Tikisoo

I can't remember which person here wrote this several months ago, but I loved it anyway (raises hand) It was ME! It's one of my favorite snipes! "I've never had me quoted back to me before" (who said that line?) this has FAR more to do with just being "stupid" and wanting to be "known"(i.e. their "15 minutes of Fame") than it does about being "immoral" Well, that's because "shame" and privacy is no longer taught or valued. No one is embarrassed by creating a scene in public or attracting attention to themselves for any reason. It is now the goal to be stared at or "become viral". The need for strangers, ANY one's attention is far greater than personal humility. (I tell kids you can get away with a lot more when you remain anonymous) Someday I'm going to see the recent remake of THE WOMEN just to see how they rewrote it. The entire story is based on pride, class and humility-which are no longer recognised in our current society.

but before that one of my favorite 3rd season eps of original Star Trek Star Trek is a great warm up for Svengoolie. It's amazing how well these hold up despite the sets, costumes & primitive effects. I had realized just how much I love this show and went out and compiled DVDs of all 3 seasons. That way if I fall asleep mid-episode I can always just watch the DVD later. A few weeks ago featured Kirk in a fight with a look-alike. It was great to play it paused step by step and see the stuntman doubling for Kirk-he looked a lot like Shatner. Saw a guy in a Svengoolie t-shirt last night at the 35mm screening of THE FLY.

he played young leading man roles prior to PSYCHO And he was an outstanding actor-I think he came from actor parents. I just loved him in GOODBYE AGAIN and FRIENDLY PERSUASION. I always felt it was a shame he never shook Norman off, but he brought such power to that role. We recently watched it with TikiKid and she just adored Norman during the movie and kept saying, "He's so CUTE! So sweet & shy, leave him alone" She was SHOCKED finding out he was the "bad" guy in the end (she almost always guesses the end of a story) which shows me how effective both the directing & acting was in PSYCHO (1960)

I just watched the movie HALLOWEEN (1978) for the first time last night and found it funny the killer's name was Mike Meyers

What about actor Gig Young taking his professional name from the charactor he played in THE GAY SISTERS (1942)?

I could have done without that knowledge. In fact, I could have done without the whole movie. I never did quite understand the purpose of a shot for shot remake. The "purpose" it held for me was, that it completely illustrates the contribution of ACTING TALENT to a movie. You do not realize how outstanding everyone's portrayal was in the first PSYCHO until you see how "lacking" the second film is*. As was the addition of that "extra knowledge" you speak of..... just wholly unnecessary. *I did not realize Leigh's contribution until comparing it. She was better than I thought.

I saw Eugene Palette in an early (maybe silent?) film at a Cinefest a few years back where he was the ROMANTIC LEAD. He wasn't always roley-poley, but a very handsome leading man early in his career. Interesting to think he could have become lost in the shuffle among other, more charismatic romantic leading men. Instead, he went with the flow as a "fat guy" with a unique voice & delivery and became a memorable charactor actor.

Yeah, Svengoolie also pointed out the actor inside the swimming Gill-man made a cameo as a scientist. R.O. wouldn't do that would he? The actor/swimmer certainly was slender. He did a fantastic job of acting....amazing considering it was only body language because he was encased in that suit. The suit is amazing in itself, if only for it's complete coverage with no zippers or seams showing. We got several good views of the Gill-man in this movie. This was an older episode rebroadcast-you could tell by the "old" coffin.

Haven't read the entire thread but want to comment on "remakes" for your opinion. Last night I showed the (17 yr old) kid the 50's version of WAR OF THE WORLDS. She kept saying, "I've already seen it" meaning the Tom Cruise one. She was really into it saying, "I don't remember ANY of this" meaning the first landing or the Army defense....you know, the STORY. "All I remember was Tom Cruise and his little boy trying to get away." I had asked if the invading machines looked the same and she couldn't remember what the machines LOOKED LIKE in the newer version. When we stopped the DVD for a food break, the kid looked at the paused picture and said, "Wow that looks so real-like we're looking at them through a window" and we discussed the color & lighting. I asked throughout how she liked the special effects, was it hokey or fake looking? Nope, she loved it-the machines, the sound effects, the death ray, even the ET like creature that you barely see. The room erupted in laughter at the end narration, "God in his infinite wisdom created tiny bacteria" so I asked her if she preferred the ending of the Tom Cruise version, but she could not recall it. So what does that tell you about modern, big budget, action packed CGI enhanced films?

I'm so glad some people know who Tabanga is. I am trying my hand at topiary these days and when someone asks what my forsythia is going to be, I tell them "A Tabanga" and then have to clarify by saying it's a mythical tree creature. It will be the most fun when it's upstretched "arms" grow in.

One indication of Cagney's greatness is that ALL cultures & ages love him. His performances are electric. I've shown 15 year olds Cagney movies and they are all drawn to him. Loaned Cagney movies to new immigrants from Liberia, and they "get" him too. Pretty good for 70 year old b&w movies. As for "they don't make 'em like that anymore"....there were very few of Cagney's contemporaries that even had his talent & charisma. Nowadays, all I see are "naturalistic" read "bland" performances in film, even among the best of them. Thank goodness for the stage, where dramatic acting is kept alive.

Thanks for this thread 666. Glad you include a short synopsis of whatever you're recommending to help me decide whether to give it a try or not. I even prefer personal opinions to Maltin's, thanks to all who comment in this thread.

Why would anyone want to block out anyone's posts with "ignore"? You miss them digging their own hole writing stoopid comments. It's like watching a train wreck....I can't look away! (geez I hope I'm not the one on everyone's ignore)

My alert sound on my computer: "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that". Say in monotone on the job. Calling someone rude and/or antisocial a "Heelot" usually shuts them down.

I found the scenery, sets & photography breathtakingly beautiful. But I've always hated the movie-unlikeable charactors I cannot empathise with- I hate any story that glorifies adultery. But many people don't have the same issues I do and love the film-I think that's great. I may even give it another try based on MovieMadness's assessment.

There is a reason why Paper Moon is the movie poster in my living room, it's easily my most beloved film. Just this past weekend I was playing the soundtrack lp....it was never released on CD. So glad you finally saw it, speeder. I actually really liked Ryan O'Neal as Moses and can't imagine anyone else in that role. He is just trying to "get by" like everyone else in the Depression. I especially like his silly horsey laugh when he meets Trixie Delight (did Madeline Kahn EVER let us down?) He's really just a goof trying to come across as smart, yet a little girl outsmarts him. And very secure of Ryan for playing a role destined to be outshined by his daughter. I think he's a wholly underrated actor, far better than he ever gets credit for. Even the sherriff/mayor is excellent, as is the entire supporting cast, sets, music, costumes, etc. When I think of this film I think of the sound of the old car motors chugging along dirt roads. " i want my two hundred DOLLARS!" a line the Tikis often repeat when we feel ripped off.

SHOOTING STARS Drugs, Hollywood & The Movies by Harry Shapiro is an excellent book on the subject. It even sites examples of drug use in movies getting beyond the "code" in early film. It's a great book if you prefer academic views rather than sensationalism. As for sex, I think that is more cyclical with the morality of the times. Just look at the difference in attitude on homosexuality-in the 20's it was an accepted alternative in "flapper" society, the 50's crawled into the closet (Rock Hudson to mention one oppressed), and today it's celebrated.

you do not value the information that can be imparted on an internet board. So if you feel that why, why spend so much time hanging around and reading/posting. I am a published writer and historian, albeit in an esoteric field. The general public as well as academia regards anyone who has been published an "authority" and "expert" in their field. (not always warranted) Anyone who uses the internet as a "source" for material is quickly discounted, as 99% of people realize the internet is filled with opinions and rumors rather than established facts. While I may spend an hour a day reading & posting on internet boards, it is solely for entertainment. I enjoy hearing how a movie effected someone emotionally or if they thought that blockbuster was a "stinker" or if a "scene" was offensive. I spend time here mostly to hear opinions-opinions of those interested in classic film. (like a big coctail party) But I certainly do not consider posting on internet message boards "journalism"- you're not being paid for sharing your knowledge, you're just posting your opinion. If you are a screenwriter/journalist, writing on an internet message board is not furthering your career, it's just a funneling your energy away from being published.

laffite said: No one is really responding to that thread, yet you continue to post to it everyday. This is easily 1/4 of this message board. Not only the specific poster you're referring to, but many start threads and are the ONLY person responding to their own threads. I never read those, figuring the poster doesn't WANT anyone to respond. But I am going to start doing something creative about it. I have a very good idea in mind about how to address the issue of TCM repeats and the issue of the Program Challenges which is something I have been aching to tackle, because I have very strong opinions about those. I don't want to get to that until a little ways down the road. I need to map that discussion out Wow. Is THIS your idea of "Film Writing & Selected Journalism"? Why not funnel these same energies into having something published rather than wasting it on an internet message board?

Yes, this is true. That is because TCM programmers like those movies and think Revenge of the Creature is a stinker. How can you say that when you KNOW the programmers aren't choosing what they "like" or what they "think is a stinker"? They can only buy what's OFFERED. And what's offered is a "package" of several movies. Maybe the "package" that contains REVENGE OF THE CREATURE is included in an unreasonably expensive group package. Posts on these boards want to blame TCM programmers for what's shown, how often and what time slots. Please understand these variables often are dictated by those holding the rights to broadcast these movies. speedracer-just watch Svengoolie on METV every Saturday in July and you'll see the Creature movies in succession. (thread has now come full circle)

A few years ago my film group screened EVERGREEN and was instantly hooked. I caught half of THERE GOES THE BRIDE on my PBS movie channel, so that indicates her movies most likely are offered in a public domain broadcast "package". That broadcast was so grainy & tinny (unwatchable) so possibly anything available isn't up to TCMs standards. I asked my movie buddy about it and he is stumped too. Jessie Matthews was so wildly popular in her day, it's amazing there are no "restoration" version box sets of her movies out there. Josephine Baker movies are pretty esoteric, and those have been restored and released on DVD, why not Jessie Matthews?

I like Jessie Matthews very much. I will recommend: There Goes the Bride (1932) and It's Love Again(1936) I KNEW there had to be more Jessie Matthews than just FIRST A GIRL and EVERGREEN, the only 2 I've ever seen on TCM. People are obviously captivated by her (me included) why aren't her films more circulated? I can't even find her films on DVD.

Of course Wings isn't as great as Sunrise but that doesn't matter. No it doesn't, because I much prefer WINGS - I hate SUNRISE.

What you guys don't seem to grasp is that broadcast rights come in "packages"....the buyer doesn't get much of a choice on what's contained in each package. TCM or ME-TV "buyers" may get several movies they really don't want in order to get the one or two titles they're requesting. Even the amount of times they broadcast a title is dictated by the rights owners- this explains WHY we see NBNW or GASLIGHT numerous times. At least, this how I understand it. The Svengoolie show on METV has some sort of exclusive relationship with Universal -if you've noticed- they only show Universal movies. TCM has to deal with ALL the major film rights owners; Fox, Sony and even the MGM titles it once owned. Possibly Universal has sweetened the deal for Svengoolie by giving exclusive rights to some titles. As much as I love Svengoolie, I skipped most of last month's Hammer (owned by Universal) and will skip the rest of this month's "creature" films. Universal releases these routinely for 35mm projection and I've seen them all on the big screen. But THE INVISIBLE WOMAN last week was a gem, only rarely shown on TCM. But what I DO love about Svengoolie is his "ID that actor" or "reused footage" segments. Short, sweet, geared towards newly budding Cinephiles, simply saying, "This movie stars Edmund Gwenn, the same actor who played Santa in Miracle on 34th St and the scientist in THEM!" and "Note this same footage was used in XXX movie, that's not even Boris Karloff going up the stairs" These tidbits spark an interest for kids to see movies in ways other than just the story. And Svengoolie is fun. I like to see ESSENTIAL JR on TCM adopt a similar approach.

speedracer-if you like this style poster art I recommend the (large format) book REYNOLD BROWN A LIFE IN PICTURES by Daniel Zimmer & Dave Horning. Reynold Brown was the artist who made the paintings used for those posters. His work is vast & remarkable.