Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Read books and let your imagination fly:


Read books and let your imagination fly.

Recommended reading - The Adventures of Sam Spade and Other Stories (1944):


The Adventures of Sam Spade and Other Stories

By Dashiell Hammett.

Published by Must Have Books.
Published 1944.
Paperback.
ISBN-10: 1773237772
ISBN-13: 978-1773237770

Description:

Sam Spade is the tall, tough, smart private detective made famous by Dashiell Hammett in his superb detective novel, The Maltese Falcon. His appearance in the three short stories which make up The Adventures of Sam Spade is good news for his admirers and even better news for those who have yet to meet him. As Sam says, “There ought to be a law making criminals give themselves up…” but since there isn’t one is better qualified than he to take the place of that law. He’s not a fictional detective, not given to elaborate analysis of the crime nor to elaborate restaging of it in front of all the suspects in the hope that one will break down; he’s an honest-to-God detective, astute and industrious enough to find out everything possible and then figure the angles from what he knows.

In addition to the three Adventures of Sam Spade, Dashiell Hammett has included here four brilliant short stories, each one terse, masculine, and eminently readable, yet one different in theme and handling. The Assistant Murderer tells of a complicated case neatly solved by Alexander Rush, the detective who is so ugly that people just naturally think he is crooked. Night Shade is a vivid sketch with an O. Henry Ending. The Judge Laughed Last is a story so funny that you’ll be laughing even when the judge is through. And His Brother’s Keeper is a fine prize fight tale told by a tough, dumb, honest and likable fighter.

Contents: Too Many Have Lived; They Can Only Hang You Once; A Man Called Spade; The Assistant Murderer; Night Shade; The Judge Laughed Last; His Brother's Keeper.

P. D. James, on writing:


I don't think writers choose the genre, the genre chooses us.
I wrote out of the wish to create order out of disorder, the liking of a pattern.

- P. D. James.

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

On this day in movie history - The Descendants (2011):


The Descendants

directed by Alexander Payne,
written by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash,
based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings,
released at the Telluride Film Festival in the United States on September 2, 2011.
Music by Jeff Peterson.

Cast:

George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Patricia Hastie, Grace A. Cruz, Kim Gennaula, Karen Kuioka Hironaga, Carmen Kaichi, Kaui Hart Hemmings, Beau Bridges, Matt Corboy, Matt Esecson, Michael Ontkean, Stanton Johnston, Jonathan/Jon McManus, Hugh Foster, Tiare R. Finney, Tom McTigue, Milt Kogan, Mary Birdsong, Rob Huebel, Laird Hamilton, Aileen 'Boo' Arnold, Esther Kang, Melissa Kim, Robert Forster, Barbara L. Southern, Celia Kenney, Matt Reese, Zoel Turnbull, Matthew Lillard, Judy Greer, Linda Rose Herman, Scott Michael Morgan, Darryl K. Gonzales, Koko Kanealii, Romey 'Keola' Yokotake, Fileena Bahris, Paul Edney, Dennis Falt, Morgan Freeman, Sisa Grey, Jamon Holmes, Tom Holowach, Adam Juegos, Dane Justman, Jordan Kirkwood, James Koons, Alan Seabock, John A Weaver, Larry Wegger, Joseph Wilson, Joji Yoshida.

On this day in movie history - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007):


The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

directed and written by Andrew Dominik,
based on the novel by Ron Hansen,
was released in the United States on September 2, 2007.
Narrated by Hugh Ross.
Music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.


Cast:

Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Jeremy Renner, Sam Rockwell, Paul Schneider, Mary-Louise Parker, Zooey Deschanel, Garret Dillahunt, Ted Levine, James Carville, Alison Elliott, Michael Parks, Tom Aldredge, Pat Healy, Michael Copeman, Ron Hansen, Hugh Ross.

On this day in music history - Il Tenero Momento: Mozart & Gluck Arias, by Susan Graham and Harry Bicket (2000):


Il Tenero Momento: Mozart & Gluck Arias

Album by Susan Graham and Harry Bicket,
released September 2, 2000.

Track list:

Paride Ed Elena: Oh, Del Mio Dolce Ardor; Le Nozze Di Figaro: Non So Piu Cosa Son, Cosa Faccio; La Clemenza Di Tito: Parto, Ma Tu, Ben Mio; Iphigenie En Tauride: Non, Je N’espere Plus... O Toi Qui Prolongeas Mes Jours; Iphigenie En Tauride: O Malheureuse Iphigenie!; Iphigenie En Tauride: Non, Ect Affreux Devoir... Je T’implore Et Je Tremble; Le Nozze Di Figaro: Voi Che Sapete; La Clemenza Di Tito: Deh, Per Questo Istante Solo; Orphee Et Eurydice: Qu’entends-je? Qu’a-t-il Dit?... Amour, Viens Rendre A Mon Ame; Idomeneo: Non Ho Colpa; Orphee Et Eurydice: J’ai Perdu Mon Eurydice; Lucio Silla: Dunque Sperar Poss’io... Il Tenero Momento.

On this day in movie history - Freeway (1988):


Freeway

directed by Francis Delia,
written by Darrell Fetty and Francis Delia,
based on the novel by Deanne Barkley,
was released in the United States on September 2, 1988.
Music by Joe Delia.


Cast:

Darlanne Fluegel, James Russo, Billy Drago, Richard Belzer, Michael Callan, Joe Palese, Steve Franken, Brian Kaiser, Kenneth Tobey, Julianne Dallara, Laurie Foshay, Gloria Edwards, Deem Bristow, Toby Anderson, Kimberly Hall, Robert Lane, Jesse Shapiro, Genevieve Anderson, Ivan E. Roth, Charles Conable, Richard Chavez, Ann Shalla, Robert Harvey, Jim Wilkey, George Fisher, Tony Winters, Gene LeBell, Michael Leopard, Roy Clark, Alice Ferris, Jeff St. Joseph, Clint Howard.