation may not be quite right, when the wrong, and possible incendiary words, are added to images?
I worry.
It took me years to find a copy of SEX MISSION. It became a sort of obsession. Every time I met someone Polish (which is easy to do in Chicago), I would feel a need to explain the incredible way the audience responded to the film that night.
At long last, I got a lead. A friend of a friend of a friend who operated an auto repair shop might have a copy. What luck! I remember wandering into the garage and introducing myself to a man who didn’t speak English. He was bored with my eagerness. Gripping a filterless stub of a cigarette between his oil-stained fingers, he casually handed over the tape as if it were nothing. I was thrilled to tuck the black plastic case into my purse and hurry home, anxious to sit down and watch the movie again, just to see if it was as clever as I had remembered it.
Unfortunately, the tape had been recorded off of another tape or broadcast, and only about the top third of the letters of the subtitles appeared on the screen.
I watched the movie anyway. I longed for the laughter.
Gloria Bowman is a writer, storyteller, blogger, movie lover, freelance editor,
and author of the novel, Human Slices.
Access her blog at www.gloriabowman.com; on Twitter @GloriaBow
ON THIS DAY in 1944, General Douglas MacArthur, who’d said “I shall return”, fulfilled his promise, returning to the Philippines for the Allied reclamation of the islands from Japan. The 1977 film, MacARTHUR, starring Gregory Peck, chronicled this event.
Trick & Treat for October 19th:
ATTACK OF THE 50 FT. WOMAN (1958; with Allison Hayes; directed by Nathan Juran)
It’s a shame that the Amazing Colossal Man perished in a tragic fall from atop Hoover Dam in 1957. Nancy Archer and the colossal Glenn Manning had something in common besides enjoying long walks. More importantly, the attacks Nancy inflicts on her hometown (and on us) during this film might have been prevented. In what might be one of the most unbelievable of all 1950s sci-fi movies (which is saying an amazingly lot), Nancy (Allison Hayes), the wife of the wealthy, philandering Harry, goes on quite a tear when she discovers Harry at a local diner with the town floozy, Honey Parker. Harry quickly discerns that Nancy has a big chip on her shoulder–a chip that in fact is literally a city bus.
You see, there was this alien spaceship Nancy happened to see one day. Out of this spacecraft stepped a weird alien (is there any other kind?), dressed like a Frenchman from the 1600s. Astonishingly, authorities do not believe Nancy’s story. Her encounter with the alien left some minor side effects–namely that she’s a bit taller. Which would be fine except that she’s about 45 feet taller. Always a fussy clothes shopper with nothing to wear, Nancy’s really in a pickle now, settling for a very large beach towel. She also has a newfound problem with trees and houses, and decides to do some urban renewal. Nowadays, Nancy could turn her bad luck and her unique new assets into a lucrative movie/TV deal, and possibly a very large Playboy spread. This being 1958 however, Nancy and her sarong must be dealt with by the use of force. This is a whopper of a tale for sure. But if you can suspend disbelief for 90 minutes, it’s one with some sweet, funny rewards. 
Who wants to wait until the 31st to wallow in Halloween indulgences and scary movies?! Home Projectionist doesn’t! And so we’ll have pairings of 31 Frights and 31 Bites every one of October’s 31 nights: a scary, snack size movie “trick”, and a delicious “treat” to go along with it.
Good evening. Do you have a reservation? Never mind, none is needed. Seems that one of our guests, a Miss Marion Crane, checked out late last night, and her room has just become available. It will require some housekeeping service, but our young man, Norman, is attending to that right now. While you’re waiting, enjoy this quiz. It’s all about PSYCHO and Janet Leigh, the guest who didn’t stay.
Good luck, Mr. Thornhill, wherever you are…
Take the Quiz!(*The quiz title was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest: “Something wrong with your eyes?” “Yes”, says the sunglass-clad Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant), “They’re sensitive to questions”. To Roger’s question about what could a man do with his clothes off for 20 minutes, Eve Kendall answers, “You could always take a cold shower.”)
ON THIS DAY in 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte’s army retreated from Moscow. The 1954 film, DESIREE, starring Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons, depicted this event.
Trick & Treat for October 18th:
HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE (1967; with Ferlin Husky, John Carradine, Lon Chaney Jr.; directed by Jean Yarbrough)
This is the film you’re looking for if you scare easily, but weren’t sufficiently scared-off (like you should have been) by this movie’s prequel, Las Vegas Hillbillies, for your pants to come off (as advertised). Why the producers spelled “Hillbillys” differently in this sequel we’re not sure. Then again, we’re not sure why the producers thought that a guy in an ape costume would frighten an audience, when they already had Ferlin Husky sans mask, singing cornball country tunes. Husky stretches his “acting” talents by playing, of all things, a country singer, Woody Weathrby. During a bad storm, he and his sidekick, Boots, take refuge in an old, dark house while on their way to a big concert in Nashville. Little do they know (which could be applied to just about anything these two encounter) that this creepy mansion is not occupied by C&W fans, but by atomic spies. These typecast characters include John Carradine and, in (unfortunately) his final film appearance, Basil Rathbone. Sad to say, not even Joi Lansing and a cornucopia of corn-pone crooners during the film’s concluding Jamboree can rehab this Horrible House of Goobers–a House we’d suggest not buying or even renting. 
Who wants to wait until the 31st to wallow in Halloween indulgences and scary movies?! Home Projectionist doesn’t! And so we’ll have pairings of 31 Frights and 31 Bites every one of October’s 31 nights: a scary, snack size movie “trick”, and a delicious “treat” to go along with it.
ON THIS DAY in 1851, Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick was published in London as The Whale. In 1956, Melville’s novel was adapted by director John Huston for MOBY DICK, starring Gregory Peck.
Trick & Treat for October 17th:
HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1989; directed by John McNaughton)
Two, big nutty blobs which, when unwrapped, could be very bad for your health. No, we’re not describing a relatively harmless Oh Henry! bar. We’re talking about two fellows named Henry and Otis, the principal characters in this horrifying tale. If you want a glimpse of the dark, disturbing underbelly of humanity, then you can’t do too much worse than this (although there are actually worse). We stress that, unless you know your audience’s limits, that you consider checking the movie out on your own first, prior to inviting friends, family and the neighborhood clergyman over. The story: Ne’er-do-well buddies Henry and Otis are a lot like most people: they want to capture the times of their lives for posterity. Except that their ideas of Kodak moments aren’t kittens and carnivals. Henry and Otis are cold-blooded, brutal and sadistic murderers of innocent people. Murderers who record their crimes on videotape. The movie’s documentary-like and matter-of-fact style makes it all the more unsettling. HENRY will make your blood run cold. But unlike your garden variety slasher, vampire and demons-on-the-loose pictures, it may very well leave you completely unnerved, rather than laughing nervously.
Who wants to wait until the 31st to wallow in Halloween indulgences and scary movies?! Home Projectionist doesn’t! And so we’ll have pairings of 31 Frights and 31 Bites every one of October’s 31 nights: a scary, snack size movie “trick”, and a delicious “treat” to go along with it.
The teenaged me received quite an education in life from the movies of 1969.
There were MIDNIGHT COWBOY, THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN, LOCK UP YOUR DAUGHTERS, EASY RIDER, THE WILD BUNCH, DE SADE, WOMEN IN LOVE, BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE, MAROONED, THE STEWARDESSES, MEDEA, and SWEET CHARITY – just to name a few of the most memorable. Scenes from each of these films — feats of daring! blood splatters! nude male wrestlers! beheadings! bare breasts! — are permanently etched into my brain.
But the one film that still resonates the most strongly after all of these years is THE STERILE CUCKOO, a heartbreaking story of young love, longing, and loneliness. Liza Minnelli shines in the role of Pookie Adams, a fragile and kookie college coed desperate to make an impression and a connection.
Liza’s performance, for which she received an Academy Award nomination, is riveting in its honesty and depth. In fact, ever since 1969, I have used her portrayal Pookie as the benchmark to compare other actress’s acting chops, as in, “She was OK in the role, but she sure wasn’t Liza in THE STERILE CUCKOO.” Consider the telephone call scene….
Director Alan Pakula created a visually stunning environment to frame the development of this quiet story and Ms. Minnelli’s fragile character. And to add even more intensity to the sad tale of young love lost is the film’s theme song, “Come Saturday Morning,” by Fred Karlin and Dory Previn, which was also nominated for best song.
This little crystal of a movie was released on DVD just yesterday, October 16. If you have never seen it and you have a fondness for coming of age stories that will break your heart, put THE STERILE CUCKOO on your to-be-watched list today. 
Gloria Bowman is a writer, storyteller, blogger, movie lover, freelance editor,
and author of the novel, Human Slices.
Access her blog at www.gloriabowman.com; on Twitter @GloriaBow
ON THIS DAY in 1931, Al Capone was indicted in Chicago for income tax evasion and violations of the Volstead Act. This event was dramatized in the 1975 film, CAPONE, starring Ben Gazzara.
Trick & Treat for October 16th:
THE BIRDS (1963; with Tippi Hedrin, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy; directed by Alfred Hitchcock)
Our movie takes flight when a young, pretty blonde woman steps into San Francisco’s Davidson Pet Shop. “The girl” (as Hitchcock referred to Tippi Hedrin) is Melanie Daniels. Melanie causes trouble immediately, when she poses as a sales clerk and then allows a bird to escape from its cage. The errant avian is caught by another pet shop shopper, the debonair and eligible Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor). Intrigued and inspired, the conniving Melanie decides that birds–love birds, to be precise–are the way to Mr. Brenner’s heart. Soon thereafter, Melanie swoops down into the small, California coastal burg of Bodega Bay with her two, winged cupids. Daniels’ eyes are like those of a hawk as she closes in on the Brenner residence. She’s delivering the love birds ostensibly as a birthday present for Mitch’s young daughter, Cathy. However, Mitch’s mom (Jessica Tandy) is like a mother hen to her son, and views Melanie suspiciously. As does the local schooteacher, and former love interest of Mitch’s, Annie (Suzanne Pleshette).
Soon, there’s chaos, and this time it’s not just one bird out of control. It’s many birds. Flocks of birds. Dozens, hundreds of them. No doves here, only menacing gulls and crows, darkening the skies and darkening the lives of Bodega Bay’s bewildered and terrified residents. Heads are pecked, eyes too. The reasons behind the rampage are unknown. Perhaps they’re really just another one of Hitch’s infamous MacGuffins. What’s significant in this story is the change the birds inflict upon the Brenner family and its relationship with the intruding Melanie and the two, cuddly caged companions she brings. Is the love between Mitch and Melanie meant to be? Or is love only for the birds? 
Who wants to wait until the 31st to wallow in Halloween indulgences and scary movies?! Home Projectionist doesn’t! And so we’ll have pairings of 31 Frights and 31 Bites every one of October’s 31 nights: a scary, snack size movie “trick”, and a delicious “treat” to go along with it.
ON THIS DAY in 1793, during the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette, widow of Louis XVI, was executed at the guillotine. This event was documented in the 2006 Sofia Coppola film, MARIE ANTOINETTE, starring Kirsten Dunst in the title role.
Trick & Treat for October 15th:
AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN (1957; starring Glenn Langan; directed by Bert I. Gordon)
Lt. Col. Glenn Manning’s amazing adventure begins at an A-bomb testing site, and ends near Las Vegas. Like the characters in a more recent film set in Vegas, THE HANGOVER, Glenn also wakes up with a big head. But in Lt. Manning’s case, it’s literally a big head… and arms, legs and… well, we will stop there. During a noble attempt at a rescue, Glenn is exposed directly to the full force of an atomic blast. The good news is that he survives. The bad news is that he’ll need some really colossal socks, among other items, as he is now growing upwards to an eventual height of 60 feet, barefooted. This does not sit well with Glenn (played by Glenn Langan). He becomes irritable and acts out, evidenced by such behavior as impaling a soldier with a giant hypodermic needle and vandalizing the Golden Slipper Casino. Making sure that what’s happening in Vegas stays in Vegas, the U.S. Army takes its customary, 1950s sci-fi movie measures: pulverization via banks of artillery. Not surprisingly, we recommend enjoying this ridiculous but fun film with a box of Atomic Fire Balls. If it’s too much “red hot flavor”, just remember: you might grow… to like them.
Who wants to wait until the 31st to wallow in Halloween indulgences and scary movies?! Home Projectionist doesn’t! And so we’ll have pairings of 31 Frights and 31 Bites every one of October’s 31 nights: a scary, snack size movie “trick”, and a delicious “treat” to go along with it.
Home Projectionist 