Arturo
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Posts posted by Arturo
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Bowie did not originate or.popularized 1970s British Glam.Rock, but he was the artist that dabbled in it (totally the correct word for Bowie) with the longest longevity. Marc Bolan of T.Rex got the ball rolling, racking up a string of Huge hits in the early 1970s; he was considered the biggest phenomenon in England since the Beatles and Stones. Ironically, Bolan's and Bowie's pre-stardom careers followed similar paths, and they were friends, and after success, friendly rivals. The T.Rex formula of back to basics rock and glittering outfits set the blueprint for what soon followed. Slade, recently changing their image from s k i n h e.a d s to glam rock, also had continuous success prior to Bowie, and meshed stomping rockers with misspelt titles and visual excess in stagewear.I still remain NOT a big fan of the bulk of his music. Especially the "Fame"/"Young Americans"/ "Let's Dance" period. But as I stated...
His influence on stage presentation and costuming can't be denied. All that odd wardrobe worn onstage by SLADE, SPARKS and ROXY MUSIC is mere Bowie "Wannabeism"
I couldn't get into that whole mish-mash, but I did enjoy it whenever Bowie pushed all that swill aside and used his voice and musicianship to it's best advantage. I'd say the same in the event of ELTON JOHN'S death. A talented musician and very good singer. All that Donald Duck costume wearing and Marie Antoinette dressing was just so much crap.
The trouble, DGF, I have with designating Bowie as to being "classic alternative" is that HE was doing "alternative" LONG before they ever thought of CALLING it that! In fact, Bowie QUIT doing alternative the SECOND he squeaked the word "Fame" into a recording studio mic!
Sepiatone
Bowie and Roxy Music, as.well.as.others like Queen, came in their wake. And they were lumped into the Glam.Rock label, along with Bolan, Slade and newer upstarts like Gary Glitter and The Sweet, although their music was more sophisticated than the others; this was mostly due to their androgynous looks and costumes. And Queen, Roxy and Bowie outlasted.the decline.of.glam.rock, whose artists.were.subsumed either in the heavy metal, art rock, or the nascent punk/new wave movements. Or in the case.of Marc Bolan, died an early death in a car.crash in 1977, days shy of his.30th birthday. Ironically, Bowie and Bolan had performed together, and patched things up, on Marc's tv show a few weeks before the crash.
Back to this side of the pond, America took one look at the look of most of these bands, and, in general, rejected them outright. T.Rex.had only one top ten hit, and two hit albums, Slade had to wait until the 80s to get a couple.of hits here, althought they did inspire Kiss, among others. The Sweet had several hits in the 70s here, but nothing compared to the many in England and around the world. Roxy had one hit in the mid 70s, and more in.the 80s, along with Bryan Ferry. Eventually, Queen became huge here, but declined in the 80s, unlike the rest of the world.
Bowie too struggled here, despite strong reviews from critics, and a loyal cult following. His only hit during the Ziggy period was Space Oddity' and to a lesser extent, Changes (both were hits as rereleases). Diamond.Dogs in 1974.was.his first Top Ten.album, and with the song Young Americans in 1975 he actually started to get.a string of hits here. In 1977, with Low.and its followups, his sales plummeted. It wasn't until 1983 and Let's Dance that he again made the upper.levels of the singles and album charts in this country. By the 90s, his sales had again declined, but he continued to elicit media coverage with each release.
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I can't believe how much of a loss this continues to feel. As I hear some of the Bowie songs.being played, or that I am playing, so many memories of.so many years ago keep popping up. Old girllfriends, long lost.friends, cousins.even, come to.mind.with hearing certain of his songs. His music was truly one of the soundtracks of my life. Music haa that innate quality to transport you to another time and place. I guess his passing is a reminder of the passage of time, of personal loss, and of one's own mortality.
It is great to know that he died in peace, with his loved ones surrounding him. He had no regrets, I believe, conducting his artistry and life to his own specifications. We should all be as fortunate.
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Sorry, I hit "Quote" instead of "Edit".
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Bowie struggled from 1964 until the end of the decade, basically, as both a band member or solo singer. He tried various trends and bandwagons, in his attempts for success. He was in blues-based, r'n'b, "beat groups" in mid 60s Swinging London. He got some coverage for the length of his hair; soon, as a Mod, he had a short cut. He emulated the sound of The Who at one point.While I was never a fan of his music, it's still very sad to hear this news. I know he was beloved by many.
LABRYINTH was screened on 35mm last summer at the Capitol Theater. I attended because this was one I'd never seen before. The armadillo in his trousers was most distracting, but he gave a decent performance.
I had read about Bowie in Rolling Stone/Creem some music rag early in his career where he said he just wanted to be a STAR. He openly admitted to copying others musically, copying "personas", etc just to find the right combination to get attention & "hit big".
That attitude kind of turned me off to his artistic endeavors.
Turned off or not, he was too young to go. He brought pleasure to many.
By the end of 1966, he had adopted an Anthony Newley-esque vocal style and presentation. This was followed by a scruffy Dylan-inspired mold. In the mood of the late 60s, he established a neighborhood Arts Lab. All this before he scored his first hit in late 1969,."Space Oddity".
Between the disillusionment of rowdy and rude s k i n h e a d audiences, being received and promoted as a teen idol, and falling in love and marrying his first wife, Angela Barnett, he lost interest in following up the hit, and in recording in general. He continued to shift gears, going from singer-songwriter, to crunching, proto-heavy metal rocker, to piano-driven Beatlesque pop, to no great success, and was soon labeled as a "One Hit Wonder".
When he finally achieved his breakthough as the glam-rocker Ziggy Stardust, and flirted with mass popularity, his fans and others assumed he finally found the persona that would define him. But within a couple of years, he "broke up the band", and would soon emerge as a Philly Soul cat. In America, he was never more popular than during this Plastic Soul phase of Young Americans. But in a couple of years, he threw away his mass popularity, with his noncommercial ambiant music of his Low period, but felt rejuvenated to break free of commercial considerations. The rest of his career was one see-sawing between the purely commercial and his inner muse.
So while Bowie may have stated disingenuously that he just wanted a Hit (his early motivator), he could never settle to repeat himself for long, definitely not for the sake of selling records. He became known as.Rock's supreme chameleon because of his restlessness, thus his constant stylistic changes, both musically as well as sartorially. He threw away mass success more than once.
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He had cancer. I just mentioned the other day on the Elvis thread that an alternate celebration on January 8 (they shared the same birthday), that some early Bowie movies could be shown on that.day.
There goes a part of my youth and early adulthood. I went yesterday to Amoeba and bought his latest.cd,.which sounds like classic era Bowie. Rest in Peace.
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On FMC (all.times.eastern):
Monday, 1/11:
3:30.am: WILD ON THE BEACH (1965)...........................4:50 am: JUST OFF BROADWAY (1942).............................6 am: MY WIFE'S BEST FRIEND (1952)..............................7:30 am: DECISION BEFORE DAWN (1951)...........................9:35 am: WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (1950)..........................11:15 am: NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947)............................1:10 pm: VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (1961).................
Tuesday, 1/12:
3 am: ANNE OF THE INDIES (1951).............................4:25 am: TEENAGE REBEL (1956)...........................6 am: HOLIDAY FOR LOVERS (1959)...........................7:45 am: ISLAND IN THE SUN (1957)..............................9:45.am: ANNE OF THE INDIES (1951)................................11:15 am: VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (1961)..............................1:10 pm: BOY ON A DOLPHIN (1957)................
Wednesday,.1/13:
3 am: HOLIDAY FOR LOVERS (1959)................................4:45 am: THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1939).................................6 am: ISLAND IN THE SUN (1957)................................8 am: I WONDER WHO'S KISSING HER NOW (1947).................................11:25 am: YOU WERE MEANT FOR ME (1948)................................11:25 am: BOY ON A DOLPHIN (1957)............................1:15 pm: APRIL LOVE (1957)....................
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.Well,.I forgot to post here earlier, to mention that Linda Darnell would be seen late Monday on TCM,.as part of Lee J. Cobb's SUTS, in ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM (1946). She plays the decorative, if decidedly brief role of Tuptim, reluctant concubine to the king. She is suitably exotic, wearing the Siamese.version of the sarong. During thr filming of the burning sequence, she was burned slightly, causing her to comment that she preferred dying.on screen (she usually ended up dead on film at this time) by shooting or strangling; ironically, she would be burned while filming three different movies.
This expensive movie, the first of the postwar blockbusters without the wartime restrictions on sets, costumes, etc., needed the boxoffice insurance of Darnell,.along with Dunne; Harrison meant next to nothing in America up to this point. Linda's image in the costumes and makeup were featured prominently in the promotional materials for the film, and in the fan magazines, to help sell the movie. Her role was probably substantially larger originally. Darryl Zanuck did his usual job of editing, especially with its long running time, and must've cut out much of her role.
Ok,.I again missed.posting.that.TCM would.be showing..ANNA.AND.THE KING.OF SIAM tonight (in fact,.it's on right now). For some.reason, when I look at.the Directv.ProgramGuide's Cast and Crew function, which lists an artist's.upcoming features, this film.doesn't pop up for Linda Darnell, although her name is on the program's cast list. Anyway, although I wanted to post since yesterday about this, I was unable to due to failing internet connections.
Upcoming.on TCM later this month, are BLACKBEARD THE PIRATE.and NO WAY OUT (thanks Speedracer). More on those later, internet permitting.
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A couple of years ago, in my attempts to collect Linda Darnell odds and ends (or "collectibles"), I came across a programme for her unsuccessful Broadway venture "Harbor Lights". I found the programme of the 1956 drama on EBay, and got it mostly for the pictures. I remember being pleasantly surprised to see Pat Harrington's name in the credits, recalling him fondly from "One Day at a Time".
R.I.P. Sir.
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Tonight at :
3:30 AM
A beautiful ex-con falls for her parole officer while still dating the crook who landed her in prison.
Dir: Douglas Sirk Cast: Cornel Wilde , Patricia Knight , John Baragrey .
BW-80 mins,
Thanks for the heads up. Cornel Wilde was tired from all the costumers he was doing at Fox, that he jumped.at the chance of doing this melodrama at Columbia, where he also had a contract, and got to star with his then-wife.
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Interesting, CG. I don't think I've ever seen this film of his, but just from the short synopsis of it here, it sounds more noir-ish than the films I would usually associate with Sirk...lavishly(and sometimes perhaps even over-lavishly) produced melodramas.
(...I'll have to catch this one...thanks for the heads-up!)
You're thinkkng of Sirk's mid to late 50s output, often working in tandem with producer Ross Hunter.
In the second half of the 40s,.Sirk.made quirky dramas, both period and contemporary, with lesser or greater noirish tendencies.
In the early 50s, he did mostly domestic comedy programmers at Universal.
I like films from all these phases of his.
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The Post and Mrs. Muir
A young widow moves into a cottage haunted by the spirit of an unsuccessful film journalist. The journalist makes her post his boring thoughts on a message board, even forcing her to adopt the British style of spelling, which increases her labour. The town cad, played by George Sanders, tries to score with the widow, but she refuses to offer her honour. When she realises neither of these men is her favourite, she runs off with Tour Johnson. In colour.
Don't.forget the deleted.scenes, restored for the Director's Cut, where he makes her binge-watch Coronation Street, then quizzes her about it.
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How about doing a David Bowie celebration on that day, sharing that birthday. Maybe the early ones, like THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, JUST A JIGOLO, and THE HUNGER, plus a couple of concert films. Would make a nice variation from Elvis.
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1. FOR HIM THE SMELLS CALL
2. POOR LITTER'S RICH ****
3. THE BIG CHEWED
4. RUN FROM HIS LICE
5. REVELRY WITH BELLY FREE
6. SMELLED,.SHOOK, MISHANDLED
7. SAMOYARA
8. THE RISE OF THE TOY DOGS
9. ALL PRIMED FOR MISSY'S BONING
10. A L*I*C*KER FOR THREE WIVES-
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THE BIG CUBE has been on TCM.Underground a few times.in the last couple of years or so. Late 60s counterculture comedy, set in Mexico.City. Lana looks very young here, to the point of being almost unrecognizable.
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¿¿¿¡¡¡WHAT!!!??? We can't DVR anymore?!? What have I missed? I have programmed several movies in the last few days, but have yet to watch any of these. So I don't know what to say, but say it ain't so!Also of note, but with a heavy sigh and generous eyeroll is the fact that THE FALLEN SPARROW (also 1943) with Maureen O'Hara and John Garfield is coming on AT FOUR a.m. IN THE ******* ******** MORNING.
Can we still DVR stuff or that is now blocked?
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THE SPAMMER GAMES
Contestants compete for survival on an internet message board- the lone winner receives a spotlight as "guest" host for the next round of games. Several intellectuals and hobbyists compete fairly gaining a huge positive following with the audience of viewers. The cast is full of the usual charactors among them; the narcissist vying for mass attention, the old codger who cannot accept change, the know-it-all who only knows opinions and the goofball who thinks he's "cute".
Plagerists quoting others' statistics & lists are the first called out as bores. Next, the contestants form groups - the "intellectuals" from the "emotionals" - thinking there may be strength in numbers. The intellectuals discuss rules, tools and what's proper behaviour while the emotionals employ pages of spam in an attempt to control the posts seen.
There's lots of bombs dropped, machine gun fire, all to hard driving metal rock soundtrack, which will be criticize for weeks. As is most cases, the emotionals burn out- it takes too much effort to blanket boards with vanity posts that garner little, if any interest. The intellectuals continue along in their low key way, just happy to have survived.
A shy, low key but insightful poster ultimately wins a spot as guest host. He declines, stating the entire idea is silly-he prefers watching classic movies and enjoying them with friends.
The winner is played by Tor Johnson.
I believe this film.was the inspiration for the hit Broadway musical, SPAMALOT, which will hopefully be made shortly into a movie. And yes, Tor Johnson's soaring singing voice, and smooth dancing abilities had him doing his film role in the musical, and winning the Tony to boot.
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I'm completely on board with Linda Darnell for SOTM. I am not familiar with her work at all and I would love to know more about her and her career.
2016 should be the year of the Fox Stars!
Linda Darnell
Marilyn Monroe
Betty Grable
Don Ameche
Dana Andrews
Tyrone Power
So many more. This would be a great collection of stars for a SOTM tribute.
I want to see more of those fabulous Fox Noirs.
If only....at least two or three of these Fox stars. And don't forget, among others, Gene Tierney. And speaking of Fox noirs, Richard Widmark.
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Two more films I like watching during the holidays are THE STORY OF ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL and LIFE BEGINS AT 8:30. The former because some early scenes take place.at Christmas time, the latter because Monty Wooley plays a Santa Claus. Both are entertaining and recommendable for any time of year.
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OK, so I started this thread some 3 years ago. I "get" that as a long-term 20th Century Fox star, Linda Darnell may have most of her films not readily available to TCM. However, a number of her Fox films have been shown on the channel, including at least two that have been Essentials, A LETTER TO THREE WIVES and ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM. And, at least two other stars with long-term contracts at Fox have been recent SOTM, Shirley Temple and Susan Hayward. Plus, many of her non-Fox films have been shown. So this is totally do-able. Come TCM, let's Linda Darnell Movie one of the months on 2016.
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THE DANISH BLOG GIRL
In this highly acclaimed year-end film, a self-styled film historian posts his selected writings on film-related.message boards, trying to make them over into his own blogs. He looks on enviously, and posts critically on the boards, as the winner of the Biggest Fan Ever takes over a monthly spotlight on a classic movie, knowing in his own mind that he was born to do that. He looks for a various ways to raise his profile with this online community, and raise his post counts, as he decides he is the most knowledgeable and influential poster, running the gamut from plagerizing movie star recipes, to videotaping every last utterance and sartorial faux pas for posterity. His selected writings online become ever more feverish, as he realizes what Trump has realized, that wild statements sell and increase views and post.counts. The reactions are fast and furious, and he soon has an epiphany as to his true calling. With the help and support of several other online trolls, who, bedazzled by his prolific postings, do his every bidding as they fawn over each successive outrageous thread title switch, they encourage and help him transition from estwhile serious film student and writer, to what he knows he really is, the Queen of Online Posts. He gives up all pretenses of being a man of serious film studies, and comes out of the cocoon fully-formed as a woman breathlessly viewing, compiling and celebrating her ever-increasing counts.
An immediate front runner in the Oscar race, as Academy members found resonance in the shameless self-promoting aspects of her compelling tale.
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On FMC (all times eastern):
Sunday, 1/3:
3:30 am: HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966)........................6 am: MY WIFE'S BEST FRIEND (1952)...........................7:30 am: CAFE METROPOLE (1937)..........................8:55 am: LOVE IS NEWS (1937)..............................10:15: 13 FIGHTING MEN (1960)............................11:30 am: THE LITTLE SHEPHERD OF KINGDOM COME (1961)...............................1:20: THE LAST AMERICAN HERO (1973)................
Monday, 1/4:
4 am: THE LAST AMERICAN HERO (1973)..............................6 am: THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1939)...............................7:30 am: TWELVE HOURS TO KILL (1960).............................9 am: FIVE FINGERS (1952)................................11 am: SEVEN THIEVES (1961)..............................i..12:45 pm: HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966)...................
Tuesday, 1/5:
4 am: FIVE FINGERS (1952).............................6 am: THE GAY DECEPTION (1935).............................7:20 am: BLACK SHEEP (1935)..................................8:40 am: SEVEN THIEVES (1961)...............................10:25 am: HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966).............................12:30 pm: SURF PARTY (1964)................................1:40pm: WILD ON THE BEACH (1965).................
Wednesday, 1/6:
3 am: MY WIFE'S BEST FRIEND (1952)...........................4:30 am: BORN RECKLESS (1930)................................6 am: CAVALCADE (1933).............................7:55 am: I WONDER WHO'S KISSING HER NOW (1947)...........................9:45 am: APRIL LOVE (1957)............................11:30 am: HOLIDAY FOR LOVERS (1959).................
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I mostly gave, as opposed to having received, movie related things. I got my sister a couple of Katherine Hepburn films, as well as a Kate biography. I gave her girlfriend a DVD set of Cary Grant movies. I gave my brother and his wife Blurays of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and DOCTOR ZHIVAGO. I gave close friends movie-related books, including one on classic pinups, biographies of Frank Sinatra, Tallulah Bankhead, Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Lucy and Desi, and Holly Woodlawn. I also gave a friend the James Robert Parrish book, The Forties Girls (Gals?), which I already have and came across super cheap....I couldn't pass it up. I ordered late a couple of Tyrone Power films for a friend; she has been in love with him since she was like 12. They have yet to arrive.
I did get a DVD collection of the three James Dean movies, all of which I have, plus, a couple of gift cards for bookstores.....movie books and DVDs will be the most likely purchases. I also bought myself tons of movie books (well about 40) a few weeks ago, mostly biographies. These should keep me busy all next year. I've yet to go onto Amazon and see if there are any DVDs to get myself, or to see which new releases of the Fox Cinema Classics to buy. But I'm all tapped out right now.
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On FMC (all times eastern):
Monday,.12/28:
4 am: THE RAINS CAME (1939)...........................6 am: GHE THREE MUSKETEERS (1939)............................7:15 am: SUSANNAH OF THE MOUNTIES (1939)..........................8:35 am: IT HAPPENED IN FLATBUSH (1942)..........................10 am: MOTHER IS A FRESHMAN (1949)..........................11:25 am: TEENAGE REBEL (1956)..............................1 pm: ISLAND IN THE SUN (1957)...............
Tuesday, 12/29:
4 am: ISLAND IN THE SUN (1957)..............................6 am: SUSANNAH OF THE MOUNTIES (1939)...........................7:30 am: IT HAPPENED IN FLATBUSH (1942)..............................9 am: BRIGHAM YOUNG (1940)............................11 am: THE LITTLE SHEPHERD OF KINGDOM COME (1961)...........................1 pm: NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947)....................
Wednesday, 12/30:
4 am: NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947)..............................6 am: CLAUDIA (1943)................................7:40 am: CLAUDIA AND DAVID (1946).............................9 am: THE BEAUTIFUL BLONDE FROM BASHFUL BEND (1949)................................10:25 am: THE BLOODHOUNDS OF BROADWAY (1952)..................................12 pm: THE FARMER TAKES A WIFE (1953)................................1:25 pm: THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE (1946)..................
Thursday, 12/31:
3 am: THE BLUE ANGEL (1959)..............................4:50: JUST OFF BROADWAY (1942)..............................6 am: I WAS AN ADVENTURESS (1940)...............................7:30 am: WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (1950)..............................9:10 am: THE BLUE ANGEL (1959)............................11 am: FIVE FINGERS (1952)...............................12:50 pm: THE KREMLIN LETTER (1970)................
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It's nice to know I'm not the only insane person around here.
I own at most about 80 or 100 commercial DVDs, mostly imports that I figure TCM will never show. The other 4000+ I have on DVDs that I record directly onto my DVD recorder, between 1 and 4 movies to a disk, depending on the films' length and whether I want a particular movie to have a disk of its own.* Never liked the idea of paying a monthly rental fee for a DVR that I didn't even own.
Storage? I buy the slimline jewel cases 200 to a box, and store them in there in chronological order, with the starting and ending dates clearly marked on the outside. Since I maintain a chronological Excel file of all the movies I record, I can find anything within a minute or less, depending on whether it's in a box near the top of the bottom of the stack. They all fit quite easily into a clothes closet with plenty of room to spare. With 8000+ books I don't have any wall space to keep them in the open, and anyway, there's not much aesthetic point of displaying a bunch of white cardboard boxes with dates scribbled on them in a Sharpie pen.
So how can my wife put up with all this? Easy. She was my former book shop's best customer when I met her, and she's almost as much of a movie buff as I am, even with pretty much overlapping taste. In return, she gets to select all the furniture and call the shots on remodeling, and I just write the checks.
* But then in some cases I like to combine obvious pairings on a single disk: Both versions of The Letter, or I Wake Up Screaming with Vicki, or all 3 of the Alan Ladd - Veronica Lake pairings, etc.
You do know there are four Lake/Lads pairings, right?
David Bowie has Died!
in General Discussions
Posted
Even before Bowie had achieved any real success, in 1971 and early 1972, he gave away what were arguably his best songs at that moment, which then became hits for others: "Oh You Pretty Things" for Peter Noone in mid 1971, and "All The Young Dudes" for Mott the Hoople a year later. He reclaimed the former for that subsequent Hunky Dory album, but while he recorded the latter more than once, he must've felt it wasn't up to the classic Mott interpretation, and never released it officially at that time.
And Bowie upped the Glam Rock ante by "coming out" in an interview to a British music paper in early 1972, stating he was gay, even with a wife and child. Ostensibly to promote the just released Hunky Dory, the interview made him a media sensation as he took the implications of rock stars in rather feminine attire and makeup to it's natural course. It helped engender interest in his upcoming album, Ziggy Stardust, of which he was already playing many of its songs at his shows. And there, he also took the guitar star pose to the extreme, performing **** on Mick Ronson's instrument.
Along with Bowie taking the costumes to another level, so too did he with his theatrical stage presentations. Of course, in his restlessness and boredom, he would get rid of things wholesale. Two years of the Ziggy look was more than enough for him, and he chucked the glam outfits and haircut for 1974's colossal Diamond Dogs tour, but had huge sets.of a cityscape instead. But he couldn't finish the North American tour with these sets, and they were gone by the last phase of the tour, which due to the influence of the soul music he had been listening to, and revamping his own songs in that style, became known as the "Philly Dogs" tour. This presaged his next musical direction.
Let me now stop this rambling.....