Imagining my dream home entertainment room

In talking with a friend recently, movies and even a little bit about award seasons were among shared topics of interest. At one point, I said how I’ve always wanted to have an Oscars-themed party. Maybe one for next year. Of course, it’d be fun to have small get-togethers for movie nights throughout the year; whoever could make it on any such occasion. That’s why I’d love to have a designated entertainment room for movie gatherings and I’ve got a lot of ideas for how I want it to look.

A popcorn machine with a vintage design is a must; I love them! Depending on space, I imagine having a mini kitchen area with a few small appliances. One section of a counter and 50s-diner-style stools can serve as extra spots to eat and watch movies. My DVDs / Blu-Rays would all be kept in storage that’s built into the wall, saving floor space. The same goes for cinema-themed books, of which I have a lot from film classes and those I’ve bought out of my own interest. A large, comfortable sectional couch and a few individual chairs will be ready for my movie fan guests to relax in and enjoy the show. Or guess at award winners when it’s that time of year.

Various items such as the “King Kong climbing the Empire State Building” statue will decorate shelves.

Also, I don’t have one yet, but I’ve seen a little model of the cool Mustang that Steve McQueen drives in “Bullitt.”

Then there are posters to liven up the walls with Hollywood flair, some depicting favorite stars as well as movies. Of course, it’d be difficult to narrow down the choices. However, I recently saw a poster sale on the TCM store website and found over a dozen that I’d buy right now if I had the wall space. Or, at least, one or two at a time whenever poster prices are marked down again:

• “Creature from the Black Lagoon”
• “East of Eden”
• “Giant”
• “King Kong”
• “Rebel Without a Cause”
• “Singin’ in the Rain”
• “The Artist”
• “The Blob”
• “The Day the Earth Stood Still”
• “The War of the Worlds”
• “The Wizard of Oz”
• “Them”
• “Titanic”
• “West Side Story”

Altogether, they’d be great decorations, with the movies featuring talented stars and spanning multiple genres and decades. I’d have to add one of those artist-rendition posters showing a group of classic stars (James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Humphrey Bogart, etc.) together in a particular setting. It’s difficult to decide on a favorite among those scenes featuring such iconic faces.

Catching up on Steve McQueen movies

Classic Hollywood actor Steve McQueen has been one of my favorites ever since the first time I saw “The Blob” (1958).  That was probably back when I was in high school or earlier.  It was a while before seeing him in anything else, but I thought he was great in the role as he led his friends in an effort to warn locals of danger.  I thought he was a handsome actor and there was something I liked right away about his onscreen demeanor.

As much as I love the sci-fi movie, I wasn’t at first aware of the annual Blobfest held in Phoenixville, Pa.  But last year, I finally made it out to the event celebrating the town’s ties to “The Blob.”  Check out my Blobfest photos on Flickr.  I bought a copy of this documentary about McQueen just outside of the Colonial Theatre.

Over the years, I eventually started to catch other movies starring McQueen whenever they would air on the Turner Classic Movies channel.  There were a lot of McQueen movies being featured on TCM throughout the day on Friday, Aug. 9.  Before that line-up, I had also seen him in:

• “The Magnificent Seven”
• “The Reivers”
• “Bullitt”
• “The Towering Inferno”
• “The Great Escape”

There were a number of McQueen’s movies included in the line-up that I hadn’t seen before.  So, I decided to watch what I could; now, I can add the following movies to the above list and they are all so well-acted by McQueen and his co-stars:

• “Somebody Up There Likes Me” (he didn’t play the main character)
• “Le Mans”
• “The Cincinnati Kid”
• “Papillon”
• “Soldier in the Rain”

Although I have “Papillon” on DVD, I still haven’t been able to watch it that way due to my laptop DVD drive still needing repairs.  On the desktop computer, the speakers aren’t working.  So, I’m glad that TCM included “Papillon” in their McQueen movies because his role in it was stunning.  I would describe it as one of those roles in which you see an actor like you’ve never seen him before.

I feel the same way about McQueen’s role in the movie that followed, “Soldier in the Rain,” with Jackie Gleason.  Only in this case, it was for the comedic style.  There were some moments of drama mixed in among the many hilarious ones as well.  I hadn’t heard of this movie before, but now I am planning to add it to my DVD collection; I just loved it!

I’m looking forward to seeing more of the movies in which McQueen starred.  What’s your favorite of his movies and roles?