HAPPY BIRTHDAY/HALLOWEEN, CMS!

Happy 61st Birthday, Charles Martin Smith!

It's that special time of year again when my favorite holiday and my favorite actor's birthday meet face-to-face. It's been an extra good year for Mr. Smith.  It makes me happy to see Charles doing so well in both his professional life as well as his personal life. Besides directing a successful sequel to his hit film "Dolphin Tale" (2011), he's also been spending time with a special ladyfriend recently. Is love in the air? Possibly maybe... Judging from what I've seen the two of them share via Twitter, it looks like it may be serious! Awww...

Regular readers know my yearly ritual by now: I watch a double feature of CMS's directorial debut, "Trick or Treat" (1986), paired with a 2nd horror-related feature starring the sexiest man alive: Charles Martin Smith! This is a film that I will always have a bit of a special feeling for, since it ties in personally with my own life in the 1980s. For one thing, it makes me nostalgic for Fangoria Magazine (I was a huge horror nerd even then), where I first saw mention of this film shortly before it's release in theatres. I also relate somewhat to the main character, as I struggled as a bit of a misfit myself back in junior high and high school at the time. I think this film does a great job with the main character of unpopular kid Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price), making his humiliation at the hands of the school bullies uncomfortably realistic... and his final revenge so satisfyingly cathartic.

This year, the 2nd half of the double feature is another installment of "The Ray Bradbury Theatre" first broadcast February 22, 1986. Ace Award-winning episode "Banshee" pairs CMS with the legendary Peter O'Toole in a story based partially on true experiences when Bradbury interacted with director John Huston. Bradbury was writing the screenplay adaptation of Herman Melville's classic novel "Moby Dick" and Huston was directing the film. Apparently, the time the two spent together in Huston's house in Ireland was very unpleasant for Bradbury, who was tormented by his host with insults and pranks. The story that was drawn from these experiences adds a supernatural torment in the form of a beautiful but eerie banshee (Jennifer Dale). Smith is great as the early-career Bradbury stand-in, and O'Toole is fabulous as ever playing Huston's fictional alter ego. I can see why the episode won the Ace Awards for Best Directing- Dramatic Series (Douglas Jackson)... and of course Best Actor- Dramatic Series (O'Toole). 

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY, CMS (and Happy Halloween too)!

Gosh, Charles Martin Smith is 60 years of age today. Happy birthday, you sexy silver daddy! It's crazy to think that for over 40 years of his life, CMS has been working in film and television practically non-stop. But where some people would be slowing down and taking it easy at this point in their lives,  Mr. Smith is still going strong and keeping busy. As usual (nowadays) it's entirely behind the camera. That's too bad, because it's getting harder to find recent pics of him to admire and enjoy. This one from a few years back will have to do for now. Lookin' good there, Charlie! As far as I am concerned, Charles Martin Smith is STILL the Sexiest Man Alive.

The biggest news in CMS's future: he's directing a sequel to his hit 2011 film "Dolphin Tale 3D" which is set for release to theatres in 2014. It looks like pretty much the entire cast from the original will be returning for this 2nd go-around (yes, that includes Winter the dolphin too). I haven't heard anything about whether he'll be filming this one in 3D as well. I'm kind of hoping he is, since I thought Smith-as-director used the 3D effects in fun and creative ways in "Dolphin Tale" (and made paying those few extra bucks worth it).

Once again, it's the time of year to celebrate both Halloween and Charlie's birthday with my usual ritual of watching a double-feature of CMS-related horror movies or TV episodes. Of course I always start with Charlie's awesome directorial debut from 1986, "Trick or Treat"... which this time around strikes me as strangely similar to "Carrie" (1976/2002/2013). The main characters are both high school misfits who get mercilessly and cruelly picked on by the cool kids. Both are humiliated while naked in gym class at the start of the movie. Both story lines feature a popular girl who is sympathetic and tries to help. Both protagonists have use of special powers which they use to get revenge on their bullies. The movies even end with a high school dance that gets all fucked-to-shit as students and teachers die left-and-right. Gosh, I wonder if CMS directed an intentional homage or if it's purely coincidental? I'll have to look into that...

The 2nd feature is an episode from the 1980s revival of "The Twilight Zone" TV series. Broadcast in December 1985, "The Beacon" is about a doctor (CMS) who finds himself stranded in an isolated and creepy little coastal town, where the residents are terrified of the ominous lighthouse nearby and it's unnaturally bright beacon light. Here, Charlie is fresh off his amazing back-to-back double-whammy of "Never Cry Wolf" (1983) and "Starman" (1984), a career highpoint where he was especially hot and sexy, and this appearance does not disappoint in that regard. Oh, Charles....

Meanwhile, I need to get my ass moving on writing another movie entry, so I can present you with some penetrating examinations of my favorite Smith film (you know which one by now). Hopefully, your patience will be rewarded soon, dear readers. Stay tuned...

CMS: 59th BIRTHDAY / HALLOWEEN FUN!

Happy Birthday, Charles Martin Smith!

It's that time of year again, where my favorite actor's birthday (10/30/53) and favorite holiday meet each other face-to-face. With the impressive financial and critical success of last year's "Dolphin Tale 3D" behind him, this upcoming year could prove to be an even bigger triumph: besides directing a new TV episode currently in production, he also has 2 high-profile movies in development.  Like his colleague and friend Ron Howard, CMS seems to have switched entirely to being behind the camera and given up performing in front of it. I must admit I'll miss seeing him acting (the last time was a 2010 episode of "Fringe"), but it does make me happy to see him thriving as a director. And there's always those cute shots of him on the red carpet to look forward to...

It seems like it's becoming a Halloween tradition for me to watch a horror-themed double feature of CMS's directorial debut, the rock-and-roll cult classic "Trick or Treat" (1986), paired with one of his other spooky projects.  This year, the second feature is going to be an episode of "The Ray Bradbury Theater" that he starred in from 1989: "Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms in Your Cellar!"

Charles plays a paranoid father concerned that the mysterious mushrooms his son has begun cultivating are tied in to the other strange events happening in his life.  Damn, what a DILF! I've turned several of my friends on to the cute & cuddly charms of CMS. One of them felt that his appearance in this episode was among his hottest, and I would have to agree. Charles Martin Smith was then, and still remains (in my opinion), the sexiest man alive.

Happy Halloween / Happy Birthday, CMS!

You may have noticed in the last entry that I am a big fan of how hot CMS looks in his 50s. I have yet to dig deep into his output from the last decade, but so far I like what I've seen. Yes, I think bald CMS is very sexy. Look at him in this pic, on the set of his latest directorial effort, "Dolphin Tale 3D" (2011). Sitting there in his cute shorts and Converse shoes, showing off his nice legs, I can look at him and repeat my belief: Charles Martin Smith is the sexiest man alive.

CMS has been working behind the cameras for years now. Here's a pic of him on the set of his directorial debut, "Trick or Treat" (1986), which was released almost exactly 25 years ago. Aw, look at that cute smile and hot beard. I think beardless CMS is sexy too, but it really is a shame he did not grow his facial hair out more often. And here he is with my favorite combo: beard and glasses.

   

There are 2 things happening now: today is Charles Martin Smith's birthday (Oct 30, 1953), tomorrow is Halloween. I'm celebrating both this year by watching his 80s heavy metal horror cult classic, "Trick or Treat". I'm pairing it with the first episode of season one of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997), which he also directed. What spooky fun!

One last thing to mention! The other night I finally saw the CMS movie I was dying to see most: "Cotton Candy" (1978)! I won't go into detail about it just yet, but I have to say that I really genuinely loved it (and loved CMS in it)! I don't know why it hasn't been released to DVD or been made more readily available. It's definitely one of my favorite CMS movies so far!