Raquel Stecher

“The vote is still the most powerful non-violent instrument or tool we have in a democratic society and we must use it.”
We live in turbulent times and it’s difficult to stay optimistic when the future looks grim. One man in particular has been able to sustain a sense of hope and determination that things will change for the better. Over the course of nearly 60 years of public service, this man has paved the way forward with his philosophy for non-violent protest and his own indestructible re...

Movies provide us with both windows and mirrors. Windows allow us to see into another person’s perspective, to experience a life other than our own. This helps to develop empathy and understanding. Mirrors reflect our own lives and give us the opportunity to learn. This helps us to be our authentic selves. LGBTQ films can broaden our horizons, open our minds, and teach us something about ourselves or others.
Let’s take a look at some important LGBTQ dramas. These are all available to rent on ...

June 29th marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late, great Ray Harryhausen. A master technician and visionary, Harryhausen transported audiences into worlds of fantasy and mythology through his stop-animation. What now takes a team, Harryhausen did mostly on his own. He was autonomous, preferring to have control over his work and his vision, and he became heavily involved in many aspects of filmmaking including writing, storyboarding, producing and in many cases co-directing.
Harry...

Director Leontine Sagan’s MADCHEN IN UNIFORM (’31) wasn’t the first movie that featured lesbian characters but it was certainly a notable one. This German film came during a time between WWI and WWII when there was a thriving gay subculture in parts of Europe. Movies like DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS (’19) and MICHAEL (’24) were born out of that era and candidly depicted gay relationships. Marlene Dietrich gave the world the first cinematic lesbian kiss in MOROCCO (’30). PANDORA’S BOX (’29), sta...

"For 43 years I covered up this very dark spot of my life. I carried this grudge against myself. After all these years, I'm here and I'm lost. What have I done?" - director Peter Medak
Peter Sellers developed a reputation for being difficult. By the time he started filming Ghost in the Noonday Sun (1974) he was not in a good place. He and Liza Minnelli had just broken up and he was feeling lonely and out of sorts. And he was about to make director Peter Medak's life a living hell. Four decade...

“The most traveled, the most colorful, the most efficient, the most highly decorated bomb group of WWII.”
Michael Cudlitz, Band of Brothers
The 93rd Bomb Group, part of the Eighth Air Force, executed some of the most daring missions of WWII. Their base camp was in Hardwick, England, a hamlet just north of London and south of Norwich. They completed 396 missions, were instrumental in Operation Torch and have been celebrated for their bravery and ingenuity. Every year the 93rd Bomb Group reunit...

The Silver Cord (1933)
Best known for his screenplay adaptation of Gone With the Wind (1939), playwright Sidney Howard had been writing for Broadway since 1921. In 1926, his stage play The Silver Cord premiered on December 20th at the John Golden Theatre in New York City to much acclaim. Actor and director John Cromwell directed the play, and it featured Laura Hope Crews as Mrs. Phelps, the overbearing mother of two grown sons that scheme to break up their romantic relationships and maintain ...

Releasing in virtual cinemas today through Kino Marquee are three European films from the 1930s that were landmarks in queer representation. Just in time for Pride Month, this trifecta offers some insight into the gay subculture of pre WWII Germany and Denmark and offers classic film fans an opportunity to broaden their horizons with movies they might not have encountered otherwise. These films were way ahead of their time and it seems fitting that they be presented in this new virtual format...

We wouldn’t have the wonderful Black actors and actresses we have today if it weren’t for those trailblazers who paved the way before them. Let’s take a look at some of those trailblazers and how they contributed to film history. Each section begins with a quote from Donald Bogle, the renowned African-American film historian and author of such books as Hollywood Black: The Stars, The Films, The Filmmakers, Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood as well as biographies on ...

Migraines are not created equal. Everyone has a different experience with them; all traumatic, all painful, but very different. A severe headache is only one aspect of the condition. Some suffer nausea, sensitivity to light, indigestion and fatigue. Others have slurred speech, partial paralysis, vision disturbances and even temporary blindness. Migraines are debilitating. To those who have never suffered from them, they cannot fully appreciate how one can take their target prisoner and make t...

NitrateVille Radio Episode 56: Hitchcock's Phantom Lady • 1930s Silent Sci-Fi Home Movie • Summer Reading Challenge
How did you break into the movies in the old days? Two stories in this episode tell how it was done. (72:15)
(1:50) But first, in a summer without festivals, blogger Raquel Stecher of the Out Of The Past classic movie blog is trying to keep us from feeling isolated with this year's Summer Reading Challenge—read and blog about six movie books and you can enter to win a disc from ...

“Empty your mind. Be formless like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. If you put water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. If you put water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. It can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” - Bruce Lee
Directed by Bao Nguyen, ESPN Films presents Be Water, a new documentary about Bruce Lee, the cinema superstar and martial arts legend whose life was cut tragically short. In conjunction with the Bruce Lee Family Archive, Be Water, a refe...

Whether you want to expand your knowledge or diversify your summer reading challenge selections, here are a variety of classic film books about black film history to consider.
I didn't include any buy links. I encourage you to Google these titles (or click on my reviews if I listed them) if you want more information. If you're interested in purchasing books, I recommend contacting your favorite independent bookstore to see if they have any titles in stock or if they can order on your behalf. ...

It's that time again! I'm very happy to announce this year's Summer Reading Challenge (or Winter for those of you on the Southern Hemisphere)! We're all spending way more time at home this year and that means plenty of time for reading. And what's the best kind of reading? Classic film reading!
I'm keeping the challenge the same but I encourage you to do additional posts including sharing your TBR stack of books, your shelfie (a selfie of your book collection), favorite place to read, favorit...

Hollywood Godfather
The Life and Crimes of Billy Wilkerson
by W.R. Wilkerson III
Chicago Review Press
352 pages
Hardcover ISBN: 9781613736609
September 2018
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Powell's
"All his life Billy was in love with the impossible." — Joe Pasternak
Billy Wilkerson’s biggest dream was to be his own boss. He accomplished that in spades when he founded The Hollywood Reporter in 1930. The first issue ran September 3rd of that year and up until the day he died Wilkerson would be hea...