Tikisoo
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Posts posted by Tikisoo
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>Does anyone remember a '60s television series, International Showtime
Nope, but I remember Circus Of The Stars in which marginal celebrities learned difficult physical routines then performed in front of an audience.
How could I forget about Trapeze? I just finished Burt Lancaster's biography! I think that film was an excellent portrayal of a performer's life.
>Are there still circuses today?
There is the *big* traveling US circus: Ringling Bros/Barnum/Bailey where stuff is going on all over 3 rings-too confusing.
I much prefer The Big Apple Circus, based here in upstate NY. They have fun acts, large animals and set up stadium seating AROUND the sawdust ring. When the elephants charge in, you can SMELL them, it's amazingly intimate. And their lead clown "Grandma" is everything a clown should be, a total heart stealer. For all those that think clowns are scary or stupid, Grandma will show you what it's really all about.
I believe The Royal Hannaford Circus is still performing. Most of the performers are family and descendants of the original performers, it's totally a family tradition. They specialize in "horse" acts and trapeze-thrilling!
There is a "filler" short TCM sometimes shows about the famous Christiani circus family. They also specialized in "horse" and "arial" acts, but for the most part working in the private sector. I know one of the Christiani girls (who is about 50 & drop dead gorgeous) who raises & trains horses in the Saratoga area.
In my 20's I was on a flight seated next to a trapeze artist. He was also a hard sell make-out artist....guess nothing has changed in the social aspect of circus performers, haha.
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I'm with you calcifer, I LOVE the genre charactor logos.
Early in TCMs life, these designs were the standard; they were on t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, etc.
I was lucky enough to get a vintage diner style mug with the cowgirl on ebay 10 years ago and use it EVERY morning exclusively. (a cowgirl is my business logo) I still look, but never see them any more.
There was even a cool "cameraman" design representing film crew.
I cannot imagine WHY they replaced these excellent designs (that ensure multiple purchases to get a "set") for the soulless plain "TCM" now found on mugs & shirts.
If you are a clever artist, you can d/l the teeny logos, blow them up & clean the edges for larger printing.
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>Disney has owned The Muppets since 2004
> What I really want to know is if this means theatres can show Lucasfilm movies.
I'm gonna guess they'll hold on to them as tightly as the "golden years" (1930's through 1960's) animated films. If Disney corporate analysts figure Lucas already milked all the money out of the re-releases, they won't bother.
Personally, I think re-releasing theater presentation of any classic film generates a new audience of younger people and reinforces the older viewers. And once you do that, merchandising can only follow stronger.
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>I can't think of all that many circus films...
There's a LOT of films set at the circus, like Lon Chaney in The Unknown.
But I think you're right, GSOE is the only movie actually about the circus itself.
But my very favorite circus film will always be Freaks. It depicts the "backstage social" aspect as well as the often difficult life of traveling by wagon as many of the smaller circus's were still doing the first half of the 20th century. And it's the only opportunity to see these famous people on film!
Along with my beloved sideshow theme, I love when movies show "hooch" shows, like Mae West in I'm No Angel. Even On The Town has a "****"dancing scene in it.
One circus friend a long time ago showed me a taxidermy chicken with pig feet sewn to it. A true sideshow "artifact" created by some clever seamstress for display. I asked how he could swindle people showing them that stuff and he said, "It's all in fun. They know it's fake, it's just entertainment."
That was the attitude.
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cody's list includes:
>WINGED VICTORY with an all-star WW2 cast
UGH! This was shown at Cinefest 3 years ago near midnight. TikiKid & I loved it, but were bleary eyed from watching 14 hours of film, we had to go home & sleep.
I was assured, "TCM shows it all the time" so figured I could see it later.
Not in 3 years has it been broadcast!!
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>I think this film gets a bit of a bad rap.
I think mostly because it's so corny-but that's exactly why I like it!
I know lots of circus & carny type people from my line of work, and they are a fierce bunch, just as depicted in this film.
Circus work is the most traditional & earthy form of show business, and the animal factor definitely adds exotica (especially these days when even a horse is exotic to most kids!)
I like this film because it captures the last gasp of the great American circus, even featuring the great Emmett Kelly. The costumes are authentic as are the great carved wagons, now on display in Baraboo WI.
Betty Hutton was an over-the-top performer and is perfectly cast as is steely Charlton Heston.
I especially liked when fave Dorothy Lamour comes out riding an elephant and the band plays the theme from her breakout film The Jungle Princess!
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>It is sad when dollars mean more than artistic and cultural values but that is the state of the world.
Disney animation is easily found at your local library, often even BluRay versions. "Free" kind of sticks it to them.
Only releasing the "classics" on DVD lumps them in with any other kid's DVD, losing their well deserved cach? status as "art" films.
I wouldn't even mind if they re-released the classics on the big screen (along with shorts!) periodically, I'd certainly go & bring the kids.
But to just keep them holed up and out of circulation?
No one benefits from that.
You need to keep them alive by introducing them to every new generation.
The corporation's backwards attitude justifies duping whenever possible, imho.
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Glad I'm not the only one who was confused by this film, but only because then I don't feel so "thick".
I'm sure there are MANY people who "get" this film...like RM, and I'm kind of jealous! I love your descriptions and comments.
Some films are like that, black comedies especially. Either you "get it" or you don't, no explanation is going to help you. Only repeat viewings may help turn the light bulb on.
2001 A Space Odyssey is like that-I get it and completely understand when someone says, "what a long, dull film". Although I usually love P&P films, The Red Shoes is another I just can't "get" and after 3 viewings, I'm done with it.
Louise Brooks is someone I've held dear since I was a teen. Photos of her are all over my house. I hung around her apartment hoping to catch a glimpse of her in her later years but never did. This is her signature film, I'll give it another chance and hope it clicks for me like it does for RM.
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Maybe at 16 years old it was just over my head, but I didn't like it.
And I saw this film in a theater as a 35mm projection...and the half who stayed until the end left exhausted and bleary eyed. (and I think Ms Brooks was in attendance too) It seemed very long, slow and pointless.
Should I give it another try?
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dpompper said: Mankiewicz and Osborne could be considered analogous to news anchors who "read the news" and rarely WRITE it themselves. Moreover, we have no idea what goes on during the editing process.
Thank you dp for saying that.
People on these boards get their feathers ruffled whenever I suggest RO isn't the "film god" they build him up to be. He's an actor who reads lines, a "master of ceremonies", a host.
Yes, he has some classic film knowledge-especially concerning the Oscars-but I dare say there are others with deeper or more well rounded knowledge of classic film.
Maybe none of those historians have as elegant screen presence on TV as RO.
Which brings us back to Ben Maniewicz- not everyone enjoys his demeanor as much as RO's....but some of us do. I actually like him almost as well (isn't there something about a gray haired guy in a tie & jacket that screams authority?)
It would be wonderful if TCM hosts knew "it all" and had screen presence to boot.
For now RO & BM are the best hosts available because they speak well, look good and have a decent backround in film history.
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>dpompper said: Can Star Wars in 3D be far behind? Star Wars animation films on steroids with "famous actors" doing voiceovers? Star Wars the Musical? Never worry about Disney. All will be well. Audiences will lap it up.
I agree with your assessment pomp. More attention is being paid to "celebrity" voicing than animation. (anyone catch Chris Rock's take on that?) And Disney making goofy Broadway shows based on insipid cartoons is even worse.
Ugh Disney owns Pixar, Marvel and now Lucasfilm. It's as if they can't hold their own, so they just gobble all competitors up. Next they'll own the Muppets.
You'd be surprised (as I was as a retail stock person) just how many boxes of cheap crappy merchandise emblazoned with Disney charactors comes into our stores: pencil sets, note pads, socks, pouches, headbands, bracelets, mini gloves, oversize pens, magnets, etc. all divided into glittery pastel princesses for girls and bold colored Spiderman & Cars for boys. Incredibly cheap & sexist.
I'd observe in horror when someone would pick up some awful item declaring, "Isn't this CUTE? I'm gonna get one for each of my grandkids!"
There is a strict "NO DISNEY CHOCHKE" policy here at the Tiki Hut, although we will see an occasional film (like Brave) and have pre 1965 DVDs in the library.
And Star Wars has very much lost any cach? it ever possessed. Any trip through a comic book or gaming store will show you the SW section is as unpopular (& uncool) as the Simpsons section.
>SonofUH said: Star Wars is in very good and safe hands with Disney. Lucas obviously thinks so too, otherwise he wouldn't have sold the company to them.
Ha! Lucas sold the company because Disney offered him tons of money! And they ARE that stupid; Class, dignity & artistic endeavors went out the window the moment Walt died.
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>I would hop at the chance to see either the 1931 or 1958 Dracula on the big screen.
Ooooh you just missed a 35mm screening of '31 Dracula, at our vintage neighborhood theater Friday night. It was double billed with Rocky Horror Picture Show.
>I don't see why the klieg lights would make it so you see their breath though.
The hot lights and cold studio air? It was just backlit enough you could see the mist of their breath.
>the other part of the bill was The Thing That Wouldn't Die which is a whole different kettle of fish than The Thing (From Another Planet) .
Heh it was The Tghing That COULDN'T DIE, the one with the head in the box found via dowsing. Gorgeous crisp print.
The Thing From Another Planet was screened last fall by my film group in 16mm but I didn't attend.
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Count me as another AddisonDeWitless fan!
>You may already know this but Cissy Cameron is Cameron Mitchell's daughter in real life! She also married Reb Brown after the film wrapped. I have no idea if they're still together.
Apparently they are. Looking at IMDB there is a great photo of them at the 2011 Capt America premiere, both looking just great!
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1287961600/nm0030203
Really, he's 64 years old, she's gotta be about the same. He was invited as he was the original Capt America-sweet!
Daddy Cameron Mitchell was in a TON of roles, and Reb is pretty active himself. Cissy sort of dropped out of acting-too bad!
I think they have a lot of talent, obvious when you see Space Mutiny, their (& Law's) talent carried it. It was the writing and editing that ruined that movie.
>I don't watch movies made nowadays for the most part, but used to. Every year there was some movie that went over total gangbusters, that everyone loved and raved over while I stood alone in the corner grumbling about how sh***y I thought it was.
I'm standing in the corner right there next to you.
>although I didn't hate Pulp Fiction, I just didn't see what the big honkin' deal was
Exactly. In the plethora of crappy movies, when one is simply entertaining, it's touted a masterpiece.
>In 1999 it was American Beauty.
Oh no, worse. It was My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
>Which brings me to my candidate: 1997's Titanic.
AHA! I'd already given up, never seen it. Never seen Avatar either. I like your reasons for hating it too.
It just kind of shows you how influential the "common experience" of seeing a movie in a theater with others can be. Most "blockbusters" are just average movies, but are elevated way beyond that in the public's mind.
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>LonesomePolecat said: My favorite in terms of badness I think is SPACE MUTINY.
You know, It's in my top 5 too. And a fellow MST cinefile never saw it. I raved on about it so she rented it and came back to say, "It was alright."
"Alright? Did you not hear, "Nice of you to give the dead girl her job back"? Or Dirk McBeefchunk scream for his purse? "Now Santa gets a present". Or the beautiful ending, "...and his eyes open. Um, eyes open. OPEN"
But especially the floor polisher chase scene!
These stinkers really show you how & why films succeed or why they fail. I just requested Night of the Lepus from reading this thread.
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Well I just returned from seeing Horror of Dracula in 35mm in a big creepy historical theater. I finally understand the appeal of Hammer films. It was rich looking and exciting.
Hearing the audience around me reacting to the action on the screen enhanced the experience. I saw no cel phones, heard no talking... heck even the 7 year olds sitting in front of me were glued to the screen. There were actually parts of the movie where there was complete silence, the audience (about 250) was rapt in attention, I only heard popcorn crackling.
Seeing these films on the big screen makes a wholly different experience. In several of the opening scenes, you see the actors' "misty breath" when they speak in the castle. I'm sure it's from the heat of the kleigs, but I thought, you probably NEVER see that on TV!
The sets, the costumes, the colors and the serious (ok, hammy) acting all made it an excellent creepy movie. No they don't all have to be Citizen Kane, but I thought the flow of the story was well paced. And love, love, love that it was creepy without being gory.
(was shown as a 1958 double feature with The Thing That Couldn't Die, lots of fun!)
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>Addison said: Really, Dark Shadows as a comedy? For effin real? What about Dark Shadows struck you as being funny, Tim Burton? Like "hah-hah" funny? Did Mars Attacks! teach you nothing, Tim Burton. I hate you, Tim Burton.
That made me laugh all day. Thanks for articulating why I too will not bother seeing a Tim Burton film. He's reduced himself to a "goth kids brand"
As for my hatred of Forest Gump, not only is it an awful movie, but it contains incredibly talentless Tom Hanks. I absolutely HATE when people think the quotes from that movie are cute or funny. Really?
"Life is like a box of chocolates....you never know what you're gonna get"
Uh, you're going to get a _chocolate,_ ****.
And Wayne, thanks for the heads up on Hannibal. I thought maybe Hopkins' stellar acting might make this worthwhile. Instead, sounds like he sold out.
As for hating When Harry Met Sally, I think it's a very well paced film with clever dialogue. It hits the mark all the way through. I can see though, that many people dislike the hip urban philosophic type of charactors, but that certainly isn't enough to call it a bad film.
As for Breakfast at Tiffany's; you're supposed to be confused, then hate Holly, then feel badly for her when you find out her reasons behind the hedonism. I think the film has aged very badly, especially as the viewer matures.
The best thing about it is Holly's wardrobe.
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>Fedya said: There are a lot of movies that I think of as "so bad they're good", that I can laugh through
Exactly, you can't count movies like that or "3 Stooges in Orbit" type either-they're geared towards kids and you expect them to be silly.
It's much worse when you're expecting a movie to be good and it's just awful.
The only two films I ever walked out of (and I sat through Clash of The Titans in the theater!) was "An Officer & A Gentleman" and the second Indiana Jones movie. Terrible disappointments.
My hatred for talentless Tom Hanks is legendary and several people urged me to give Forest Gump a try. They _assured_ me it was creative and Hanks does a great job in the role. I cannot believe ANYone could make it through that movie without puking. It was the most insulting horrid excuse for exposing celluliod ever.
And I gave the Hankster another try for The DaVinci Code, only because of Audrey Tatau and the kind of interesting book it came from. Ugh. Never again. The inept acting actually overshadowed the story.
Recent horrors like The Matrix, 5th Element and Sin City taught me the valuable lesson that movies made today are just plotless, dark CGI violence made for idiot boys...I simply stay home.
You can only alienate an audience so long before they give up and realize it's just a waste of money going to a theater.
Andy M said: This was just one of those movies that are telling us to appreciate the subtle wit and charm of seemingly obnoxious New Yorkers. It worked better for the Dead End Kids than it did for the creeps in this one.
Haha cute! And I'm ONE of those obnoxious New Yorkers!
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I haven't watched my recordings of the evening yet, but from the descriptions posted, think I'm going to like 'em!
Does anyone remember Cartoon Alley that ran Saturday mornings on TCM? It was one of Ben Mankewicz' earliest TCM hosting gigs and featured three typical WB cartoons.
Apparently loyal TCM viewers would enjoy a revival of Cartoon Alley, but possibly with more obscure and/or historic type cartoons. I enjoyed the Saturday morning time slot, it certainly didn't take away from the "serious" prime time programming.
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Guess I'm more about TV....about 10 years ago I was the Star Trek green alien dancing girl. A time consuming make-up & cold gold lame dress.
Last year the Tiki Family recycled that green make up for Herman:
What was really fun was Eddie's doll. Last minute!...didn't have time to make a werewolf, so reversed blacks & whites of the eyes, fitted toothpick fangs, furred the head & put a wine bottle velvet cape on a baby doll.
This year TeekKid begged, "No appliances, please!" haha (she hated her pointy ears)
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>Kyle said: While far from perfect, it did emphisize the unique talent of Merman as a stage performer. The viewer was focused on the power of her remarkable voice.
I just finished reading Rose Marie's fascinating autobio "Hold The Roses". She had this Merman story that took place in Hawaii for a charity telethon;
"When the telethon was over we went to the hotel, sat in the coffee shop and finally went to bed. We had the poster boy and his girlfriend with us, they were named John & Joanie. John had been the poster boy ten years earlier when he was 16. He was now 26 and in love with Joanie (the current poster girl). They were to be married in October. Richard Deacon said, "Why don't you get married here in Hawaii?" They said they had to call their parents which we thought was adorable. We paid for everything. The wedding was the next day in Merman's suite. She acted like the mother of the bride, she was so excited.
(snipped)
Both the bride and groom wore wedding leis and while the minister said the service Merman sang "They Say That Falling In Love Is Wonderful" a capella. There wasn't a dry eye in the house."
Can you imagine? It brought tears to my eyes just reading it.
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>Kyle said: The challenge facing a documentary about such an era is that there are few, if any, moving images around to accompany and illustrate the content. (snipped) I understand how some would be distracted by such techniques. It is far from an ideal solution. But when the creators have little photographic record with which to work I don't know what other options there may have been
You're right....I know you're right
I much prefer a slow pan over a still photo that relates to the subject of the narrative than words dancing across the screen. But the meaty info contained within the episode I saw, was fascinating. Great subject, would make a lovely read.
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I caught the second half of this while searching....yeah I really enjoyed the tie-ins to Hollywood part of the story...but I was completely turned off by the production-it seemed to be made by film school students.
Full of insipid reinactments, cameras moving over unrelated period photos that were cooked in PhotoShop, flash animated lyrics of well known songs drifting past...
If it's an interesting story, there's no need to gunk it up with silly effects.
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>SansFin wrote: I believe this is merely an evolution. A principle of evolution is that any species will adapt or die when a new competitor for resources is introduced....understand that such evolution takes time and we are only now seeing the greatest fulfillment of that trend.
Very astute observation and perspective SF.
Seems we're all complaining about the decline in quality of films these days. And just like every other vital art form, it's a reflection of our society, the world in which it evolved from.
I always enjoyed watching films from earlier eras as a sort of "time travel" idea, to allow me to live in another era if only for 90 minutes.
When we're dismayed by how race, religion or genders are addressed, we just tell ourselves, "That was how many thought at that time, thank god we've evolved."
Maybe someday we'll be watching these crazy empty super hero blow 'em ups on a MST3K short of venue and laugh at how ridiculous it was. Hopefully, the trend will shift back to a theater, a shared viewing experience with others.
In other words, a grown up world will be valued over the adolescent world.
>Tyrannosaurus Rex which required a tonne of meat a day.
Is this an old British spelling for "ton"?
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I read a story in a senior's magazine yesterday in the Dr's office about how awful movie going experiences can be these days. The poor guy hadn't been to a theater in over 7 years and decided to see some super hero film on the big screen.
The groups of teen boys in the audience distracted him enough he complained to the manager. The manager was the only employee in attendance and could not leave the box office/concession stand, nor could he even address the offenders without involving the police.
He was refunded his money and stated he'd continue watching movies at home.
So they're gearing film towards audiences that don't watch the film. That's actually pretty apparent.
Martha Raye films on Veterans Day
in General Discussions
Posted
>She is the only woman that is layed to rest at Main Post Cemetery, Fort Bragg .NC
The Tiki family went to Ft Bragg last year to pay our respects to our beloved Martha Raye. Finding her stone was pretty difficult as all the stones are identical.
As I recall, there are actually quite a few women buried there. I thought Raye has the distinction of being the only non military civilian laid to rest there. I think "civilian" was written under her name and birth/death dates-I'll have to look at the photos again.
Martha Raye was a powerhouse performer and did an awful lot for morale during WW2. There were more than just "pretty" girly girls waiting soldier's return....