rohanaka

I agree. Miniatures give filmmakers the chance to tell their story anywhere (and in any point in time) without having to actually "be there". I think this sort of technique is one that has stood the test of time too, because despite all the computer technology we have, a lot of films still rely heavily on miniatures for certain locations and buildings, etc. I can't begin to imagine all the man hours that most go into some of those sets. I remember watching something on TV several years ago on the use of miniatures in the making of the film Independence Day (not necessarily a "classic film" but I guess it goes to show what I was getting at about this method still being used today) I was very impressed at all the artwork and the attention to detail. (Especially since they only built it so they could blow it up!!) :-) Message was edited by: rohanaka

I spent almost 9 years in retail as a shoe store manager way back in the eighties. And shoes are still the first thing I notice. Old habits die hard! :-)

Aww Judy--the credit goes to you...I just took a hint from your Weightwatcher's comment and then ran with it. :-)

I can just see you in your twirly dress at Chuck E Cheese! I'll be there in my stunning black satin number and we can play ski ball with elegance and style..... I usually avoid that place like the plague if at all possible!! But if you're gonna be there, I will make an exception!! :-) PS--the picnics around our house are slightly less formal--Munchkin hats are entirely optional! Speaking of the Munchkins--I watched the Wizard of Oz the other night with the short person. We were cracking up over their "flowered-toe" shoes!! The very height of fashion for the sophisticated Munchkin, I am sure! After all, accessories are everything! :-)

Call in Richard Simmons!! (He just introduced a new "Townspeople-free, low-human lifeform diet!!) This coupled with a responsible exercise program will give that Blob a whole new lease on life. And since even giant gelatinous globs of goo can't resist a good 50's tunes, that Blob will be so busy Sweatin' To the Oldies, he won't even want to go back to his poor eating habits ever again! (Thanks Judy for my "fix"!! I was starting to really miss it!) PS--Best wishes on your writing project! :-)

Hi Jack--I agree-that Ginger was one smart dresser! I'm not one to go dancing anywhere--(even my right foot is a leftie when it comes to dancing) but I love these gowns! ( I think the ruffled one is my favorite) Wouldn't it be fun if this was how I could dress all the time!! I can just see myself walking through Walmart twirling around just so I can make the bottom of the dress flair out. My daughter loves to do that anytime she gets dressed up! Too cute. (I STILL love to do that too, though I am way past the age where anyone else would consider it "cute") :-)

Thanks for the comments on the book. With Fall coming up, I know my trips to the Library are going to be more frequent (they have a great kid's program up there for my little one) so I will likely be checking this one out for myself. I have always thought it would be good to read this story (and a few of the other popular classic romance stories that are also classic films) but never have found the time( or is it the self discipline?) to do anything about it. Maybe will do better this time around. :-)

If you find him, let me know. :-) He is my all time favorite. Maybe he's still out there somewhere and just "took a wrong turn at Albuquerque! :-) We should also try St. Louis (as in "So long, screwy--see ya in St. Louis!") Or better yet, Florida--"So long Sammy, See ya in Miami" (He IS well past retirement age so this would not be out of the question.) :-) Seriously, though--I hope you find him. He's a true classic!

Judy...I am just curious what you are needing this quote for. It's not something you usually hear people ask about. Are you going to use it write us another Stop the Monster installment?? Because I have been waiting patiently for the next one!!! Truthfully, I'm only asking because I am a nosy busy-body. :-) Feel free to tell me to MYOB. :-) (PS--I love the early Star Wars movies--not a big fan of the 3 more recent ones. But others may disagree.) :-)

Someone on here mentioned Woody Allen....I have tried on more than one occassion to watch a number of his films... I just wanted to yell at him (and most of the characters too) "Get over yourself!" I know he has a lot of fans, and many people enjoy his films. Maybe I've seen the wrong ones...but I think he is one of those filmmakers you either like or you want to throw something at him. Very little room in between. I did however like his animated character in the movie ANTZ--mostly because it makes fun (especially at the beginning) of his own stereotyped Woody Allen persona. (And because it's one of the few films I've ever watched with him where the characters actually accomplish something besides talking about themselves all the time) Ok--enough whining. I step down from my "Anti Woody Allen" campaign and yield the balance of my time. :-)

SHALLOW GRAVE or TOOMBSTONE will go with Tombstone--(this is one I acutally have seen! ) :-) Sticking with westerns.... RIO BRAVO or RIO LOBO

Thanks cmvgor, but that might be one I will have to sit out. I blush too easily, I am afraid. I mainly chose the title because with the summer heat, (and August is just around the corner) a cold wind--or even a moderately cool one sounded good at the time. :-) Guess I better stick with titles I recognize or I might hqve to end up doing my standard "eyes-shut, ears-plugged, and voice repeating La-la-la" routine if things get too racey. :-)

I was talking about this subject with someone on another thread just the other day. Right smack in the middle of the movie E.T. is a scene from my favorite film of all time, The Quiet Man. John Wayne gets to grab Maureen O'Hara and give her a big fat kiss as Elliot gets to grab a little blonde girl and do the same (while dozens of frogs hop away to freedom) In the meantime, E.T just sits in his easy chair, drinking beer, and switching channels on the TV. (I think the Duke and Elliott get the better end of the bargain, but others might disagree.) :-)

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels New Word: Metropolis (in honor of the founder of this thread)

guess it goes to show a good story is worth telling again and again. :-)

have seen 3 other versions Wow...I had no idea that there were so many. All I have seen was this one (with Welles) and the PBS one that aired(I think) this past spring.One day I would like to read the book to see how it compares. Someone said they liked Elizabeth Taylor in this film--I agree. She was so tragic, and I don't think she was ever more beautiful. ( Ok--a lot of folks might not agree with that one. ) :-) This is one of those films that I wish I had on DVD or tape. Will have to look on the TCM schedule and keep a watch for it.

Nightwalker, thanks for the film titles...I have started keeping a list of films I see recommended on here. The more I go through this site, the more I realize there are a lot of good movies out there I still want to watch. Will keep my eyes open for some of these--thanks again.

Top 5...Let's see--(in no particular order): Notorious Shadow of a Doubt Rear Window North by Northwest Rebecca Psycho The Trouble with Harry Oopss--I guess that is more than five--but I just can't narrow it down They are all really great films. . I have also seen several others, and although I really enjoyed most of them, I can't say they are among my favorites---The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Birds, Vertigo(please no one yell at me for saying its not my favorite) Suspicion, Rope, Marnie, and wasn't there one with Gregory Peck and ( I think) Ingird Bergman where he has amnesia?? I can't recall that title. Now that you've seen my list--all you Hitch experts--what should I see next?? :-)

I am still impressed by the "aerial", bird's-eye shot over Bodega Bay just before they swoop down. Hi Miss G--I stayed up WAY too late the other night and caught part of the documentary they showed on Hitchcock--very interesting! He was truly an innovative filmmaker--especially with regard to this subject. As far as the hand-drawn vs Pixar animation, I have to confess I like both--but probably prefer the old tried and true--there is something very beautiful in movies like Bambie or Snow White that kids today don't really get to appreciate in the newer films. Since I am probably the world's best artist only when it comes to drawing stick people, I am just bowled over by the talent and effort that must have gone into those early films. Even the things that are supposed to be "hideous" (such as the old witch in snow white) are a thing of beauty. And the scenery in those film--the attention to detail is almost breathtaking. PS--Cinemaven "...how they do that?" With ingenuity, brainpower and creativity--my point exactly! :-)

I watched the Wizard of Oz last night and it always makes me start thinking about how much effort must have gone into some of the special effects in that movie. I got to thinking about other great classic films with a strong FX presence as well. Now, in no way do I consider myself and expert on anything having to do with either filmmaking or modern technology. I even joked with someone on here recently about being a self-proclaimed "technophobe" :-) But I am really amazed at how much technology in general has changed over the last few years. (or even within my own lifetime) And with regard to moviemaking, it has come a long, long way within the last 100 years or so. While it is true some of these old films are a bit hokey (as in: you can almost see the "string'" dangling from the flying saucer--or maybe the guy in the monkey suit just looks like some slob who needs a shave) but think about films like "From the Earth To the Moon", one of the earliest FX driven movies. That was high tech back in the day, I am sure. And what about films like San Francisco with that huge earthquake scene? Or The Hurricane... think of all that wind and water. There was a lot that went in to making those films that made them seem very realistic, even by today's standards. And a personal favorite, The Ten Commandments, has always impressed me as a terrific piece of movie "art". (All those swirling clouds and the Red Sea parting right in front of Charlton Heston. Too cool.) And who could forget the burning of Atlanta in GWTW? But the cream of the crop for classic movie FX to me, has got to be the cyclone in the Wizard of Oz. What a great piece of work! VERY realistic...and done without all the computer generated images or "green screen" technology that exists today. I think it is one of the most realistic movie twisters I have ever seen. (And living in the midwest, with the way our weather goes sometimes, I can say for sure it looks very realistic) :-) I heard a long time ago how this was done, but to be sure, I Googled some statistics, and one of the things I came up with is the following ) The effect was achieved through the construction of a thirty-five-foot muslin stocking affixed to a gantry crane traveling the length of the stage. The tornado-shaped cone was rotated by a speed-controlled motor. The dust and thick clouds were created using Fuller's earth, and dangerous chemicals such as carbon and sulfur with of course, little or no proper ventilation. The ferocious sounding winds were produced through the use of compressed air and wind machines. I am not good at posting links on here (another technophobe moment for me) but you can read the whole article at the following: *www.noplacelikeoz.com/Page4.htm* There are also some really great explanations regarding how many of the other effects were achieved in this film. (I don't know about how accurate this site is, but what I found regarding the twister matches up pretty closely to what I remember hearing in the past.) What are some of your favorite classic movie FX moments? You know...the days before Jurrasic Park brought the dinosaurs back to life...or the days before Star Wars took over the "empire" of Space and turned intergalactic war into an art form. I don't mean to cheapen the value of the technology we have nowdays. I think modern day special effects are first rate. But there is something a bit more impressive (at least to me) about how hard Harryhausen must have had to work to get all those skeletons to stand up and fight way back when. I looked around a little on the boards, and only found one really old thread about "Which was better--old fx or new"... But that's not what I am really wanting to discuss here. I even debated with myself as to where the best spot to post this would be. I eventually settled here because I really want to hear more from folks about the filmmakers and the process as much as I do the films. I know computers have moved filmmaking into a completely different era nowdays. But even if you enjoy all the cool new stuff out there, (as I do) the good old days are still entertaining to watch as well. What are some of your thoughts about the way things USED to be?? Got any favorites movies or scenes? Got any cool classic fx filmmaking stories to share? Inquiring minds want to know! :-)

One person's fascination is another person's tedium -) HA! Couldn't agree more! (cute cartoon) Laffite--since I don't speak the lingo--I'll go along with Miss G and just add, "yeah--what she said!" :-)

Scarlett and Melanie decide what to do with the dead Yankee, and also the scene in which Melanie reads David Copperfield to the waiting women Two perfect examples of what I was trying to say, Jack. She really was made of a lot stearner stuff than most might think judging her on the surface. :-) I like in the reading scene how she really holds her own and stands up under the questioning when the authorities come knocking at the door--she is in full command of the situation and she plays along perfectly with Rhett and the rest of the men when they show up too.

I got to thinking about GWTW today after your post a couple of days ago... love olivia in The Heiress! what a movie this is, and she well deserved her oscar for it, in my opinion. i wouldnt say it is her best film, but it comes pretty close. she also did a great job as scarlett o'hara's sister in GWTW, I don't think they were sisters were they?? But is has been a long time since I saw this film. I've probably only seen it all the way through maybe twice. :-) I think Melanie is just about the first character I think of when I think of Olivia deHavilland. (although the Heiress is my favorite) And she is probably my favorite character in the entire story Some may think she was a sap, but Melanie had a lot more backbone to her than she appeared to have on the surface. She was 100% a lady and very kindhearted, but she was not a wilting little flower of the south. I have a lot more respect for her than most of the other women in this movie, but not because of her sweetness. More because of the way she maintained her sweetness even when she showed her strength. (Does that make sense?) Let's face it...the women in this story(and the men too) really went through a lot...but still ended up accomplishing more than most will ever even imagine.

I can't put these in any sort of exact order--the first 5would probaby appear somewhere on a list of my top 50 favorites movies of all time--the rest of them are just movies I've enjoyed that also contain numerical references in the titles--but again--not in any order- Three Godfathers Miracle on 34th Street High Noon The Ten Commandments It Happened One Night 3:10 to Yuma 7th Voyage of Sinbad Twins Twelve Angry Men 20 Milllion Miles to Earth

Everyone knows I'm rotten already. All my leaves have turned brown, so turning them won't do any good. Well, I guess I could look for the light-brown ones. Now Frank...(again with the mom voice) I can't help you if you won't work with me!! :-)