Alice's New Year's Resolution...

... is to remember to put on pants before she leaves the house.

Have you made a New Year's Resolution? If so, put in the comments and Alice will record it and keep you to it!

Happy birthday to Aesha Ash!

Celebrated and internationally renowned ballet dancer (and now instructor) Aesha Ash turns 45 today! Here are a few pictures in celebration!

What are the dancers doing as the year ends?

On International Dance Day 2022, the ballerinas ran off into the wild. We're trying to keep track of them, and we'll try to bring you updates on the last Wednesday of each month until International Dance Day 2023.

It's winter. It's snowing. Now what?

 
 

If you're cold, they're cold. Bring them inside.

'Alice the Jail Bird' is pretty good

Alice the Jail Bird (1925)
Starring: Margie Gay
Director: Walt Disney
Rating: Five of Ten Stars

After stealing a pie and getting caught by the police, Alice and two of her cartoon animal friends are sentenced to prison and hard labor.

"Alice the Jail Bird" is a simple and straight-forward short film that I think will be appreciated even by the modern members of its target audience--six- and seven-year-old kids--more than it will by adults. That said, I think even little kids will be frustrated by the numerous sequences that drag on beyond the point where they are interesting, as well as wonder why one of the three companions is ignored and left behind during the inevitable jailbreak.

Another flaw, although a purely technical one that may bother me more than most viewers, is the poorly executed integration of animation and live action footage. While Alice does interact more with the animated characters than she does in several other entries in the series, the combination of live-action and animation still pales in comparison to the conceptually similar series from the Fleischer Studios, Out of the Inkwell featuring Ko-Ko the Clown. The film also sloppily breaks with its own conceit when live-action Alice is replaced with an animated Alice in the "long shots". Although I doubt it is something that will annoy the target audience--if they even notice--but it annoyed me enough to knock a Star off my rating. The scenes where Live-Action Alice is replaced by Animated Alice also happen to be the ones where there's the greatest degree of action and interaction between Alice and the animated world. It's a shame that Disney didn't have the budget or the technical know-how/equipment to keep the Alice character purely live action, because some of the sequences in this film would have been amazing. As it is, it's just an annoying bit of incompetence that breaks the consistency of the imaginary world of the series.

Despite its flaws, this is still one of the better entries I've seen of this series. The events all tie together to form a fairly coherent story and most of the gags serve action that moves the story forward. Even better, the character of Alice has a role that warrants her name being in the title; she is not central to all the action, but she is a central mover to the plot. 

What I enjoyed the most about "Alice the Jail Bird", though, is the nutty cartoon-world physics that's on display throughout the film. While some of the gags are stretched beyond what's good for them, they remain great examples of the surreal weirdness that makes even these weaker shorts from the 1920s and 1930s still worth watching.
 

And speaking of watching -- you can watch "Alice the Jail Bird" right here in this post. Just click below and sit back.

Now it's that sad time of year...

 ... when Mariah Carey must return to the ocean... 

But we can take solace in knowing that she'll be back in time for next Christmas!

Plus, here she is performing one of her great hits. We hope this will tide you over until she's back!

Christmas with Jesus & Mo

A VERY JESUS & MO CHRISTMAS

 

If Santa didn't make it to your house this Christmas Eve...

 ... blame Yvonne Craig.

While it's true that Santa did not bring her the gifts she wanted, there's no excuse for her decapitating him.

May You Have a Mysteriously Merry Christmas!

 

Christmas is here!

We hope you're ready for all the merriment and that you have cookies selected to leave out for Santa!

Happy birthday to Agam Darshi!

Born in England and raised in Canada, actress Agam Darshi has enjoyed a busy career on the small screen since making her professional debut in 2004. She is perhaps best known for her leading roles in the sci-fi series "Sanctuary" (2009 - 2011) and the crime drama "Played" (2013), but her resume is brimming with supporting and guest-starring roles in series and made-for-television movies, including recurring roles in everything from sit-coms to sci-fi adventure series.

Darshi turns 35 years old today. Here are a few pictures in celebration!

'A Trap for Santa Claus' is a cute little drama

A Trap for Santa Claus (1909)
Starring: Marion Leonard, Gladys Egan, Henry B. Walthall, John Tansey, William J. Butler, and Mack Sennett
Director: D.W. Griffith
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

After a deadbeat husband and father (Wathall) abandons his wife (Leonard) and children (Egan and Tansey), the woman inherits a mansion and a fortune from her aunt. They are all unexpectedly reunited on Christmas Eve when the man tries to burglarize the home that, unbeknownst to him, his family is now living in.

"A Trap for Santa Claus" is a fast-moving short film from a filmmaker who helped create the visual language of cinema. Although less innovative than works that would follow later, this cute little Christmas film is full of scenes that are framed and performed by actors who are more effectively blocked and directed for film than was typical in films of this vintage. 

As should be expected, there are aspects that have not aged well. Among these are some pantomiming by adult stars Marion Leonard and Henry B. Wathall, as they successfully convey plot points and emotions with gestures. This aspect of their performances will not seem as annoying as it might in some films, because it's balanced out by the effective blocking and more natural gestures and subdued character interactions than was common during this period. The two child actors featured also give performances that feel less overblown than one might expect -- and they even server as effective comic relief as the story moves into its climactic sequence. (John Tansey even does a pratfall with a style that one wouldn't think an 8-year-old would possess!)

I was torn between assigning this film a Six or Seven Star rating. I eventually decided to go with the lower of the two, because, although I appreciate the quick pacing of the film and the universally good performances by the entire cast, the pat happy ending that arises from a Christmas Miracle of coincidences was just a bit much for me. I know this is a Christmas story, so I expected there to be redemption and forgiveness for the deadbeat dad before the film was over, but it felt unearned and too easy. The ending isn't terrible, but I think the century that's passed since this film was released, and the many Christmas movies that have followed, have upped expectations from fare like this. (Of course, with its running time of 15 minutes, there also wasn't a whole lot of time to fit in a proper redemption arc.)

In the final analysis, though, this is a film that's still worth watching, and we've embedded it below for your convenience. Pour yourself a glass of eggnog, sit back, and enjoy!

Christmas is coming...

 ... and Dorothy Lee is getting annoyed at the daily reminders floating around the Shades of Gray offices.

Meanwhile, Loretta Young is getting ready to help delivering gifts to all the good boys and girls as this year's Santa's Helper!

Christmas is coming...

 ... and for one young lady, it won't just be the weather that's frightful. Because she's spending Christmas in... the Twilight Zone.

Musical Monday with Yello

Yello is duo who've been making wild electronica for more than 40 years. At this point, they're like the cool grandpas we wish we all had... AND they dress their ages!

It's a shame they've been lost in the void between the universes as they followed their buddy Stephen Strange into the Multiverse of Madness.

The Festival of Lights Begins Today

It's Milla Jovovich's birthday!

 No bars can hold her, because this is a day of no-holds-barred partying!

 
 

(Milla also wants everyone to be aware of the unifying theme here at Shades of Gray!)

We're making sure Santa stays on schedule!

All of us here at Shades of Gray have taken part-time jobs at Santa's Workshop to ensure that all the toys for the good girls and boys are ready for the Big Guy's Christmas Run.

Clara Bow has been given what is perhaps the most important task of all of us: She's the Lead Quality Control Inspector, making sure that none of the rest of us are accidentially making dangerous toys!

Lana Morris asked an important question

"Since we have Christmas in July," she began, "can we have Nude Day in December?"

Other than suggesting that it might be a little too cold, we had no good answer. So...

Don't forget Xmas gifts for the Machine People!

We're welcoming a new sponsor to Shades of Gray: Winkleton's Machine People Emporium. It's Slaughter Valley's premier outlet for Machine People accessories and enhancements, and it's the perfect place to get a Christmas gift for your non-biological friends and neighbors!

Mention Shades of Gray or NUELOW Games while shopping at Winkleton's and get a 25% to 50% discount on purchases!

Even if you're not local to the Slaughter Valley, we think it will be worth the trip. Winkleton's is a fascinating place--and while their business is primarily focused on Machine People, they also carry items that will make great gifts for any Mandroids in your lives. (While you're in the Slaughter Valley area, there are a whole host of other interesting places to visit, including scenic Slaughtermouth Seaside Resort.

But -- whether you are coming from near or far, you need to get some Christmas gifts for the Machine People. If the Machine People have a Merry Christmas, there's a better chance of you having a Happy New Year.

It's a Mohammed Monday!

THIS WEEK WITH JESUS & MO

 

Happy birthday, Alyssa Milano

Actress and activist Alyssa Milano turns 50 years old today. Here are a few pictures in celebration.

Milano began her life and career in the public eye as a child actress, successfully navigated the transition into having a successful career as a grown-up actress, too. Throughout the past four decades, she's remained busy with starring or recurring roles on television series, as well as the occasional appearance on the Big Screen.

Although she in recent years has been best known for her strident public activism in defense of women and their rights (a position from which she retreated with amazing speed once Joe Biden became the Democratic Party's nominee in 2020), she still acts as a sideline.

Missy Peregrym returns to duty!

We're a bit behind in our television viewing here at Shades of Gray, so we just noticed that Missy Peregrym is back from maternity leave and has returned to playing Maggie Bell on CBS's "FBI".

Here's a small gallery of pictures in celebration!

 
 
 

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