Sunday September 22, 2019 Gary Larson

Theme: - "Film Openings" - Each familiar phrase is re-phrased as if the first word is a film.

22A. Review of a 2013 Disney musical?: FROZEN ACCOUNT.

39A. 1:58 for the duration of a 2016 Amy Adams sci-fi flick?: ARRIVAL TIME.
 
70A. Author of a 1990 Swayze/Moore fantasy romance?: GHOST WRITER.

101A. Box-office receipts for a 1988 Tom Hanks comedy?: BIG BUSINESS.
 
117A. First draft of a 1995 De Niro/Pacino thriller?: HEAT TREATMENT.

16D TV commercial for a 1983 Chevy Chase comedy?: VACATION SPOT.

62D. Pretentious chatter about a 1960 Hitchcock thriller?: PSYCHO BABBLE.

Lots of one-named films. Many are not workable as they can't be put in phrases. Argo, Goodfellas, etc.

Upper left and lower right have triple-stacks of 8s. Very themeless-like. Amazing.

Across:

1. DSL provider: ISP. Ours is CenturyLink.

4. MSNBC rival: CNN.

7. Living room piece: DIVAN.

12. Tennyson poem that begins, "I waited for the train at Coventry": GODIVA.

18. Extreme degree: NTH.

19. Sushi topping: ROE.

20. Saudi neighbor: OMANI.

21. Turkey's highest peak: ARARAT. Noah's Ark landed there.


25. Small shooter: MINICAM. Pic-shooter.

27. Green-winged night flier: LUNA MOTH.

28. Sudden air movement: GUST.

30. Olympic skater Baiul: OKSANA. 70. Medal for 30-Across: GOLD. She won a gold medal in the 1994 Winter Olympics.

31. Singer with numerically named albums: ADELE. "19," "21" and "25".

32. Vocalist Kitt: EARTHA.

35. Job for an actor: ROLE.

37. Hanoi holiday: TET.

38. Place for a béret: TETE. 63. Leader in a beret: CHE. Guevara.


41. QB's stat: INT.

42. Inventor Otis: ELISHA.

44. Macho guy: MAN'S MAN. Great fill.

45. Reduce bit by bit: ERODE.

47. U.S. Army medal: DSC.

48. Spoke at length: ORATED.

51. George who was VP for both Jefferson and Madison: CLINTON. Wiki says "Along with John C. Calhoun, he is one of two vice presidents to hold office under two presidents". Our local Lake Calhoun, where constructor Andrea Carla Michaels grew up,  is now named Bde Maka Ska. Hard to remember. Calhoun was pro-slavery.

Boomer, Lori, Andrea and Tom Pepper

53. Three-time Oscar-winning director: CAPRA.

54. Stand-in: SUB.

57. Closes securely: SEALS UP.

60. How some stock is sold: AT PAR.

65. Hammock rests: NAPS.

68. Star NFL player: ALL-PRO. And 99. West Coast NFLer: LA RAM.

69. Great, in slang: BOSS. Unfamiliar to me.

73. Many ages: EONS.

74. Prefix with currency or zoology: CRYPTO. Cryptocurrency is such a complex concept.

76. Tool for a duel: EPEE.

77. Pretentious talk: GAS. 78. Pretentious: ARTSY.

79. Events with tea, perhaps: SOCIALS. Cantonese love "Yum Cha", literally "Drink tea". Retired people often go to afternoon tea every day. Chitchat and eat dim sum.

81. Word on a dipstick: ADD.

83. Book IDs: ISBNS.

85. Not easily able: HARD PUT.

88. Expired: RAN OUT.

90. Cassis aperitif: KIR.

93. Performed with brilliance: SHONE.

95. High-spirited horse: ARABIAN.

98. Diva Dion: CELINE.

100. __ mentality: MOB.

104. Sugar bowl marchers: ANTS.

105. Professional org. since 1847: AMA.

106. Sans accomplice: LONE.

107. California wine valley: SONOMA. Also a Kohl's brand.

108. Titled rapper: DR DRE.

109. Immortal NBA first name: LEBRON.

111. Go yachting: SAIL.

113. By birth, what Professor Jones wasn't, surprisingly: INDIANAN. OK, I just found out he was born in Princeton, New Jersey.

115. West African country: LIBERIA.

120. Bordeaux wine: CLARET.

121. Houston player: ASTRO.

122. Host's invitation: SIT.

123. Perceive: SEE.

124. Conger catchers: EELERS.

125. Second-stringers: B TEAM.

126. General on a menu: TSO.

127. Benchmark: Abbr.: STD.

Down:

1. Blew up: INFLATED.

2. Pastries from the German for "whirlpool": STRUDELS. Fixtures at the annual Graybar Christmas luncheon.

3. Like the spelling "kuh-zin" for "cousin," e.g.: PHONETIC.

4. Oreo filling: CREME.

5. Laying-down-the-law item: NO NO.

6. More orderly: NEATER.

7. Holliday title: DOC.

8. Texting qualifier: IMO.

9. Jazz singer Sarah: VAUGHAN. For Wendy and Jack. We just had SARAH clued as "Vaughan of Jazz" two weeks ago.

10. Yearbooks, say: ANNUALS.

11. Tiny complaints: NITS.

12. School of whales: GAM. I only know POD.

13. Brightly plumed songbird: ORIOLE.

14. German thanks: DANKE.

15. Tennessee state flower: IRIS. Our delicate state flowers.

17. Finished: AT AN END.

23. "The Diamond Store": ZALES.

24. Blacken: CHAR.

26. Not a shiny finish: MATTE.

29. Courtroom event: TRIAL.

33. Winter coat: RIME. And 43. Winter coat: HOAR.

34. Super Bowl highlights?: TV ADS.  Sure in our household.

36. Old Dodges: OMNIS.

39. Group lobbying for lower drug prices: AARP.

40. HBO competitor: TMC.

45. Series-ending abbr.: ET AL.

46. Painting aids: ROLLERS.

49. St. Louis landmark: ARCH.

50. Western resort: TAHOE.

52. Within reach: NEAR.

53. Sea in two continents: CASPIAN. Asian & Europe.

55. Single: UNWED.

56. Tavern: BAR.

58. Footed vases: URNS.

59. Ring-around-the-rosy bouquet: POSY.

60. Beginner's class material: ABCS.

61. Corrida opponent: TORO.

64. Debatable ability: ESP.

66. Orwell's Napoleon, for one: PIG. "Animal Farm".

67. Unwanted spot: STAIN. D-Otto uses Spray 'n Wash. Mango stains are not easy to remove.

71. Wonderland drink: TEA.

72. Canadian tank filler: ESSO.

75. Container weight: TARE. A regular in our old Tribute Daily days.

78. Chip in chips: ANTE.

80. New World colonizer: SPAIN.

82. Exhaust: DRAIN.

84. Pittsburgh Pirates nickname: BUCS.

86. Prods: URGES.

87. Keyboard key: TAB.

89. __ Domini: ANNO.

90. Subject of some random acts: KINDNESS. Blessed to have so many kind souls on our blog.

91. Private info-sharing system: INTRANET.

92. Begrudged: RESENTED.

93. Wee: SMALL.

94. Hockey advantage: HOME ICE.

96. Most hectic: BUSIEST. And 103. Least out there: SANEST.

97. Quarantine: ISOLATE.

101. More scrawny: BONIER.

102. Qatari leader: EMIR.

106. Mr. Moto portrayer: LORRE.

108. "Same here": DITTO.

110. Honest-to-goodness: REAL.

112. Queequeg's captain: AHAB.

114. Speaker's spot: DAIS.

116. @ signs: ATS.

118. Musical syllable: TRA.

119. Cruise, for one: TOM. The best Toms are on our blog.

Here are a few photos from Hahtoolah's Capri trip. She said "The water here is crystal clear. Alas, no beaches, but it is great for boating."