misswonderly3

skimpole, I hear you. Happens to us Canadians all the time. It's very frustrating, especially when the American TCM schedule is showing something interesting and unusual, and we Canadians get *Mutiny on the Bounty*, which is available at every corner movie rental place. I have two things to say about this. 1 - When you check the TCM schedule, if you're in Canada, make sure you check the "Canadian schedule" option on the upper right of the screen. Mostly the schedules are the same, but there are often differences, so if there's something on the American schedule that you particularly want to see, click the Canadian button to make sure it's also on in Canada. 2 - If I do have a "complaint" about TCM's schedule, it is this (replacing a rare long awaited film in Canada with a dime a dozen one). But I know it's not TCM's fault, it's all about "rights" issues. I don't know why these issues can't be sorted out, apparently a lot of the time no one knows exactly who has the "rights" to the film in Canada. A silly situation, especially when you consider that most of the films in question are decades old. So that is something I'm not happy about, I can't tell you how many times I've been disappointed to see that something fabulous in the States is not being aired in Canada. But I don't blame TCM for it. (By the way, what are you doing in Canada? I always thought you were American. Don't answer that, none of my business. It's just that it can't be for the weather ha ha.) Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 16, 2011 2:14 PM

Cid, I'm really sorry you feel that way. I actually have never disagreed with anyone vehemently enough to use that "ignore" button. Besides, I'd just drive myself crazy wondering what the "ignored" ones were saying. I think you may have taken my post on this way more personally than I meant it to be. And my feeling about those who post complaints about TCM on these boards is not so much "anger", it's more just exasperation that people who probably have a lot of knowledge and interesting things to say about old movies (probably yourself being one of them) prefer to post criticisms of the station, instead of the interesting things they probably have to say about film. No "insult" was ever intended.

So, how did everyone who watched it like *Cimarron* ? I'd seen it before, so skipped it last night. Don't like it all that much, except for the famous scene near the beginning, all those hopeful settlers literally racing to stake out some land on a gunshot. Very myth-making scene. But it's sooo long, I hate really long movies, and also movies that cover decades, a lifetime, in a few hours. Irene Dunne, whom I often like, depresses me in this. And so does the marriage separation.

Can't resist pointing out that *Felicia's Journey* is a Canadian film by Canadian film director Atom Egoyan.

I can't help but think that one reason Grace Kelly may have received her Oscar that year was due to her willingness to look "frumpy" and tired for most of the movie. Whenever an exceptionally beautiful and glamourous woman shows the nerve to "un-pretty" for a role, she is praised for her courage. People seem to think it's an acting miracle in itself for a beautiful woman to agree to make herself look unattractive on film. I'm not taking away from actresses who do that, usually their acting is good in these kinds of films. But the "de-glamourizing" definitely helps. Other examples: Nicole Kidman in *The Hours* , Charlize Theron in *Monster* .

cujas, this one's for you. The Hollies playing (er, synching) my favourite song by them, I Can't Let Go : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pydwbUUGcJ8

Prince, read the post immediately before the "shouting".

WHY CAN'T WE HAVE A GARBO FILM IN A RUSSIAN SILENT ABOUT THE RISE OF NAZI PROPAGANDA ???

hamradio, baby, I don't really know why, maybe it's because I just watched *My Man Godfrey*, but I had a big smile on my face as I read your post. I think it was also because you're not so much "low tech" as "old school tech", and your affection for such things came through in your post. I had no idea what you were talking about half the time, but I still enjoyed reading it. I like it that you like your beloved "old tech" stuff so much. Well, since I'm still in a confessional mode, I'll admit that I don't own a cell phone either. And I don't even care ! So it was refreshing to see that a few others don't have such a thing either. (By the way, you must have heard about the technology that allows people to watch a movie on their cellphone. Whaa?? As if a true film lover would want to.) Kinokima, I suspect that if and when my VCR finally breaks down, that will be the day I get a DVD recorder. Except of course by then DVD recorders will also be out-of-date. In fact, aren't they already? And what's the difference between a DVD player/recorder and a DVR? (I told you I was a low -tech dunce.) tracey, since I'm baring all here, I don't know what "R1" and "R2" mean.

I can't stand this lying anymore. All this time I've been posting that I plan to "record" a movie, I watched a "recording" of this or that film from TCM . That was a deliberate obfuscation (good word, eh? ) Yeah, I knew that using the word "record" would throw dirt in everybody's eyes. That's the kind of dame I am, see? I wasn't never gonna tell the truth. "Let them mugs think I know what I'm talkin' about", I says to myself. But now, I can't take it anymore. The heat's gettin' too much for me, I gotta breathe... Sorry, a brief lapse into filmnoirese. Ok, what am I blathering about here? I used the word "record" to suggest that I have a DVR, like everyone else around here. Well, I don't. Never have. I have a DVD player, but an old one, not equipped to record. I admit it, I use ancient technology to record movies -make that "tape" movies. That's right, I still have a VCR and when I want to "keep" a film TCM is airing, I videotape it. I have hundreds of videotapes, not one recording from DVR. (I have DVDs, but they're store-bought.) All right, I feel so much better now. Cleaner. I've confessed the truth, and nothing can hurt me now. Oh, right, I'm not confessing in a film noir. Anyone else out there who still uses this technology from another age? Come clean, tell the truth, confession is good for the soul.

Well, it's all worked out in the end. This has turned into a duel-purpose thread: 1- park all your complaints here, including complaints about complaining about complaints etc. etc. 2 - complaints about *The Treasure of Sierra Madre*. My complaint is, there aren't enough close-ups of Tim Holt, the best-looking of the three miners.

Truly entertaining. Old Nick is absolutely shameless in his video bag of tricks. So catchy, so completely lacking in artifice or ego of any kind. (Unless you count the sunglass -wearing flowers as "artifice". ) Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 15, 2011 1:43 PM

"Oh, if it's "Abuse" you want, that's three doors down" ... "WHAT DO YOU WANT !!??" "Well, I was looking for an Argument..." "Shut your festering gob, you t*t. Your type really makes me puke." "Well, really, I don't deserve this. I came here for a good argument !" "Oh, it's "Arguments" you want? Sorry - this is "Abuse" "Oh, I'm terribly sorry" "Not at all. "Arguments" is two doors down on the left." "Thanks awfully" "Not at all." door closes. "Stupid git !"

Fred - sometimes I don't "get"what your point is, but I'll say this : it's impossible to stay "mad" at you. Lovable crank of TCM City ! Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 15, 2011 11:54 AM

ChorusGirl wrote: "You are looking at The Godfather with an eye one usually reserves for watching the local news. You seem to be looking for accuracy, logic, facts, and utter believability in a work of fiction. With that criteria, most works of art would be failures." Exactly !

lzcutter wrote: "In the meantime, I'll send out for more strawberries for you. Maybe that will help. " Make sure you know where the duplicate key is.

red, you demonstrate good taste. Glad you mentioned the roller skating scene in the department store, it's full of that special kind of physical humour Chaplin could do so well.

This was the other song I was thinking of posting for Valentine's Day. It's only the day after, so maybe it can work retroactively. Sam Cooke had to have one of the most appealing voices in the world. Here's his sweet appeal to Cupid :

Prince, the thread about hard to find titles is a perfectly good thread, but it doesn't have anything to do with this thread, nor with all the complaining that people do around here. Sure, many are saying there are films they'd like to see that are not being shown on TCM or anywhere else for that matter, rare film titles that are their "holy grail" of sought-after movies. None of the posts I read on that thread sounded "complainy". I find it ironic that this thread, which I started almost as a joke, to kind of point out how many threads there were about "issues" and criticisms people have with TCM - and surely you have to agree that there have been a lot of these kinds of threads lately - has been labelled as a "complaint" thread itself. The only thing I'm complaining about is the complainers. As for Fred saying I started this thread because I was "bored with the movie", I don't know what he's talking about, and neither does he. I was bored with all the "Why can't TCM be exactly what +I+ want it to be ?" threads, that's all. I wasn't even watching a movie at the time I started this thread. Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 15, 2011 9:23 AM Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 15, 2011 10:17 AM

You're actually making me mad, and I rarely get mad on these boards. A) Why was my comment deserving of a "yawn"? You were suggesting that *Rachel Rachel* ought to be a novel set in the deep South, and I was enlightening you as to its origins. Ok, yeah, you were most likely joking, but why is it boring to find out where the idea for a film comes from? I started this thread half-jokingly myself, simply to point out all the complaining that goes on around these boards and to question if it's all really necessary. My only "complaint" was about all the complainers, amongst whom you play a major role.

"..Just look at these shoes, I've only had them three weeks and the heels are worn right through...and I'm sick and tired of this office..."

> {quote:title=FredCDobbs wrote:}{quote} > Oh no! Another complaint thread! > > Why don?t you guys chill out. Fred, you're missing the point of this thread...that's exactly what +I+ am saying. (At the risk of sounding a little grouchy, you actually complain a lot more than I do .) ps *-Rachel, Rachel* is based on a novel by Margaret Laurence, a Canadian writer who set all her novels in Canada, including the book upon which this film is based, A Jest of God. So there wouldn't be any Southern Gothic stuff. Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 14, 2011 10:33 PM

Just out of curiousity, I counted up the threads in "General Discussions" whose topic is some kind of complaint or criticism of TCM programming. Just on the first two pages of "General Discussions" alone, I found five, count 'em, five (5). And those are just the recent ones. I honestly do understand that it's kind of a love/hate thing, that if people didn't care about this television channel they wouldn't bother to post about it at all. And I'm sympathetic, up to a point, with some of the "issues" people have, By "sympathetic" I don't mean I necessarily agree with them, just that I feel they can and do have a right to air their grievances about their beloved station; it gives them a way to "vent". But do we have to have so many? These threads take up almost half the space on the boards sometimes, and often the complaints are duplicated in more than one thread. Surely the main purpose of this TCM fansite is to discuss movies, actors, actresses, directors, character actors, cinematography, themes in movies, etc. etc. Why do we want to waste so much time "venting" (a less offensive word, perhaps, than "complaining".) Maybe the "mods" should integrate all these complaint threads and roll 'em all into one big "Feel free to diss TCM here" thread. I'm half serious, half joking. What's my own pet complaint? Hmm - I wish Robert Osborne, Alec Baldwin, and Ben Mankiewicz would get up from their chairs and dance now and then, maybe kind of like a 7th inning stretch. But then we'd have endless arguments on what they'd dance to... Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 14, 2011 8:05 PM

A fine little scene that beautifully demonstrates what we Chaplin fans have been talking about. What a graceful and economical way to make a statement about what was happening in the world at the time *The Great Dictator* was made. And Charlie has just nailed it, the vanity of the Hitler figure, his arrogance, and the trademark Chaplin finesse, the delicacy with which he "dances" with his globe balloon. Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 14, 2011 7:39 PM

> {quote:title=LonesomePolecat wrote:}{quote} > ... Basically, it's not that it's a bad movie, it's more that I don't think it's as great a movie as everyone else seems to think it is (i.e. AFI and other critic people), so mostly it's that I'm sick of hearing about it. I know a lot of people adore it, and that's cool, but it doesn't mean it's the greatest movie ever made. There are a lot of better movies that don't get as much praise, and that makes me sad too. That's exactly how I feel about a lot of movies, but not *The Godfather*. It isn't so much that I detest them, I would just leave them alone if everyone would just shut up about them and stop going on about how great they are. At the risk of de-railing this thread (which is a very interesting topic in its own right), some films I feel the same way about are : *Dr. Zhivago, Gone with the Wind, A Star is Born (pick any version), Laurence of Arabia*...as you can see, I have a problem with "epics". Anyway, some of the films I list I don't really mind, but I'm irritated by how people rave about them, how "wonderful" and "great" and "profound" they are. I really just hate them in reaction to everyone else who loves them (to a degree that they don't deserve, IMO.) So, even though I personally think *The Godfather* is a great movie and deserves its praise, I can understand what you're saying about it, how it bothers you that the critics are always putting it on "best film" lists, etc. Chacon a son gout.