Author Archives: dcaligari

Umayyad partisans defeat the supporters of Ibn al-Zubayr and cement Umayyad control of Syria, in the Battle of Marj Rahit, on this date in 684 – but what the hell do you care. Today is National Bad Poetry Day in the United States. There’s a very fun website will generate on command a great dealContinue reading “All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling.”

August 18 1989 –Columbia Pictures released Brian DePalma’s memorable war drama, Casualties of War, starring Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, John C. Reilly, and John Leguizamo, in the US on this date. Brian De Palma said that he had been trying to make this film since 1969 when he first read the Casualties Of WarContinue reading “Casualties of War premiered”

August 18, 1993 –Woody Allen reunited with one of his favorite actress, Diane Keaton when Sony Pictures released Manhattan Murder Mystery in the US on this date. Manhattan Murder Mystery was actually the generic working title during production–Woody Allen films usually have generic titles during production like “Woody Allen Fall Project“–but since no new titleContinue reading “Manhattan Murder Mystery premiered”

August 18, 1979 –Chic’s single Good Times was their second single to go to No.1 on the Billboard Charts, on this date. The song has become one of the most sampled tunes in music history, most notably in hip hop music. This song, built around Bernard Edwards’ distinctive bassline, is one of the most copiedContinue reading “Good Times topped the charts”

August 17, 1974 –Eric Clapton’s second studio album 461 Ocean Boulevard, started a four-week run at No.1 on the Billboard charts on this date. The house featured on the album cover is 461 Ocean Boulevard in the town of Golden Beach, Florida near Miami where Clapton lived while making the album. He recorded the albumContinue reading “461 Ocean Boulevard topped the charts”

August 17, 1960 – A great George Pal sci-fi classic, The Time Machine was released on this date. George Pal wanted the disk on the machine to spin clockwise for travel into the future and counter-clockwise for travel into the past. Due to the way the mechanism was built it was deemed too expensive andContinue reading “The Time Machine premiered”

August 17, 1934 – MGM released its version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, starring Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper and Lionel Barrymore, on this date in NYC. Jackie Cooper did not like his performance, writing in his autobiography that he felt an older English boy should have played Jim Hawkins..

August 16, 1962 –The Beatles fired their original drummer Pete Best in favor of Ringo Starr on this date. Afterwards, Best formed a new band and released the album: Best of the Beatles, a play on his own name. This led to disappointment from fans who bought the album without reading the track listing.

August 16, 1969 –Eric Clapton’s supergroup Blind Faith release their self-titled album, on this date. On the cover is a photo of a naked 11-year-old girl holding a model spacecraft. An alternate cover with a band photo was issued in America for stores that refused to stock it. Blind Faith was one of the firstContinue reading “Blind Faith was released”

August 16, 1985 –CBS-TV’s adaptation of the Arthur Miller classic Death of A Salesman, directed by Volker Schlöndorff and starring Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich premiered on this date. Author Arthur Miller always pictured Willy Loman as a short, weak man with a booming voice. After nearly forty years, Miller finally got his wish afterContinue reading “Attention must be paid!”