Moby Dick is a whale of a tale! Be sure to see the Ray Bradbury 1956 version of the movie.

It begins with the famous line “Call me Ishmael…”. Thus begins the wonderful embedded references and literary devices employed throughout this powerful story.

Is a whale a fish? There are references to Jonah and the whale or is it the fish? Now, we know that a whale is a mammal, but in earlier days, the distinction was not made between whale and fish - after all, they seem fish-like and live in the ocean. But, this cinematically beautiful and literarily rich story told on film is fairly bursting with whale and ocean lore. It is a fantastic tale that transports you magically to another time and place where the people have a great respect for the sea and its inhabitants with all its dangers and yet sustenance for themselves and their families.

Watching this powerful, inspiring, gripping, thought-provoking story will bring out the creativity in your thinking process. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you love the sea and feel the passion of the men who make their living there - who live and die there.

The dramatic story unfolds full of mystery, comradeship, double meanings, layers of meaning, and metaphors. You get to know and love the characters as written so bountifully by the master author, Ray Bradbury, who worked with the famous director, John Huston.

Gregory Peck is Ahab, the captain of the ship in search of the gigantic, elusive whale, Moby Dick. The references to New Bedford from “It’s A Wonderful Life” give a clue as to the atmosphere in that town in this tale. It foreshadows something bad is going to happen. The entire story is as full of tension and suspense that builds as in an Alfred Hitchcock film. Your emotional investment in the people in the story keep your eyes glued to the screen - hoping for the best for them!

It’s a great movie to watch during Halloween time! The passionate drama and suspense along with the dark and stark black and white images and scary ending will put the OOOO! & and the OW! In your Halloween! This is going to be an unforgettably whale of a Halloween! Happy Whale-o-ween!







For wonderful art painted by Ray Bradbury himself, check out this website for Every Picture Tells A Story:
http://www.everypicture.com/artists/125/1/ray-bradbury.html
Here, you will find Mr. Bradbury’s gorgeous paintings of “The Halloween Tree” from his book of the same name!