sineast

I don't think it was in Telephonoscope, but it was in black and white.

I've always preferred the 1862 version.

I enjoy a good noir, and even an average noir (genre forbearance), but I've never taken them very seriously. Noirs are somewhat more realistic than your average 1950s Techni happy-ending musical, but not much. The noir is kind of a polar opposite of something like musicals. Gritty, shadowy, bad characters, fatalistic, fast-talking. Many musicals are just the opposite, and both genres are about the same distance from dull, everyday life. In noir, the glass is half empty, in musicals half-full, but they're both just entertainment. Dark fantasy, bright fantasy, take yer choice. A hustle here, a hustle there. D.O.A. is one of my favorites. Poor little Paula, she'll never make it to the altar. Don't forget the HornyHorn (though it doesn't sound like a horn) sound effect when Edmond O'Brien's character checks into the SF hotel and finds out there's a convention going on. Hilarious.

Belly getting cleaned and Dusted. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZWshkJiyzo&feature=related fmt=18

Tried to get this song up last week, and it wouldn't go through. Maybe it will work today. R.E.M. performing Man On the Moon, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. fmt=18

I know what a couple of weeks is in everyday real time, but what is it in TCM time? Spring 2010?

English rock stars are notorious for their bad dental work, but it would be difficult for them to top Shane MacGowan of the Pogues, celebrating Christmas in September with +Fairytale of New York+ with guest vocals by Kirstie MacColl. Hey, this video went through! Must be the luck of the Irish. fmt=18

Picnic: Beware Maiden Ants Next: Bus Stop

Noir is like any other film genre, such as screwball comedies, women's films, the monster movie, etc. Each has a particular set of characteristics that go to making up the genre. The noir list is pretty well established and disseminated by now. A noir probably doesn't have to include every characteristic element, and there are minor disagreements over whether a particular film is a noir or not, but, for the most part, the elements that make up noir are fairly obvious. After a while, listings of these elements gets rather repetitive, but that's the way it works. As for what is or what isn't a noir, I take my cue from the Supreme Court justice's comment about what is obscene: I can't always describe it, but I know it when I see it.

I would have to disagree with your theory about Dostoyevsky. In the first place, I'm not even sure his work is that well known among the masses. One might even say his name is not that well known. If you selected a hundred people at random and asked them who he was, I don't think too many would know, and that even less had read him. The movies, at least in America, have been few and far between, so I doubt they have had much influence in keeping Dostoyevsky, to whatever extent, popular. I think the reason for that "popularity" is more likely the constant appearance of his works on high school and college reading lists for many years.

SMFYTPOS acting up again, piece of internet garbage. One hostage video was finally sprung from its idiotic grasp. Pink Floyd finally got through, performing an early number, Astronomy Domine. Part of the video is a hilarious interview with a patronizing type, who just doesn't seem to get it. Funnier than a Monty Python sketch. fmt=18

All the way back to Chuck Noll. I especially enjoy it when the Steelers beat up on the Cowboys. From the way they played last night on third and short, they need the Bus back again. To be objective for a moment, I don't think they will repeat. The offense seems a bit weak. Time will tell. Franco Salute Thread. Gotta go.

I usually skip the goo-goo slumber party threads, but since someone has seen fit to dis The Steelers, well. See the game last night? Good one. Hines very rarely makes an error like that, but in the end victory went to the Steelers. A little reminiscent of the last Super Bowl. What a comeback by Big Ben. Let's see, that was number six I believe. Woe to those who tread on the tiger's tail or the Terrible Towel. GO STEELERS.

The Pink Floyd clip came up as unavailable yesterday , so I went back and double-checked and it is still on YT. Try it one more time, and if that doesn't work, I'll go with close kin. No deal on that. SMFYTPOS maintains its pathetic standing. Let me see if something by Die Konigs der Kraut Rock works. Kraftwerk performing Trans Europe Express ein, zwei, drei... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWlgbAc3bbM fmt=18

Most of Raymond Chandler's novels have been adapted for the screen, a few more than once. The results have been of varying quality. No matter how good the picture is, it never quite captures the essence of the novels. The Marlowe character is somewhat simplified and stereotyped in relation to the character presented in the books, and no film can ever get all those weird, and occasionally over the top, similes, and the wit of the writing. The films are enjoyable for the most part, but they can never touch the original novels. Like a paperboy trying to beat up a house dick.

Put three pieces of garbage together, Firefox, YouTube, and this site, and the result is a big pile of junk. They certainly won't end up here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zNdMc6wGtU fmt=18

Space rockers Pink Floyd, from an early period in their career, +Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun+. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5_OiZQ-TuA fmt=18

I know it wasn't the purpose of that diatribe and the comments that followed to be entertaining, but it truly was. Multiple identities, trust issues, unreliable narrators, etc. It was really a fine psychological stew that came bubbling up spontaneously, and most enjoyable. Not up to the mark of James Jesus Angleton and his Soviet defectors hunt, but close enough. And, at the end of the day, it's a rather trivial matter. As Sir Alfred supposedly said "It's only a movie, Ingrid."

Nick Lowe, premier presenter of pure pop, performs +I Knew The Bride When She Used to Rock and Roll+. Nicky was probably not alone in this knowledge. fmt=18

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Wasn't Carol Wayne the one who was in a lot of the Johnny Carson Tea Time (?) Movie sketches, though I think she was later replaced. Those were a good idea of movies on TV in the pre-AMC and TCM era. Rex Tugwell, Rex Reed, and Rex the Wonder Dog in... and of course there was always the "commercial" with "until you come to the fork in the road." Old Mill almost married Howard, but at the last minute they called it off. Smart girl.

Joyce was as cute as a button, and enjoyable on that show. One of Gene's bits was to go over to Fannie when she wore a shirt with something written on it and carefully read it in close-up. Yeah, we get the idea. I remember when I first saw one of Fannie's novels in the bookstore and thinking Boy she's lucky there is such a thing as spellcheck. Patty Deutsch would appear once in a while as a guest star on TV shows of the time, but she never became a big name. When she was on the show while pregnant she was showing in more ways than one on some occasions. If they broadcast it, people will watch. Can't forget Charles and his captain's cap and scarves and pipe. Oh brother.

As with much Hollywood lore, there are multiple versions of exactly how Wilson's piano "playing" was done. I'll just stick with the statement Wilson was a drummer, not a pianist, that way I won't have to knock on wood.

How about a brief nod to the well-constructed Fannie Flagg, who had a natural talent for filling out her large collection of sweaters. And every once in a while she'd fire off a nice little well-deserved zinger at Brett. On the other side of the ledger, her spelling was truly atrocious.

Using a little hoodoo, perhaps the SMFYTPOS contretemps has been. temporarily perhaps, solved. Sublime warning about Santeria http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q76crwML10 fmt=18