Holy Ghost People - This Spirit Does More Than Just Walk

Hiya kiddies! So this week we move from the fun of the old dark house mystery The Ghost Walks to a completely different kind of spirit with a completely different effect on people, and also a completely different kind of film.

Holy Ghost People is a documentary film released in 1967 which not only chronicles a Pentacostal Christian service taking place in Scrabble Creek, West Virginia, but also includes interviews with many of the participants within the service. Throughout the film we see the participants engaged not only in prayers, preaching, and singing, but also in activities such as speaking in tongues, healing through the laying of hands, and snake handling.

Serial Sunday - The Heroes Take Over #1 - The Green Hornet

Hiya, Kiddies! So here we are, back again for another look at the weekly serials that were a staple of the cinemas for quite a few decades, from at least the 1920's until the early part of the 1950's but this time we're going to take little different tack. Instead of taking an in-depth look at a particular serial and following it through to it's end, we're going to look at different genres and see how they were handled over the years by the differing serials. That way, you can not only get an over-view of the many different samples through the different genres' but of course, if you want to follow up and watch the complete serial on your own, you'll always have that option.

Fair warning, however. Because many of these serials are based on trademarked characters, their public domain status may not be as clear as with most of the movies we discuss. That's one of the unfortunate issues when we begin to discuss the public domain and underlying rights (and I'm not going to go into that whole discussion now, since it's sure to come up as part of the Public Domain 101 series resuming soon). I will, however, do my best to note which of these are still under copyright or in the public domain where it is clear.

So, where shall we begin? Well, with the release of last year's Green Hornet movie and films based on The Green Lantern, Thor, Captain America, and The X-Men all coming out in the first half of this year, it seems like 2011 is at least going to start out as the year of the superhero in the cinema. (At least as far as the big blockbusters go.) So, since superheroes were also a long-standing staple of the Saturday matinees, that seems like as good a place to begin as any.

The Ghost Walks - And Shows Us Once Again That "The Play's the Thing"

Hiya, kiddies! So, the "old dark house". It's a mystery/horror sub-genre that we've discussed before, and honestly, it's one of my favorites. I suppose one of the main reasons is because it's like ordering a favorite meal at a restaurant. Even if you've never been to that particular eatery before, you still pretty well know what the ingredients are going to be and how it's going to taste before you get it. Oh, sure, one cook may include a bit more or less of this ingredient or may put them together in a way that tries to impart a bit of his or her own personal style, but nine times out of ten you're going to get something pretty much the same as that dish that you've enjoyed time and again.

Then, of course, there's also that tenth time, when the cook actually does something somewhat unique and surprising with those familiar ingredients.

Valentine's Day Special - Romance in the Public Domain

Hey there, kiddies! Yep, Yer Ol' Professor is back after an all-too long hiatus, and I thought we'd do something different today. In celebration of Valentine's Day, instead of simply looking at one movie, I thought I'd give ya a round-up of some of the varied romances that can be found in the Public Domain. Now, I'm not gonna claim that this is some kind of "Top Five" list or anything like that, since really those are completely subjective depending upon the taste of the viewer. Nor am I going to go into a lot of detail about each film. (Some of these I've already blogged about at length, and you can find those essays by checking the archives over to your right.) Instead, I'm just going to give ya some of the basic info about them, a clip or a trailer so you can get a taste, and in most cases a link to where you can either watch or download the whole movie online legally and for free. After all, that's part of what makes the Public Domain so great: the fact that all of these movies are now available for anyone to have access to.

So snuggle up with your special sweetheart, get cozy, and let's enjoy some Hollywood love, shall we?