Shelley Winters is our new Star of the Week! Reviews of her Rag-nominated performances in The Chapman Report and The Poseidon Adventure are posted to her page; new reviews will be posted every day. Enjoy! Shelley is one of my favorite personalities. I loved reading her memoirs (to be posted soon) and always thought her screen presence was fun and frisky. You can get a chuckle out of watching her famous scene from Alfie.
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I read a lot, as you know, and not all of them are great. That's just the way things are. There are lousy movies, books, songs - and even people! But that makes us appreciate the wonderful ones that much more. So here are some books that didn't hit the spot:
The Things We Wish Were True - a small town where everyone has secrets, and I didn't root for anyone! Sweet Tomorrows - a great cover, but it glamorizes two love stories that would be detrimental in real life. Some Boys - a teen novel that teaches girls bad things. Just stick with 'Speak' instead. Mom's - I mean, Susan Sarandon's - week has come to a close, and we can get ready to celebrate a new star. Get into your time machine for a quick jump. . .
The next star played Susan Sarandon's "cougar" role forty years earlier in a classic drama. She's most famous for playing loud, uncouth characters and won two Academy Awards for those roles! Do you have any guesses? Come back on Wednesday to find out who she is, and in the meantime you can revisit Mama's page to see all 49 of her reviews. Our new Star of the Week is. . . Mom! Just kidding. It's Susan Sarandon. But she holds a special place in my heart because everyone thinks she's my mom's Hollywood counterpart. To start things off on her page, read reviews of The Meddler and Stepmom, and watch a cute scene from Bull Durham. For her television work, check out 2 years of A World Apart and 1 season of Feud. Enjoy, and two new reviews will be posted every day directly to her page! As it is still his birthday month, I'm posting a review for David Niven's first novel, Once Over Lightly. I've already read his later three books, and I was very excited to get my hands on this one. Check it out, and happy birthday Niv!
Kirsten Dunst's week has come to an end, and all 32 of her reviews are now posted to her page. We're going to stay in the modern era for a while longer, so here is your clue:
In the movie she made with Kirsten Dunst, next week’s star was all buttoned up. Although she’s best known for her sexy roles, she won an Oscar for playing a nun. Do you have any guesses? Leave them below and come back on Saturday to see if you figured it out. How are you planning on celebrating the luck of the Irish? If your evening involves a festive flick, check out our list of St. Patrick's movies - enjoy!
Kirsten Dunst is our new Star of the Week! To start things off, you can watch the iconic opening scene of Bring It On, and read reviews of Little Women and Jumanji. Keep coming back to her page for two new reviews every day, and enjoy! Since it's no surprise that we're book-ending our Stars of the Week with Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, now is the perfect time to post a book review. Enjoy!
Joan Bennett's time as Star of the Week has come to an end, and all 30 of her reviews are now posted to her page. Are you ready for your clue?
Time to jump in your time machine. Sixty years after Joan Bennett played in a classic Louisa May Alcott story, next week’s star was cast in the same role. Do you know who she is? Leave your comments below and come back on Monday to find out if you're right. Joan Bennett is our new Star of the Week! To start things off, you can watch a cute video clip from Little Women and read reviews of The House Across the Bay and Mississippi - two different types of roles. Enjoy, and come back every day to her page for two new reviews! For television, check out Dark Shadows, on which she acted for 6 years! Now that we've just finished honoring Edward G. Robinson as our Star of the Week, it's only fitting to post a review of his memoir All My Yesterdays. It's not the most uplifting book, as it was published posthumously, but for some insight into the real Eddie G, you can give it a whirl.
Edward G. Robinson has been inducted into the Hot Toasty Rag Hall of Fame! He has received 2 wins and an additional 5 nominations from 1932-1973. Visit his page to see the full list, or click here to watch his video reel celebrating five decades of work. Congratulations! Whether you're staying in with your sweetie pie, watching a Galentine's flick with your buddies, or just chilling out by yourself, tonight - Happy Valentine's Day! And check out The Rag's list of romantic movies here for movie night inspiration.
Edward G. Robinson's time has come to an end, and now all 60 of his reviews have been posted to his page. I hope you had a lot of fun; I just loved watching all his old movies again! Are you ready for your next clue?
Next week’s star started as a cutie pie blonde and ended as an old lady in a television horror. In between, she played two femme fatales who tormented Edward G. Robinson. Do you have any guesses? Leave them below, and check back on Saturday to see if you're right! Hats off to The Esteemed Edward G. Robinson, our Star of the Week! That's right, at the Hot Toasty Rag Awards, he received our highest honor (but I'll give him a special post about that later). For now, you can read reviews of his Rag-nominated performances in All My Sons and Mr. Winkle Goes to War, as well as watch a video clip from his Rag-winning performance in Brother Orchid. Come back to his page every day for new reviews, and enjoy - and don't forget to do it his way, see? As it's the new year, many of us are looking to clean house - mentally that is. If you're struggling to get over a years-long issue, break an unhealthy habit, or you've finally found out that the meaning of life is happiness, check out Guy Finley's self-help book The Secret of Letting Go. He explains some life-changing theories in a very accessible way. If you can imagine (or want to) a world where you're not controlled by negative emotions or your own worries about how others will think and react, definitely check this book out. Read my full review here!
Thelma Ritter's week has come to an end, and all 25 of her reviews are now posted to her page. Are you ready for your first clue of 2024 to help you guess who the next star is?
He’s a beloved classic gangster who wants you to do it his way, see! In a comedy, he and Thelma Ritter played an adorable married couple. Leave your guesses below, and come back on Monday to find out if you're right! Our first Star of the Week for 2024 is Thelma Ritter! To start things off, you can read reviews of two of her cutest roles in The Model and the Marriage Broker and A Hole in the Head. You can also watch a heavy video clip from her Rag-winning performance in Pickup on South Street. You know the drill by now: come back directly to her page for 2 new reviews posted every day. Enjoy! As we finish up the year, here are some book reviews continuing a few series I'm in the middle of. Can't leave you hanging!
Can't get enough of the Sweet Valley gang? Check out the 41st volume here. Want to know about the princess contest? Now posted is the third book from The Selection. Interested in the "Harry Potter meets Hunger Games" magical world: The Unwanteds #4 is here! What a year we've had on Hot Toasty Rag! From icons like Fred Astaire and Burt Lancaster to more obscure stars like Curd Jurgens and Teresa Wright, there's been a lot of ground covered in our film reviews. Who were some of your favorites? What "new" movies did you discover? Also, leave any requests for next year below in the comments and I'll see what I can do.
Thanks so much for reading The Rag! It's now time for your clue for the next star, the first Star of the Week for 2024. Edmund Gwenn's time has ended and all 34 of his reviews are now posted to his page. To start off the new year, we’ll honor a beloved character actress who was nominated for five Academy Awards. She and Edmund Gwenn have a special onscreen connection: Because of him, she became “a regular Macy customer”. Do you know who she is? Come back on January 1st to find out, and Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas celebration yesterday and that you also enjoyed the 12 Days of Christmas Movies here at the Hot Toasty Rag. One of my readers suggested a lovely Christmas treat, so here I am posting a special surprise: my Christmas Carol montage! My family used to watch 5 films of 'A Christmas Carol' every year, starring Alistair Sim, George C. Scott, Patrick Stewart, Michael Caine, and Mr. Magoo. I put together all our favorite parts from the different versions into one linear storyline - so if you only want to watch the Dickens classic once this year but get 5 different takes on it, check out my homemade, 90-minute, heartfelt montage. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas! It's the most wonderful time of the year: the 12 Days of Christmas Movies! Here on Hot Toasty Rag, we celebrate the season by catching up on all the festive movies with our year's Stars of the Week, as well as some Hallmark flicks to liven up the mix. Come back directly to this post every day for updated links, and if you want to see the full list from all our prior years, click here. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!
1.) Christmas with Susannah York
New to The Rag today are a few book reviews set in the distinct American setting of the Deep South. Some really like this setting, and others avoid it. In case you're in the former group, check out these three books:
God's Little Acre - a classic Depression-era novel about a poor, ignorant Georgian family Glory Over Everything - a man passing for white has to face his past in the years prior to the Civil War Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady - a hilarious memoir about the standards of 1960s Southern femininity When I bought the boxed set of Nick Pirog's 'Thomas Prescott' novels, I thought there were only four of them. I've recently learned there's a fifth - how exciting! In the meantime, though, I just can't wait to highly recommend the first four of these hilarious books. They're smart, witty, and have a touch of violence and mystery to keep the serious readers interested. Check them out! I've already read them twice.
Thomas Prescott #1: Unforeseen Thomas Prescott #2: Gray Matter Thomas Prescott #3: The Afrikaans Thomas Prescott #4: Show Me |
AuthorHi I'm Edie Nolan. Check out my sister website or drop me a line on the About page! Archives
April 2024
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