I've seen This Property Is Condemned when it showed back on AMC in the long ago times. It's beautifully shot and Mississippi is so lush. Natalie is very good in it, and at the peak of her beauty.

It's one of Mary Badham's only credits aside from Mockingbird, though she did also appear in the very last episode of The Twilight Zone ("The Bewitchin' Pool").

for those who might be interested, the trailer for The Witches (from the Roald Dahl story of that name).

Oh! I forgot to mention last week that my next-door neighbor and I streamed Antebellum. It turned out not to be what I expected, but very good nonetheless. Likely surprising no one, Janelle Monáe is extremely good in the lead role.

I played the girl in the one act when I was in high school. Great play.

Where did you see it, Fred? I've always meant to watch it -- I like Natalie Wood and Robert Redford together.

I recorded it from TCM. They showed it last month in their tribute to Natalie Wood.

If you haven't heard, Dune is now scheduled to open in October 2021.

NYFF Virtual Cinema report:

As you may recall, I got tix for Nomadland, La Nuit des rois/Night of the Kings, and Undine, the latter of which finally came available last night. I'm sorry to say that, while I loved Paula Beer (as always), for me, Undine did not live up to Phoenix or Transit. Still, it has a great atmosphere and performances, so if you have a higher tolerance for magical realism than I do (which almost anyone does) you might just love it.

The other two were absolutely fantastic. I can't recommend them highly enough. Along with First Cow, my favorites of the year so far. As someone who wanted to like The Rider more than I did, I was glad to see Chloe Zhao hit it out of the park with Nomadland. I can't imagine it not being up for multiple Oscars. In a just world La Nuit des rois also would be, but we'll see. It is the Cote d'Ivoire's submission for Best International feature and it is all about storytelling so I would think it would get a nomination at least.

While I’m probably not gonna watch it, I’m a little surprised that it took this long for Freaky Friday the 13th to get made.

Hey, remember that teen coming of age movie that I was the consultant on? It's finally been released on streaming! My Summer as a Goth: available on Amazon Prime, Vudu, FandangoNow, iTunes, Microsoft Store, Google Play and InDemand (cable).

Okay, let me pitch you a movie idea.

It's the Robin Hood story. Only, they're all gangsters in Prohibition-era Chicago. And it's a musical.

Before you say anything, let me tell you about the talent that's lined up. 4 big names to play the Robin role and 3 of the Merry Men roles -- 3 of the 4 could genuinely be described as legends of popular music. For the Gisborne role, we have someone that has already been nominated for 2 Supporting Actor Oscars and 2 Emmys, with one Emmy win. The Sheriff of Nottingham role also involves an up-and-comer, with a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination under his belt. For the Maid Marian role, we have someone with a solid resume, including a Golden Globe. And the movie starts with a cameo from a screen legend. Plus some great tunes, with at least one that should become a standard.

So, yes, Robin and the 7 Hoods has a ridiculous premise. But there's a lot of star power having a great time. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Bing Crosby sharing screen time -- and they sing together on You've Either Got or You Haven't Got Style. Frank introduces My Kind of Town. There's also Sammy Davis, Jr., who taps up a storm while shooting up a casino in Bang Bang. Peter Falk plays Gisborne, and while he can't really sing, he's only asked to do so once. Victor Buono plays the Sheriff, and Barbara Rush plays a very different kind of Marian. Plus Edward G. Robinson in a cameo.

Not great art, but a lot of fun. Worth spending 2 hours here.