Sunday, December 20, 2009

MCP: The Arthur of the Comics Project Blog

In anticipation of our relaunch of The Arthur of the Comics Project web site, the Society has launched The Arthur of the Comics Project Blog, which can be accessed at http://arthur-of-thecomics-project.blogspot.com/.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

MMSM: ARTHURIAN LITERATURE 26 now available

Out now from D. S. Brewer:

Arthurian Literature XXVI
Edited by Elizabeth Archibald
Edited by David F. Johnson


Pages: 228
Size: 23.4 x 15.6
13 digit ISBN: 9781843842118
Binding: Hardback
First published: 17/Dec/2009
Price: 90.00 USD / 45.00 GBP
Imprint: D. S. Brewer
Series: Arthurian Literature
Subject: Medieval Literature

The Arthurian material collected in this volume ranges widely in time and space, from a Latin romance based on Welsh sources to the post-Christian Arthur of modern fiction and film. It begins with a tribute to the late Derek Brewer, a reprinting of the classic introduction to his edition of the last two tales of Malory's Morte Darthur. Further subjects covered include a possible source manuscript for Malory's first tale; the `Arthuricity' of the little-known Latin romance Arthur and Gorlagon; images of sterility and fertility in the continuations of Chretien's Conte du Graal; and early modern responses to Geoffrey of Monmouth's account of Arthur's dealings with Rome. Norris Lacy ranges widely over the evolution of the Arthurian legend, and Ronald Hutton considers representations of both Christian and pagan religion in modern novels and cinema. The volume ends with a bibliographical supplement on recent additions to Arthurian fiction.

CONTRIBUTORS: Derek Brewer, Jonathan Passaro, Amanda Hopkins, Thomas Hinton, Sian Echard, Norris Lacy, Ronald Hutton, Raymond Thompson.



Contents
General Editors' Preface
1 Introduction to the Morte Darthur, Parts 7 and 8
Derek S Brewer
2 Malory's Text of the Suite du Merlin
Jonathan Passaro
3 Why Arthur at all? The Dubious Arthuricity of Arthur and Gorlagon
Amanda Hopkins
4 The Aesthetics of Communication: Sterility and Fertility in the Conte del Graal Cycle
Thomas Hinton
5 'Whyche thyng semeth not to agree with other histories...': Rome in Geoffrey of Monmouth and his early modern readers
Sian Echard
6 Arthurian Texts in their Historical and Social Context
Norris J Lacy
7 The Post-Christian Arthur
Ronald Hutton
8 Supplement: The Arthurian Legend in Literature, Popular Culture, and the Performing Arts, 2004-2008
Raymond H Thompson and Norris J Lacy

MCP: Muppets and Medievalism from Boom Studies


Comic book publisher Boom Studios has recently published a four-part series called Muppet Robin Hood that recasts the Muppets as characters from the Robin Hood legend. The series (also available as a collected edition) can be ordered direct from the publisher. A forthcoming series called Muppet King Arthur is due out this month, though Boom Studios does not yet have any information online about this series.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

MCP: ARTHUR: THE LEGEND Update

David Chauvel, Jérôme Lereculey, and Jean-Luc Simon's graphic album series Arthur, Une Épopée Celtique is finally available in English from Welsh publisher Dalen. The series was originally published in French and has been translated into multiple languages, include German and Welsh (the last also from Dalen).

Published in nine volumes by Delcourt from 1999-2006, Arthur, Une Épopée Celtique offers a complete retelling of the Arthurian legend in a world filled with magic. Delan's Arthur: The Legend collects the first two volumes of the series:
Myrddin le fou (1999) and Arthur le combattant (2000). Complete details follow:

Arthur: The Legend
Book 1 Myrddin Wild Man of the Woods & Book 2 Arthur Protector of Britain
ISBN: 978-1-906587-07-9
Authors: David Chauvel, Jérôme Lereculey, Jean-Luc Simon
English adaptation: Lannig Treseizh
Published: July 2009
Price: £9.99, 112pp, paperback, 190mm x 260mm
Historical graphic novel for adolescents and adults

The Dark Ages were a time of change and turmoil across Europe. After reigning supreme in Britain for 300 years the Romans returned to the continent, leaving the Isle of the Mighty in the hands of its original inhabitants, the Britons.

Coveted by marauding Saxons from the east, pillaging Irish from the west, and fearsome Picts from the north, Britain’s bountiful pastures were under constant siege.
With neverending quarrels and inter-tribal warring between the Britons themselves, Britain was ready for a strong and mighty leader to rally its people and repel the invading hordes.

This leader was to be Arthur, born to return the Island of Britain to its rightful owners – the Britons. His fame and stature would transcend the centuries and remain as enigmatic today as it has always been.

Over those centuries, Arthur’s achievements have captivated poets, writers and storytellers from numerous cultures and backgrounds. But Arthur The Legend returns to the roots of the story of Arthur, to the tales and historical sources of Celtic Britain.

Those ancient roots lie deep within the Celtic tradition of Wales, kept alive in age-old prose, poetry and historical documents such as the Historia Brittonum, Annales Cambriae and the Mabinogion. It is from these sources that Arthur The Legend finds its milieu and gives us an authentic rendition, through the pages of a gripping graphic novel, of those early tales of Arthur from an age well before the Norman Arthurian Romances.

As the first volume in a series of four, Arthur the Legend begins with Vortigern’s treachery in granting the Saxons a foothold in Britain, which in turn drives him to seek assistance from the original Merlin, or Myrddin the Mad, the wild man of the woods. Myrddin is the druid, prophet and seer who recognises the young Arthur as the son of prophecy who will grow and save his people. With his heroic rise as warlord, Arthur leads his people from one decisive battle to the next in his ruthless quest to keep his land free from the Saxon foe.

Author David Chauvel is Series Director at the French publishing house Delcourt, and has collaborated with illustrator Jérôme Lereculey since the 1970s. As Celtic Bretons, both have been drawn to recount the long ignored, and ancient Welsh version of the Arthur story in a magnificent and detailed series of graphic novels.

Also available in Welsh as Chwedl Arthur.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

MMSM/MCP: Online essay on Arthurian comics

The Comics Alliance has posted an online essay, "Round Table Round-Up: Our Favorite King Arthur Comics," by Chris Sims devoted to Arthurian-themed comics. The piece covers material from Prince Valiant to Hellboy: The Wild Hunt.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

GMTV: Upcoming Episodes of ROBIN HOOD on BBC America

Here are the details on upcoming episodes of the the third and final season of the BBC's Robin Hood on BBC America. Complete schedule at http://www.bbcamerica.com/tvschedule.jsp.


SATURDAY, 28 NOV
8:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 11 The Enemy of My Enemy
TV-PG
Robin tells the Outlaws Gisborne is joining them because wants to honor his father's dying wish and save his half-brother Archer, but will Archer return the favor when the tables are turned? Season 3 Ep. 11
9:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 12 Something Worth Fighting For (Part 1)
TV-PG
Robin is focused on taking the Castle and holding it for King Richard. He doubts Allan's loyalty and is caught with Gisborne and Much in Archer's traps in the Castle tunnel. Season 3 Ep. 12
11:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 11 The Enemy of My Enemy
TV-PG
Robin tells the Outlaws Gisborne is joining them because wants to honor his father's dying wish and save his half-brother Archer, but will Archer return the favor when the tables are turned? Season 3 Ep. 11



SUNDAY, 29 NOV.
12:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 12 Something Worth Fighting For (Part 1)
TV-PG
Robin is focused on taking the Castle and holding it for King Richard. He doubts Allan's loyalty and is caught with Gisborne and Much in Archer's traps in the Castle tunnel. Season 3 Ep. 12
2:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 11 The Enemy of My Enemy
TV-PG
Robin tells the Outlaws Gisborne is joining them because wants to honor his father's dying wish and save his half-brother Archer, but will Archer return the favor when the tables are turned? Season 3 Ep. 11
3:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 12 Something Worth Fighting For (Part 1)
TV-PG
Robin is focused on taking the Castle and holding it for King Richard. He doubts Allan's loyalty and is caught with Gisborne and Much in Archer's traps in the Castle tunnel. Season 3 Ep. 12



SATURDAY, 5 DEC
8:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 12 Something Worth Fighting For (Part 1)
TV-PG
Robin is focused on taking the Castle and holding it for King Richard. He doubts Allan's loyalty and is caught with Gisborne and Much in Archer's traps in the Castle tunnel. Season 3 Ep. 12
9:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 13 Something Worth Fighting For (Part 2)
TV-PG
Robin leads the Outlaws and the villagers to hold the Castle against the Sheriff's attack. He fights with his brothers, Gisborne and Archer, against the Sheriff and Isabella and lets old qualms lay to rest. Season 3 Ep. 13
11:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 12 Something Worth Fighting For (Part 1)
TV-PG
Robin is focused on taking the Castle and holding it for King Richard. He doubts Allan's loyalty and is caught with Gisborne and Much in Archer's traps in the Castle tunnel. Season 3 Ep. 12


SUNDAY, 6 DEC
12:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 13 Something Worth Fighting For (Part 2)
TV-PG
Robin leads the Outlaws and the villagers to hold the Castle against the Sheriff's attack. He fights with his brothers, Gisborne and Archer, against the Sheriff and Isabella and lets old qualms lay to rest. Season 3 Ep. 13
2:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 12 Something Worth Fighting For (Part 1)
TV-PG
Robin is focused on taking the Castle and holding it for King Richard. He doubts Allan's loyalty and is caught with Gisborne and Much in Archer's traps in the Castle tunnel. Season 3 Ep. 12
3:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 13 Something Worth Fighting For (Part 2)
TV-PG
Robin leads the Outlaws and the villagers to hold the Castle against the Sheriff's attack. He fights with his brothers, Gisborne and Archer, against the Sheriff and Isabella and lets old qualms lay to rest. Season 3 Ep. 13

MCP: DRACULA VS KING ARTHUR Update

Adam and Christian Beranek's sold-out comic book series Dracula vs. King Arthur (Silent Devil Productions, 2005) is now available in digital copies. Information on the series, previews, and links to the digital editions can be found at the publisher's web site, where you can also order copies of the hardcover collected edition (2007).

CFP Arthurian-Themed Comics Collection (1/30/10)

In commemoration of the upcoming 75th anniversary of Prince Valiant, we are seeking brief proposals (apx. 200-500 words) for a collection of essays on comics (comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, web comics, and adaptations into other media) based on or inspired by the Arthurian tradition. The collection will be edited by Michael A Torregrossa and Jason Tondro. Please submit proposals to the editors by 30 January 2010.

Michael A Torregrossa
The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
34 Second Street
Smithfield, RI 02917-3627
United States
Email: Arthur.of.the.Comics-at-gmail.com


MCP: SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT Web Comic

A cartoonist named TerminalMontage posted a web comic based on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight at the Smack Jeeves web site earlier this year. The six-page comic can be accessed at http://www.smackjeeves.com/comicprofile.php?id=47155.

MSAM: SHREK FOREVER AFTER


The Internet is abuzz this week with updates on the fourth and final Shrek film. Set to be released in May 2010, the film is called Shrek Forever After. Details can be found at various websites, including USA Today's and Wikipedia.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

MSAM/MCP: Update on Marvel's THOR (FF 2011)

Marvel.com includes a number of updates on the forthcoming live-action film, due out on 20 May 2011, based on the comic book Thor. Much of the updates detail the casting process for this film to be directed by Kenneth Branagh. The bulk of these updates are collected on the Thor page at the Marvel Movie Hub, but the most recent news can be found on a separate page (at least for now).

Marvel.com offers the following information on the project:

The son of Odin, most powerful of the Norse Gods, Thor has been an emissary to humanity, a protector of both Asgard and Earth and inspiration for humans and gods alike.

Director Kenneth Branagh leads a cast that includes Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Natalie Portman in the the God of Thunder's big-budget, silver screen debut. Get ready for Thor's arrival in movie theaters on May 20, 2011!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

MCP: Frank Cammuso's KNIGHTS OF THE LUNCH TABLE

Cartoonist Frank Cammuso has produced (to date) two issues of his graphic novel series Knights of the Lunch Table, which presents modern-day incarnations of King Arthur, Percival, Gawain, and Guinevere as American middle-school students. An incarnation of Merlin is their teacher, and Morgan le Fay shows up as Arthur's older sister. As with the recent BBC Merlin, Cammuso's cast is multi-ethnic, with Merlin and Percival being African Americans and Guinevere Asian American.

Details from the website of the publisher (Scholastic) on the individual numbers follows:

The Dodgeball Chronicles

Artie King just wants to ease into life at Camelot Middle School. He's got new lunch buddies, Percy and Wayne, and his science teacher, Mr. Merlyn, is pretty cool. But then there's scary Principal Dager and big bad Joe and The Horde, a bunch of brawny bullies who rule the school.

The real trouble starts when Artie opens a funky old locker that no one, not even Joe, has ever been able to open — and finds it full of mysterious, but useful stuff. Percy and Wayne are high-fiving, Joe is fuming, and the next think you know a challenge is laid down: a do-or-die dodgeball game — The Horde Vs. The Knights of the Lunch Table. Losers get creamed!


The Dragon Players

Artie King, the uncrowned good guy of Camelot Middle School, is back with his pals Percy and Wayne in tow as he tries to evade evil Principal Dagger, avoid the school bully Joe and his Horde, and unravel the secret of a pack of mysterious magic cards he finds in his locker. Frank Cammuso's action-packed art and comic dialogue is sure to appeal to graphic novel fans and bring new readers to the format. It's knights, knaves, and nonstop fun!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

MCP: Spiderman Battles the Myth Monster!

Comics publishers often produce promotional comics, but it is a rare one that deals with medieval subjects. Spider-Man Battles the Myth Monster! (1991) introduces the villainous Myth Monster who battles both King Arthur and Merlin and, later, Spider-Man. Copies (3rd printing) can be ordered online from the Epilepsy Foundation: 1 copy for $2.95 (inclusding shipping) or 50 copies for $8.50 (including shipping).

Here are the details:

Spider-Man Battles the Myth Monster! (1991) is a Marvel promotional comic produced in cooperation with the National Association of School Nurses. This comic is part of the Epilepsy Foundation of America Project "Count Me In!" Written by Danny Fingeroth with art by Jose Delbo and inks by Harry Candelario. Full color, standard comic dimensions, 20 pages including cover, slick cover with newsprint interior, no cover price. (MyComicShop.com)

Spider-Man helps bring truth and justice to the lives of three children with hidden health conditions: epilepsy, asthma and diabetes. This comic book is an excellent resource for anyone working with children. It encourages acceptance and understanding among all children. This book is for children ages 8-11. Shipping and handling included in price. (Epilepsy Foundation)

A detailed plot synopsis can be found at The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe.

MMSM: REissue of Stephen Knight's ROBIN HOOD: A MYTHIC BIOGRAPHY

Cornell University Press has reissued Stephen Knight's Robin Hood: A Mythic Biography (2003) in paperback. Details from their website follow:

ROBIN HOOD A Mythic Biography Stephen Knight

$19.95 paper
2009, 272 pages, 6 x 9, 16 halftones
ISBN: 978-0-8014-8992-1

$27.95 cloth
2003, 272 pages, 6 x 9, 16 halftones
ISBN: 978-0-8014-3885-1


Winner of the Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Myth and Fantasy Studies



The only figure in the Dictionary of National Biography who is said never to have existed, Robin Hood has taken on an air of reality few historical figures achieve. His image in various guises has been put to use as a subject of ballads, nationalist rallying point, Disney cartoon fox, greenclad figure of farce, tabloid fodder, and template for petty criminals and progressive political candidates alike.

In this engaging and deeply informed book Stephen Knight looks at the different manifestations of Robin Hood at different times and places in a mythic biography with a thematic structure. The best way to get at the essence of the Robin Hood myth, Knight believes, is in terms not of chronological and generic progression but of the purposes served by heroes. Each of the book’s four central chapters identifies a particular model of the hero, mythic or biographic, which dominated in certain periods and in certain genres, and explores their interrelations, their implications, and their historical and sociopolitical contexts.


Reviews

"The mythical character of Robin Hood has become an icon through his presence in popular culture for the last 600 years. . . . Knight is extremely knowledgeable about his subject..." (Library Journal, June 1, 2003)

"Knight valiantly conveys everything said and done about our hero [Robin Hood] since the last quarter of the 14th century: every ballad, poem, novel, opera, movie and TV series -- his Disneyfication and feminization, spoofs, lampoons, muppet and politically correct versions included. . . . Such is the power of myth that this catalogue yokes Robin Hood with Jesus Christ, Buddha, Santa Claus, King Arthur, the Knights Templar, Jesse James, the rural Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, Martin Luther King Jr. and the protean tricksters of North American aboriginal lore. . . . If a 'Hoodie' ye be, thou shalt sally forth to liberate all the copies thou canst." -- Chris Scott, The Globe and Mail, June 21, 2003

"Robin Hood, the outlaw and eternal 'trickster,' is still evolving, having long ago transcended his national and historical origins." -- Salon.com, July 2003

"Stephen Knight's book documents the enormous scope of the myth—revolutionary, reactionary, chivalric, homosexual, patriotic, or whatever the audience will allow, even slapstick. A final mythic trait of Robinalia is its ability to parody itself. Errol Flynn defined the character for film: the animated Robin Fox in the Disney cartoon imitates Flynn, and his was the voice, uncredited, of Rabbit Hood in the 1949 Warner Brothers' cartoon. Prince of Thieves was mocked by Princess of Thieves and Prince of Frogs, and so on. Like any great myth, this is a tale that no one ever hears for the first time."—Wendy Doniger, London Review of Books, 26:14, July 22, 2004

" For those of us who joined the merry-men (and women) of Sherwood Forest when young, Mr. Knight's 'mythic biography' lets us revisit our earlier selves with an enlarged vision of the romance of liberty and equality that attracted us." --Alexandra Mullen, New York Sun, August 21, 2003

"Knight, in a remarkable and witty study of the formation and recreation of a legend, shows that in times of oppression, Robin Hood has always been there for us as resistance to authority. May he ever fight on." --Rob Hardy Columbus, MS Commercial Dispatch September 3, '03

"Knight . . . tells us that by 1600, there were at least 200 known references to Robin Hood, almost all stressing Robin's boldness and resistance to authority, but as yet lacking a Maid Marian or Friar Tuck. Once the basics of the story were established, Robin began to acquire new companions, got himself involved in contemporary controversies, and became a wonderfully serviceable symbol for whatever social or intellectual currents happened to be sweeping through England in a given century."—Allen Barra, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 24, 2003

"This volume is a lively, wide-ranging, and stimulating addition to the ever-growing scholarly corpus on Robin Hood."—Jeffrey Richards, Lancaster University, Arthuriana 13:3, Fall 2003

"One rarely has the opportunity to read the biography of someone who never physically existed, but that is exactly the opportunity Stephen Knight has given us with Robin Hood: A Mythic Biography. . . . [It] will be most useful to those teaching Robin Hood stories for children who wish to have resource material to inform their lectures. Those researching Robin Hood stories for children will also want to read this book, as well as anyone generally interested in the Robin Hood phenomenon."—Elizabeth L. Pandolfo Briggs, Children's Literature Association Quarterly, 28:3, Fall 2003

"If anyone's qualified to write this book, it's Knight. He is, no doubt, the world's most knowledgeable expert on Robin Hood. . . . Robin Hood: A Mythic Biography is a worthwhile addition to the library of anyone interested in Robin Hood."—Jack Merry, greenmanreview.com

"Although the evidence for a historical Robin Hood is slim, the myth has flourished for 700 years, and Knight traces its various elements from trickster figure to noble their to countercultural free spirit, with a strong analysis of its treatment by Hollywood."—College and Research Libraries News, January 2004

"Stephen Knight's Robin Hood: A Mythic Biography is a thorough overview of the Robin Hood tradition in literature, performance, and popular culture, from the earliest medieval references to modern film versions. . . . Knight elegantly elucidates the cultural continuity between the much-studied medieval beginnings of the tradition and its more familiar form in modern popular culture."—Ethnologies 25:2 (2003)

"Stephen Knight's witty and accessible piece of cultural history takes us through the various transformations that the Robin Hood story has undergone since its emergence early in the 15th century." -- The Age, August 23, 2003

"Stephen Knight explores the various mythical guises that his titular figure has assumed over time in Robin Hood: A Mythic Biography. Knight finds both continuity . . . and variety in Robin's various manifestations."—Studies in English Literature 44:1, Winter 2004

"Professor Knight's new book, then, is a contribution to literary history of a sort especially useful for undergraduate study. I used the book this winter as a "recommended" text in a Robin Hood course, and I will be very pleased to see it issued in a paperback edition priced for students. It is also a book that will be of value to any scholar studying Robin Hood, from literary or historical perspectives, and as such merits a place in college and university libraries."—Stephen R. Reimer, University of Alberta, Canadian Journal of History, August 2004, vol. 39
“Stephen Knight's astute, readable, and thoroughly researched analysis of the whole history of the Robin Hood phenomenon follows the hero from Sherwood bandit to Hollywood star, leader of an all-male band to object of feminist parody, Crusader to puppet frog. This is a book to be read by everyone interested in the growth of the Robin Hood story, and from which future scholars should take their bearings.”—Helen Cooper, Oxford University


“Stephen Knight's book about the noble-hearted outlaw has caught the spirit of its subject: fresh, forthright, engaged, witty. It is also richly packed with insights and scholarship. Robin Hood was a hero five hundred years ago; he's still undimmed, a most compelling version of the male hero.”—Marina Warner, historian and novelist


“Stephen Knight is the premier Robin Hood scholar in the world. Robin Hood: A Mythic Biography sets out the remarkable links and patterns that Knight was the first to trace or call attention to. It makes available all the rich and often surprising details, plots, and themes that increasingly attract writers, visual artists, and those interested in entertainment, children's literature, theatrical traditions, sociology, and folklore.”—Thomas Hahn, University of Rochester




About the Author

Stephen Knight is Professor of English Literature at Cardiff University. Arguably the world’s foremost authority on Robin Hood, he is the author of Robin Hood: A Complete Study of the English Outlaw and many other books, including several on the outlaw tradition.


Table of contents available as a pdf file.

RTMA: Robert Sabuda's ARTHUR AND THE SWORD

Writer-artist Robert Sabuda is offering signed copies of his children's book Arthur and the Sword (1995) on his website. The book uses stained glass-style illustrations to retell the episode of the Sword and the Stone. The book is otherwise out of print.

MMSM: New Book--The Arthurian Way of Death

Out now from D. S. Brewer:

The Arthurian Way of Death
The English Tradition
Edited by Karen Cherewatuk
Edited by K. S. Whetter

It is arguably the tragic end to Arthur's kingdom which gives the myth its exceptional resonance and power. The essays in this volume explore the presentation of death and dying in Arthurian literature and film produced in England and America from the middle ages to the modern day. Authors, texts and topics covered include Geoffrey of Monmouth, the chronicle tradition, and the alliterative Morte Arthure; Gawain and the Green Knight, Ywain and Gawain, the stanzaic Morte Arthur, and Malory's Morte Darthur; Tennyson's Idylls, Pyle's retelling of the myth for American children, David Jones, T.H. White, Donald Barthelme, Rosalind Miles and Parke Godwin. Featured films include Knight Rider, Excalibur, First Knight, and King Arthur.

CONTRIBUTORS: Sian Echard, Edward Donald Kennedy, Karen Cherewatuk, Michael W. Twomey, K. S. Whetter, Thomas Crofts, Michael Wenthe, Lisa Robeson, Cory James Rushton, Janina P. Traxler, James Noble, Julie Nelson Couch, Samantha Rayner, Kevin J. Harty.

Contents
Introduction
Karen Cherewatuk and Kevin S Whetter
1 'But here Geoffrey falls silent': Death, Arthur, and the Historia regum Britannie
Sian Echard
2 Mordred's Sons
Edward Donald Kennedy
3 Dying in Uncle Arthur's Arms and at His Hands
Karen Cherewatuk
4 'Hadet with an aluisch mon' and 'britned to noght': Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Death, and the Devil
Michael W. Twomey
5 Love and Death in Arthurian Romance
Kevin S Whetter
6 Death in the Margins: Dying and Scribal Performance in the Winchester Manuscript
Thomas Howard Crofts
7 The Legible Corpses of Le Morte Darthur
Michael Wenthe
8 Malory and the Death of Kings: The Politics of Regicide at Salisbury Plain
Lisa Robeson
9 Layde to the Colde Erthe: Death, Arthur's Knights, and Narrative Closure
Cory Rushton
10 Arthurian Exits: Alone, Together, or None of the Above
Janina P Traxler
11 Woman as Agent of Death in Tennyson's Idylls of the King
James Noble
12 Death as 'Neglect of Duty' in Howard Pyle's The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur
Julie Nelson Couch
13 Death and the 'grimly voice' in David Jones's In Parenthesis
Samantha J. Rayner
14 Roll the Final Credits: Some Notes on Cinematic Depictions of the Death of Arthur
Kevin J Harty

Thursday, November 19, 2009

MSAM: Upcoming Films--Clash of the Titans and How to Train Your Dragon

The Internet is abuzz with news on two medieval-themed films set to be released in 2010. One is a remake of the 1981 film Clash of the Titans (official site), which Marijane Osborn argues was inspired, in part, by Beowulf, and the other, How to Train Your Dragon (official site), is an animated film based on a 2003 children's book. Trailers for both productions are appended below.






Wednesday, November 18, 2009

MMSM: Cinematic Illuminations now available

Laurie A. Finke and Martin B. Shichtman's Cinematic Illuminations: The Middle Ages on Film (Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2010) is now available to order online. Details about the book can be found on a previous blog post.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

MMSM: New Articles in The Mid-Atlantc Almanack

The latest volume (18 for 2009) of The Mid-Atlantic Almanack, the official journal of the Mid-Atlantic Popular/American Culture Association, includes the following articles of interest:

Yoeman or Nobleman? The Socio-Political Co-Opting of Robin Hood
Caherine Akel

"Something Rich and Strange": Guy Maddin's Shakespeare
Peter Hyland

The Devil on His Shoulder, Sniveling Weasels, Lady MacBeth and the Pit Viper: Evil West Wingers in American Film
Ralph R. Donald

GMTV: Chiller November 2009 Offerings

It appears to be "Vampire Month" this November at Chiller. Here are this month's medieval-themed listings. The complete schedule is online at http://www.chillertv.com/app/Schedule/. As always, all times are EST.

TUESDAY, 3 NOV
8:00 PM: MOVIE--BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA (1992)


WEDNESDAY, 4 NOV
1:00 AM: MOVIE--BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA


SATURDAY, 7 NOV
10:00 PM: DOCUMENTARY--UNIVERSAL HORROR STORY


SUNDAY, 8 NOV
2:00 AM: DOCUMENTARY--UNIVERSAL HORROR STORY


WEDNESDAY, 11 NOV
4:00 PM: DARK REALM--CASTLE KEEP
[Medieval content unknown]
10:00 PM: MOVIE--BRAM STOKER'S WAY OF THE VAMPIRE


THURSDAY, 12 NOV
2:00 AM: MOVIE--BRAM STOKER'S WAY OF THE VAMPIRE


FRIDAY, 13 NOV
10:00 PM: MOVIE--BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA


SATURDAY, 14 NOV
3:00 AM: MOVIE--BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA


TUESDAY, 24 NOV
8:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--FOR I HAVE SINNED
9:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--FEEDING THE BEAST
10:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--STRANGER THAN FICTION
11:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--THE FIX


WEDNESDAY, 25 NOV
12:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--BLOOD MONEY
1:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--PARTNERS OF THE MONTH
2:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT: CURIOUSER & CURIOUSER
3:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--NEAR DEATH
8:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--DARK KNIGHT
9:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--DARK KNIGHT: THE SECOND CHAPTER
10:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--ONLY THE LONELY
11:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--KILLER INSTINCT


THURSDAY, NOV 26
12:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--BE MY VALENTINE
1:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--A MORE PERMANENT HELL
2:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--BABY BABY
3:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--CLOSE CALL
7:00 AM: POLTERGEIST: THE LEGACY--THE LAST GOOD KNIGHT
5:00 PM: TRUE HORROR--DRACULA
6:00 PM: MOVIE--BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA
9:00 PM: TRUE HORROR--DRACULA


FRIDAY, 27 NOV
12:00 AM: MOVIE--BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA
3:00 AM: TRUE HORROR--DRACULA


SATURDAY, 28 NOV
9:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--FOR I HAVE SINNED
10:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--FEEDING THE BEAST
11:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--STRANGER THAN FICTION
12:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--THE FIX
1:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--BLOOD MONEY
2:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--PARTNERS OF THE MONTH
3:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--CURIOUSER & CURIOUSER
8:00 PM: TRUE HORROR--DRACULA
9:00 PM: SCARIEST PLACES ON EARTH--A NIGHT IN DRACULA'S CASTLE: TRANSYLVANIA - PART ONE
10:00 PM: SCARIEST PLACES ON EARTH--A NIGHT IN DRACULA'S CASTLE: TRANSYLVANIA - PART TWO
11:00 PM: SCARIEST PLACES ON EARTH--RETURN TO ROMANIA


SUNDAY, 29 NOV
12:00 AM: TRUE HORROR--DRACULA
1:00 AM: SCARIEST PLACES ON EARTH--A NIGHT IN DRACULA'S CASTLE: TRANSYLVANIA - PART ONE
2:00 AM: SCARIEST PLACES ON EARTH--A NIGHT IN DRACULA'S CASTLE: TRANSYLVANIA - PART TWO
3:00 AM: SCARIEST PLACES ON EARTH--RETURN TO ROMANIA
9:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--DARK KNIGHT
10:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--DARK KNIGHT: THE SECOND CHAPTER
11:00 AM: FOREVER KNIGHT--ONLY THE LONELY
12:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--KILLER INSTINCT
1:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--BE MY VALENTINE
2:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--A MORE PERMANENT HELL
3:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--BABY BABY
4:00 PM: FOREVER KNIGHT--CLOSE CALL



Also airing this month: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, POLTERGEIST: THE LEGACY, and TWIN PEAKS.

MCP: John Matthews Begins The Chronicles of Arthur

Prolific Arthurian author John Matthews has recently published Sword of Fire and Ice, the first of a series of Arthurian-themed graphic novels. Following an introduction by Matthews, the book traces the rise of Arthur from his birth to his coronation and incorporates a variety of stories from medieval Arthurian literature and Celtic mythology in creating the magical world that Arthur, through Merlin and the nine sisters of Avalon, interacts with. Overall, the story was interesting, but the art tends to vary in quality.


Details from the publisher's web site follow below:

The Chronicles of Arthur
Sword of Fire and Ice
By John Matthews
Illustrated by: Mike Collins
Availability: Usually ships within 2-3 days

Description:

BEFORE THE ROUND TABLE. BEFORE THE GREAT QUESTS. BEFORE HE WAS KING...

Many stories have been told of King Arthur. Young Arthur's days were full of adventures that prepared him for the life that lay ahead. As a boy, Arthur lived in a time and place where all things were possible and the old magic prevailed. Get ready to step inside the ancient world of Albion and see Arthur like you've never seen him before....


Our Price: $21.99 (HC)
Product Details
Aladdin, September 2009
Hardcover, 128 pages
ISBN-10: 1416986839
ISBN-13: 9781416986836
Ages: 8 - 12
Grades: 3 - 7


Our Price: $14.99 (PB)
Product Details
Aladdin, September 2009
Trade Paperback, 128 pages
ISBN-10: 1416959084
ISBN-13: 9781416959083
Ages: 8 - 12
Grades: 3 - 7


Thanks to Alan Stewart's Camelot in Four Colors for the heads up.

(Updated 11/25/09)

Thursday, November 12, 2009

GMTV: More Robin Hood (End of Nov. 2009)

Here are the remanding airdates for the BBC's Robin Hood series airing this month on BBC America.

Saturday, November 14, 2009
8:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 9 A Dangerous Deal
TV-PG
Robin tries to strike a deal with the new Sheriff, Isabella, but she rejects it. Kate tells Robin how she feels but Robin is apprehensive. Season 3 Ep. 9

9:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 10 Bad Blood
TV-PG
Robin meets his father again and learns that he and Gisbone share a half-brother who is in York Jail awaiting execution. Season 3 Ep. 10

11:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 9 A Dangerous Deal
TV-PG
Robin tries to strike a deal with the new Sheriff, Isabella, but she rejects it. Kate tells Robin how she feels but Robin is apprehensive. Season 3 Ep. 9



Sunday, November 15, 2009
12:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 10 Bad Blood
TV-PG
Robin meets his father again and learns that he and Gisbone share a half-brother who is in York Jail awaiting execution. Season 3 Ep. 10

2:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 9 A Dangerous Deal
TV-PG
Robin tries to strike a deal with the new Sheriff, Isabella, but she rejects it. Kate tells Robin how she feels but Robin is apprehensive. Season 3 Ep. 9

3:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 10 Bad Blood
TV-PG
Robin meets his father again and learns that he and Gisbone share a half-brother who is in York Jail awaiting execution. Season 3 Ep. 10



Saturday, November 21, 2009
8:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 10 Bad Blood
TV-PG
Robin meets his father again and learns that he and Gisbone share a half-brother who is in York Jail awaiting execution. Season 3 Ep. 10

9:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 11 The Enemy of My Enemy
TV-PG
Robin tells the Outlaws Gisborne is joining them because wants to honor his father's dying wish and save his half-brother Archer, but will Archer return the favor when the tables are turned? Season 3 Ep. 11

11:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 10 Bad Blood
TV-PG
Robin meets his father again and learns that he and Gisbone share a half-brother who is in York Jail awaiting execution. Season 3 Ep. 10



Sunday, November 22, 2009
12:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 11 The Enemy of My Enemy
TV-PG
Robin tells the Outlaws Gisborne is joining them because wants to honor his father's dying wish and save his half-brother Archer, but will Archer return the favor when the tables are turned? Season 3 Ep. 11

2:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 10 Bad Blood
TV-PG
Robin meets his father again and learns that he and Gisbone share a half-brother who is in York Jail awaiting execution. Season 3 Ep. 10

3:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 11 The Enemy of My Enemy
TV-PG
Robin tells the Outlaws Gisborne is joining them because wants to honor his father's dying wish and save his half-brother Archer, but will Archer return the favor when the tables are turned? Season 3 Ep. 11



Saturday, November 28, 2009
8:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 1 Total Eclipse
TV-PG
Robin returns to avenge Marian's murder and battle Gisborne. Tuck searches for Robin Hood, believing he is the only man who can unite England and destroy the Sheriff, Gisborne and Prince John. Season 3 Ep. 1

9:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 2 Cause and Effect
TV-PG
The Sheriff sells the local village men to Irish warriors. Kate, a village girl, tries to rescue her brother, but with Robin captured, himself, her heroics have devastating consequences. Season 3 Ep. 2

11:00 PM
Robin Hood - Ep 1 Total Eclipse
TV-PG
Robin returns to avenge Marian's murder and battle Gisborne. Tuck searches for Robin Hood, believing he is the only man who can unite England and destroy the Sheriff, Gisborne and Prince John. Season 3 Ep. 1



Sunday, November 29, 2009
12:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 2 Cause and Effect
TV-PG
The Sheriff sells the local village men to Irish warriors. Kate, a village girl, tries to rescue her brother, but with Robin captured, himself, her heroics have devastating consequences. Season 3 Ep. 2

2:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 1 Total Eclipse
TV-PG
Robin returns to avenge Marian's murder and battle Gisborne. Tuck searches for Robin Hood, believing he is the only man who can unite England and destroy the Sheriff, Gisborne and Prince John. Season 3 Ep. 1

3:00 AM
Robin Hood - Ep 2 Cause and Effect
TV-PG
The Sheriff sells the local village men to Irish warriors. Kate, a village girl, tries to rescue her brother, but with Robin captured, himself, her heroics have devastating consequences. Season 3 Ep. 2

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

MMSM: Mythlore 28.1-2

The Mythopoeic Society has just published Mythlore 28.1-2 (Fall/Winter 2008) with the following contents. This issue of the journal (along with back issues and a complete index) can be purchased online at the Mythopoeic Society website.

Mythlore 107/108
Volume 28, Issue 1/2
2009 Fall/Winter
200 pages

Table of Contents

Editorial

—Janet Brennan Croft

Perilous Shores: The Unfathomable Supernaturalism of Water in 19th-Century Scottish Folklore
—Jason Marc Harris

The Noldor and the Tuatha Dé Danaan: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Irish Influences
—Annie Kinniburgh

Tolkien’s Sigurd & Gudrún: Summary, Sources, & Analogs
—Pierre H. Berube

Amanda McKittrick Ros and the Inklings
—Anita G. Gorman and Leslie Robertson Mateer

Ancient Myths in Contemporary Cinema: Oedipus Rex and Perceval the Knight of the Holy Grail in Pulp Fiction and The Sixth Sense
—Inbar Shaham

The Heart of the Labyrinth: Reading Jim Henson’s Labyrinth as a Modern Dream Vision
—Shiloh Carroll

No Sex in Narnia? How Hans Christian Andersen’s “Snow Queen” Problematizes C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia
—Jennifer L. Miller

Innocence as a Super-power: Little Girls on the Hero’s Journey
—David Emerson

Naming the Evil One: Onomastic Strategies in Tolkien and Rowling
—Janet Brennan Croft


Reviews

  • Tales Before Narnia: The Roots of Modern Fantasy and Science Fiction. Ed. Douglas A. Anderson. (Reviewed by John D. Rateliff)
  • The Magician’s Book: A Skeptic’s Adventures In Narnia. Laura Miller. (Reviewed by Joe R. Christopher)
  • Projecting Tolkien’s Musical Worlds: A Study of Musical Affect in Howard Shore’s Soundtrack to Lord of the Rings. By Matthew Young. (Reviewed by Jason Fisher)
  • Esotericism, Art, and Imagination. Eds. Arthur Versluis, Lee Irwin, John Richards, and Melinda Weinstein. (Reviewed by Emily E. Auger)
  • The Annotated Wind in the Willows. By Kenneth Grahame; introduction by Brian Jacques; edited with a preface and notes by Annie Gauger. The Wind in the Willows: An Annotated Edition. By Kenneth Grahame; edited by Seth Lerer. The Illustrators of The Wind in the Willows, 1908-2008. By Carolyn Hares-Stryker. (Reviewed by Janet Brennan Croft)
  • Truths Breathed Through Silver: The Inklings’ Moral and Mythopoeic Legacy. Ed. Jonathan B. Himes, with Joe R. Christopher and Salwa Khoddam. (Reviewed by John D. Rateliff)
  • Tolkien Studies: An Annual Scholarly Review. Volume VI. Edited by Douglas A. Anderson, Michael D.C. Drout, and Verlyn Flieger. (Reviewed by Janet Brennan Croft)

MCP: The Black Knight Returns

Marvel Comics has recently published Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Black Knight/Yellow Claw. The book reproduces the contents of The Black Knight Nos. 1-5 from 1955-56 and stars Sir Percy of Scandia, the Arthurian-era Black Knight, who, aided by Merlin, protected Camelot and King Arthur from the plots of Mordred. The collection is introduced by Roy Thomas, who offers some thoughts on the inspiration behind the series and its lead. The Black Knight also features a number of other medieval-themed comics.


Marvel is also publishing a new Black Knight series begining in November. Here are the details on No. 1:

THE BLACK KNIGHT #1
Written by TOM DEFALCO
Pencils & Cover by RON FRENZ
The secret origin of the original Black Knight is finally revealed as Vampires, Zombies, Werewolves and Demons from the darkest realms confront Sir Percy of Scandia and his twin brother on their desperate quest to find Chaos, the dreaded Doombringer--the only weapon capable of defeating Excalibur, the legendary battle sword of King Arthur!
40 PGS./One-Shot/Rated A ...$3.99

Monday, November 9, 2009

Mercedes Lackey Update


Writer Mercedes Lackey's recent novel Gwenhwyfar: The White Sprit, a novel set in medieval Britain that retells the lives of the three Guinveres of Welsh legend, is a featured selection in the Science Fiction Book Club's Special Holiday 2009 Catalog. Lackey describes her inspiration for the novel on her website at http://www.mercedeslackey.com/books/gwenhwyfar.html. She also offers some details on a series in progress with co-writer Rosemary Edgehill entitled The Shadow Grail, a modern-day retelling/recasting of the legend,. Details at http://www.mercedeslackey.com/books/shadow1.html.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

MCP: GARGOYLES Returns

Walt Disney Television Animation's fan-favorite series Gargoyles, a syndicated animated series created by Greg Weisman and starring a band of Gargoyles originally from tenth-century Scotland (and currently available, in part, on DVD), has recently returned in comics form in a series of 12 issues and a 6-issue spin-off comic, Gargoyles: Bad Guys, published by Slave Labor Graphics. Details on both series, and their cancellation, can be found on the series' Wikipedia page.

Essentially, both series present aspects of the unproduced third season of the television series. Arthurian characters are especially prominent in the second arc of the Gargoyles series.

Both comics series have been collected in manga-sized collections and include material that was unpublished due to each series' cancellation. They can be purchased on Amazon.com and direct from Slave Labor Graphics.

I append the details of each collection from the publishers web site:

Gargoyles: Clan Building Volume 1
Item Id: gargc1
The hit comic book series gets collected in trade paperback form just in time for the holidays. Gathering together the stories from issues #1-6, Gargoyles: Clan Building Volume One promises to be one of the best selling trade paperback SLG puts out this year. The series is still seen on the various Disney channels and the fan base remains as passionate about this book as it was during its initial run in syndication. Written by Greg Weisman, who created and produced the animated series and who is now producing the SPIDER-MAN The Animated Series for Sony, the stories presented in the comic book series represent the first additoins to the Gargoyles canon since the series ended almost 10 years ago. Presented in full color, this is going to be a must buy for all Gargoyles fans.
Creators Greg Weisman, Dave Hedgecock, Will Terrell, Greg Guler, Dustin Evans, Nir Paniry, Karine Charlebois,
ISBN # 9781593620967
UPC Code 9781593620967


Gargoyles: Clan Building Volume Two
Item Id: gargc2
Gargoyles Volume Two features the published issues seven and eight, plus the never-before-seen issues nine through twelve. Written by series creator Greg Weisman and with art by David Hedgecock, Greg Guler, David Hutchison, Benn Dunn and colors by Robby Bevard, Gargoyles: Clan-Building Volume Two concludes the Clan-Building storyline as the history of the Stone of Destiny unfolds and Brooklyn travels to the past to secure his clan‘s future. 160 page, full color digest size graphic novel
Creators Written by Greg Weisman, illustrated by various
ISBN # 978-1-59362-167-4
Diamond Comics Order Code MAY090629
UPC Code 9781593621674


Gargoyles: Bad Guys Volume One
Item Id: bgc1
Five of the toughest villains in the Gargoyles Universe: Hunter – member of a Scottish family of gargoyle-slayers; Dingo – Australian mercenary and charter member of the deadly Pack; Matrix – a nanotech hive-mind artificial intelligence that came very close to destroying the Earth; Yama – a Japanese gargoyle who betrayed his own clan, and Fang – the mutate who would be king. Take this quintet of felons and force them to work on the side of the angels. It may be hard to believe, but these Bad Guys are the best hope we’ve got! Gargoyles series creator Greg Weisman is the writer, with art by fan favorite Karine Charlebois and tones by fan favorite Stephanie Lostimolo. Bad Guys: Time to fight fire with fire.
Creators Greg Weisman, Karubw Charlebois, Stephanie Lostimilo,
ISBN # 9781593621933
Diamond Comics Order Code 9781593621933

MCP: Hagar the Horrible Reprints

Titan Books has recently published a collection of early Hagar: The Horrible strips. Their web site offers the following details on the new book:

Hagar the Horrible The Dailies 1973-74
Dik Browne
Graphic Novel · Hardback
8.5in x 6in · 224pp · 9781848562332 ·
October 2009

In a world filled with dragons, wizards, sea monsters, Norse gods and titanic battles strides the world’s mildest marauder - HAGAR THE HORRIBLE!

Following the noble traditions of Beowulf and umm... , that movie The Vikings starring Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis, comes the epic saga of the best-known and most-loved Viking in the history of the world, the loveable, Hagar the Horrible - and his unending quest to put mead, swag and meat on the family table.

Collecting together the first two years' worth of strips that helped to forge the legend of Hagar the Horrible and make him one of the world’s most popular cartoon characters of all times.


Volume 1 in the series


Tuesday, October 20, 2009

GMTV: Syfy November 2009

The following represents Syfy's medieval-themed offerings for November 2009. As usual, all times are EST and the complete schedule for the month can be accessed at http://www.syfy.com/schedule/index.php?.


WEDNESDAY, 4 NOV
09:00 AM: DESTINATION TRUTH SEASON 2.5--ISSIE/ICELANDIC ELVES
[Medieval content unknown]


THURSDAY, 5 NOV
06:00 PM: LEGEND OF THE SEEKER--PROPHECY
07:00 PM: LEGEND OF THE SEEKER--DESTINY
08:00 PM: LEGEND OF THE SEEKER--DENNA
09:00 PM: LEGEND OF THE SEEKER--PUPPETEER
10:00 PM: LEGEND OF THE SEEKER--CONVERSION
11:00 PM: LEGEND OF THE SEEKER--FEVER
Mini-marathon of the syndicated fantasy series.

SATURDAY, 7 NOV
03:00 PM: SYFY ORIGINAL MOVIE--REIGN OF THE GARGOYLES


MONDAY, 9 NOV
08:00 AM: STARGATE SG-1 (SEASON 9)--RIPPLE EFFECT
09:00 AM: STARGATE SG-1 (SEASON 9)--STRONGHOLD
10:00 AM: STARGATE SG-1 (SEASON 9)--ETHON
11:00 AM: STARGATE SG-1 (SEASON 9)--OFF THE GRID
12:00 PM: STARGATE SG-1 (SEASON 9)--THE SCOURGE
01:00 PM: STARGATE SG-1 (SEASON 9)--ARTHUR'S MANTLE
02:00 PM: STARGATE SG-1 (SEASON 9)--CRUSADE
03:00 PM: STARGATE SG-1 (SEASON 9)--CAMELOT
Mini-marathon featuring the second half of season 9. Features the continuing quest for the Grail, an anti-Ori device created by Merlin the Ancient. "Camelot" presents a visit to a world once inhabited by Merlin, King Arthur and his Knights.


SUNDAY, 15 NOV
12:00 PM: MOVIE--STARGATE: THE ARK OF TRUTH
Conclusion of the Ori saga. Features Merlin and Morgan le Fay.


MONDAY, 16 NOV
08:00 AM: JOAN OF ARCADIA--OUT OF SIGHT
09:00 AM: JOAN OF ARCADIA--BACK TO THE GARDEN
10:00 AM: JOAN OF ARCADIA--THE CAT
11:00 AM: JOAN OF ARCADIA--THE ELECTION
12:00 PM: JOAN OF ARCADIA--WEALTH OF NATIONS
01:00 PM: JOAN OF ARCADIA--P.O.V.
02:00 PM: JOAN OF ARCADIA--FRIDAY NIGHT
Mini-marathon of series inspired by legends of St Joan of Arc

THURSDAY, 19 NOV
03:00 AM: MOVIE--ARABIAN NIGHTS - PART ONE
Made-for-tv miniseries. Part 2 airs the following night.

FRIDAY, 20 NOV
03:00 AM: MOVIE--ARABIAN NIGHTS - PART TWO

08:00 AM: INVASION--RUN AND GUN
09:00 AM: INVASION--ROUND UP
10:00 AM: INVASION--THE LAST WAVE GOODBYE
11:00 AM: INVASION--PILOT
12:00 PM: INVASION--LIGHTS OUT
01:00 PM: INVASION--WATERSHED
02:00 PM: INVASION--ALPHA MALE
03:00 PM: INVASION--UNNATURAL SELECTION
Alien invasion series with underdeveloped Robin Hood motif.

SATURDAY, 21 NOV
02:00 PM: MOVIE--KING ARTHUR (2004)
Feature film purporting to tell the truth behind the legend.
09:00 PM: MOVIE--IN THE NAME OF THE KING: A DUNGEON SIEGE TALE (2007)
11:30 PM: SYFY ORIGINAL MOVIE--FIRE AND ICE (2008)


SUNDAY, 22 NOV
01:30 AM: SYFY ORIGINAL MOVIE--DRAGON SWORD (2004)
Based on the legends of St George.


TUESDAY, 24 NOV
08:30 AM: MOVIE--DRAGONQUEST (2009)
10:30 AM: MOVIE--DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: WRATH OF THE DRAGON GOD
01:00 PM: MOVIE--MERLIN AND THE WAR OF THE DRAGONS (2008)
A tale of young Merlin.


SATURDAY, 28 NOV
11:00 AM: MOVIE MARATHON: SYFY ORIGINAL MOVIE--GRENDEL (2007)
Retelling of the Beowulf story.
09:00 PM: MOVIE MARATHON: SYFY ORIGINAL MOVIE--BEYOND SHERWOOD FOREST (2009)




SUNDAY, 29 NOV
1:00 AM: MOVIE MARATHON: SYFY ORIGINAL MOVIE--BEYOND SHERWOOD FOREST
03:00 AM: MOVIE MARATHON: SYFY ORIGINAL MOVIE--DRAGON STORM (2004)
Extraterrestrial dragons invade medieval Eastern Europe.



Also airing this month: Highlander and Highlander: Raven. Both feature immortal characters who were active during the medieval era. Medieval content unknown.

GMTV: More Robin Hood

Here are the details on upcoming episodes of Robin Hood on BBC America. All times are EST. The complete schedule for the network can be accessed at http://www.bbcamerica.com/tvschedule.jsp.


Saturday, October 24, 2009
8:00 PM: Robin Hood - Ep 6 Do You Love Me? (TV-PG
Prince John visits Nottingham, and he is out to make mischief. Meanwhile, Robin is up to mischief of his own, but who is the lucky woman? Season 3 Ep. 6
9:00 PM: Robin Hood - Ep 7 Too Hot to Handle (TV-PG
A heat wave hits and Prince John blocks all the local wells, forcing the outlaws to take desperate measures to save those at risk. Isabella suggests a new life, and Robin has to make a difficult choice. Season 3 Ep. 7
11:00 PM: Robin Hood - Ep 6 Do You Love Me? (TV-PG
Prince John visits Nottingham, and he is out to make mischief. Meanwhile, Robin is up to mischief of his own, but who is the lucky woman? Season 3 Ep. 6


Sunday, October 25, 2009
12:00 AM: Robin Hood - Ep 7 Too Hot to Handle (TV-PG
A heat wave hits and Prince John blocks all the local wells, forcing the outlaws to take desperate measures to save those at risk. Isabella suggests a new life, and Robin has to make a difficult choice. Season 3 Ep. 7
2:00 AM: Robin Hood - Ep 6 Do You Love Me? (TV-PG
Prince John visits Nottingham, and he is out to make mischief. Meanwhile, Robin is up to mischief of his own, but who is the lucky woman? Season 3 Ep. 6
3:00 AM: Robin Hood - Ep 7 Too Hot to Handle (TV-PG
A heat wave hits and Prince John blocks all the local wells, forcing the outlaws to take desperate measures to save those at risk. Isabella suggests a new life, and Robin has to make a difficult choice. Season 3 Ep. 7


Saturday, October 31, 2009
8:00 PM: Robin Hood - Ep 7 Too Hot to Handle (TV-PG
A heat wave hits and Prince John blocks all the local wells, forcing the outlaws to take desperate measures to save those at risk. Isabella suggests a new life, and Robin has to make a difficult choice. Season 3 Ep. 7
9:00 PM: Robin Hood - Ep 8 The King Is Dead, Long Live The King (TV-PG
Isabella is desperate to prove her loyalty to the Prince and win the Sheriff's job. News arrives that King Richard is dead, and Robin tries to stop Prince John's hasty coronation. Season 3 Ep. 8
11:00 PM: Robin Hood - Ep 7 Too Hot to Handle (TV-PG
A heat wave hits and Prince John blocks all the local wells, forcing the outlaws to take desperate measures to save those at risk. Isabella suggests a new life, and Robin has to make a difficult choice. Season 3 Ep. 7



Sunday, November 1, 2009
12:00 AM: Robin Hood - Ep 8 The King Is Dead, Long Live The King (TV-PG
Isabella is desperate to prove her loyalty to the Prince and win the Sheriff's job. News arrives that King Richard is dead, and Robin tries to stop Prince John's hasty coronation. Season 3 Ep. 8
2:00 AM: Robin Hood - Ep 7 Too Hot to Handle (TV-PG
A heat wave hits and Prince John blocks all the local wells, forcing the outlaws to take desperate measures to save those at risk. Isabella suggests a new life, and Robin has to make a difficult choice. Season 3 Ep. 7
3:00 AM: Robin Hood - Ep 8 The King Is Dead, Long Live The King (TV-PG
Isabella is desperate to prove her loyalty to the Prince and win the Sheriff's job. News arrives that King Richard is dead, and Robin tries to stop Prince John's hasty coronation. Season 3 Ep. 8


Saturday, November 7, 2009
8:00 PM: Robin Hood - Ep 8 The King Is Dead, Long Live The King (TV-PG
Isabella is desperate to prove her loyalty to the Prince and win the Sheriff's job. News arrives that King Richard is dead, and Robin tries to stop Prince John's hasty coronation. Season 3 Ep. 8
9:00 PM: Robin Hood - Ep 9 A Dangerous Deal (TV-PG
Robin tries to strike a deal with the new Sheriff, Isabella, but she rejects it. Kate tells Robin how she feels but Robin is apprehensive. Season 3 Ep. 9
11:00 PM: Robin Hood - Ep 8 The King Is Dead, Long Live The King (TV-PG
Isabella is desperate to prove her loyalty to the Prince and win the Sheriff's job. News arrives that King Richard is dead, and Robin tries to stop Prince John's hasty coronation. Season 3 Ep. 8


Sunday, November 8, 2009
12:00 AM: Robin Hood - Ep 9 A Dangerous Deal (TV-PG
Robin tries to strike a deal with the new Sheriff, Isabella, but she rejects it. Kate tells Robin how she feels but Robin is apprehensive. Season 3 Ep. 9
2:00 AM: Robin Hood - Ep 8 The King Is Dead, Long Live The King (TV-PG
Isabella is desperate to prove her loyalty to the Prince and win the Sheriff's job. News arrives that King Richard is dead, and Robin tries to stop Prince John's hasty coronation. Season 3 Ep. 8
3:00 AM: Robin Hood - Ep 9 A Dangerous Deal (TV-PG
Robin tries to strike a deal with the new Sheriff, Isabella, but she rejects it. Kate tells Robin how she feels but Robin is apprehensive. Season 3 Ep. 9


Saturday, November 14, 2009
8:00 PM: Robin Hood - Ep 9 A Dangerous Deal
Robin tries to strike a deal with the new Sheriff, Isabella, but she rejects it. Kate tells Robin how she feels but Robin is apprehensive. Season 3 Ep. 9
9:00 PM: Robin Hood - Ep 10 Bad Blood (TV-PG
Robin meets his father again and learns that he and Gisbone share a half-brother who is in York Jail awaiting execution. Season 3 Ep. 10
11:00 PM: Robin Hood - Ep 9 A Dangerous Deal
Robin tries to strike a deal with the new Sheriff, Isabella, but she rejects it. Kate tells Robin how she feels but Robin is apprehensive. Season 3 Ep. 9


Sunday, November 15, 2009
12:00 AM: Robin Hood - Ep 10 Bad Blood (TV-PG
Robin meets his father again and learns that he and Gisbone share a half-brother who is in York Jail awaiting execution. Season 3 Ep. 10
2:00 AM: Robin Hood - Ep 9 A Dangerous Deal
Robin tries to strike a deal with the new Sheriff, Isabella, but she rejects it. Kate tells Robin how she feels but Robin is apprehensive. Season 3 Ep. 9
3:00 AM: Robin Hood - Ep 10 Bad Blood (TV-PG
Robin meets his father again and learns that he and Gisbone share a half-brother who is in York Jail awaiting execution. Season 3 Ep. 10

Saturday, October 10, 2009

MMSM: New Article on Zemeckis's BEOWULF

The latest number of Studies in Popular Culture 31.2 (Spring 2009) includes an article by Kathleen Forni on the recent animated retelling of Beowulf. A pdf of the article can be downloaded from the journal web site at http://www.pcasacas.org/SiPC/SiPC_31.2/Forni.pdf.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

MMSM: New Essays in ARTHURIANA

The latest number of Arthuriana 19.3 (Fall 2009) includes the following articles of interest. All essays in this number are revised conference papers from sessions presented in May at Kalamazoo in honor of Bonnie Wheeler, out-going editor of the journal.


Who's Your Daddy?: New Age Grails
Laurie Finke and Martin B. Shichtman

Monumentality and the Gaze in Jean Cocteau's L' Éternel retour (1943)
Kathleen Coyne Kelly

Perverse Pastoralism and Medieval Melancholia in Powell and Pressburger's A Canterbury Tale
Tison Pugh

The Use of History and Archaeology in Contemporary Arthurian Fiction
Christopher A. Snyder

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

MMSM: MLA Survey for 2nd Edition of Teaching BEOWULF

The Modern Language Association (i. e. MLA) is in the process of organizing a second edition of their publication Approaches to Teaching Beowulf and has posted a brief survey for educators. The survey, available at the MLA's web site, must be completed (online seems to be preferred) by 15 December 2009.

The following release was sent to MLA members:

Dear Colleague:

I write on behalf of the MLA Publications Committee to ask for your help in an important professional project. We are beginning preparation of the volume Approaches to Teaching Beowulf, 2nd ed., edited by Howell D. Chickering, Jr., Allen J. Frantzen, and Robert F. Yeager, and would very much like you to participate.

We ask, first, that you respond to a brief questionnaire available on the MLA Web site at www.mla.org/approaches. We are particularly interested in your response to the final item concerning whether you would be willing to contribute an essay to the volume. Like other books published in the Approaches to Teaching series, this one will contain not only a discussion of the most important and useful materials available to the teacher of Beowulf but also a selection of essays by instructors.
We hope that you will be willing to share with other colleagues your experience in teaching Beowulf. The questionnaire will be available on the Web site until 15 December 2009, and all responses will be transmitted directly to the volume's editors.

You are receiving this message because you are a member of a division or discussion group whose members we believe would be interested in contributing to this volume, and we encourage you to pass it along to other colleagues who you think might also be interested. We would appreciate whatever assistance you can offer to this project and look forward to hearing from you.

Cordially,

David G. Nicholls
Director of Book Publications
Modern Language Association of America

Monday, October 5, 2009

MMSM: Notice of Upcoming Conferences

The following calls for papers were posted online recently. Both conferences are in Juy 2010:

FROM THE STUDIES IN MEDIEVALISM BLOG: (no English version)

XXVe Conférence Internationale sur le Médiévalisme, organisée en partenariat avec Modernités médiévales
« Dialogues transatlantiques : Parler du Moyen Age »
Université de Groningen (Pays-Bas), 8-10 juillet 2010

Date butoir : 15 novembre
Merci d’envoyer une proposition d’environ 300 mots (20 à 30 lignes) à Alicia C. Montoya et Vincent Ferré : A.C.Montoya@rug.nl / ferre@fabula.org


FROM THE MYTHOPOEIC SOCIETY WEB SITE:

Mythcon 41
War in Heaven
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, Texas
July 16-19, 2010 * * (Dates to be finalized early in the fall semester)


NO DATE FOR PROPOSALS YET (but they have a cool logo)

Sunday, October 4, 2009

MMSM: Conference Papers of Interest: NEPCA The Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association (Queensborough Community College 10/23-24/09)

NEPCA, the Northeast Popular/American Culture Association, meets this month at Queensborough Community College from Friday, 23 October, through Saturday, 24 October. The conference includes some papers on medieval subjects, as noted below. The complete program and registration information can be accessed at http://users.wpi.edu/~jphanlan/qccprogram.htm.


SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24

SESSION III: 10:30 AM – 12:00 pm
Panel 27: Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Legend II
Location: Medical Arts MC 41
Chair: Marlene San Miguel Groner, Farmingdale State College
PAPER 1 of 3: “America’s First Arthurian-Inspired Superhero: Quality Comics’ Merlin the Magician (1940-42)
Michael A. Torregrossa, The Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages
PAPER 2 0f 3: “Who’s Afraid of the Beowulf? The Anglo-Saxon Hero as a Modern Movie Monster”
John Sexton, Bridgewater State College


SESSION IV: 1:30 – 3:00 PM
Panel 32: Sexual Identity in Film and Literature
Location: Medical Arts MC 28
Chair: John Talbird, Queensborough Community College
PAPER 2 of 3: “Masculine Game(s) in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Make Me a Supermodel
Mo Parales, New York University

GWTV: Adventures of Robin Hood Now on RTV

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955-60), starring Richard Greene as Robin Hood, is currently airing on RTV (Retro TeleVision). Local listings can be accessed at http://www.myretrotv.com/programming.html. The complete series--four seasons in total--is also available on Region Free DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment and can be ordered from Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. More details about the series can be found on Wikipedia.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

GMTV: Catching Up: TCM Sept, Oct, Nov 2009

Here's the last batch of September 2009 TV plus the October and November listings from TCM. The complete schedule can be found at http://www.tcm.com/schedule/. All times are EST.

THURSDAY, 10 SEPT
8:00 PM Thief of Bagdad, The (1940)
A young thief faces amazing monsters to return Bagdad's deposed king to the throne.
Cast: Conrad Veidt, Sabu, June Duprez. Dir: Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, Tim Whelan. C-106 mins, TV-G, CC


SUNDAY, 13 SEPT
10:00 PM Hunchback Of Notre Dame, The (1939)
A deformed bell ringer rescues a gypsy girl falsely accused of witchcraft and murder.
Cast: Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Cedric Hardwicke. Dir: William Dieterle. BW-117 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS


MONDAY, 14 SEPT
4:00 PM 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)
A Chinese showman uses his magical powers to save a Western town from itself. Cast: Tony Randall, Barbara Eden, Arthur O'Connell. Dir: George Pal. C-100 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format [Merlin is on of the seven faces]
5:45 PM Tom Thumb (1958)
A six-inch-tall boy takes on a pair of comical crooks. Cast: Russ Tamblyn, Peter Sellers, Terry-Thomas. Dir: George Pal. C-92 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format, DVS


TUESDAY, 15 SEPT
12:35 AM Short Film: World Famous Musical Hits (2000)
A short promotional reel showcasing six MGM musicals: "Three Little Words," "Because You're Mine," "Till The Clouds Roll By," "The Band Wagon," "Words and Music," and "Singing In The Rain." C-9 mins [WORDS AND MUSIC is the story of the collaboration of Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart]


WEDNESDAY, 16 SEPT
2:30 AM 7th Voyage Of Sinbad, The (1958)
Sinbad hunts for a roc's egg to save his love from an evil sorcerer. Cast: Kerwin
Mathews, Kathryn Grant, Torin Thatcher. Dir: Nathan Juran. C-88 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format


WEDNESDAY, 23 SEPT
8:00 PM Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938)
The bandit king of Sherwood Forest leads his Merry Men in a battle against the corrupt Prince John. Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone. Dir: William Keighley, Michael Curtiz. C-102 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS
9:47 PM Short Film: Errol Flynn (1962)
BW-4 mins


THURDAY, 24 SEPT
12:15 AM Prince And The Pauper, The (1937)
Rousing adaptation of the Mark Twain tale of a 16th-century prince who trades places
with a lookalike peasant. Cast: Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, Billy and Bobby Mauch. Dir: William Keighley. BW-118 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS


FRIDAY, 25 SEPT
5:04 PM Short Film: Knight Is Young (1938)
June, refusing to leave her apartment for fear of being evicted, notices Hal painting a
billboard outside her window. Hal tries to woo her and soon ends up helping her as they share their love of muisic and dancing Cast: Hal LeRoy, June Allyson BW-20 mins [Medieval content unknown]


SUNDAY, 27 SEPT
12:00 AM Genghis Khan (1965)
The Asian conqueror and his mentor vie for the same woman. Cast: Stephen Boyd,
Omar Sharif, James Mason. Dir: Henry Levin. C-126 mins, TV-PG, Letterbox Format


MONDAY, 28 SEPT
2:00 AM Flowers of St. Francis (1950)
St. Francis of Assisi sends his followers into the world to spread God's word. Cast: Aldo Fabrizi, Pino Locci, Peparuolo. Dir: Roberto Rossellini. BW-87 mins, TV-G




SATURDAY, 3 OCT
10:00 AM Canterbury Tale, A (1944)
Three visitors to a small town try to catch a man who pours glue in women's hair. Cast: Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, Dennis Price. Dir: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger. BW-125 mins, TV-G
4:00 PM Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger (1977)
When a witch turns a young prince into a baboon, Sinbad fights to save him. Cast:
Patrick Wayne, Taryn Power, Jane Seymour. Dir: Sam Wanamaker. C-113 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format


SUNDAY, 4 OCT
4:00 PM Quentin Durward (1955)
A gallant Scots knight falls in love with his uncle's future wife. Cast: Robert Taylor, Kay Kendall, Robert Morley. Dir: Richard Thorpe. C-101 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format


TUESDAY, 6 OCT
6:15 PM Kismet (1944)
In the classic Arabian Nights tale, the king of the beggars enters high society to help his daughter marry a handsome prince. Cast: Ronald Colman, Marlene Dietrich, Edward Arnold. Dir: William Dieterle. C-100 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS


SUNDAY, 11 OCT
9:00 AM Tom Thumb (1958)
A six-inch-tall boy takes on a pair of comical crooks. Cast: Russ Tamblyn, Peter Sellers, Terry-Thomas. Dir: George Pal. C-92 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format, DVS


THURDAY, 15 OCT
4:00 PM Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971)
An apprentice witch and three war orphans try to prevent the Nazi invasion of England. Cast: Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Roddy McDowall. Dir: Robert Stevenson. C-117 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format


THUSDAY, 22 OCT
12:15 PM Ivanhoe (1952)
Sir Walter Scott's classic tale of the noble knight torn between his fair lady and a
beautiful Jew. Cast: Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine. Dir: Richard Thorpe. C-107 mins, TV-G, CC


FRIDAY, 23 OCT
10:00 PM Dragonwyck (1946)
A farm girl signs on as governess in a gloomy mansion. Cast: Gene Tierney, Walter
Huston, Vincent Price. Dir: Joseph L. Mankiewicz. BW-103 mins, TV-14, CC [Medieval content, if any, unknown]


MONDAY, 26 OCT
12:30 AM Nosferatu (1922)
In this silent film, a beautiful woman risks her life to end a vampire's plague of death and pestilence. Cast: Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schroder. Dir: F.W. Murnau. BW-89 mins, TV-PG [Unauthorized adaptation of DRACULA]


THURSDAY, 29 OCT
6:00 PM Sinbad The Sailor (1947)
The Arabian Nights hero sets off to find the lost treasure of Alexander the Great. Cast:
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak. Dir: Richard Wallace. C-117 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS




THURSDAY, 5 NOV
6:00 AM Fire Over England (1936)
A British spy infiltrates the Spanish court to thwart their planned invasion of England. Cast: Laurence Olivier, Flora Robson, Vivien Leigh. Dir: William F. Howard. BW-89 mins, TV-G

FRIDAY, 6 NOV
10:00 AM Sinbad The Sailor (1947)
The Arabian Nights hero sets off to find the lost treasure of Alexander the Great. Cast: Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak. Dir: Richard Wallace. C-117 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS
12:00 PM Son Of Sinbad (1955)
The legendary pirate's son fights an evil caliph over a magical secret. Cast: Dale
Robertson, Vincent Price, Sally Forrest. Dir: Ted Tetzlaff. C-93 mins, TV-PG, CC



SATURDAY, 7 NOV
6:00 PM Golden Voyage Of Sinbad, The (1973)
Sinbad battles a fiendish magician and his many monsters. Cast: John Phillip Law,
Caroline Munro, Tom Baker. Dir: Gordon Hessler. C-105 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format


WEDNESDAY, 11 NOV
12:30 AM Becket (1964)
England's King Henry II appoints his best friend Archbishop of Canterbury then turns on him. Cast: Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud. Dir: Peter Glenville. C-148 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format


THURSDAY, 19 NOV
7:30 AM Jack And The Beanstalk (1952)
A baby-sitter dreams himself and his best friend into the famous fairy tale. Cast: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Buddy Baer. Dir: Jean Yarbrough. C-78 mins, TV-G, CC


SATURDAY, 21 NOV
2:00 AM Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy, The (1965)
A mad scientist creates a murderous robot to steal an ancient Aztec treasure. Cast:
Ramon Gay, Rosa Arenas, Crox Alvarado. Dir: Rafael Portillo. BW-65 mins,


SUNDAY, 22 NOV
12:15 AM Man for All Seasons, A (1966)
A devout scholar gets caught in the middle of Henry VIII's plans to break with the Catholic Church. Cast: Paul Scofield, Robert Shaw, Wendy Hiller. Dir: Fred Zinnemann.. C-120 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format
10:00 PM Vikings, The (1958)
Viking half-brothers fight over a throne and a beautiful captive. Cast: Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh. Dir: Richard Fleischer. C-116 mins, TV-PG, Letterbox Format


FRIDAY, 27 NOV
8:00 PM Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971)
An apprentice witch and three war orphans try to prevent the Nazi invasion of England. Cast: Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Roddy McDowall. Dir: Robert Stevenson. C-117 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format


SATURDAY, 28 NOV
6:00 AM Singin' In The Rain (1952)
A silent-screen swashbuckler finds love while trying to adjust to the coming of sound. Cast: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor. Dir: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen. C-103 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS
8:00 AM That's Entertainment! (1974)
An all-star cast, including Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra, introduces clips from MGM's greatest musicals. Cast: Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor. Dir: Jack Haley, Jr. C-135 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format


SUNDAY, 29 NOV
4:00 AM Doctor Faustus (1967)
A scholar sells his soul to the devil for knowledge. Cast: Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Andreas Teuber. Dir: Richard Burton, Nevill Coghill. C-92 mins, TV-14, Letterbox Format
8:30 AM Hunchback Of Notre Dame, The (1939)
A deformed bell ringer rescues a gypsy girl falsely accused of witchcraft and murder. Cast: Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Cedric Hardwicke. Dir: William Dieterle. BW-117 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS