Morning Watch: "The Tin Star" (1957) Another winning Western from Anthony Mann. This time with Henry Fonda, and Anthony Perkins. Beautifully shot, with an enormously appealing cast working with a tight, and satisfying script. Every scene and plot point is exactly right. A real pleasure to watch.

My standard base Christmas watch list. ("Christmas in Connecticut" is the only one in the 4 Pack I watch, sometimes "Boys Town"). I'll pop in "Die Hard" and others but these are my main viewings scattered through December.

The Criterion release of Guillermo Del Toro's remake of "Nightmare Alley" includes his original black & white vision. While the color theatrical release garnered 3 Oscar nods, had it been released as intended, it would be hailed as a dark, gritty masterpiece of modern filmmaking. Beautifully bleak.

The thought that someone, somewhere 110 years ago used this pattern to create this very same doily is the reason I enjoy using (primarily) antique patterns.

This one, simply named "Doily" is from the "Priscilla Crochet Book: Centrepieces and Doilies" published in 1915, Priscilla Publishing, Boston

Today's underrated film: "Christine" (2016) Anchored by a brilliant performance by Rebecca Hall as FL news reporter, Christine Chubbuck. Who, in 1974, achieved National infamy when she announced on WXLT's Suncoast Digest, the network was about to present "exclusive coverage of an attempted suicide".

As near as I can tell this pattern is from the mid-1950s. I like it, it's more playful than a lot of the patterns I hook.

Today's find: "The Velvet Touch". A well-written/directed noirish drama with Rosalind Russell giving a great performance as a comedic Broadway star desperate to play a serious role. Russell is hit-or-miss for me. Her shrewish turn in "Picnic" is a fave, but, for authenticity, this wins. #Filmsky

Drive-In Friday. Tonight's feature is the 1975 Drive-In classic, "Race With The Devil". I remember seeing it twice back then. It was the second feature both times. It's a solid, creepy, tense thriller with a strong cast who saw something they shouldn't have. #driveinmovies #moviesky #Horror

I did some intricate hooking over the holiday. Both patterns are from 2007. The green one is called "Emerald Song" 15" across, The off-white is "Paramount" and it's 20" across. I usually prefer antique patterns, but I found these and liked them

I re-watched "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie." Hadn't seen it in decades, thought I remembered it. But, my memory minimized her politics. I don't think I understood as well the first time as I did this time. It altered my emotional responses and made the film so much richer & memorable. Fantastic!

"Pursued" (1947) My morning noir. Scorcese describes Raoul Walsh's film as 'western noir' or "Shakespearean drama with Freudian undertones". Mitchum is exceptional but it's Teresa Wright who demonstrates a range I've never seen from her. Dame Judith Anderson is reliably solid. Worth a watch.

3-D Doily. Found the pattern online. Probably the most boring pattern I've ever followed, but I really dig the result. At least it was fast.

I recently did a Double-Feature of The Big Clock (1948) and No Way Out (1987) after hearing "No Way Out" referred to as a remake. I had seen both films more than once but never made the connection. Both were based on the 1946 novel "The Big Clock" by Kenneth Fearing.