Tikisoo

>JamesJG said: My dad rarely hit us kids but I remember complaining that nothing was on TV expect the news and I made a comment like 'who cares about some dead guy' and my dad hit me hard. I spit out my coffee at that...certainly wouldn't happen today, hitting kids I mean. And that my friend is why they call it "The day the world changed". ;-) When I was a kid and they said that phrase I had no idea what they meant. I know exactly what it means now. And that aspect of the presidency & time period alone make these retrospectives so interesting. I lived through it but learned many things from the very well done AMERICAN EXPERIENCE (pt 1) that I wasn't aware of, especially his relationship with Martin Luther King Sr.

The first big "retro" trend happened in the 70's, when popular style looked back to the 20's emulating "flapper" clothing & art deco style designs. In the 70's the general public started discovering the classic stars and because of that interest, the studios realized profits by redistributing their early films. Secondly, film stars that were still with us were sought out for interviews and retrospectives. Then MGM compiled clips into THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT collages that were huge hits. There were many books written about classic film in this time period and most are "picture" books, along with a few star biographies. In the last decade or so, it seems there has been another big resurgence in the interest in classic film. This time around, it's become more scholarly and production driven (than star or style fueled) as can be seen by the more academic type of books about film published today. People are calling themselves "film historians" and colleges offer real film history courses, not just fluff. People are more familiar with lesser known vintage films and even seek out the stinkers, mostly for historical context. Any insights as to why this has happened? Was TCM (or cable) a big part of that? Is home viewing video/DVD a contribution? Is the proliferation of CGI action "franchises" turning off the rest of adult film goers like myself? I mean really, if anyone had said in 1985 there would be a "cruise ship event that showed old movies" that cost thousands of dollars, no one would believe them. Opinions, please.

>Whether it's the shoppers or store owners being selfish is up for debate. I don't think it's shoppers being selfish is the problem more than just their **** poor time management. Historically, the only ones strapped for time who wait until the last minute were working men. Shopping is a chore and they just put it off. Also, historically, "last minute" shoppers would find whatever's left at super bargain prices to soften the panicky purchase. I once received a bottle of shampoo & lawn chair because the drug store was the only store open after 6pm on Dec 24th! The real culprit for the shopping frenzy comes from those with plenty of time who like shopping but MUST get a bargain. The newest debacle is the "doorbuster" where in one designated hour you get one select item at a low price (limited quantities) which is what causes the fist fights. Guess "black Friday" wasn't enough of a frenzy. And I don't mind working "holidays" because the Mr is in law enforcement and has to work anyway - usually kept an extra shift for those who call in "sick". But the "administration" considers black Friday a _paid_ holiday although officers don't receive time & half "holiday" pay. Really? Wow Sepia, I'm an usher in a vintage theater and I'd be livid if anyone ruined my uniform the way you describe.

Don't bother watching THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH (1969) on 11/28. Despite the talent of adorable Butch Patrick and various voice actors, this Chuck Jones full length film is a pretentious stinker.

>Toys were neater before the present day child safety garbage came out. (snipped) Girls had Suzy Homemaker that actually worked i.e. the washing machine Yeah, because household drudgery is SUCH FUN! I had a bb gun growing up and there was nothing more fun than shooting 100 plastic army men off the back fence. You never know how they'd be mangled when you found them in the grass. The hardest to hit was the combat shooter lying on his belly. I never pointed that gun at any other kid, animal or property in my life. You wouldn't believe the cool accessories you can buy for your kids Daisy gun these days - like spinning targets & clay pigeons in a launcher. Guess kids these days are too sophisticated for dad's empty beer cans.

I'm 100% gullible when it comes to movies, even when they tell you the end at the beginning, like DOA or SUNSET BLVD, I just get wrapped up in the story and forget. MrTiki however, *always* guesses the conclusion/whodunit and whispers it in my ear, much to my chagrin. And TikiKid is totally his daughter and been doing that since she was like 10 or so. So for fun I showed her THE SIXTH SENSE. In the first 15 minutes when the boy is talking to Bruce Willis's charactor, the kid blurts out, "OH, so Bruce Willis is dead then, right?" She WAS completely surprised by the ending of PSYCHO, though! And recently I was surprised at the ending of Fritz Lang's WOMAN IN THE WINDOW, but like I said, I'm easily fooled.

I love your reminisces of the movie theater darkblue, they are similar to my friend who was a projectionist around the same era. And retail during the "holidays" used to be fun during the same era. I was a display person (uh, visual merchandiser) at the big downtown department store. The week after Thanksgiving we started making dummy boxes & bows for display, hanging decorations throughout the store and even got extra money for trimming the big tree if we wanted to come in on a Sunday when we were closed. It was a big party because it was the only time us display people ever got to work together. The few days before XMas we had to sit in our office on-call (remember the "ringing" paging system you'd hear in stores?) for anything that had to be taken off a mannequin. This is why stores would have elaborate window displays instead of merchandise, btw. We'd often walk around the store making sure it was neat & tidy. Most Dec 24ths there wasn't a SOUL in the store so it became a tradition to have toy wars- we'd wind up toys and bash them with the radio controlled ones! That was the 70's, and I saw stores gravitate into malls and my job became obsolete. I bought many mannequins and display props just for the nostalgia of being the last generation of department store display.

>childish comments regarding someone's appearance even if he is a public figure. His looks are relevant to what? This thread is the first time I had seen a picture of Rob Ford, thank you. His appearance illustrates that he has zero pride in himself so why would he have any pride in his city or citizens? Appearance important? Yes. Pride important? Yes. Decorum & scruples important? Yes. Especially if you want anyone to take you seriously as an intelligent hard working thoughtful person in public office. Your appearance tells a lot about how you view yourself and how you view the world. What kind of message does Rob Ford's appearance convey? A man who doesn't care how he looks or what he puts into his body. We didn't need a scandal to illustrate his lack of control nor his disrespect for others.

I think you are 100% dead on MP2. As a non-Christian who works at a MALL I find the "holiday" disgusting and usually take the month off and work at home. For someone on the outside looking in, the "holiday" seems to be nothing about Christianity but instead totally evil and dare I say "satanistic"? I did notice however, listening to the music piped overhead, that many of the songs were introduced in movies; "Silver Bells" from the LEMON DROP KID, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" from MEET ME IN ST LOUIS, "White Christmas" from HOLIDAY INN, etc. While I hate the "holiday" itself, I really like movies about it. Kind of like gangster movies, like 'em but wouldn't want to be them.

I'm a Barrymore fan and John is definitely my fave of the clan. Love him in 20th CENTURY & THE GREAT MAN VOTES. My film group screened 20th CENTURY last year and whenever Mr Teek needs to be reminded "who's John Barrymore?" I just say in a little voice, "Ting-a-ling-a ling"

>The entire Ford family is seen as infamously low-class up here ?

>So my thread on Burt Lancaster was not good enough for you? http://forums.tcm.com/thread.jspa?threadID=171582&tstart=50 (look at the number of previous postings) Many newbies just want to jump in & stir the pot. If a person is REALLY interested in discussion, they WOULD respond to an existing thread.

When I first became interested in film, Hitch was the guy, I even wrote my term paper on his films. A lifetime of catching up on the "classics", I realize how much hype Hitch created of his own persona & films. Although stylish, most of his miss the mark for me now. I find Fritz Lang to be a much better director of suspense and just a touch more subtle. Last movie of his I watched made me literally squirm in my chair*. Some faves: Metropolis '27 M '31 Woman In The Window '44* Scarlet Street '45 While The City Sleeps '56 I love Wyler too, his films are definitely more varied in tone. But I do thing Billy Wilder is the greatest director in classic film. His subjects were more varied and his ability to get stellar performances from tempermental actors was uncanny. He had all the talents to make the best movies; the right guy at the right time in the right job. That brilliance doesn't align very often in any career.

>Sepiatone said: and I just KNOW she's interested in ME, and NOT my MONEY!" As a man, I resent us being presented as such brainless dupes. I hear ya...just like stoopid women who "follow" the bad guy because they "love him", yuk. I think many movies present scenarios that we (the viewer) know is the beginning of a slippery slope. We yell NO! at the screen because we can see where they are going. Not unlike movies where they find a body in their apartment and try to dispose of it rather than just calling the police. We ALL know it's going to be a mistake, but the charactors just have to do it or there would be no story. I think movies are in many ways morality plays that illustrate how well meaning people go wrong by their decisions, weaknesses, etc. Other people, that is.

>I watched nearly and hour, and I got bored with it Then you missed the sexual references and full nudity? Geez, I thought it was pretty titillating, although as I said before, just a little heavy handed.

I lived in Australia in 1984 and it was the ONLY time I ever went to a McDonald's in my life. I was desperately searching for a cup of coffee, egg sandwich, pancake, ANYTHING for breakfast! I thought a Holy Grail was found when I spotted LOVELY! a pancake house...it ended up being a high end restaurant that served steak (or kangaroo) on top of a pancake-an abomination. BTW the cute animal that sniffed the sleeping girl's head was a wombat, adorable creatures. None of the animals there have a fear of humans so you really could sit & observe them for hours. I spent a lot of time with Aborigines. It always struck me they had very black skin but soft curly hair, not kinky like Africans. Interesting movie, if not a bit heavy handed.

>Even though I'm not particularly a fan of Power as a great actor or anything, from what I've read about him, it appears he was truly a huge star at one time, Fox's #1 leading male for many years. My sentiments exactly. For whatever reason, Power leaves me cold but as I understand he was groomed to be Flynn's successor in filmdom's handsome man department. I'm more interested in Power for his involvement with Judy Garland, first brought to my attention in Gerald Clark's book GET HAPPY. Apparently they had a torrid love affair, but Power refused to divorce his wife (Judy was married at the time too) Picturing those two together is intriguing to me because he had every beauty in Hollywood, but when it came to love & emotion, he fell hard for Judy's talent & strong personality. It's too bad they never married because his adoration of her may have helped her insecurities (that is if had been satisfied with her only)

I am always amazed about every 6 months or so a new thread pops up discussing James Dean-and it usually amasses a few pages before falling back into history. James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and more recently Audrey Hepburn have all become "icons" in that their images evoke emotion beyond the person themselves. I'm not really hep to that, overlooking their talent is insulting. The 16 y/o kid expressed it best, "Kids at school talk about Marilyn Monroe, James Dean & Audrey Hepburn as if they are so cool they want to emulate their "look". But not one of them has ever seen any of their films or even know anything about their lives." While Marilyn and Dean both created their persona, Audrey Hepburn's "look" was completely created by Givenchy and Hollywood hair & make up people in an attempt to glamorize the "lean adolescent" look still popular today.

>it should be told in a simple, straightforward way Sometimes I think Hemingway is often revered for his mastery of writing -mostly by those who have written themselves, than for the actual story. Stephen King's writing often strikes me in a similar way. I wonder if a film like this (a patriotic theme) was focused toward the many US immigrants who may have needed more heavy handed storytelling because of language. Remember in the movies couples fall in love within 5 minutes of having a sundae together.

This discussion prompted me to get this from the library. Sissy Spacek is a stellar actress and although the subject is distasteful, I'd like to see how the movie is crafted. >Over the next several days I learned that every prisoner in state prison has a sad story to tell, and I just hated it when I had to film those kinds of interviews Fred, I loved your post and as you may know MrTiki is in law enforcement. 2 summers ago, I was shocked when a drug related drive by shooting happened on my street. I read the news report and family had said, "He was hanging around with the wrong crowd but in the process of changing his life around because of the new baby arriving" and I said, "Aw that's too bad". Mr Tiki said, "They ALL say that. There is no trying there is just doing. If he had truly left the "bad life" he wouldn't have been killed". I thought about that a lot, and started noticing yes, ALL criminals say they were "in the process of changing their ways/crowd/life around". The one commonality of the criminals MrTeek deals with is lack of responsibility. They blame everything besides themselves; it was a bad crowd, I was on drugs, I took drugs because I had no daddy, I was poor, isolated, bullied, etc. Every time I hear these excuses, I'm reminded of Oprah who didn't start out in the best of circumstances but was determined enough to make a great life for herself & help others' lives. >And for 15 years he had been thinking of nothing but how stupid he had been for doing such a stupid thing. If this is true, than his imprisonment was a success. My biggest gripe is when inmates don't get councelling to help them understand this basic idea of being responsible for your actions.

Also, it seems to me that the old Bailey S&L made profit mostly from interest on loans-very paltry sums. I'm sure Potter invested in commercial business re; the neonization of Bedford Falls. Today, banks still make small profit from interest on loans. You'll also notice your bank now has a lot more "penalties" on accounts, such as limited withdrawals, service fees and big fees on both sides of bounced checks. Still, the majority of bank profits come from investing deposits (YOUR money) in the stock market, which we all know is a loser's game these days. Insurance is the same way-they take your money and try to create profit for themselves investing in stocks. With the volatility of the market these days, it's a wonder banks can even pay their employees. This is why your car insurance goes up every year instead of down even as the value of your car decreases.

Well, he IS in the NYC Madame Tussaud's Museum: He's adorable & was great in GLORY, sorry I missed his intro.

Who could forget this: What everyone else has said: love Burt's screen presence and versatility. Was there anything he couldn't do well? Did Burt ever do comedy? If you really enjoy Burt and want to know more about him I highly recommend BURT LANCASTER AN AMERICAN LIFE by Kate Buford. It's a big thick biography that covers his life from humble Brooklyn beginnings, to his vanities, home life and development of his own production company. He certainly was a fascinating man whose light & talent lives on in his film performances.

THEM! is one of the best because of the giant ant props/puppets used-you get to see them clearly and quite a few times. I love the close-ups where you can see how the artists made them with fake fur. I've seen THEM! in a theater on 35mm *and* 16mm screened in a more intimate setting - and last night on TCM was the first time I ever noticed the weirdest wardrobe decision: the cops wear two tone cowboy style shirts & bow ties! "Stop wailing little Bjork or there will be no ant puppet for you this Christmas!" (sorry couldn't resist)

Sounds to me as if no one can come up with a new idea/story (like the movies) so they're trying to make something new by playing up the "gay" angle. >Sepia said: Or chock full of songs and music that NOBODY could possibly walk out of the theater humming to themselves( Le Miz, Rent). Tim Rice, nuff said. How long can that guy coast on his one dismal success? And even "Phantom" was a re-make of something else, oy.