misswonderly3

Oh, ok....I thought the poster was referring to the actual speech the woman who won gave (must admit, I've never heard of her.) As for Robert Duvall laughing as he reads Shelly Winters' name, I did think that was rude and lacking in class. I'm surprised a quality guy like Duvall did that.

Why do you say that? I didn't see anything awkward about that clip you just showed.

manderstoke, I think your comments and observations about Odd Man Out are exceptionally thoughtful and insightful. I enjoyed reading them, and I wish that more people here were interested in viewing films like this. (I suspect that many posters skipped it because it wasn't an American film, but I could be unfairly judging them, maybe I'm mistaken...) Anyway, thanks for your interesting and intelligent posts about the film.

cigarjoe, I respect you, but - don't we already have a thread about this? http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/126251-coming-soon-to-tcm-noir-alley/&do=findComment&comment=1457004 How come we need a second one? I hate it when there are two threads at the same time about the same thing.

I can't believe you wouldn't know this: Why I bothered to post this, I don't know, since I don't even like the song that much.

Well, gentlemen, I have seen LifeBoat, more than once. But I must confess that the eloquent Vautrin's allusion to that film escaped me. I kept scrolling back to see if there were some post he was responding to that I'd missed. I took a "beginner's" German course once, really enjoyed it, and can't remember a thing about it. Nicht ein Wort.

What the frig ?......

Sounds kind of voodoo-ish to me. Maybe someone could stage an all teddy bear production of Mr. Roberts. Teddy Ruxpin could be the Cagney character, Jack Lemmon one of speedracer's Care Bears, and so on. And at the end, the audience could throw 'em all into the sea.

Gak ! Wow, you and Vautrin are torturing me, with your combinations of teddy bears, beaches, and candy. All rolled into one sweet experience ! Yikes ! Actually, I don't like to give Vautrin the satisfaction, but I do like the song "Teddy Bears' Picnic". One version: Catchy, eh?

Gak !

Ten years ago or today...Feel-good music is timeless.

I just thought of another unpopular opinion to add to my list. I really dislike the movie Mr. Roberts. But don't take it up with me here....there's a whole thread about it, elsewhere on this forum.

Ah. I'd forgotten that John Ford directed it, maybe because I usually only pay attention to who directed a film if I like the film. Anyway, that explains it. John Ford had an absolutely terrible sense of humour, at least when it came to attempting to bring comedy into his films. (Can't say what he was like in real life, in that department.) Every time John Ford tries to be funny in his movies, he fails miserably. It's in the so-called "funny" bits of his films that I tend to roll my eyes. It's not even that his humour was "broad" - sometimes I like "broad" humour. But it has to be funny, it has to actually make me laugh. John Ford did not know how to be funny. And boy, does it ever show in Mr. Roberts. I've suffered through this entire film twice now, and am still puzzled as to its relatively high status with movie fans. Nothing any of you have said here in its defence has convinced me it isn't tedious and tiresome. I mean, there's nothing more tedious than something trying to be funny, and just falling flat on its face. And yes, as I said, I do very much like all the lead players in the movie ( sorry, I left out mention of William Powell in my earlier post. And I like Mr.Powell.) But just because a film features a lot of actors I admire in an ensemble production doesn't mean I'll automatically like the production. I'm sorry guys, but I still think Mr. Roberts is boring and tiresome. I can only imagine how wretched it would be if it didn't have all those likable actors in it. Why am I bothering to post all this negative stuff about it? A lot of people subscribe to the "if you don't have something nice to say about it, don't say anything at all." philosophy. I disagree with that. Life wouldn't be as interesting if everybody just went around "being nice" all the time. And there's a way to say you don't like something without being nasty. I mean, I'm not insulting those of you who do enjoy this movie. I'm just knocking the movie, not its fans. But the main reason why I'm taking the trouble to post again explaining the things about the film that I don't like is that everyone else seems to like it. If I didn't think Mr. Roberts was hugely over-rated, I'd probably leave it alone. I generally only write "negative" posts about a film if I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't like it. It's not as though poor old Mr. Roberts doesn't have many fans and many defenders - as this thread demonstrates.

Patsy Gallant.

One of my favourite bands of all time is The Velvet Underground. I love them, just about everything they did gives me a certain feeling. To me there's something so mysterious and New York about them, something kind of dangerous and joyous at the same time. Here be one of my favourites by them; it's no longer morning, but it's still Sunday.

Vautrin, that's what I call a feel-good video. I wonder if all those people were friends of the Chili Peppers, or just hopefuls auditioning to be in a Red Hot Chili Peppers video? Either way, they all look as though they were having a great time.

Yes, it's very "McCartney-esque", especially the piano chords.

Speedy, I'm kind of uncomfortable explaining why I dislike teddy bears, since so many people - and hey, you're one of them - love them. I don't want to be offensive about it. I never liked them, even as a kid. In fact, I don't like and never did, any type of stuffed animal toy. But teddy bears were the worst. I also dislike the "Winnie the Pooh" stories - and I love children's books ! You may remember, Winnie the Pooh was a teddy bear. I dunno, there's just something so inane about them to me. Sentimental. Or maybe it's just that I never had a teddy bear as a child myself, so I can't relate to the kind of nostalgic/ sentimental feeling many people have for them. And I never missed them, I never wanted a teddy bear. Also - and this might really offend a lot of people, and if it offends you, I'm genuinely sorry, because I consider you a friend here. But the thing about teddy bears that I dislike the most is how people buy them and put them on the site where some poor murdered kid lived, in some futile attempt to demonstrate that they feel sad for the kid's family. I hate that - teddy bears, dolls, "stuff", being dumped on the front lawn of the poor family's home because people who never even knew the kid somehow think they have to "do something" to show they feel bad for the family. It's like people want to experience emotion, that kind of grief, vicariously. To me there's something creepy about it. Obviously this is not to say that I do not feel terrible when I hear these tragic stories. But to me there's something cheap and silly about dumping a teddy bear where the kid lived to show your sympathy for the family. It just seems sentimental and dumb. I have little doubt that what I just said will make some people here, including some I consider my friends, think I am nasty and heartless. Not to mention disrespectful of the teddy bear contributers. But that's what I feel about it.

Changing topic a little...two short lists of things I dislike, that most people seem to favour: Movies: I hate epics ! I hate movies that span decades in time, and that usually last at least 8 hours ( or so it feels - most of them are actually about 3 hours long, but that's one hour too many.) I cannot connect to characters and events that keep changing every 10 minutes. And they take themselves so seriously, these long "important" films. some examples: Gone With the Wind (yup) Lawrence of Arabia Dr.Zhivago ( David Lean, what happened to you?) All those Bible epics And now a list of things I really dislike that most people seem to adore: Teddy bears Sunny days ( ok, I don't mind days of sun and cloud; it's the clear blue sky sunny days I don't like; they're harsh....and Dargo, I would not be happy in Sedona, where I have the impression the sun shines all day, every day...I need rain) Candy - like jelly beans and gummi bears - just sticky coloured sugar. Now, chocolate is something different altogether. Chocolate, I love. Beyonce. also Kenye West. also Katy Perry. not my idea of music John Ford movies ( with a few exceptions, like The Informer and The Grapes of Wrath and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.) Steak. I can't be bothered to do all that cutting. Beaches - - too much sun, and no trees. There's more, but that's enough crochety-ness for one post.

I agree, Winslow. Jean Harlow was many good things, but classically beautiful wasn't one of them. Her style of looks was "cute", rather than "pretty" or "beautiful". And, as you acknowledge, there was something very likable about her that made the audience side with her. I've heard she was a really sweet person in real life.

That issue is addressed in the episode called "The Keys". Jerry gets fed up with Kramer bursting in on him any time of day or night, not to mention Jerry entering his own apartment to find Kramer there, eating or having a bath or entertaining a lady friend. Of course, the problem isn't really solved, it just leads up to the very funny ensuing episodes in which Kramer, hurt by Jerry's seizing the K man's key to his apartment ( not to mention his penchant for "yearning") takes off for L. A. But I'm with you, and I"m surprised our friend Tom is bothered by the food thing. It IS a running joke - they even ( especially Kramer) have the nerve to complain when Jerry doesn't have a certain kind of cereal , or a special brand of chips, or whatever. I've always thought it was funny, in some way even charming, that one of the first things Kramer, George, and Elaine tend to do when they enter Jerry's apartment is open the fridge.

Right. I don't know about that last, but I have a very good friend, who in every other way I respect. But she never liked Seinfeld ! We just "agreed to disagree" - I just don't talk about it with her. In every other way she has excellent taste.

db, you left out the funniest part of all. I mean, every single "bit" from that episode is hilarious, and I agree with everything you said about it. But unless I'm mistaken ( and I might be, I haven't got to that season yet in my re-watchings) in the same episode, George encounters a woman who thinks he's mentally ill.. (And arguably, he is. Although I always loved George.) Every time he convinces her he's sane, something happens to make him look totally crazy ! Which for some reason this woman always witnesses. I remember, I just couldn't stop laughing at that episode's final scene, in which George, in order to help promote the old movie theatre, dresses up as King Henry VIII and marches up the street to the theatre. And of course, the woman who suspected he was a "nutter" sees him. What makes it so deliciously funny is, that's such a cliche about insane people - - they think they're Henry VIII, or Napoleon, or somebody.

Ok, I've been diligently reading this thread from its beginning, resisting the urge to reply to a number of opinions I disagree with. (I have this idea that I should read all of a thread before commenting on it.) But this is too much ! Seinfeld is the funniest sit-com ever. I own the entire series on DVD, and I just started re-watching it a little while ago. It's still hilarious. And, contrary to its tag-line, it is NOT "about nothing".It's about people, human nature - it's about how funny human beings can be. In fact, I would say that Seinfeld is about something more than most sit-coms. And even if it weren't, why does a comedy show have to be "about something"? Comedy shows should be about making us laugh, which Seinfeld does completely and wonderfully. It's not "dumb", it's the opposite - one of the smartest sit-coms of all time. Some of its episodes I've seen several times, and each one still makes me laugh out loud. I've never understood the poe-faces who don't like it.

Well, sometimes I like "dumb" comedies with lots of slapstick. Airplane and The Naked Gun movies come to mind. But they're genuinely funny. And in addition to all the physical and downright silly humour ( which I enjoy in those films), they've also got a fair bit of wordplay. There's no such cleverness with words, no verbal humour, in Mr. Roberts. In other words, I like a "dumb" comedy as much as anyone, and have nothing against "parking my brain" for a couple of hours of shameless silliness. But it has to actually be funny, too.