Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on April 23, 2014

Technically speaking, I wasn't, yet, at all on the night of Sunday, April 23, 1961 - 53 years ago tonight - but nonetheless I know where I would have wanted to be. It's also the day on which we celebrate Shakespeare's birthday (450 this year, as I'm sure you've read...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on April 7, 2014

He didn't have all that many great scripts, but one contained a line that might sum up most of his life: "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" It may be some measure of all of our foolishness that seven decades and more of his misbehavior, all too rarely leavened by...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on April 7, 2014

He didn't have all that many great scripts, but one contained a line that might sum up most of his life: "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" It may be some measure of all of our foolishness that seven decades and more of his misbehavior, all too rarely leavened by...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on March 31, 2014

Sexy William Powell. Who knew? Amusing, intriguing, gallant, flirtatious, sure - but this level of va-va-va-voom is news to me.   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on March 31, 2014

Sexy William Powell. Who knew? Amusing, intriguing, gallant, flirtatious, sure - but this level of va-va-va-voom is news to me.   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on March 30, 2014

Camp refuses both the harmonies of traditional seriousness, and the risks of fully identifying with extreme states of feeling. - Susan Sontag, "Notes on Camp" I thought it might be nice (although that might not be quite the right word) to see our way out of Crawford Birth Week 2014...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on March 30, 2014

Camp refuses both the harmonies of traditional seriousness, and the risks of fully identifying with extreme states of feeling. - Susan Sontag, "Notes on Camp" I thought it might be nice (although that might not be quite the right word) to see our way out of Crawford Birth Week 2014...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on March 23, 2014

Some powerful birthday juju in the air this weekend, carissimi... Two titans, from two different worlds, but each cornerstones of what passes for a certain kind of modern sensibility, both celebrated anniversaries. Here to serenade them is the divine Miss Julie Wilson (still with us, 90 this year)   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on March 23, 2014

Some powerful birthday juju in the air this weekend, carissimi... Two titans, from two different worlds, but each cornerstones of what passes for a certain kind of modern sensibility, both celebrated anniversaries. Here to serenade them is the divine Miss Julie Wilson (still with us, 90 this year)   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on March 2, 2014

Unless and until we see something as fabulously demented as this, I'm not going to get too excited about all this Oscars red-carpet brouhaha. I wonder if we'll see any of the old guard - who could show up? What's left of Mickey Rooney? I suppose there's a chance for...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on March 2, 2014

Unless and until we see something as fabulously demented as this, I'm not going to get too excited about all this Oscars red-carpet brouhaha. I wonder if we'll see any of the old guard - who could show up? What's left of Mickey Rooney? I suppose there's a chance for...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on February 26, 2014

Is it me, or is George Brent a little dishier than I remembered? Brent is one of those performers who, although he was for two decades or more a household name, is now a distinctly misty figure, remembered vaguely as that stolid man next to Bette Davis in all those...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on February 26, 2014

Is it me, or is George Brent a little dishier than I remembered? Brent is one of those performers who, although he was for two decades or more a household name, is now a distinctly misty figure, remembered vaguely as that stolid man next to Bette Davis in all those...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on February 24, 2014

Beauty is perhaps the least unconditional of gifts. I'm doing what we so often do on a quiet evening, watching TCM, and tonight it's a particular - well, favorite doesn't seem quite right, given the sere, bitter tone of the film - but let's say favorite, for lack of a...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on February 24, 2014

Beauty is perhaps the least unconditional of gifts. I'm doing what we so often do on a quiet evening, watching TCM, and tonight it's a particular - well, favorite doesn't seem quite right, given the sere, bitter tone of the film - but let's say favorite, for lack of a...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on February 15, 2014

What Camp taste responds to is "instant character"... - Susan Sontag, "Notes on Camp" Oh, Just about anybody can mark the birthday of the great Mr. Harold Arlen with Judy singing "The Man that Got Away" or Barbra blowing "A Sleepin' Bee" out of the water... ...But hereabouts we like...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on February 15, 2014

What Camp taste responds to is "instant character"... - Susan Sontag, "Notes on Camp" Oh, Just about anybody can mark the birthday of the great Mr. Harold Arlen with Judy singing "The Man that Got Away" or Barbra blowing "A Sleepin' Bee" out of the water... ...But hereabouts we like...   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on February 14, 2014

Let's usher in this Valentine's Day with a typical moment of introspective minimalism out of Bollywood... Yes, it's dear Miss Priyanka Chopra starring as the love interest of both Mr. Ranveer Singh and Mr. Arjun Kapoor (he's the scruffier of the two). The film, Gunday, is the big Valentine's relea   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on February 14, 2014

Let's usher in this Valentine's Day with a typical moment of introspective minimalism out of Bollywood... Yes, it's dear Miss Priyanka Chopra starring as the love interest of both Mr. Ranveer Singh and Mr. Arjun Kapoor (he's the scruffier of the two). The film, Gunday, is the big Valentine's relea   read more

Café Muscato Posted by Muscato on February 12, 2014

You know, when you think about it, I very rarely ask much of you, Gentle Readers, so I hope you won't mind if today I do. And I'm not really asking all that much - only that you devote just under ten minutes of your busy lives to watching this...   read more