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1958's The Blob was a lot more fun (even the extras were smiling) than the 1988 remake, with special effects and more gore added... The Last Man on Earth (1964) was based on Richard Matheson's novel, I Am Legend and got a mention in the trailer of 1971 remake, The Omega Man and finally used it's original title in the 2007 remake, I Am Legend

Invaders From Mars (1986). the 1953 original is better.

What's not to like about Karl Marx's head coming out of the mist vomiting guns?

I hope you're kidding, (and it wasn't funny even if you were) that's one of the weirdest posts yet!

1.. Woody Allen- Hannah and Her Sisters 2. Roger Corman - Pit and The Pendulum 3. Andre de Toth - Crime Wave and House of Wax. Pitfall 4. Blake Edwards - Pink Panther, Days of Wine and Roses, Breakfast at Tiffany's 5. David Fincher - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 6. Samuel Fuller - Pick Up On South Street, Forty Guns, Naked Kiss 7. Mervin Leroy - Random Harvest, Anthony Adverse, Home Before Dark ( this was the most difficult one, so many more films I love he directed 8. Penny Marshall - Awakenings 9. Norman Z McLeod - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, It's A Gift 10. Ronald Neame - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Your above line which I highlighted here Sepia could be or probably is one of the very factors which make classic movies, "classic". The idea that in many regards the better movies ever made and regardless what era they might have been made in, will usually contain timeless examples of the human condition and then explore them. (...and I have to say that I always feel somewhat sorry for anyone who for whatever reason are unable to either see those timeless examples in the movies they might watch, or worse still, refuse to watch because of their preconceived notions of them being "dated" and/or only watch movies to be "entertained" and resist those that are or might be thought-provoking)

Incendiary Blonde (1945) Next: Blithe Spirit

Oh yeah? *Crosses her big arms over her big chest* Come here and say that to me, punk. *Prepares to carve "Big Flora was here" into Thompson's forehead*

So far this month (switching between modern and classic and back again)

Our Man In Havana 1959 next: Jeanne Crain, Ann Southern and Linda Darnell

TRON came back as TRON LEGACY as part of Disney remaking everything it owns GODZILLA has been remade a lot PLANET OF THE APES was recently remade (I'm counting reboot "sequels" because they are just remakes)

LOIS next: Farrow, Kirshner and Sara

On Dangerous Ground (1951) Next- The Set Up (1949) Robert Ryan double bill

The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977 & 1996) The Time Machine (1960 & 2002)

1949

The winner of TCM Challenge #44 will be awarded this very cool repro poster from the first Film Noir Film Festival and each challenge participant will receive a TCM/classic film-lover-appropriate Thank You gift for being part of Challenge #44. Thank you all for all of your time, effort and amazing creativity!!

Last night I watched GODS LITTLE ACRE '58, a movie based on Southern writer Erskine Caldwell. I was attracted to it for the cast/crew: Directed by Anthony Mann, starring Robert Ryan, Aldo Ray, Jack Lord, Vic Morrow, Buddy Hackett. "Introducing Tina Louise"? The only Tina Louise I knew of was Ginger from Gilligan's Island... and was shocked when I recognized this was the same woman. I just couldn't imagine what this story would be about, but figured it was going to be pretty gritty & sexist which it was in spades. The first half of the story was kind of frustrating & tedious while introducing the charactors & the situation. Robert Ryan's charactor, idiotically named TyTy is the patriarch of a farm family of 5 mostly grown kids. One daughter & one son have left home but live nearby. TyTy chases his dream there's a treasure buried on the farm and spends his days digging huge holes in the land looking for it. The only business in town is a huge textile mill (linen?) that is closed, putting everyone out of work. Aldo Ray is the husband of one of TyTy's daughters and can't accept the Mill's closing, or his marriage so is drunk a lot of the time. Most of the story is the dynamics of all the quirky charactors, mostly unlikeable, pretty much like most Southern novels of the era. Incredible power house performances of ALL involved is what really makes this film. Robert Ryan is mesmerizing in his portrayal outshining anyone sharing the frame. As the story unfolds, Ryan's role recedes and each actor gets a chance to show their talents. Most outstanding was smoldering Tina Louise expressing dignity, empathy and nuanced emotions instead of just "being beautiful". Unknown to me, Fay Spain was also a standout as a lusty manipulative youngest daughter, played just perfectly, teasing & joyous. I love Aldo Ray and his performance was really intense, but he played the big dumb lug he always plays. Although I saw his name in the credits, I did not recognize 20 year old Michael Landon as "The Albino" charactor, what an amazing long career he had! Buddy Hackett is well, Buddy Hackett but it's revelatory to see him in a dramatic role. The second half of the story, IS the story and I won't tell you how it unfolds. There is one very very illogical scene (at the climax) that truly ruins believability but is ironically hilarious because it alludes to "climax". Although it tries to sell itself as salacious, it's really not. If you liked TOBACCO ROAD '41 and other gritty tales of quirky Southerners...here's another one made worthy by the talent involved. Fay Spain enjoying a cold bath- Yes, this is Michael Landon. He just couldn't get rid of his pompadour, even when wigged- One of the funniest scenes is after digging, the boys convince their Dad to "go into town" for some carousing- without changing clothes or washing up!

Thursday, March 4/5 Letterbox reframed 3:30 a.m. The Four Feathers (1939). Zoltan Korda extravaganza.

THE CORPSE CAME C.O.D.

The Rat Pack was oh so cool!

Harrison Next: Chiles, Lane, Maxwell

To Sir with Love Next: Frank Morgan, Margaret Hamilton & Walter Pidgeon

FANNY 1961

Nuyen, France

Meara, Anne

Lazenby, George

At least you have Charlotte Rampling to wait the Covid out with.

1. Woody Allen - Zelig (1983) 2. Roger Corman - A Bucket of Blood (1959) 3. Andre DeToth - Slattery's Hurricane (1949) 4. Blake Edwards - Victor Victoria (1982) 5. David Fincher - Gone Girl (2014) 6. Sam Fuller - Merrill's Marauders (1962) 7. Mervyn LeRoy - Mister Roberts (1955) 8. Penny Marshall - The Preacher's Wife (1996) 9. Norman Z McLeod - My Favorite Spy (1951) 10. Ronald Neame - Gambit (1966)

Just watched PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974) when I was a teenager in the 1990s, this showed up quite a bit on Cinemax, I did not particularly like it, but it was an impactful film and I remembered much of it over the years. It gets some bonus points for working FAUST in to the standard LEROUX story remodeled as a GLAM ROCK FABLE and adding a supernatural element as well... I guess one can only wonder what the result would have been had they cast someone besides PAUL WILLIAMS In what is more or less the lead role as the chief antagonist and villain who is supposed to be sexually irresistable, Intimidating, charismatic, diabolical and threatening. PAUL WILLIAMS Looks at all times in this film like Truman Capote dressing up as Martina Navratilova for Halloween and is about as intimidating as Audrey Hepburn. the music is not memorable either. When BEEF dies, a very special light goes out in this movie.

VALERIE next: James, Tyne and Tim

Mae West. Next: starred several times with David Niven

Stacy Keach Next: THE PROJECTIONIST (1970) PLAY IT AS IT LAYS (1972) SILENT MOVIE (1976) LADYBUGS (1992) ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS (1993)

The Harder They Fall (1956) Next: Dangerously They Live (1941)

Boy, the 7th, 8th and 9th are all also currently unscheduled. I wonder what TCM has cooking? So, let's skip ahead to Daytime May 10 Fred Astaire Birthday Tribute The Gay Divorcee (Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers) (RKO, 1934) Roberta (Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire) (RKO, 1935) A Damsel in Distress (Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine) (RKO, 1937) The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers) (RKO, 1939) Second Chorus (Fred Astaire, Paulette Goddard) (Paramount, 1940) The Sky's the Limit (Fred Astaire, Joan Leslie) (RKO, 1943) Three Little Words (Fred Astaire, Red Skelton) (MGM, 1950) The Belle of New York (Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen) (MGM, 1952) Primetime Night Two of SOTM Movie Roberts. Last week, it was thrillers, this week romances. Marie Antoinette (Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power) (MGM, 1938). With Robert Morley as Louis XVI. Waterloo Bridge (Vivien Leigh, Robert Taylor) (MGM, 1940) H.M. Pulham, Esq. (Hedy Lamarr, Robert Young) (MGM, 1941) I Married a Witch (Frederic March, Veronica Lake) (United Artists, 1942). With Robert Benchley as March's pal. Princess O'Rourke (Olivia De Havilland, Robert Cummings) (Warner Bros., 1943) The Music Man (Robert Preston, Shirley Jones) (Warner Bros., 1962) Sunday in New York (Rod Taylor, Jane Fonda) (MGM, 1963) With Robert Culp as Fonda's boyfriend

Y'need to cut down on the little symbols and be more discriminate in your choices in them. But I take it you're not familiar with Ms. Barr. So---- (if they don't mess with it) Sepiatone

Man of the West 1958 next: Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster and Richard Widmark.

BELL BOOK AND CANDLE (1958) Next: Jack Lord, Julie London and Gary Cooper

Strangers On A Train 1951 next: Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon and James Stewart.

The Patty Duke Show

Maureen O'Hara Next: Born in South America

Zelda, played by Ann Sheridan in "Naughty and Nice"

I've seen enough new films from 2019 since our last poll of that year to change my top ten significantly. The top two films are new. 2019 My top FF films of 2019 of the 20 that I have seen are …. 1. The Rifleman (2019) Dzintars Dreibergs, Latvia The true story of a Latvian teenager who enlists to fight the Germans in WWI. I thought this was one of the best new films about that war. 2. Les Miserables (2019) Ladj Ly, France Multi-award winning thriller about a police unit that, through fault of their own becomes embroiled with ethnic gangs. Really well done. 3. The Cave (2019) Feras Fayyad, Syria 4. Parasite (2019) Joon-ho Bong, South Korea 5. Bacurau (2019) Kleber Mendonca Filho, Juliano Dornelles, Brazil 6. The Endless Trench (2019) Altor Arregi, Jon Garano, Jose Mari Goenaga It is 1936, Spain and the fascists are shooting villagers suspected of being Republicans. One escapes and his wife hides him in a small compartment behind a wall. As we know the fascists won the civil war and it was a very long time before Franco left power. Antonio de la Torre and Belen Cuesta are excellent as the couple. Recommended. 7. The Traitor (2019) Marco Bellocchio, Italy This film won the Best Picture, Actor and Supporting Actor awards in Italy. It is the story of Tommaso Buscetta who turned state’s evidence against the Costa Nostra in Siciily. It is appropriately brutal and very well done. My only complaint was it was difficult to keep track of the many characters because more often than not, they had very little set-up. The music score is fabulous. 8. Collective (2019) Alexander Nanau, Romania A documentary that unwinds the deep systemic corruption in the entire Romanian health system. Recommended 9. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019) Chiwetel Eijofor, UK [the majority of this is in Malawian with subtitles] 10. So Long, My Son (2019) Xiaoshuai Wang, China Pain and Glory (2019) Pedro Almodovar, Spain Song Without a Name (2019) Melina Leon, Peru A young native Peruvian gives birth at a clinic then when she recovers her baby and the entire clinic have disappeared. La Llorona (2019) Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala Decent film about an aged war criminal and his family as they endure house arrest. I won’t give away any more. There are a couple of really well done set pieces including one where the General is being transported in an ambulance. The Farewell (2019) Lulu Wang, USA The Best Years of a Life (2019) Claude Lelouch, France Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) Celine Sciamma, France System Crasher (2019) Nora Fingscheidt, Germany There is nothing wrong with this film but it is a difficult watch. It is about a young girl who is prone to severe tantrums and bouts of mean violence. Her mother cannot handle her and she is too young to be segregated and committed. It practically swept the German Film Awards. I’m No Longer Here (2019) Fernando Frias, Mexico and I’ve also seen … About Endlessness (2019) Roy Anderson, Sweden Though I didn’t care for it much I did find it very interesting and enjoyed the art direction and the bits of humour. And it wasn’t endless running at just an hour and a quarter. I Lost My Body (2019) Jeremy Clapin, France Family Romance, LLC (2019) Werner Herzog, Japan Ishii Yuichi runs a company where its employees can be hired to impersonate other people. He begins to question its morality when he is hired to impersonate the missing father of a young girl and she becomes attached to him. Sounds Interesting. Believe me, it is not. The way that it is all handled makes it seem too preposterous and IMO this takes the cake as Werner Herzog’s worst film.

And thank you, Det. Jim, for another of these fun lists. The eclectic mix of directors is part of the fun.

PLAYTIME

yes, he plays the driving instructor and it is, possibly, the funniest scene in the whole movie.