Birthday Poem from Across the Pond

Thanks to British film critic and poet Richard Jack Smith for this lovely birthday poem he sent to me today. 

A message from the heart.

Singing, dancing and taking part.

It's the best of days

in so many ways.

A Birthday wish all year round

The magic tap dancing sound.

A poet and dear friend anew.

The world is richer because of you.

***** 

Midnight Star

Happiness is a Christmas-present poem by my favorite film poet. Thanks so much, Richard!

Midnight Star

by Richard Jack Smith

A critic shouldn't merely reflect

What's easy for others to detect.

Betty Jo Tucker realigns

As the filmmaker captures and designs.

Her poetry expands and enlightens

Just as a scene brightens.

Her legacy dazzles as the midnight star

It reaches out to us from afar.

Studying the path least taken,

her words boldly awaken

concepts at the core

of human experience we cannot ignore.

A calm and welcoming neighbour

Taking stock of cinematic labour.

The film altered by such perception

A hero without the deception.

A Delightful Video

Many thanks to British film critic and poet Richard Jack Smith for his lovely video celebrating my new book, CINEMA STANZAS TWO: Poet Laureate of the Movies.  What fun to see the opening clips of The Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain and Les Misérables, three of my favorite musical films!

Next, watching a few lines of my rhymes artistically superimposed over short scenes from four of the movies reviewed in my book (At Eternity’s Gate, La La Land, The Shape of Water, Yesterday) absolutely delighted me.

And I love the graphic images Richard (who also wrote the book’s elegant Foreword) included. They were selected from those that publisher Denise Fitzgerald Cassino created as PR for this ebook.

Last but not least, the background music -- “All I Got” by Ray Smith and Alan Mark -- adds a rhythmic pace to this fun 2-minute video, which is now on YouTube.  Just click on the link below to watch and enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWA36jxhwD0

      

To order CINEMA STANZAS TWO: Poet  Laureate of the Movies, click on this link:  https://amzn.to/33Ojw8L     

Poet Laureate of Movies

“Fascinating. Always wanted to know which film first inspired the Poet Laureate of Movies."  

Thanks to film critic/poet Richard Jack Smith for tweeting that response to my tweet below about Gosford Park.

“Just found out Gosford Park is available on Netflix! That Robert Altman mystery movie started my film poem obsession. Thanks, Mr. Altman.”

Richard's tweet made me so happy, especially because he writes such terrific film poems of his own! It also reminds me of a lovely comment artist/poet Judy Joy Jones added to my AuthorsDen page last year. 

She wrote,  "If I get to vote for Poet Laureate of Movies, you are in!” 

Judy Joy inspired me to write the poem below, which I dedicated to her.  

A Movie Poet Laureate?

No one is named – at least not yet.

I’d love the role before I go.

An honor it would be, I know.

Movies force me to do the crime

of turning things into a rhyme.

My film poems come to me at night.

I write them down and all seems right.

But if this Post remains unfilled

my review poems will not be stilled.

They’ll keep flowing without regret.

Films will go on -- and I won’t fret.

A Christmas Video Poem

Thanks to fellow film critic and poet Richard Jack Smith for his creative Christmas video about my love of musicals, especially The Wizard of Oz. According to Richard, “The music that plays in the background is ‘Munchkinland’ by Herbert Stothart. It's from the scene where Dorothy (Judy Garland) utters the immortal words, ‘We're not in Kansas anymore.’ In keeping with the theme, I presented my footage in sepia as the film is bookended that way.”

This whimsical video surprised and delighted me, even Richard’s poetic license. What fun!

Here’s the link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCTzqtEHkyI

A Birthday Poem

My birthday today was filled with surprises! Thanks to my family and friends who made this particular birthday quite memorable.

A special thanks to film critic and author Richard Jack Smith for the poem below.  

The Best of Us: A Birthday Poem

Looking for an Ice Road Trucker?
Sign up Betty Jo Tucker.
She's the critic who tells it straight
Where other opinions emerge too late.

A love of musicals she has.
Of Shirley Temple, Busby Berkeley and jazz.
From her I have learned a lot
About the movies and things to spot.

She has a mastery of the poetic phrase
Her observations simply amaze.
An original voice
Because that's her choice.

That poem means a lot to me because Richard and I both include film poems in some of our movie reviews. In fact, Richard’s latest book is titled A Poet Among Critics,  and here’s what I wrote about that terrific book:

Richard Jack Smith writes poems with ease

about movies designed to please.

Plus even some he thinks fall flat

and keep him from tipping his hat.

A fine poet among critics,

rhymes and images he does mix.

His reviews earn two thumbs up

and a poetry Loving Cup!

***

Cake: A Love Story Official Poster

Thanks so much to filmmaker Misha Zubarev for sending me a photo of the official poster for Cake: A Love Story, an upcoming short movie based on It Had To Be Us, the romantic memoir my husband and I wrote under the pen names of Harry & Elizabeth Lawrence. Thanks also to film critic Richard Jack Smith for this comment about the poster: 

"Beautifully composed. Made me wonder what Harry and Elizabeth could be thinking."  

A Poet Among Critics

Richard Jack Smith writes poems with ease

about movies designed to please.

Plus even some he thinks fall flat

and keep him from tipping his hat.

A fine poet among critics,

rhymes and images he does mix.

His reviews earn two thumbs up

and a poetry Loving Cup!

Here’s a tip of my hat to Richard Jack Smith for his amazing new book, A Poet Among Critics. However, in the interest of full disclosure, I have to mention that the poetry bug also bit me – and is forcing me to use poetry in film reviews too. But Richard’s book includes so many more poems than mine! And films of almost every genre are represented.

Because my favorite genre is “Musicals,” I’m delighted to see movies like Top Hat and Burlesque included. Next to musicals, I enjoy thrillers. Happily, the book also contains Richard’s unique poetic take on films like Nick of Time, Phone Booth and Psycho. Other genres are not neglected.  Sci-fi flicks, horror movies, Disney offerings, comedies, dramas, popular franchises and classics like Citizen Kane, King Kong and The General also receive careful attention.

Richard’s use of lush language helps make his poems come to life. Such remarkable visions he creates! For example, below are the last few lines of his perceptive, artistic Top Hat film poem.

Ginger Rogers, what a beauty!

Her moves creating ecstasy.

Black shapes upon room tone grey.

Suits and dresses so elegant, they say.

A cigarette held just so

before dancing on tip-toe.

A woman’s cheeky eyes

that love defies.

Leading to a romantic beat

and the audience cheering on their feet.

Those well-chosen words conjure up the 1935 Ginger and Fred Astaire musical romp, for sure. And A Poet Among Critics overflows with that kind of poetry magic. Well done, Richard!

NOTE: Richard Jack Smith writes film and soundtrack reviews for ReelTalk Movie Reviews. He is the author of two other books, Magical Movie Moments and Incidental Gold. For more information about A Poet Among Critics, please e-mail Richard at alton_333@hotmail.com. 

Exploring Incidental Gold Movies

The Shadow, The Miracle Worker, He Walked by Night. What do these films have in common? They each made it to a list of 75 movies called “Incidental Gold” by Richard Jack Smith, an impressive film critic who lives in South Wales and contributes reviews to the ReelTalk Movie Reviews website. Richard will discuss some of the motion pictures included in his list and why they were selected during his June 25th interview on Movie Addict HQ. Award-winning critic Mack Bates has agreed to co-host this enlightening episode. Mack writes freelance articles for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and serves as a staff blogger for Milwaukee Magazine’s official film blog. Richard and Mack both know their stuff where movies are concerned, so this show should be a real treat for film fans.

“Incidental Gold Films” airs on BlogTalkRadio at 4 p.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Pacific Time) on Tuesday, June 25, 2013. During the live show, listeners are invited to call in and to participate in a Chat. An archived segment will also be available.

CALL-IN NUMBER: 646-478-5668

HOST: Betty Jo Tucker

CO-HOST: Mack Bates

PRODUCER: Nikki Starr

LINK TO LISTEN:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2013/06/25/incidental-gold-films