DISNEY DECORATED ICE CREAM CARTONS
What’s better than great ice cream? Great ice cream in reusable Disney containers. Ample Hills Creamery founders Brian Smith and Jackie Cuscuna opened their first “scoop shop” some time ago in Brooklyn and came to the attention of the Walt Disney company’s Big Kahuna, Bob Iger. He encouraged them to expand and arranged a Disney tie-in just in time for Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday. The Disney Mickey Mouse Collection includes one pint of Triple Chocolate Surprise, one pint of Confetti Celebration and one pint of Peanut Butter Jamboree. As a chocaholic, I devoured the Triple Chocolate Surprise and it was scrumptious.
You can find a store near you at www.amplehills.com and learn how to have a Mickey selection shipped to you for $45, delivery included. Yes, it’s pricey, but this is the time of year to splurge—and the ice cream is delicious.
CAGED! THE DARK SIDE OF MAX STEINER (Brigham Young University Film Music Archive)
Yes, Virginia, people are still recording and compiling great music on CDs. Film music experts James V. D’Arc, who has overseen the Max Steiner collection at Brigham Young University, and Steiner aficionado Ray Faiola have collaborated on an impressive three-disc collection of noir-ish themes and cues from Steiner’s post-WW2 years at Warner Bros. The music, like the films, may not be the greatest, but they bear that unmistakable sound of the Warner Bros. orchestra and are great fun to listen to. I never thought much of The Unsuspected but having heard its score I’m curious to watch it again. You’ll also hear music from Caged!, Key Largo, The Breaking Point, and Backfire, among others. I also love listening to Steiner’s scores for the original theatrical trailers (imagine!) and some discarded takes. His concertmaster Eleanor Slatkin apologizes for goofing up in one instance, and in another open-mike moment Steiner says of a beautiful rendition, “It wasn’t very good anyway.” It was that quest for perfection that set him apart. Available from Screen Archives Entertainment http://screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/35255/CAGED-THE-DARK-SIDE-OF-MAX-STEINER-3CD/ You can even sample many of the tracks before buying.
CAMERA LENS CERAMIC MUG
It’s nice to purchase a gift and know that you’re also supporting a worthy institution, in this case the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York.
I’ve never seen this mug before but I like the look of it and the feeling it evokes in this digital era. If it brings back memories for you, as well, check it out at
https://www.eastman.org/product/camera-lens-coffee-mug for $18.95.
OFFBEAT MOVIE ENAMEL PINS
Kate Gabrielle is a talented artist who Jessie discovered on Etsy. She produces whimsical enamel pins that cover a wide variety of subject matter, including movies. Her most celebrated pin may well be her rendition of the Man in the Moon from Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon (1902) but if you scan her website you’ll find lots of other appealing merchandise. www.Kategabrielle.com
A BEAUTIFUL NEW PRAXINOSCOPE
This is a lovely rendition of a classic pre-cinema toy, manufactured in Spain and sold by Turner Classic Movies at their ShopTCM website. I ordered one and enjoy spinning it—and using the many replacement strips that are provided for hours of enjoyment at home. It’s on sale right now at $81.99, which is 12% off the original retail price. Take a look at https://shop.tcm.com/praxinoscope/762184339405
A GREAT POSTER ARTIST, ANONYMOUS NO MORE
Back in 2009 Dan Zimmer, the editor-publisher of Illustration magazine, produced Reynold Brown: A Life in Pictures, a groundbreaking tribute to Reynold Brown, a talented artist who provided the key art for many memorable (if not always the classiest) releases of the 1950s and 60s. The cover image from Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman says it all. Photographed in most cases from original artwork saved by his family, this handsome hardcover from 2017 has 80 pages of material not included in the original edition. I’m glad I upgraded. http://theillustratedpress.com/brown.html
MALTIN ON MOVIES MERCH!
By popular demand, my daughter Jessie and I created a wide selection of merchandise tied into our weekly podcast Maltin on Movies. Using our logo and some newly-commissioned artwork, you can now show your podcast pride with T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, coffee mugs, tote bags, and much, much more. We thank you for your continued support and hope you’ll continue listening to our weekly show as we move into the new year. https://www.teepublic.com/stores/maltin-on-movies
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
