Summer is on! I hope you are all catching a bit of sun, even if it is in your own backyard. In these challenging times, I have personally been finding a lot of comfort in cinema—I have been consuming a menagerie of films from the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die List and let me tell you, that has been keeping me busy!

A lot of the films are pulled from the silver screen, and I have been learning a lot about classic film directors. A few of my recent favorites include 42nd Street with its Busby Berkeley choreographed dance routines that are out of this world, Make Way for Tomorrow with its depression-era setting, and Brief Encounter with its tragic romance. Warning, the latter two are def tear-jerkers.

Month in ReviewStefanie CosmanJuly 20, 2020News, Hollywood, cinemaComment

It's a Wonderful Life... Covid Edition

Remember when 2020 came and I mentioned I was excited that everyone was proclaiming this year as the new “Roaring 20s” and how that got me a little excited?

As a refresher, according to History.com, the Roaring 20s was a time of:

a surging economy created an era of mass consumerism, as Jazz-Age flappers flouted Prohibition laws and the Harlem Renaissance redefined arts and culture.

Well, so far the economy is not surging, and the laws being flouted are those flouting the stay-at-home orders. But it does seem like the Age of Coronavirus might redefine a new era of arts and culture. I hope everyone is staying safe out there.

And while we may be apart, we can always bond over some classic films that deal with isolation, disease, and pandemics. My recommendations are included below!

Month in ReviewStefanie CosmanApril 27, 2020News, Hollywood, cinemaComment

Happy New Years! Ringing in 2020

Happy New Years! And congratulations, you survived 2019.

Already, people are hailing the coming decade as the new “Roaring 20s” which has me a little excited.

According to History.com, the Roaring 20s was a time of:

a surging economy created an era of mass consumerism, as Jazz-Age flappers flouted Prohibition laws and the Harlem Renaissance redefined arts and culture.

Month in ReviewStefanie CosmanJanuary 13, 2020News, Hollywood, cinemaComment

Views from Sunset Boulevard

As I drive down Sunset Boulevard, I can see the Hollywood sign and I think about a quote attributed to Marilyn Monroe.

.“I used to think as I looked out on the Hollywood night there must be thousands of girls sitting alone like me, dreaming of becoming a movie star. But I’m not going to worry about them. I’m dreaming the hardest.”

Month in ReviewStefanie CosmanSeptember 2, 2019News, Hollywood, cinemaComment

Marilyn Monroe Statue Goes Missing, Elizabeth Taylor’s Home for Sale, and Other News

Woof. Things are achieving record heat here in sunny SoCal.

I love this sentiment:

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Classic Cinema, Inspiration, The Cocktail Adventure, Month in ReviewStefanie CosmanJuly 2, 2019News, Hollywood, cinemaComment

Marlene Dietrich's New DVD Release and a Visit to Casablanca

Classic Cinema, Inspiration, The Cocktail Adventure, Month in ReviewStefanie CosmanAugust 27, 2018News, Hollywood, cinemaComment

Marilyn Monroe's Hampton Cottage

Are flowers busting out everywhere near where you live? I have been noticing them creeping up all over the cement jungle of Downtown LA. Secret spots such as the Lillian Disney memorial garden at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, or the Japanese temples in Little Tokyo offer great respite.

These "blooms busting out all over" have been thinking a lot about flowers and the role they play in films, from Easter Parade to Rebecca. I love this sentiment from Emma Stone:

The end of 'City Lights' makes me cry every time I see it - when Charlie Chaplin walks by the shop window and the once-blind girl brings him a flower and pins it to his lapel.

Classic Cinema, Inspiration, The Cocktail Adventure, Month in ReviewStefanie CosmanMay 28, 2018News, Hollywood, cinemaComment

End of April! Modern headlines from the month served with a Classic Hollywood twist...

Drip drip drop little April showers! Did you get some good puddle jumping in this month? I think we can all agree that taking time to play in nature helps us be our happiest-get-out-there-and-make-the-world-a-more-awesome-place self.

In that spirit, grab a glass of wine, kick your legs up, and recover from the most ubiquitous holiday as we enjoy these handpicked stories from the month. They are guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Classic Cinema, Inspiration, The Cocktail Adventure, Month in ReviewStefanie CosmanApril 30, 2018News, Hollywood, cinemaComment

End of February! Modern headlines from the month served with a Classic Hollywood twist...

Was February a rough month? Romance (or the lack thereof) is complicated. And Valentine's Day can be a dangerous holiday, fraught with self-attacks and bottomless wishing wells. But its never to late to re-commit to loving yourself, ultimately means becoming your happiest-get-out-there-and-make-the-world-a-more-awesome-place self.

In that spirit, grab a glass of wine, kick your legs up, and recover from the most ubiquitous holiday as we enjoy these handpicked stories from the month. They are guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Was February a rough month? Romance (or the lack thereof) is complicated. And Valentine's Day can be a dangerous holiday, fraught with self-attacks and bottomless wishing wells. But its never to late to re-commit to loving yourself, ultimately means becoming your happiest-get-out-there-and-make-the-world-a-more-awesome-place self.