misswonderly3

I'm concerned that I may have derailed this thread a bit. A lot, maybe. So to return to Ray Milland: does anyone know if TCM has scheduled *The Big Clock* for Ray's month?

> {quote:title=finance wrote:}{quote} > I don't know how you can say that a particular movie is better than a particular book, or vice versa. That's almost like saying that you like tennis better than zucchini.........Book to book, or movie to movie, comparisons seem to be more productive. But people compare the film to the book all the time. There's even been at least one thread about it. I think it's inevitable that, if one has read a book that later is made into a movie, one will compare the two. Of course they are different mediums to tell a story, different art forms, but it's only natural, if one has read and loved a book, to think of the book when watching the film and assess how similar or dissimilar the two are -keeping in mind that they are different, and will never accomplish the same things, one's film, the other is literature. Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 1, 2011 10:05 AM

From radioactivity to electricity, take it away, Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zExFchzV5UQ (I like the nerdy little organ player in the orange suit.Very cute.) Edited by: misswonderly on Feb 1, 2011 10:20 AM

My apologies, Jonny...this is what happens when I don't read someone's post carefully enough. I realize now that you were speaking of Graham Greene's books, not the films that have been made from them. But I still say, give Brighton Rock a try ( book, then film. or vice versa, if you like.) You're probably aware that Greene was a little preoccupied (was going to say "obsessed", but perhaps that isn't fair) with Catholicism, so if that bothers you, stick to Dickens. Edited by: misswonderly on Jan 31, 2011 8:25 PM

Don't get offended, MFF, but since you're bringing up the subject, I have to say that with very few exceptions, I cannot abide "Cast of Thousands" movies. They tend to be epics (naturally), a genre I disdain. They tend to be big fat long overwrought works, too long, too serious, too dull. The exceptions might be the spoofs you mention, although *Airplane* actually does not have a very big cast at all. I'm a huge fan of both Woody Allen and Robert Altman, but neither used large casts -they both focus very much on character, so almost perforce they are going to work with only a handful of actors. I agree that they both use "ensemble" acting, but wouldn't that belong in a different thread than one entitled "Cast of Thousands"? Edited by: misswonderly on Jan 31, 2011 4:24 PM

> {quote:title=JonnyGeetar wrote:}{quote} > Not only is Ministry of Fear a good movie, it's the only Grahame (sic?) Greene novel I've read that didn't, (forgive me lack of coothe here) SUCK OUT LOUD. Now, now, JonnyG., I beg to differ. Have you seen *Brighton Rock* ? (the 1947 one, of course.) I not only think it does not SUCK OUT LOUD, it does not even suck quietly. In fact, it's pretty good. (Not as good as the book of course, but movies made from books rarely are.)

Well, those boys have to be the life of the party...remind me to invite them next time I have one.

> {quote:title=cujas wrote:}{quote} > Typical--I would have picked "Little Egypt" by The Coasters. I thought of Little Egypt, too. Good song. But the Bangles tune seemed to fit a bit better, and anyway, that's the one that pops into my head every time I watch the news lately.

Can't decide if "Thelma" is better than "Gladys".

This was hard to do, because there are so many Fred and Ginger, Gene Kelly, and Marx Brothers movies with great songs and dances. So I'm not " married" to this list, it's what came into my head at this time. 1) Favourite Fred and Ginger dance number: Heaven, from *Top Hat*. Hate to pick such an obvious one, but it's such a lovely performance, feathers and all. Close second: Let's Face the Music and Dance, from *Follow the Fleet*. I cannot separate the dancing from the music in these Fred and Ginger films, they had such fantastic tunes to dance to. Irving Berlin was tops... 2) Favourite dance partner for Gene Kelly: hm, again tough. Well, one of my favourite Gene Kelly dance numbers is the one with Leslie Caron in *An American in Paris*, the gentle sweet courting scene by the Seine river: Our Love is Here to Stay. (That number is perfect, but ironically I don't rate the film itself as highly as many other musicals.) 3) Favourite Marx Brothers song: Hymn to Freedonia, from *Duck Soup*. Manic music at its best. And it's the scene that Woody Allen walks into and makes him want to live in *Hannah and her Sisters*. (There is another song, sweet melody, I think it's called Looking at You. I'm pretty sure Chico sings it, but I can't remember which movie.) 4) Favourite moment of singing in a non-musical: Poor Claire Trevor singing Moanin' Low for a drink in *Key Largo*. I love what happens when she finishes -Edward G. refuses the her the drink, Claire gasps, "But Johnny, ya promised !". "Yeah, but you were rotten.", says Johnny. 5) Favourite moment of dancing in a non-musical: from Fellini's *Amarcord*; the young boy and his friends have discovered a deserted palace, with a beautiful upper terrace. They imagine how it used to be, with grand and elegant gentlemen and ladies dancing to fine music, and they begin to dance themselves, swaying and twirling solemnly to Nino Rota's irresistible theme . I think it's snowing. Edited by: misswonderly on Jan 31, 2011 4:36 PM

SansFin, baby, where have you been ? ( just kidding, in a rhetorical exclamation of glee that you're back.) You were missed.

Interesting comment from Mr. Milland. I get what he's saying, although I'm not sure I entirely agree with it. However, if Ray wanted to ensure that his status as a glamourous star remained intact, perhaps he should have reconsidered his involvement in *The Thing with Two Heads*. Maybe it's good, in a campy quasi-horror kind of way- I've never seen it. Has anyone checked the schedule to see if TCM's going to air it?

Over the last few days I have had this song going through my head. I take world events very seriously, and I don't mean to be frivolous, but I can't help it. Anyway, it's a great little pop song. Here are the Bangles, exhorting everyone to "Walk Like an Egyptian" : Edited by: misswonderly on Jan 31, 2011 3:41 PM

There's something fishy about that comment.

I had no problem with the acting in *Phantom Lady*. Well, maybe Franchot Tone was a little too Lady Macbeth, but that was part of the fun. I certainly enjoyed it more than *The File on Thelma Jordan*, to which I fell asleep the one time I tried to watch it. I think it's Wendell Corey -just not a noir hero kind of guy. Not even Babs Stanwyck, one of my favourite actresses, could keep me interested.

Uh, yeah. If you read my comments on this film, you'd see that that was more or less what I said. I did analyze the plot foibles a bit, but concluded by saying that it didn't really matter anyway, the film was fun and interesting. Actually, what I said at the end of that analysis was this: This all sounds as though I found a lot of fault with Phantom Lady, but plot defects are not uncommon in noir, and *it really doesn't matter to me all that much,* as long as I get that lovely noir atmosphere, and Phantom Lady was certainly rich in that. Edited by: misswonderly on Jan 30, 2011 10:59 PM

I never have any desire to violate our privacy codes here; in any case, I actually have a copy of *Christmas Holiday* myself. True, it's on video, and it's a rather blurry print, but considering how rare it is I'm still glad I have it. (Even though when all's said and done, it's not the greatest- it's a good example of how sometimes a film is more desirable for its elusiveness than for the actual quality of the movie itself.)

Of course you know that a French -Canadian film, *Incendies*, directed by Dennis Villeneuve, has been nominated as "Best Foreign Language Film" for the Oscars this year. I regret, I have not as yet seen it. Plan to. I'm surprised and annoyed that *Barney's Version*, based on the Canadian novel of the same name by Mordecai Richler, was snubbed and received an insulting one category nomination (for make-up). Now to be honest, I haven't seen that yet either. But by all accounts it deserved more attention than that. Anyway, I don't put much credence in the Oscars.

Did anyone catch *Ministry of Fear* the other day? Great little espionage thriller, fun settings, beautiful direction -well, of course, we're talking Fritz Lang. And Ray? Ray was fabulous from beginning to end. Gotta love that early scene at the town fair, the fortune-teller getting peeved with him, the cake-guessing bit, and Ray marching off with this big icing-filled cake under his arm. I want a piece (of the cake, not of Ray...well, maybe...) Also, I found it interesting that there seemed to be such an emphasis on clocks, at least near the beginning of the film -because, of course, Ray Milland stars in the very good noir, several years later, *The Big Clock*. Missed *Lost Weekend* when it was on; a very good film, daring for its time in its examination of alcoholism.

Kinokima, baby, what an interesting thread idea. I love musicals. I even like non-musical musicals. To do this thread justice, I will have to ponder your list a while. Will get back to it soon.

Guy Maddin is Canadian . (you'd all be disappointed if I didn't do this, wouldn't you? :I )

Hey, Val! So you finally saw *Christmas Holiday*...How did you get a hold of it? MyFavouriteFilms: good point; fair enough. I did enjoy the only movie I watched today, *Foreign Affair*. It wasn't great, but it did engage me. And (I do have a propensity for masochistically humiliating myself on these threads) I realized post-viewing that it was directed by Billy Wilder, something I actually didn't know hitherto (can one end a sentence with "hitherto" ? That's twice.)

> {quote:title=FredCDobbs wrote:}{quote} > I tried not to pay too much attention to the details.... I just went along with the flow of the film. I basically agree, Fred. If I like a movie, I do what you said above all the time. As I said earlier, noir is full of plot holes, but it doesn't really matter. The main thing about film noir is the atmosphere, and *Phantom Lady* had that in spades (what does that expression actually mean, anyway? "Spades" as in shovelfuls? )

I'm always in favour of more shorts on TCM. Edited by: misswonderly on Jan 30, 2011 5:05 PM

I've heard good things about *Ah, Wilderness !*.Didn't know it was on today, but if it was super-early, I would have missed it anyway. To join the ranks of the "Why can't TCM do it my way" folks, I wish they'd shown *Ah Wilderness* this afternoon, instead of the oft-screened and execrable *Dr. Zhivago*. Why couldn't they have just reversed the times? Just to be a crank: I've said it before, and I'll say it again (like right now) : *Dr. Zhivago* is featured continuously in one of Dante's nine circles of hell, I just can't remember which one at present.