Falling Star: The 40th Anniversary of "My Favorite Year"

 by Michael Lyons    

 

"I'm not an actor. I'm a movie star!"

Just one of the many clever, insightful, and funny lines of dialogue from one of the best comedies of the 80s, My Favorite Year.

And that year in the film is 1954.  It's New York City during the Golden Age of Television.  Young Benjy Stone (played by Mark Linn-Baker, later of Perfect Strangers, here in his first major role) is an up-and-coming writer on Comedy Cavalcade, a fictional comedy-variety show based on the real Your Show of Shows. 

The guest on the show that week is Alan Swann, played by Peter O'Toole, a swashbuckling movie star in the mold of Eroll Flynn.  Swann's carer is on a downslide and has developed a terrible reputation for carousing, womanizing, and drinking.

Benjy, who idolizes Swann, is given the responsibility to keep Swann on track, off of alcohol, away from women, and on time for the show.  Not an easy task.

What follows in the week leading up to the show is that Benjy realizes celebrities are just as human as anyone else; Swann realizes the responsibility that comes with being a celebrity.

Written by Norman Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo, My Favorite Year sparkles with sharp dialogue that feels like it was written by the team of Comedy Calvacade writers.  In addition to O'Toole's "movie star” line above, a classic exchange between the actor and legendary comedienne Selma Diamond defines comedy gold.

O'Toole rightfully received an Oscar nomination for his performance, constantly walking a tightrope of comedy and tragedy throughout the film.  Linn-Baker has the thankless task of being O'Toole's straight-man but brings to it such emotion and empathy as the wide-eyed surrogate for all star-struck movie fans.

The supporting cast of My Favorite Year is full of MVPs.  Joseph Bologna is pompously perfect as King Kaiser, the show's star, and Bill Macy, Anne DeSalvo, and Basil Hoffman add a great backdrop as a trio of disparate writers on Comedy Calvacade.

But, stealing the show is Lanie Kazan as Benjy's mom, Belle, and Lou Jacobi as his Uncle Morty.  The scene in My Favorite Year, where Benjy takes Swann to Brooklyn to meet his family, ranks as one of film's greatest and most hysterical "clash of cultures" scenes.  Belle calls Allan "Swanee," to which Benjy declares, "Ma! He's an actor, not a river!"  

Actor Richard Benjamin made his directorial debut with My Favorite Year. As a great comic himself, he shows a deft hand with the film's funnier scenes and allows the film its quieter moments of character development and even pathos.

Debuting on October 8, 1982, My Favorite Year was a big enough of a hit and long remembered enough to inspire a popular Broadway musical version that debuted in 1992.

It's no wonder that My Favorite Year was able to provide such rich inspiration.  The film is that rare comedy that allows us to see a little bit of ourselves and our world and delivers an insightful message.

As Alan develops a case of stage fright around live TV, Benjy pleads with him: "...don't tell me this is you life-size!  I can't use you life-size!  I need Alan Swanns as big as I can get them!"

My Favorite Year speaks to the frailty of our celebrities and how much we all “need” our celebrities.

True in 1954.  True today.

 

 

Setting the Bar High: The 40th Anniversary of "Cheers"

by Michael Lyons

 

"Every day, during happy hour, they sit and drink and solve problems - their own, the world's - it doesn't matter much.  And while they're at it, they come up with some of the funniest lines to hit the small screen this season." - The Hollywood Reporter review of Cheers, October 19, 1982.

 

It seems that the staff of The Hollywood Reporter knew at the outset what we all know now about Cheers. The bar "where everybody knows your name" made its TV debut forty years ago this fall and has earned its rightful place as one of television's most beloved and classic sitcoms.

The show was the brainchild of Glen and Les Charles and James Burrows, who sought to create an ensemble show around a workplace, a la The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  A tavern was chosen as the setting, using the real Bull & Finch Pub in Boston as the inspiration (and used the bar for the exterior shots).  The pub eventually was re-named Cheers, becoming a tremendous tourist attraction to this day.

It's more evidence of the popularity of Cheers and how audiences could relate to the characters on the show.  From recovering alcoholic, womanizing, former Red Sox pitcher Sam Malone (Ted Danson) to wanna-be intellectual waitress Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) and from innocent philosopher Coach (Nicholas Colasanto) to tough-as-nails veteran waitress Carla (Rhea Perlman), the personalities of the bar staff ran the gamut.  And, with the regulars like the accountant Norm (George Wendt), mailman and know-it-all Cliff (John Ratzenberger), and snobbish psychiatrist Frasier (Kelsey Grammer), we could see ourselves or someone we knew.

Cheers managed to do what few sitcoms could, becoming better and funnier as cast members changed. After Calasanto sadly passed away in 1985, Woody Harrelson joined the cast as Woody, segueing nicely with the other characters.  Long eventually left the show in 1987, replaced by Kirstie Alley as Rebecca, a hilariously opportunistic manager of Cheers. She proved a nice alternative to Long's prim turn as Diane.

From 1982-1993, Cheers would dominate ratings, eventually becoming the cornerstone of NBC's "Must See TV" line-up on Thursday nights.  For those ten seasons, audiences soaked up Diane and Sam's on again/off again-will they/won't they relationship, the entire bar shouting "Norm!" as he would enter, as well as his sharp responses ("What would you say to a beer, Norm?" Coach asked him.  "Going down?" was his response), and, of course, both Coach and Woody's earnest personalities.

The theme song, performed by Gary Portnoy, became a Top 40 hit and an anthem to make anyone feel welcome.

When the final episode, entitled "One for the Road," aired on May 20, 1993, it was watched by 42.4 million viewers, making it the most watched show of the year.

Seinfeld and Friends would pick up the mantle of "Must See" on NBC for the remainder of the 90s. Still, Cheers would remain the last show of the pre-VCR generation, when popular shows were "appointment TV," where viewers cleared the calendars to watch the first-run show and didn't dare risk the chance of having to wait for a summer rerun.

Writing about the Cheers finale in Entertainment Weekly, writer A.J. Jacobs called it "classy as a flute of Cristal."

The same could be said of the entire series.

Happy 40th anniversary, and cheers to Cheers!

 

Sources:

hollywoodreporter.com

wikipedia.com

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A Job Well Done: Movie Quotes About Work, In Honor of Labor Day

 by Michael Lyons    

Oh sure, it's "summer's last gasp."  That's what Labor Day weekend has come to be known as.  That last chance to head to the beach, jump into the pool and fire up the bar-b-que before the leaves start falling and Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas" plays on repeat.

However, with all this, we may forget that Labor Day was initiated, as Wikipedia tells us, "...to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States."

As this day is all about celebrating the hard work done each day and also a time to relax, it's the perfect opportunity to celebrate movies that have celebrated this work.

What follows are just some of the many quotes from some of the many movies that have shed light on our workplace and workforce.  Here they are in all of their humor, cynicism, and inspiration:

 "I am your employee, and, as such, I expect to be treated equally, with a little dignity and a little respect!"

 - Violet (Lily Tomlin), 9 to 5 (1980).

"First rule of leadership: everything is your fault."

 - Hopper (Kevin Spacey), A Bug's Life (1998).

"Normally, it takes years to work your way up to the twenty-seventh floor.  But it only takes thirty seconds to be out on the street again."

 - J.D. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), The Apartment (1960).

"Never burn bridges.  Today's junior prick, tomorrow's senior partner."

 - Katherine (Sigourney Weaver), Working Girl, 1988.

"Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about mission statements."

 - Peter (Ron Livingston), Office Space, 1999.

"So you got a job, where you play with all of these toys?"

"Yup!"

"And, they're gonna pay you for that?"!?"

"Yup!"

"SUCKERS!"

 - Josh (Tom Hanks) and Billy (Jared Ruston), Big, 1988.

"Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about...they do most of the working and paying and living in this community.  Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath?"

 - George (Jimmy Stewart), It's a Wonderful Life, 1946.

"Hey, I don't have all of the answers.  In life, to be honest, I failed as much as I have succeeded.  But I love my wife.  I love my life.  And I wish you my kind of success."

 - Dicky Fox (Jared Jussim), Jerry Maguire, 1996.

 

So, this weekend, as the sun sets on another summer, take the time to enjoy one of these, or one of the many other, films that celebrate our jobs, our dreams, and our hard work.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

 

 

Sources:

IMDb

Wikipedia

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Happy Endings: Late Summer Movie Season Entries that Helped Make the Dog Days Just a Little Cooler

 by Michael Lyons     

 

I guess we can avoid the inevitable no longer.  Soon, all the kids will head back to school, the bathing suits will be packed away, and pumpkin spice will be added to everything from a cappuccino to marinara sauce.

Summer, that glorious season of fair weather days and endless nights, is ending.  Sure, the summer of 2022 wasn't perfect, as it was filled with travel woes that made vacation almost seem like a four-letter word and weather so intense that it seemed as if the Heat Miser was real.  

But, admit it, you'll miss summer.  The carefree-no-school-flip-flop-wearing time of year brings a unique sense of relaxation.  And it's own form of movies, too.

After two years dormant, Hollywood's all-important summer movie season made a tremendous comeback this year, thanks to hits like Top Gun: Maverick.  The record-breaking Tom Cruise "legacy sequel" was an excellent "flashback" to summer movie seasons that brought us some of the movie industry's most famous films.

And during those past summer movie seasons, some late entries hit theaters just before summer took its final bow and provided one last blast for movie fans.

As "Screen Saver" did in 2018, here's another look at some late entries in past summer movie seasons:

 

Cop Land (1997)

A Western-style story set in contemporary New Jersey, this was an "Eastern" and a compelling, well-crafted one.  Sylvester Stallone plays Freddy Heflin, a quiet, mild-mannered Sherrif of a small Jersey suburb, where a number of New York City cops live.

When an internal affairs officer (Robert DeNiro) begins investigating corruption among the residents, Freddy has to decide between his loyalty to the cops who live in the town and doing what's right.

Written and directed by James Mangold, Cop Land  (released twenty-five years ago) is one of the most underrated movies of the 90s, expertly made, with echoes of the best of Martin Scorsese and Sidney Lumet.

With a supporting cast that includes Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Cathy Moriarity, Janeane Garofalo, and Michael Rapaport, Cop Land is bristling with talent and features Stallone in one of the best performances of his career (and one for which he was robbed of an Oscar nomination).

 Single White Female (1992)

Thirty years ago, the movie thriller was still "a thing." Audiences flocked to films that showed how evil could lurk in our everyday lives, including a new roommate.  This is the premise of Single White Female, in which New Yorker Allison Jones (Bridget Fonda) places an ad looking for a roommate, and she gets Hedra Carson (Jennifer Jason Leigh) answering it.

It turns out that Hedra, who has a disturbing history, wants more than just a room; she wants Allison's life.

Single White Female had shades of the classic Rosemary's Baby, as it creates an eerie atmosphere out of an old Manhattan apartment.  While it may not bring with it too many surprises, it's still an effective thriller, thanks to compelling performances by Fonda and Jason Leigh.

 Stakeout (1987) 

This is a complete and utter '80s audience pleaser.  Released thirty-five years ago this month, Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez have great chemistry as police detective partners forced to go on the graveyard shift of a stakeout.  Dreyfuss' character then finds himself falling for the woman (Madeline Stowe) that they're watching.

Directed by John Badham (WarGames), Stakeout is the perfect comedy-action-thriller that seems to be a genre that's disappeared. Estevez showed nice comedic skills, and Dreyfuss was at his manic best.

Stakeout was a surprise, late-summer box-office hit, and deservedly so.

 

The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)

Want to see the trailers for "Catholic High School Girls in Trouble?"  or "A Fistful of Yen?"  How about a movie that's advertised in the immersive "Feel-a-Round?"

They're all in this irreverent sketch comedy that plays like Saturday Night Live: The Movie. Still funny and fun to watch, this unique comedy is most notable for the careers it launched.

Director John Landis would go on to helm Animal House and Trading Places, among others, and writers Jim Abrahams and David & Jerry Zucker would later bring us Airplane! And the Naked Gun movies. Forty-five years ago, at the end of "Star Wars Summer," they all cut their comedic teeth on The Kentucky Fried Movie. 

 

And so, as we cling to every last sun-drenched day of August and hurtle headfirst into Labor Day, let's remember these films that gave the Summer Movie season its last-minute due.

Soon, those leaves will be changing.  And, remember, they're only pretty to look at when you don't have to rake them! 

Looking for a good Labor Day Weekend "beach read?"  Check out my book Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance now available on Amazon.

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The Next "Wave" in Animation: Classic Cartoons Go to the Beach

 

By Michael Lyons

 

It's August, time to ignore those "Back-to-School" commercials and remember that it's still summer.  Oh sure, everyone wants to start picking out just the right sweater and add pumpkin spice to everything, but it's still sweltering outside, people!

Let's hold on to these glorious warm weather months for as long as possible and head to the beach!  And, to get us in the right mood, like an animation sommelier, what follows is just the right pairing of classic cartoons to accompany your trip to the sea shore.

Here are some brief trips to the beach, featuring iconic characters from the golden age of animation, when litter wasn't allowed on the sand, but good ol' fashioned cartoon sight gags were permitted.

 Beach Picnic (Disney, 1939)

When it comes to classic Disney Donald Duck cartoons, they don't come more iconic than this.

With Pluto in tow, Donald, in his full-piece, old-fashioned bathing suit, and straw hat, embarks on a day at the beach.  They are both met with the standard frustrations, as Donald's inflatable beach toy (a horse he's nicknamed Seabiscuit) misbehaves, and an army of ants make short work of the multi-course spread of picnic food that Donald has displayed on his beach blanket.

Among the richly designed Disney comedic moments, there is an excellent sequence in which Pluto gets stuck to fly paper.  Then, of course, Donald's frustrations and tantrums are relatable to all of us who have embarked on a day at the beach this summer.

 Wackiki Rabbit (Warner Bros, 1943)

As far from Beach Picnic as you can get is this Merrie Melodies outing with Bugs Bunny.

Two castaways (voiced by story artists Michael Maltese and Tedd Pierce) are stranded at sea, floating on a raft, and starving.  They drift onto the shore of a small island with one inhabitant: Bugs Bunny.

The two men then spend the remainder of the cartoon attempting to eat Bugs, and the Bunny uses his smart-aleck wit to get the best of them continually.

Directed by animation icon Chuck Jones (billed here as Charles M. Jones), Wackiki Rabbit features his trademark, perfectly timed comedy (Bugs speaks as an island native in what seems like a long speech but translates to: "What's up, Doc?").  There's also that classic, cannibalistic cartoon gag where characters are so ravenous they begin to imagine each other as food.

Wackiki Rabbit also features beautifully stylized backgrounds by layout and background artists John McGrew, Gene Fleury and Bernyce Polifka which have a Polynesian and breezy summer flair.

 Beach Peach (Famous Studios, 1950)

"Oh, Popeye!  The beach just sands me!" says Olive Oyl at the start of this Popeye cartoon, where the two love birds embark on a day at the beach.  All is serene until the lifeguard (who sounds like Bluto but is blonde and a little more fit than Popeye's usual nemesis) spends the remainder of the cartoon attempting to steal Olive away from Popeye.

Is there the standard finale with Popeye downing his spinach and getting the best of the lifeguard?  There sure is, and here the sailor man even turns himself into a torpedo to do in his enemy.

Some solid gags follow, like Popeye tripping into setting up his place on the sand or a lifeguard having so little to do that he's drinking beer and watching TV.  Beach Peach may be a traditional Popeye outing, but it manages a few nice, satirical jabs at the perfect day at the beach.

 

Muscle Beach Tom (MGM, 1956)

 

In glorious, widescreen Cinemascope comes this Tom & Jerry short, where Tom attempts to impress his girlfriend by taking her to the beach.  However, when he disrupts Jerry's day, the expected fight between the two ensues.

Additionally, one of the weightlifting cats on the muscle beach gets into it with Tom.  There's the usual cartoon violence that follows, but also a good amount of clever sight gags.  The opening shot of a non-stop array of cats attempting to lift weights in several ways is very well done.

The animation here is also fully realized as the gags play out in Muscle Beach Tom against some beautifully rendered beach backgrounds by the studio's masterful artist Robert Gentle.

 

Although these classic shorts may take place in the unrealistic world of cartoons, each has the same to say about how we all revel in the relaxation that comes with a day at the beach.  Let's soak it up while we still can before those Halloween costumes arrive in stores.

 

Happy August to all!

 

 My book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance is now available on Amazon!

Enjoy more of my articles and podcasts at my website, Words From Lyons

 

 

 

Inside Job: Remembering "Innerspace" 35 Years Later

 By Michael Lyons

Innerspace should have been a blockbuster.  Produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Joe (Gremlins) Dante, the film was high-concept, combining science fiction and comedy, starring one of film's most likable actors and a loveable comedian who was starting to dabble in movies.

Additionally, it was released at the height of the summer movie season, it felt like a summer-escapist movie, and it was the '80s, the golden age of summer movies.  But, opening on July 1, 1987, just in time for the big Independence Day weekend, Innerspace came in at number three, behind the comic adaptation of the classic TV series Dragnet, the Stanley Kubrick Vietnam War drama Full Metal Jacket and just ahead of a re-issue of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

There have been a lot of "Monday morning quarterbacks" reviewing what happened to Innerspace. Some felt that the marketing for the film just didn't do it justice.  Trailers and commercials sold the film as a wacky, slapstick comedy, and posters positioned it more as a wondrous fantasy (a picture of a thumb and forefinger, with a miniature vehicle and tiny person, and the tag line: "An Adventure of Incredible Proportions").

Others felt that the script was somewhat "all over the place," with moments of wild comedy, comic-book-like villains, and an unnecessarily heavy plot.

The story of Innerspace seems pretty straightforward: a test pilot named Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) agrees to participate in an experiment where he and a spaceship-like vessel are to be miniaturized and injected into a rabbit to see what future applications this could have for doctors and medicine.

Of course, all goes wrong, and, instead, Tuck is accidentally injected into the body of an anxious, hypochondriacal grocery store employee, Jack Putter (Martin Short).  As they are quite literally stuck with each other, the two must find a way to get Tuck out of Jack before the film's villains, looking to steal the new technology, get to them. 

Innerspace has enough creativity to fill several movies.  Although not on screen together for most of the film, Quaid and Short have great chemistry, which helps create a strong bond between the two disparate characters.

Short is also at his most fearless, comedic best here and was the perfect choice for the worrisome Jack.  As Tuck devises a way to communicate with Jack from within his body, Jack's realization in a doctor's office that he may be possessed is still a hysterical highlight of the film.

Also, a highlight is the Oscar-winning special effects of Innerspace.  Bringing everything from the bloodstream to stomach acid to the heart to larger-than-life must not have been easy in the era of practical effects.  How this film did it is still a wonder to behold.

The supporting cast includes Meg Ryan as Tuck's love interest, Lydia, who adds sweetness and a romantic "love triangle" of sorts to the proceedings, and character actors Kevin McCarthy, Fiona Lewis, Robert Picardo, and Vernon Wells make for perfect, over-the-top villains.

It all comes together in a movie that's as enjoyable as movies get, and it's a shame that Innerspace was somewhat dismissed when it was released. Anniversaries of films always help to right old wrongs like this, and, as this summer marks thirty-five years since the release of Innerspace, it's the perfect time to, once again, go on the "fantastic voyage" this movie provides.

 When it was released on Blu-Ray in 2015, director Joe Dante, like so many, looked back fondly on his film when talking with the website Cinema Retro, saying that Innerspace was "probably the movie that I had made up to then that was the closest to my intention.  As a result, I was very happy with it.  When I look at it today, I still think it's a tremendous amount of fun."

Sources: cinemaretro.com 

My book Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance is now available on Amazon!

Visit my website Words From Lyons for more of my articles and podcasts.

 

Steamy Cinema: Hollywood's Heatwave

 By Michael Lyons

 

"The best thing about a heat wave is constantly having the illusion you're getting exercise." - Unknown

 

Remember a few months ago when you complained about how chilly it was.  Not anymore, right?  Some areas that usually get snow for Memorial Day are sweltering.

While movies about cooler climates might seem like a great antidote, it could be a fun time to revel in the whole "misery loves company" mind frame and take a look back at just some of the many movies that have used heat waves at their backdrops (and a number of them take place in New York).

Here are some movies that have turned up the heat:

 

Rear Window (1954)

Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece.  Jimmy Stewart is a photojournalist recovering from a broken leg and confined to his apartment in Greenwich Village in New York City during a summer heatwave.

With nothing to do but stare out his window and watch the neighbors through their windows, he begins to believe that his neighbor may have murdered their wife.

Co-starring Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr, and the fantastic courtyard movie set, Hitchcock makes another character in the film.  

Rear Window is not just one of the director's best and one of the best thrillers ever; it's a great "snapshot in time" of life in major cities before air conditioning was so common in summer (anyone for a nice snooze on their fire escapes?).

 

The Long, Hot Summer (1958)

The title says it all.  Based on stories from William Faulkner, this tale of Mississippi in the summer provides the backdrop for the tumultuous relationships of the Varner family.  A fantastic cast, including Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Orson Welles, and Angela Lansbury, perfectly directed by Martin Ritt, easily makes this pure Hollywood gold.

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Another iconic Hollywood classic uses a sweltering summer southern heat wave as a backdrop and metaphor.  Sidney Poitier is Virgil Tibbs, a police detective from Philadelphia who winds up investigating a murder in a small Mississippi town, clashing with the local police chief, played by Rod Stieger.  The two leads are incredible as they move from clashing adversaries to understanding allies. Throughout it all, director Norman Jewison's film is still relevant today.  

The Odd Couple (1968)

Alright, so maybe it's only the first act of the movie that takes place during a heat wave, but after that, you get the brilliant Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon as Felix and Oscar in this classic adaptation of Neil Simon's play about a slob and a neat freak, forced to live together after their divorces.

The opening heat wave scenes are hysterical, as Oscar has his poker buddies over for the weekly game when his air conditioner is broken.  Neil Simon's comedy gold follows: "Why don't we chip in three dollars a piece and buy another window?,” says one of the poker buddies. “How can you breathe in here?!"  And the rest of the film features summer in Manhattan as a backdrop.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Al Pacino is brilliant as a jittery bank robber who attempts to knock over the First Brooklyn Savings Bank on a sweltering summer day.  With outstanding supporting performances from John Cazale, James Broderick, Chris Sarandon, and Charles Durning, director Sidney Lumet has made a film that is tense, dramatic, funny, and almost documentary-like (particularly the feel of city summer heat).  What's most incredible is that it's based on a true story, and the "Attica!" scene is still one of the golden moments of 70s filmmaking.

Body Heat (1981)

Writer and director Lawrence Kasdan's brilliant thriller turns up the heat in many ways.  A throwback to Hollywood's golden age of noir thrillers, the film tells the story of a slick attorney (William Hurt) who gets involved with a wealthy businessman's wife (Kathleen Turner).

With its South Florida setting, there's plenty of steaminess here.  The two lead stars are great, and the conclusion is still a marvel of the "twist ending." 

 

Do the Right Thing (1989)

It's incredible how both of-it's-time and prescient this thirty-three-year-old film is.  Spike Lee's masterpiece is about one day, on one block in Brooklyn, during a heat wave, during which racial tensions explode as the temperature rises.

This rare film delivers on so many emotional levels and becomes more of a revelation each time one watches it.

 

Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

Bruce Willis' third outing as rogue police officer John McClane, trying to stop a mad bomber (Jeremy Irons) from destroying Manhattan and bringing along a reluctant citizen (a hilarious and sharp Samuel L. Jackson) in the process.

And New York City, in all its heat wave stickiness, is again the backdrop, complete with the Lovin' Spoonfuls hit song "Summer in the City" playing over the opening credits.

 

 

And these are just a few of the many heat wave movies out there.  So, when the summer temperatures become unbearable, let the movies bear it for you by heading inside, turning on the air conditioner to its "Arctic" setting, and enjoying one or all of these Hollywood heat wave films.

Stay cool, everyone!

My book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance is now available on Amazon!

Enjoy more of my articles and podcasts at my website, Words From Lyons