#filmsky When we’re up for watching tormented Wasps facing emotional turmoil (“Oh, please mommy, I’m in that mood!”) do we naturally turn to birthday boy Ingmar Bergman - or Woody? Ingie was the original master of the suave “My life’s in the crapper” angst, but wasn’t Woody a truly fast learner?

#filmsky How do I know Robert Duvall was a superb actor? He could play a real bastard and make his seem totally compelling. I wish his terrific film The Great Santini (out today, 1979) had found a bigger audience, because his portrayal of the pig-headed, crude Bull Meechum was one of his finest.

#filmsky How much does a cool rock soundtrack contribute to our ongoing love for Easy Rider (out today, 1969)? Watching two drug dealers on the open road, is it easier to groove when you hear Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild” or The Band’s “The Weight” than, say, Does Day? Love that 60s nostalgia

Did my sister-in-law Suzanne’s cat Peaches know I was leaving Spokane today? Peaches loved to snuggle up next to me and purr, but yesterday I sensed she was no longer a happy kitty. Maybe she knew. Goodbye, Spokane. I had a great time in the mild mountain weather and great eats. But home calls to me

#filmsky The forest can seem so beautiful in the daytime, the ideal setting for a nature film like The Bear or a live action Bambi. But as darkness sets in, the woods take on an ominous 😱 vibe - a backwoods slasher movie, anyone? Nature or terror, I ask: what are some of your favorite woods movies?

#filmsky The number of banned books over the centuries is depressingly high, but movies get banned nearly as often. Extreme violence (Cannibal Holocaust) controversial content (A Clockwork Orange) or that sex thing will do it. Are there any films you think should get banned? Dead Poets Society 😝?

#filmsky A double feature for birthday boy Harrison Ford? No complaints there! Two of my favorite Ford movies are Frantic and Witness, and he sure has a way of finding cool scripts handled by great directors. From Star Wars on, Ford has known how to turn on the cinema charm, don’t you think?

I love downtown Spokane with the bridge overlooking the waterfall from the Spokane River. Talk about beautiful. I also love Riverfront Park in downtown, and watching the kids and adults line up to ride the 1909 Carousel 🎠. If Mel and I relocate here, I’ll be in the downtown a lot. It’s calling to me

#filmsky It’s remarkable that a circus performer - birthday boy Tod Browning - would become a famed director in Hollywood’s dawn, but Dracula and Freaks truly stand the test of time as influential horror classics. Dubbed the Edgar Allan Poe of cinema, he explored our dark nightmares brilliantly.

#filmsky Today in 1973 we lost Lon Chaney Jr. A talented dramatic actor (see Of Mice And Men), he found the perfect role as the tormented Larry Talbot, forced to become the Wolfman. It’s a role he played so sympathetically right up to Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, and he was a joy to watch.

#filmsky Michel Blanc proved to be a fab actor, writer & director in Dead Tired (out today, 1994), the delirious, surreal comedy about a famous actor accused of sexually abusing women who discovers he has a sinister doppelgänger doing the dirty deeds. Wickedly funny, it feels far more relevant today

And this …

It is beautiful. Check this out

Mel & I made our road trip from Orlando to Spokane after his older sister Alice passed away, and this homecoming has been an emotional one. Mel’s sisters Martha and Suzanne have welcomed us so warmly; so has Suzanne’s attention-seeking cat. So cheers to reuniting with the right people. Spokane rocks

A li’l cutie

Rumours was such a phenomenal smash that it tends to overshadow its immediate predecessor, Fleetwood Mac (out today, 1975), which is equally superb. Did Christine McVie not soar on “Over My Head” & “Say You Love Me”? Did Stevie Nicks not render a classic in “Rhiannon”? Sophisticated, classy rock!

#filmsky Do child actors rarely make the transition to adult star? Birthday boy Mark Lester got the child role of a lifetime as Oliver! But by 1977 his middling career was over; he later got best known for being great buds with Michael Jackson 😳. I still ❤️ him saying “Please sir I want some more.”

#filmsky Today in 1989 we lost Laurence Olivier. He was fabulously scary as a sadistic Nazi dentist 🦷, but let’s face it: the dude has Shakespeare written all over him. He sought ways to make Henry V and Hamlet cinematic, so audiences would say, “Hey this Bard guy ain’t half bad.” It’s a fine legacy

The last day of our road trip took us through spectacularly beautiful areas in Oregon; noticing the tall trees & the gender neutral bathrooms, I thought to myself, “Dorothy, we’re not in Florida anymore.” 😝Gas sure is expensive here 😳, but the state’s gorgeous landscape more than compensates for it

Just the opening chord of the A Hard Day’s Night album (out today, 1964) quickly vaults it near the top of great movie soundtracks; that superb title song 🎶 is followed by tracks like “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “You Can’t Do That,” full of bite, energy and speed. The Beatles delivered brilliantly

#filmsky What’s the story with birthday girl Sue Lyon? Kubrick gave her a fabulously risqué debut in Lolita, catching the attention of John Huston (Night Of The Iguana) and John Ford (7 Women.) The 1980s brought total obscurity. But for a moment in time, she glorified the coquettish nymphet.

#filmsky Birthday boy Sam Wood directed everything from the Marx Brothers to scenes from Gone With The Wind, but I loved his reflections on small town USA. Our Town feels as optimistic as King’s Row is dark and ominous; the village can provide brotherhood, or mask cruelty. He’s the early David Lynch

#filmsky Film scholars are rarely hesitant to rave about Citizen Kane’s enduring virtues, but what about the legacy of The Magnificent Ambersons (out today, 1942)? Welles’ only other best picture nominee, it’s a superb evocation of a bygone era, and how time can eradicate privilege. Any love for it?

You can’t stand your brother? Wow. My sister and I are super close

Ghost writer?

Hey what do you call Bob’s groupies? Seger’s Beavers! 🦫

I won’t disagree. Neither will Janet

That’s my Mel!

Extra nice! I also enjoyed the mountains of California

Anybody love college towns? Our road trip brings us to the picturesque Eugene, Oregon - and to Peek-A-Boo Delight, a fab ice cream shop, all handmade. I was ready to move in. The great restaurants, walkable downtown and Queer friendly bars helped too. But now it’s time for our last day on the road.