Tuesday's Forgotten Film: Waking Ned Devine

Top o' the mornin' to ya! I'm getting my Irish on this week, and this week's Tuesday's Forgotten Film reflects this. Today I discuss the 1998 film Waking Ned Devine.

The film is set in a rural Irish town where all the local folk play the lottery regularly. One day one of them, the titular Ned Devine, finally gets lucky and wins it all--then promptly dies from the shock of it. Two of the senior residents plot to have someone pose as the late Mr. Devine to collect the winnings and then divide them evenly among the town populace. As you can imagine, the task proves much more difficult than expected.

The movie plays up the stereotypical happy-go-lucky Irish townsfolk image--In The Name of the Father this ain't--but the movie is thoroughly enjoyable and funny, which is exactly what it intends to be. The film is currently available on Amazon streaming video, and possibly on Netflix as well.

Here is the film's trailer. Enjoy, and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day Forgotten Film Extra: Hear My Song

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!  In honor of this day and my Irish heritage, I'm discussing a Forgotten Film extra, the 1991 movie Hear My Song.

The film revolves around a young Irish man named Mickey, who runs a nightclub featuring some questionable "talent," such as a singer named Frank Cinatra--yes, Cinatra with a "C" instead of an "S". (A nightclub employee asks Mickey, "Who's next--Bing Crosby with a K?")  When he almost loses his club and his longtime girlfriend (to whom he's been noncommittal), he leaves his town on a search for a big name act that can save his club and his relationship--real life Irish tenor Josef Locke, who disappeared decades before after being charged with tax evasion.  Will Mickey find the elusive Locke, and if so, will Locke agree to save Mickey's club, and in turn his life?

The film relies a lot on the stereotypes of Irish characters with quirks and hardcore drinking habits, but they are used more as a tribute to those qualties rather than a condemnation of them.  And if you're looking for a sober look at Irish life and politics, watch The Crying Game or In The Name of the Father instead.  This movie is pure froth, and delightful froth at that.  I highly recommend this fun, romantic, funny, and sentimental film.  You can watch the entire film below, or you can watch it directly on YouTube here.  Slainte!

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Thank You!

Yes, Happy St. Patrick's Day from your Irish author here. I have a fine holiday treat today, but first, a word of thanks.

I am amazed--AMAZED--at the response the blog has gotten the last two days. My post on Dancin' On Air has received over 600 views in less than 48 hours--my most read post ever! Thanks go out especially to Philebrity.com and Down the Shore with Jen for spreading the word about the videos and bringing in so many people to my site. I hope you new readers stick around.

For more articles related to Philly TV, please check out the following:

My tribute to WKBS-TV Channel 48 (may it rest in peace),

my article on the children's program The Most Important Person,

and from the same creators, The Kingdom of Could Be You.

As for the day at hand, celebrate St. Patrick's Day by catching a leprechaun. If that proves troublesome, enjoy the day with these animated leprechauns instead. Erin Go Brah! And once again, thanks for reading.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Top o' the mornin' to ya! I'm taking a break from Easter programming to offer up a couple of Irish treats for you--being of Irish descent myself, I would be amiss not to recognize St. Patrick's Day. As I've stated previously, check out the Pop Culture Holiday Blog for a larger selection of St. Paddy's stuff.

In fact, this first clip is already there. I saved this for my blog quite awhile ago, but the PCHB beat me to it (they're quick over there). What the heck, I'll carry it anyway. It's the delightfully dry Droopy Dog (that's a lot of Ds) being mistaken for a leprechaun in the appropriately titled "Droopy Leprechaun."



From the silly to the sobering, here's a reminder that life in Ireland has been far from the fantasy of leprechauns and pots of gold. This is the trailer for the excellent film In The Name of the Father, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as an Irishmen wrongly imprisoned, along with his father, for an IRA-related bombing, based on a true story.



Finally, here is Diana Krall teaming up with the Chieftains for an amazing version of "Danny Boy." The video is made by a non-professional YouTuber and consists of the just the song and still photos of Krall, but the song itself is the real reason to tune in. For the title of Ireland's greatest band, I'll take the Chieftains over U2 any day.



I'll check in again on Monday (or perhaps Sunday, if time allows) for more Easter fun; until then, Erin Go Bragh!