Tikisoo
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Posts posted by Tikisoo
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>Residents Get Screwed by Cox (Communications)
Am I the only one who sees the off color humor in this statement?
>kyle said: Make a few inquiries to all the other services to see what kind of deal they offer a new customer. It helps to play one off the other when negotiating with them. So definitely take notes. And don't leave your cable company before you call them back telling that you're leaving, why you're leaving and which company you have chosen to give your business to.
Good advice, but futile with MY negotiations last January with TWcable, which was exactly my tactic. They've been calling me ever since trying to "get me back". Suckers.
These companies have realized how valuable TCM is to the viewing audience (interest in classic film is on the rise) since the other 99% of their offerings are either biased news, sports or reality show crap.
I think it's awful they changed your line up over night without warning, but indicative of the "hostage" type attitude they have towards their customers.
I want you to go to your window, stick your head out and yell, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
(and then just stop buying that rotten meat they're selling)
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Thank you kevshrop for your descriptive post. Anyone who has experienced this will better understand my disgust with these digital "presentation events".
I think it's mostly up to the staff handling the theater's equipment, if they're not familiar with the equipment (or simply don't care) the experience is substandard.
I find I get a better picture and sound at home on a DVD than what is offered in the theater. And I don't have to listen to constant talkers or distracted by phone screens.
OTOH, sitting in an audience of true historical film lovers is a joy and enhances the film watching experience, as is the case at a classic or rare film festival.
Maybe a modern public multiplex just isn't the right venue for this sort of thing.
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I love the Trailer Mania compilation! Those 3 minute snippets are so entertaining!
Did you hear about when the Capitol screened the horror trailers at Halloween? "There was a real bat in the auditorium and it flew around the screen when the trailer for "The Bat" was on. The entire audience erupted in laughter!
I kept thinking The Fuller Gush Man was a typo-of course it isn't. It just goes to show you the how rare and interesting the films are, but until I see my program, I'm clueless. (there's a reason why they're called "obscure")
Sunday afternoon:
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Get your coffee and pillow ready....Cinefest starts Thursday!
A four day marathon of non stop rarities from 9am until past midnight. And when your eyes glaze over, there's always the dealer's rooms where you can buy an autograph/lobby card/rare book or have esoteric film conversations with real film historians.
Schedule: http://www.syracusecinefest.com/node/63
Some highlights:
SO NEAR, YET SO FAR (1912) w/ Mary Pickford, Lionel Barrymore
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS (1934) with Joan Bennett
COME ON OVER (1922) with Colleen Moore, Ralph Graves
THE WOMAN DISPUTED (1928) with Norma Talmadge
WAKE UP AND LIVE (1937) with Walter Winchell, Alice Faye
And a few new editions to favorite yearly themes:
FOXY TRAILERS OF THE 20th CENTURY Hosted by Ray Faiola
JUSTIN HERMAN SHOW V (1950s Paramount Toppers)
EL BRENDEL HOME MOVIES (different star each year)
A SONG IN THE DARK #4 Hosted by Richard Barrios
If you enjoy musicals you should know Mr Barrios-
http://www.amazon.com/Song-Dark-Birth-Musical-Film/dp/0195377346
Most everything is on film (except recent digital restorations like "BEST OF MOSTLY LOST") and Saturday's screenings are held in a restored vintage theater!
Forgot to mention....takes place in Syracuse NY
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>TCM Underground Admin on Facebook " I'm going to try to respond to some of the folks on there."
Yeah, he's gonna post, "Shut the heck up with your lousy suggestions!"
OK just saw the worst exploitation film, "Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell"
This is the alien/vampire/villan:
Unfortunate make up job, isn't it? This pic from the TCM website, so they must have it in their library.
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>denote "hypochondriacal or hysterical affections"
Funny you should say that....I am both a hypochondriac AND hysterical!
(I often whimper & moan about having a "24 hour tumor" - a favorite movie line - quick-what movie?)
My beef is anyone complaining about TCM, you're lucky to have it.
I can't afford cable and February marks the one year point of cutting off my TCM, I sure miss it.
And glad to know there's others that enjoy Underground!
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The John Wayne Birthplace Museum near DesMoines Iowa will be throwing a big bash honoring Maureen O'Hara May 25th:
http://www.johnwaynebirthplace.org/birthday/index.html
Legendary screen actress Maureen O?Hara and her family have accepted our invitation to join us for this long-awaited ?Tribute to Maureen O?Hara.? This gala, starting at 5pm on Saturday, May 25th will be held in a comfortable, air-conditioned indoor venue, and will feature music from the film classic The Quiet Man performed by Irish songstress Catherine O?Connell, a return engagement of Chicago?s Shannon Rovers Pipes and Drums, champion Irish dancers the Fabulous McKay Sisters, and an Auction of John Wayne and Maureen O?Hara-related items. In this public farewell to her legions of fans, she'll discuss their life-long friendship?sure to be an exciting time for all!
They're really putting on a great show with several daytime/evening activities throughout the town like screening the 5 films Wayne & O'Hara made together in a vintage theater! Wish I could go.
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*I didn't make him for YOU!*
Boy, am I glad TCM programming isn't conducted by those on this board. It's amazing the amount of posts complaining;
? Don't show THIS film, it's not worthy
? Show THIS long lost film, *I* want to see it
? Don't broadcast it at this time slot, it's inconvenient for ME
? Don't repeat broadcasts, *I'VE* seen it
? Get rid of this host, add this host
? Get rid of THIS feature, *I* don't like it
? They showed THIS version, WAH!
I think the TCM programmers do a tremendous job scheduling classic films that are available. And they do a great job securing deals to broadcast all sorts of interesting programming that fits into "classic film" genre.
This includes contemporary taped studio & festival interviews, along with classic TV interviews and shows. Special TCM "overview" features like the Val Lewton, Warner Brothers & Moguls & Movie Stars documentaries. And well designed "fillers" like What A Charactor & the year end memorium.
The special guests, hosts and features shown each month are fantastic, and a great way for everyone to learn more about classic films. Each month contains several "themes"-star of the month, focus on a filmmaker or subject, and daily themes.
And there's ALWAYS a few "premieres" each month.
All without commercial interruption. Do you have any idea how hard it isto maintain a cable network without commercial revenue?
Sheesh. What a bunch of crybabies.
Let's instead of complaining, understand there are thousands of TCM viewers who all love classic film in different ways. If you give things a chance, you just may find out why something you aren't familiar with is popular with others.
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Glad you enjoyed it-that gives me hope.
I just heard Eddelstein's review of it on NPR and according to him it seemed pretty poor in the story department. Which doesn't surprise me, since your first comments were on "effects".
He said the 3 witches performances were the high point, well 2 out of 3. And his impression was that Oz was small & weak, not great & powerful.
As typical, I'll wait for it to come to second run theaters and judge it upon the overall storytelling and ability to capture my imagination.
For me, without a well told story, effects are easily forgotten.
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Along the same lines as Dicken's fantastic naming abilities are the Marx Brothers....
Groucho in particular: Dr Hackenbush, Wolf Flywheel, Kornblow, Otis B Driftwood, Rufus T Firefly and my favorite Attorney Cheever Loophole.
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To get back to original question...yes, I think Robert O is slowly phasing himself out. I think that's a GOOD thing- not that I dislike him-I just think he deserves a semi-retirement. I like him being the "grande host" of TCM *special events* and leaving the grueling TV schedule behind.
While I love Ben M, I think TCM would be well served hiring a true film historian for the "copy" and bonus if they have TV experience. I can think of two people off the top of my head, but no one listens to me. ;-)
>LZ said: I was just trying to make you aware of some of the problems of watching classic films on YouTube vs watching them on archive.org or streaming via Netflix.
I have a problem with ALL of them. First, I do not want to sit in my office chair to watch a movie on a computer monitor-I want to be in my comfy living room with my big Sony and 5.1 surround sound.
When I've streamed Netflix to the TV the result has been wholly disappointing-the picture is dark, the sound poor quality, and I get pixelation at times, especially in the "black" areas.
I also found this happening viewing TCM via cable or dish.
>Just get rid of cable and go on your cranky way.
I did and very much enjoy DVDs, BRs & classic 35mm film screened in theaters. Although I admit, I miss endless hours of TCM.
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Another THANKS to you Dobbsey.
I always wondered what that "previous page" glitch was & you ID'ed it.
Just goes to show the difference between those who just use a computer and those who actually learn how it works. Everyone should know basic HTML, but most don't bother.
They think they are high tech because they can post a photo on FB.
I liken it to those who simply drive a car and those who truly understand what's going on inside. I know you're a car guy, so the analogy fits!
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Nothing "allthumbs" about your post-excellent points explained.
My personal disdain for copyright laws are their extensions beyond the death of the talent. I simply do not understand why the HEIRS of a talented person deserve any royalties from what someone else did. Sure, some kids make sacrifices for their parent's work, but certainly no descendant deserves royalties forever.
Am I thinking correctly on this?
So Mr Jones writes a novel made into a movie. Silver Smith sings the theme song and appears in a cameo. MGM makes the movie and copyrights (cr) the collaborative finished product.
MGM wants to sell the broadcast rights but Mr Jones & Silver Smith's estates don't allow it without a new royalty deal.
As for restoration, if the above MGM movie falls into PD and I take it upon myself to restore it, I then now become owner of the restored version, my own cr for 50 years or whatever the expiration. I now have 50 years to recoup my costs.
Now an IMAGE, a NAME, like the dreaded Mouse or Elvis or MM to name the obvious, I can understand the reason behind the cr. It's not necessarily to gain royalties, but to protect the use on an inappropriate item.
CRs allow the "estate" to decide what products should bear the image or name of a beloved celebrity and sue any bootleg items, which there are many.
That said, I love my Elvis toenail clippers but was disgusted finding a poster of child Shirley Temple photoshopped as a dominatrix-and hope both companies were requested to desist.
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LOVE your verse Sepiatone-you touched on a lot of valid points there. I will never understand the appeal of the fat blob guy with the shaved head. It's exactly like the girl with the hair pulled back in a tight bun-"easy" trumps "attractive". Yet there are entire stores dedicated to cosmetics!
>darkblue said: Work harder, become meaner, take our example from the ethics of the selfish who were and are televised in full force
It's easier for kids to be "meaner" because even the company you work for and are supposed to be loyal to, is faceless. Any service employees left (cashiers/nurses/bankers) are all faceless and are here to provide your every need.
Really, we can just about do without other people in our society, we have self checkouts, online banking, etc.
In a healthy society, children realize they are not the center of the universe by time they are teens. The original appeal of online social media was that EVERYONE can be a star! This generation has the assumption they are the star of their own reality show and no one else matters.
I think the "individual anger" darkblue speaks of is the truly disturbing trend. It was only 40 years ago people were angry and protesting how badly PEOPLE were treated: blacks, hippies, soldiers, women, the handicapped.
Now, it's a big complaint-fest about how "I'm so hard done by" others.
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>a quote from Socrates about how bad the young people
of his time were
And I always bear that quote and the Dead End Kinds in mind when I start thinking of the "youth of today". Really, it's always been an issue.
The appeal of watching these charactors is because while the viewer cannot feel "financially superior" or even visually "prettier" than these spoiled reality charactors, they instead feel morally & intellectually superior.
But feeling smarter than the charactors only goes so far-these shows are tiring and lose viewers easily. (thank god)
Viewers tend to stick with charactors they actually IDENTIFY with morally and intellectually, like Friends, Raymond & the Big Bang nerds.
Reality shows are a direct result of the TV writers strike over a decade ago. It'll phase out once the advertisers realize they are not as sensationally popular as the "developers" make them out to be. That'll get a head start once the viewers realize there's nothing real about them.
Now what concerns ME is the absolute need for talking/texting every waking minute of both youth & adults. No one can even DRIVE without it for goodness sake. Ever look into a restaurant and see couples, wordless with their handhelds glowing in their faces? And people trying to keep the illusion of popularity with "likes" & "friends"?
Oy.
While TikiKid enjoys her handheld, I encourage her to be well spoken, well written and sociable. I think it will give her a distinct advantage as an adult in the business world, like college degrees were in my day.
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Briggs would be a good Underground host, but John Waters-YES! He seems to really understand the appeal of these films culturally without ridicule or cheap comments.
>including a few with nudidity
I can only hope that was an intentional misspelling.
Funny that my RL parallels this board....yesterday I discovered a cardboard box full of Something Weird? DVDs left by a friend who bought them and thought they were awful. (and rightly knew I'd LOVE them)
SW offers all sorts of exploitation films most likely first shown at drive ins and porn theaters. No, they're not classics in any way, but seeing Betty Page dancing in kooky costume underwear and topless stoned hippies cavorting in the park makes you wonder why these were ever considered "filth".
A few titles:
The Hippie Revolt
Damaged Goods
The Hard Road
Hot Rod Girl
Maniac
Narcotic
Forbidden Fruit
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Thanks HF for articulating your feelings regarding the Underground-I too think it's under appreciated by many classic movie fans.
>Today?s teens and college students have a connection with ?vintage? culture - look at all the 14-year-olds wearing clothing referencing brands and TV shows
Just as I did as a teen in the 70's with my Charlie Chaplin and Groucho Marx shirts. Any gateway to appreciating film as an historical art form wins in my book.
>TCM Underground doesn?t just show American psychotronic schlock horror but also showcases (snipped) films that are outside of TCM?s usual oeuvre but deserve to be discussed.
Boy, do I agree 100% with you on this.
While busy concentrating on vintage "classic" film, I actually missed seeing films like the ones you mentioned when they were first shown in the 70's/80's.
TCMUnderground is a great introduction for these films for the classic movie fan, especially expanding a library for the one who has already "seen everything".
>TCM Underground shows unique short films between features, dealing with topics as disparate as the drug wars and Tupperware.
Another genre I enjoy but feel is an untapped resource. These "educational" shorts are a huge hit when screened at film festivals and between features, much more so than Newsreels.
Not only are they little cultural time capsules, but they often display the elements of filmmaking (writing, directing, acting, set design) not yet at the big studio level...much the same appeal as Ed Wood films.
There are "horror" festivals (on 35mm!) held in my town along with a bi monthly series of exactly the sort of films shown on TCM Underground. They are very popular and well attended by all age groups.
It's a lot easier getting 15 y/o TikiKid and her friends to join me at _these_ screenings than our "classic" film night. They often raise their hands in the air and say, "Yay! Color!"
TCM wastes no expense focusing on crappy digital presentations of commonly seen classics. While many people snub their noses at the type of film the Underground shows, I too think it is an untapped market and good introduction for the young classic movie fan.
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>Capuchin said: You might have hit the nail on the head. I do understand the character.
Yup, that's what I figured. At least I saw the movie once and now see Fosse as a tragic charactor. And I'll always love the art he created.
It's kind of like Kirk Douglas in The Bad & The Beautiful. I identify with that charactor and actually like him, when I know you're supposed to hate him.
We'll leave the Minnelli portion alone. The only people in film more polarizing are comedians. Matter of taste, I guess.
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Capuchin, I respect your opinions & enjoy your posts, but we are on opposite sides of the fence here. That just goes to show there is something for everyone's tastes.
>All That Jazz is nearly perfect
I love Fosse's work & had wanted to see it for years and finally got it from the library upon urging from this forum. I hated it. It was hard to get into a story about a charactor you just don't like or even understand.
>My only complaint about Cabaret is the female lead.
And I enjoy her performances in just about everything. Granted, I haven't seen Cabaret in a long time, but I recall being kind of mesmerized by her in it.
(Joel Grey creeped out my Mom, though)
In the same vein, 2001 is one of my favorite movies and I completely understand when someone says they hate it, it's too long, it's baffling, etc.
Glad at least there's art out there for us to discuss!
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There is nothing that can compare to the 24/7 classic film coverage provided by TCM....I know, since I no longer get cable and no TCM leaves a big hole.
I had no idea Indians would embrace Hollywood classic film, although I often liken the best Bollywood films to golden age Hollywood classics.
ashwya, you may have to resort to DVDs, like I have to for my cross culture film fix.
For awhile we had Indian film distributers here and I could see them in the theater. Not popular enough.
Luckily my library buys Eros Entertainment DVDs, although sometimes several year old teen romances like Na Tum Jaano Na Hum (watching that now) or gory Sanjay Dutt shoot-em-ups.
Beggars can't be choosy.
Do you have Netflix service in India? That may be another supplement for your Hollywood fix.
PM me if you like, maybe we can work out some sort of an "exchange".
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Welcome to the TCM boards.
Your game is cute, reminiscent of NPR's Saturday morning quiz show-they love classic movie themes.
When you're logged onto this page, refer to "Forum Home" and you'll see a sub forum called "Games & Trivia".
This thread belongs there, as it's _not_ a "Hot Topic".
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>Michael Douglas plays Liberace and Matt Damon plays his lover
I just hope this doesn't turn out to be one of those, "let's show two guys kissing for cheap thrills" like the awful "Gods & Monsters" biopic of James Whale. I'd much rather know Liberace's life pertaining to his WORK, not what he does in PRIVATE.
I thought Liberace was a great pianist enhanced with a sense of humor. I loved his costumes, gussied up pie-anos and his happy demeanor. Worthy subject-I'd like to know where he came from & how he got there.
Liberace added ENTERTAINMENT to once considered "highbrow" music. Lovely.
When I see modern performers dressed like they're going to mow the lawn it makes me cringe. What the heck? It's as if they have zero respect for their audience. Next we'll see bands on stage in their jammies like a bunch of toddlers.
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I went to one of my jobs yesterday and repeated what I thought was a hilarious phrase from this thread, "A jackhammer, my kingdom for a jackhammer!" and was met with blank stares.
Sheepishly, "My kingdom for a horse? ...Richard the 3rd? ...Shakespeare?"
Still blank stares. Sheesh.
This is why I enjoy conversing on this board-like minded folk here. Up on current events, up on art, culture & history.
And btw MM, the original Cardiff Giant can be seen at the Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown NY...where later you can have a unbelievably delicious Abby Ale at nearby Ommegang Brewery.
Does anyone else see what's funny about this photo?
http://remnantofgiants.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/the-cardiff-giant-to-be-resurrected/
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When Dobbsy hears about Richard the Third he sees this:
When I heard the news on the radio I immediately pictured *this* Richard the Third:
Cinefest Week is Finally Here!
in Hot Topics
Posted
It was one of the best Cinefests I can remember...I calculated I watched 11-12 hours of film per day.
It started with a bang with the short Summer Daze (32) an hilarious camping farce featuring Dane & Arthur going right into The Pursuit of Happiness (34) with a very young Joan Bennett as a Puritan girl in a delightful sex farce. Later that day was standout My Boy (21) with wonderful Jackie Coogan.
I counted 3 films with Walter Catlett and El Brendel's home movies had rare backstage snippets of Curly Howard at leisure and other contemporaries on the job.
We saw rare early Technicolor fragments from the Eastman recently restored and a slew of Library of Congress' "Mostly Lost" shorts. The LOC has a ton of unidentified film....so historians gather once a year to view screenings and blurt out ANY information that may lead to it's identification. My favorite showed famous circus patriarch Poodles Hanneford.
The fest ended with a bang starting with the Sunday morning musical Wake Up & Live (37) with Alice Faye/Jack Haley outshone by supporting couple Patsy Kelly/Ned Sparks who utters the line, "He aint 2 faced or he wouldn't be wearing THAT one" and then Mae Murray's last feature (31)-a complete hoot!
And I found a few very rare films on DVD in the dealers room for under $10 so I can continue watching rare and unusual films. All in all it was one of the best Cinefests, thank you Syracuse Cinephile Society! (and a special thanks to the pianists, who saved the day in a few rough spots)