The Swimmer, starring Burt Lancaster, Janice Rule, and Janet Landgard, was made in 1968 and directed by Frank Perry. It is one of the few movies that stuck with me after I first watched it. Concerning the dialogue and tone of the film, I always put this movie under the rich gothic category.
The idea for this movie came from a short story from The New Yorker Magazine on July 16, 1964. It was also titled “The Swimmer ” by John William Cheever. Originally, John Cheever wanted to turn the short story into a novel but decided against it, and it ended up being the only work of John Cheever to be adapted into a film.
Burt Lancaster plays Ned Merrill, a tan and buff man who goes around an affluent Connecticut suburb swimming in people’s pools. He dons a dark blue swimsuit and swims through neighbors’ pools, and every time, he walks into acquaintances he once knew. Those acquaintances are shocked, happy, mad, or confused about why he is there.
He pleads with his acquaintances that he must swim through their pools to reach his. Along this journey, he meets an old babysitter, people who gossip about him, and a former lover. This all leads to the sad reality that has become Ned Merril’s life.
Here are some interesting facts about the movie:
Burt Lancaster considered this the best role of his acting career.
Burt Lancaster took extensive swimming lessons from UCLA coach Bob Horn to conquer his fear of water.
George C. Scott, Glenn Ford, and Paul Newman were some of the actors who had turned down this role before Burt Lancaster accepted it.
Burt Lancaster had seventeen pairs of blue swimming trunks similar to his wardrobe for this movie.
Actress and writer Illeana Douglas discusses why she loves this movie from Trailers from Hell:
About ten pools were used in the making of this movie.
This is Joan Rivers’s first acting credit, and it took about seven days to shoot her scene:
The short story that John Cheever wrote was about 12 pages.
The song “Everytime You Go Away” first attracted my attention as a kid. I absorbed everything on MTV for many years by watching every music video and show. The version of this song I heard was sung by Paul Young. It was the middle of the night, and the beginning intro to this song caught my attention. It felt breezy, like someone was about to open their heart and let you inside, only to have the wind carry you back out when the song ended.
What I did not know about this song was that Paul Young sang a cover version in 1985, and the original song was written and made by Daryl Hall. Yes, Daryl Hall from Hall Oates:
This song was on Hall and Oates’s “Voices” album, which came out in 1980. Although both versions have different vibes and feel in their melodies, I fell in love with Paul Young’s version.
“Everytime You Go Away” appeared on Young’s The Secret of Association album, released in 1985. It was one of his well-known songs, and he even sang a duet with George Michael at Live Aid in Wembley Stadium in 1985.
At its peak, the song hit number 4 on the UK Singles Chart in March 1985. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also won British Video of the Year in 1986 at the Brit Awards. This song is constantly on my music playlist, mainly because it holds memories for me, or maybe it’s just a darn good song.
Well, hello there! My name is Billy Lilly and I am from small town Brandenburg Kentucky. Population: 2,913. There’s a few things of interest in my town: a farm with a silo that has a real tractor placed on top, a pretty good fair,(voted best in the state a time or two) and an old jailhouse turned pizza place that’s supposedly haunted. Outside of that, there aren’t too awful many ways a fellah can get any culture without taking the nearly hour long drive to Louisville.
So, a few years back, I started making my own micro movie theater. I call it LillyLand. Some day when it’s all finished it will seat a modest 18 people. I’ll have it open free to anyone who would like to come for a visit. I’m not interested in making money off it, I would just like to meet some nice folks and maybe make some friends if I’m lucky.
Screenshot
I get a little lonely sometimes so I watch a lot of movies to keep myself in good company. I just love watching movies. I’ll watch 2 or sometimes 3 or 4 in a day. They are a great escape. I even wrote a little poem about it. It goes like this:
Sittin on the couch
Alone as I can get
Tv set
Tv set me free
Free as a bird
A sedentary, introverted bird
Free as a bird
A big ol couch potato with wings!
Screenshot
I started out painting pictures of movie stars to hang in the rafters and all around for decoration. I believe there are 100 or so in there currently. Lately, I’ve been teaching myself how to carve. I like making low-relief pictures. I got the idea from looking at ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. I paint mine bright colors and put glitter and sand on them sometimes for extra texture.
Screenshot
Another thing I’ve been making is these beaded, sorta chandelier kinda, things. I got one that is my homage to Jackie Chan that I call Jackie Chandelier. My favorite one so far is one based on the movie called They Live. It’s a ufo with flashing lights and a tractor beam made of little hubba bubba gum packs. In the movie, Rowdy Roddy Piper plays an unnamed drifter who discovers through special sunglasses that the ruling class are aliens. And one time he spots some of them aliens at a bank and says, “I have come to chew bubble gum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubble gum.” Haha! Classic!
Screenshot
Well, that’s my progress so far. I thank you for taking the time to read about me and my little theater project. I do hope you’ll stop by sometime. Have a happy day! Love, BiLLY LiLLY
Screenshot
If you would like to donate any money towards the completion of the theater, please contact me through Direct Message on my Instagram billylillyuniverse
Hairspray premiered on February 26, 1988. The first time I watched Hairspray it was on a Sunday afternoon and it was the Sunday movie on channel 20. I was cleaning my room and wanted to have some background noise so I decided to turn on the TV. This was the first image I saw on the screen:
My first thought was “OMG that hair!!” But then I decided to watch it because it felt so much fun and there was so many interesting dance moves that I automatically became a fan of the film.
Hairspray is one of those movies that stays with you and I have often quote it with friends.
Here are some interesting facts about the movie:
This is director John Waters only PG-rated Film.
Baltimore director John Waters and drag queen extraordinaire Divine, aka Harris Glenn Milstead, share a light moment outside the Senator Theatre at the world premiere of “Hairspray” in 1988. (Amy Davis/Baltimore Sun)
The amazing Rachel Sweet sings the title song: Hairspray:
The great Jerry Stiller who play the role Wilbur Turnblad in the 1988 version of the movie:
Divine stands next to Jerry Stiller in a scene from the film ‘Hairspray’, 1988. (Photo by New Line Cinema/Getty Images)
Plays Mr. Pinky in the 2007 version of the movie:
At first the role of Edna Turnblad was wrote for Christine Jorgenson but when the role of Tracy Turnblad was rewritten. John Waters decided to also rewrite the role of Edna in order to keep Divine in the movie.
This was also Divine’s last movie with John Waters.
John Waters decided to cast Pia Zadora when he saw her in the movie Voyage of the Rock Aliens:
What is your favorite John Waters movie? Comment below!!!
Joyce Carol Vincent was born on October 19, 1965, in the London part of Hammersmith. Her parents were from Grenada and moved to London shortly before Joyce’s birth. Joyce’s mother died when Joyce was only eleven years old. And her four older sisters took it upon themselves to care for Joyce while she was growing up. Joyce did not have the best relationship with her father because he was unemotional and distant from her.
She went to school at Melcombe Primary School. And Fulham Gilliatt School for Girls, but she dropped out by the time she was sixteen years old without graduating. She was well-liked and had a lot of well-known friends in the music business.
In 1985, she worked as a secretary at OCL in London and later at Ernst and Young. She spent four years in their treasury department. She worked there until 2001 when she quit for reasons that were not known. Throughout that period, she spent some time at a domestic abuse shelter in Haringey while working as a cleaner in a budget hotel.
It was during this time. She stopped talking to her family even though there was no fighting or any disputes between her and her sisters. She just simply decided to stop talking to them. Her family was aware of the relationship that Joyce was in had a history of domestic violence. There was some theorizing that perhaps Joyce had shame that she was a victim of domestic violence or that she did not want the person who abused her out where she lived.
In February 2003, Joyce moved to a bedsit flat above the Wood Green Shopping Center. In November of the same year, she noticed that she was vomiting blood and went to the North Middlesex Hospital for a couple of days and was diagnosed with a peptic ulcer.
Joyce was at her apartment when she died. Some speculate that she passed away in December 2003 due to having asthma and a peptic ulcer. Some theorized that she had an asthma attack or had some prolonged issues surrounding her peptic ulcer that led to her death. However, there was no determined definition of how she passed away.
The weirdest thing about this was that Joyce’s body was not found until three years after her death. Her surrounding neighbors thought that her apartment had no one in there. They also believed that the odor of decomposing was the smell of trash because the trash cans were so close to their residence on the bottom floor. In addition, no one ever questioned the noise of the television being on all the time, and it was just a noisy neighborhood. The neighbors never assumed that they had a deceased neighbor in the bedsit for three years.
Regarding her rent and utilities being paid, she had set up an automatic payment from her bank account for the utilities. And half of her rent was produced by the Metropolitan Housing Trust for about a year. It was not until two years after that it was noticed. The back rent of 2,400 pounds was when the officials in charge of housing went to Joyce’s apartment to repossess the property.
When they entered the property in January 2006, they were shocked to find Joyce deceased. They located her in the living area on the couch while the tv was on. The pathologist at the scene noticed that the refrigerator had expired food as far back as 2003. Joyce was found on her back with a shopping bag next to her and Christmas presents that looked like she had wrapped them but had no labels for who they were. Joyce’s body was severely decomposed. And could no longer have a post-mortem conducted. She was only IDed by her dental records and a photo of her.
It was also speculated that she had a boyfriend at the time of her death, but no one was able to locate or find him. The police concluded that Joyce died of natural causes, and no foul play caused her death. Her sisters were notified of Joyce’s passing and all the details surrounding it. They, in return, told the police that they had been trying to contact her for a while and had even hired a private detective to locate her. However, they had no idea what happened to her and decided Joyce had broken all their connections with them and did not want to be bothered by them.
A documentary about Joyce called Dreams of a Life contains interviews with people who knew her and some of her friends. I was able to rent it and watch it for a better understanding of Joyce Vincent’s life and tragic ending. The trailer is below:
Every year, I would list cute Valentine’s Day movies that are not part of the regular Valentine’s Day movie list! Here are five movies I recommend if you want to watch some light-hearted early to mid-1990s romance.
Defending Your Life (1991):
Starring and Directed by Albert Brooks, Starring Meryl Streep, Rip Torn, and Lee Grant. Ever since I was eight years old, I have admired Albert Brooks movies. It made me think that when we all die, we have to defend our lives to move on to the next phase…whatever that is.
Frankenhooker (1990)
Starring James Lorniz and Patty Mullen. This is probably my favorite version of Frankenstein. Directed by Frank Henelotter (who is one of my favorite directors). Jeffrey (who is played by James Lorniz) is heartbroken that his fiancee Elizabeth (played by Patty Mullen) has died in a freak lawn mower accident. So he decides the best way to regain his love is by reconstructing her!
Boomerang (1992):
Starring Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, Grace Jones and David Alan Grier. Eddie Murphy stars as Marcus Graham, an advertising executive. Who is a bit of a woman’s man who meets his match with his boss?
The First Wives Club (1996):
Starring Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton and is directed by Robert Harling. Four lifelong friends have winded down to three. They all reexamined their life choices up to this point and took their power and lives back.
The Cutting Edge (1992):
Starring D.B. Sweeny and Moira Kelly. This was one of my childhood movies. I watched the VHS tape so much that I think I wore it out. So it’s surprising that the last time I saw this movie, I was probably 11 years old.
What movies do you usually watch during this time to get you in the Valentine’s Day mood? Comment below!!
Jack Nance was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 21, 1943, but was raised in Dallas, Texas. He went to North Texas State University with the intent to study journalism but had a more incredible urge to study acting. And quit university to join the Dallas Theater Center.
1964, he moved to San Franciso to work at the American Conservatory Theater. While there, he had a very enriching time playing the lead role in Tom Paine. The play’s director had a fellowship at the American Film Institute, where he met another person who was part of the American Film Institute, David Lynch. The director suggested Jack Nance to David Lynch about casting him in the lead role in his student film. Eraserhead.
Here is a trailer from the movie:
From that point on, Jack Nance and David Lynch were good friends. David Lynch decided to cast Jack in various movies of his. Including his show Twin Peaks:
Jack was married twice. The first time he was married to Catherine E. Coulson was from 1968 to 1976. Her most memorable role was as the Log Lady on Twin Peaks.
Jack Nance struggled with alcoholism and drugs throughout his first marriage and most of his life. He met his second wife while in rehab, named Kelly Jean Van Dyke.
She was the daughter of Jerry Van Dyke. Nancee had tried hard to remove her past career connections because she no longer wanted to be associated with the porn industry which she had seedy connections with. However, she was relapsed in 1991 and tried to continue in the porn industry because she wanted money to fund her addictions.
In November of 1991, while Jack was on location at Bass Lake, California, he received a phone call from Kelly. He was on set filming a movie called Meatballs 4.
Kelly told Jack that she did not want to be married to Jack anymore because she could not bear him to witness her going down this path. In addition to telling him that she told him that if he hung up on her, she would kill herself. Unfortunately, during the phone conversation, there was a nasty storm, and the phone line disconnected.
TWIN PEAKS – Pilot – “Northwest Passage” – Airdate: April 8, 1990. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)
JACK NANCE
It took Jack more than half an hour to find a phone in the area that was in working condition, and they called Kelly back. However, there was no answer, so he located a nearby sheriff’s office and, in turn, contacted the Los Angeles police to inform them of the conversation. The police broke into Kelly’s residence and found that Kelly had hung herself. Jack Nance was extremely sad and felt like he was responsible for her passing, and within two years, he picked up drinking.
During this time, he already endured two strokes. Due to his drinking, he was asked to go home from the set of Joyride that was cast him due to him showing up to work drunk. He only worked on the movie for one day.
On December 29, 1996, Jack Nance went to meet up with friends Catherine Case and Leo Bulgarini for lunch. They noticed that Jack had a huge bruise under his eye and when questioned about it by his friends. Jack explained that he had gotten into a fight outside Winchell’s Donuts earlier that day with two men due to a shouting match with them. He ended the lunch early because he said that his head was hurting and that it was probably a headache.
On December 30, 1996, Jack Nance was found by his friend Leo Bulgarini in Jack’s apartment dead in his bathroom. When the autopsy was conducted on Jack, he had a subdural hematoma and a blood alcohol level of 0.24%. Jack was 53 years old when he passed away.
Jack Nance will always be more than just an actor to me. He brought a warmness to his role, which makes you feel like he is your best friend. I think this week I will dedicate my movie to watching all the movies that Jack Nance was in.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner. Here are some amazing small businesses that carry great stuff for that special someone! <3!
“Conquer.Grow, specializes in anti-anxiety and stress relief products. As someone who manages trichotillomania, and hair pulling behavior due to anxiety, I can say firsthand that our stainless pendant makes all the difference in the world. If it can help me, I know it will help others. That’s why I think it would be a great gift idea. We have a limited quantity. Delivery times after we receive an order are 3-5 days. Stainless steel chain is included with purchase”- Charlie J.
“Carlo Quispe is a Queer Peruvian comics artist living in Brooklyn. He is the author of CARLITO, SuperManuel, and Hairy Tales. His new comic is called Uranus Attacks! about an alien invasion from the planet Uranus, which inspired a line of hand-made clay figurines.”
Shipping details – Order until Feb 6 to get it by Feb 14th.
“I’m an artist specializing in a variety of different mediums, from traditional to digital works of art. Personally, I’m also a writer, film blogger, and aesthetic nostalgic appreciator. Lately, I have been really into acrylics and expressionism and wanted to offer something in that medium for commissions.
I’m currently running a Custom Valentine’s Portrait Special.
ROUGE GIRLS: 12×16 print – Price: $55
(sent digitally and upscaled for fast HD printing)
Custom coloring and theme, but will be like the example styles shown here in technique.
I do not use a website for purchasing of my works currently, because I do most of my art business directly and digitally to cut on shipping costs and faster service.
Payment is directly through Cash App or Venmo (hmayxo)
I have a very high seller feedback and meet my deadlines.
You can reach out to me via my art Instagram via DM @ artbyhmay or personal @ starrymayx for inquiries. I will then send work via email.
I need about 3 days for each custom, so if you want it before Valentine’s, the sooner the better to put in your request. Cut off date is February 5th with currently 8 spots available.“
“The paper heart doily captures a certain nostalgia and tenderness that surrounds Valentine’s Day. Paired with unconventional lyrics from love songs old and new, each Valentine is handmade using paper in a local secondhand craft store. Free shipping through USPS. Cut off order date is February 8.”
“The JollyStop was inspired by my love of kitsch, vintage diners, and old-fashioned sundaes. We create handmade clown cone art figures served on a doily or a vintage-sourced cup. They will never melt on you and are sure to put a smile on your face! You can follow @thejollystop to see more of our cone creations.”
“If you want a bit more of a Valentine’s oriented item, this is also an option Jolly Heart Sundae Print.”
“Modern geometric jewelry styles featuring brave statements with versatile tones and patterns.
Incorporating characteristic angles, familiar shapes, and eye-catching patterns, this handcrafted jewelry showcases elevated wooden materials in new ways, combining them with the beauty of contrasting elements.”
“I’m Sasha, aka TheSurlyMagician ( on Etsy and Instagram )!! I’ve taken two of my favorite things, making stuff & eating, and turned them into jewelry, coasters, and more that all look good enough to (but please do not) eat. Most of my goods are made from sugary baking ingredients like sprinkles and tiny sugary decorations (very edible) and resin (very not edible).
For the entire month of February, I am offering 5% off your entire order with code LADYCULT. This includes these Valentine’s sugar hearts coasters!
Kristina Santiago is an artist and tattooer who looks to create pockets of sunshine in daily life thru art , ceramics, & tattoos.
Item of choice from the website is “Sleepy Girl +Sunrise Mug Pin Set:
“Curated vintage jewelry and accessories that feel effortless and modern. Where you can find that perfect piece you didn’t know you were looking for but now you need.”
“All items are DM to purchase via Instagram. Orders by 2/9.”
A big thank you to the amazing businesses that participated !!!!
I was looking at my Goodreads account, and I had read a total of 78 books out of 100 books that were challenging me to read last year. This year, I am challenging myself to read 110 books, and I am hopeful that I will complete this goal. If not, then that’s ok. I had read some great books last year and wanted to share some great reads with you.
The world’s worst assistant by Sona Movsesian. I found this book incredibly funny because I literally laughed out loud at the Barnes and Noble I was reading the book. I enjoyed the personal stories that Sona shared about her journey in life and at work.
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears. I had to get the audiobook version because it was narrated by the amazing Michelle Williams. She was not disappointed in delivering Britney’s words and feelings. This book definitely made me rethink a lot of things about Britney Spears.
Deliberate Cruelty by Roseanne Montillo. This was the second book of the year I read, and it was totally absorbing!! For those who are waiting to watch Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, make sure to add this book to your list before you start watching the series!
A Child Called “It” by Dave Pelzer. I read this book during banned book week last fall. Because I try to read at least a couple of books off that list. I had not heard about this one until I was reviewing my own list while researching a blog post I was working on at the time.
My name is Barbra Streisand by Barbra Streisand. This book took me about a month to finish. Some parts were completely absorbing, but it was an overall joy to read. I recommend if you are a true fan of hers this book will complete be a joy to read.
Earlier this month, I finished reading Mildred Pierce, written by James M. Cain. Cain has written other memorable books that were turned into movies, such as Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Serenade.
This was the first book I read by the author, but it was hard to choose which one of the author’s titles to start with. I am such a fan of the 1945 and 1981 movies The Postman Always Rings Twice.
However, I just finished a Mildred Pierce movie and miniseries binge. That it just made sense for me to finally read the novel. The movie and miniseries versions of Mildred Pierce offer different takes on the book, but both have outstanding acting. The movie, made in 1945, was directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Joan Crawford, Jack Caron, and Ann Blyth. Joan Crawford played the lead role of Mildren Pierce, while Ann Blyth played her daughter Vera.
Joan Crawford was so good at portraying Mildred Pierce that she won an Oscar in 1946.
The miniseries was made in 2011 and was directed by Todd Haynes (one of my favorite directors!!). It starred Kate Winslet as Mildred Pierce and Evan Rachel Wood as Veda.
Both adaptions are faithful to the book because they accurately make sure to have the viewer understand the rise and fall of Mildred Pierce. How hard it was for Mildred to find suitable work and how tough it was for her to become a businesswoman trying to survive during the Great Depression. This was one of the rare books that I sat down to read and did not move until I was done reading. This book was first published in 1941 by Knopf. When it was first published, many reviewers commented that it was “mild and tame” compared to the author’s other novels.
Personally, I am glad that I read this novel first from the author because when I was reading the book, it made me flash back to both the movie and miniseries adaptions. It also made me want to read other novels by the authors in the near future.
If you would like more information about the movie and the miniseries, I highly recommend this video by Be Kind Rewind. The video is below:
What books is everyone reading this month? Comment below!!!
ladycultblog 