sineast

Don't forget the lovely Vera Clouzot, wife of director H.G. Clouzot, who appeared in The Wages of Fear. She didn't drive a truck, but then she didn't have to. Many years ago I recall seeing a b & w movie on TV with a plot very similar to WOF. It starred Brian Keith and was probably made in the late 1950s or early 1960s. Have to do a few clicks and see if I can come up with the name.

Mary and Bogie on the set of Across the Pacific, discussing their picks in the Sydney Greenstreet weight gain pool. Oops. One brief correction. It wasn't love letters that were read in court in the divorce case, it was excerpts from Mary's diary, concerning a night of bliss spent with Kaufman. Apparent- ly the diary was locked up under the court's jurisdiction and later destroyed.

I guess Mary was usually discreet, but she got in some kind of court trouble over her affair with the playwright George S. Kaufman. I believe her steamy love letters were read in court. It was quite a scandal way back when. Have to do a few clicks and refresh myself on all the dirty details.

I would certainly put Kurosawa in the first tier of foreign-film directors, with so many great films to his credit. Of all the many elements that make Yojimbo such a fine movie, one of the most enjoyable is Mifune's turn as the anti-hero, with his various beard scratchings, chin musings, grunts and groans, and general air of lazy nonchalance. Hope it pops up on TV some time soon.

Let's keep a careful eye on CFU. I smell a bit of a commie rat. Start with the name, Classic Film *Union*. Union, huh? The color scheme: red as can be. The iconic image: Arms thrust forward with film reels in upraised hands. Seen that before. Rhetoric: Lots of talk about the "people." Yeah, we get your drift, comrade. No need to do anything now, but watch and wait. If things get worse, one can always channel Wayne and Bond. They know how to take care of the reds and their symp buddies. Joe's the word.

No doubt that Ms. Welch was, and maybe still is, one very sexy woman. But when it comes to the body of her movie work, for the most part I'll pass.

Well, that would be a bit of a stretch, but it might work. Of course, Cameron would have to get rid of that little WWII Japanese war trophy shrine, or at least relegate it to the bedroom closet. There would be a lot of rough edges to sand off too. Maybe if he was enrolled in deep immersion in the character of Roger Thornhill from +North by Northwest+. That could go a long way to lending a little sophistication. Yeah, this just might go. Selling Utz chips, same thing more or less. Hell, run this thing up the flagpole and see who salutes/applauds.

Destry Rides Again: Cat Fight Heaven Next: Destry

Hey, a post went through. Let's see if I can make it two in a row. Move the couples from No Down Payment (pretty forward looking title) 3,000 miles east, a few years later in time, give them some fashion tips and a few extra years of book learnin', and they might fit right in on Mad Ave. Lord knows, they've already got the neuroses down pat. The only exception might be Cameron Mitchell's character. I missed the first season of Mad Men, but saw most of the second. Quite a good show. I think the third season starts in Aug. or Sept. At least one reason to tune into AMC.

I certainly hope they aren't. I would be a nice change if they both actually worked. I know that past performance is no guarantee of future results, but I'll wait and see. Let's see if this post manages to get through.

I'm All Right, Jack: Luv's Labours Won. Next: The Lady Killers.

As the photo shows, RW was multi-talented. But seriously folks, I'd say that, with the exception of Hepburn or Davis, she was the finest American film actress of the 20th century. Last week, I had trouble with the MB, but CFU seemed to work fairly well. This week, it's been mostly the reverse. So I guess next week they will both be screwed up. Message was edited by: sineast Message was edited by: sineast Message was edited by: sineast

At the other end of town there's good old Sunset Bullevard. It's the pitchforks that got smaller.

There's usually a bottom line reason for these changes. If something isn't drawing enough viewers and revenue, and that is in the eyes of the company owning the channel, things usually change, and often not for the better. The annoying part is that name usually stays the same, so if someone who had never seen THC before tunes in, they might wonder why it's called that. Don't mean to pick on THC, they still have a few actual history programs, but it sure has changed its basic mission. So far TCM has pretty much stuck to its guns, and I don't mind a few more recent movies once in a while, as long as the basic format of 'classic' movies is the main focus.

Since 'spiel' means game in German, everything turns out well anyway. I don't have a problem with TCM showing more recent movies. Goodfellas is almost twenty years old, and is one of the best modern mafia films. It will start at 1:30 a.m. so I presume the *&%#@&% will fly, though I can't see Joe Pesci as a Star of the Month anytime soon. I hope TCM won't do a History Channel, which apparently couldn't make money by televising history programs and came up with all kinds of junk as a substitute.

Yes! No Down Payment is the quintessential suburban camp film. I'd be glad to see it one more time. **** married couplestract housesunresolved issues+get to know your neighbor barbequetoo much boozegot no money, honey+hunks vs. wimps=endless 1950s fun. Even with the added snickers of fifty years on, I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but for fans of unintended(?) trash, it comes pretty darn close. Now, how do you want your steak?

Sorry for the double post. I tried to delete one, but it doesn't seem to be working, but I repeat myself. It's been a while since I've seen BAT, but Holly doesn't seem the serious stolid German type. But if she was...Jah wohl, tonight, after dark, we will cross this Moon river and catch the enemy asleep. March. Joseph Sternberg, step forward, you've been von outed.

Well, just about anybody can put a 'von' in their name, and nobody, at least in America, would know if it was the real Teutonic deal or not. Perhaps one of the best known examples is old Erich von Stroheim, who was not born with that 'von', but just decided to stick it in there somewhere along the way. In Cali, who would care? And in true Hollywood fashion, that was not the only thing Erich made up. Hooray. Message was edited by: sineast

Well, just about anybody can put a 'von' in their name, and nobody, at least in America, would know if it was the real Teutonic deal or not. Perhaps one of the best known examples is old Erich von Stroheim, who was not born with that 'von', but just decided to stick it in there somewhere along the way. In Cali, who would care? And in true Hollywood fashion, that was not the only thing Erich made up. Hooray. Message was edited by: sineast

Yankee Doodle Dandy: Everybody thanks you. Next: Dodsworth

Some of those pyschodramas about Southern families can get a little boring, even with a dilapidated mansion full of eccentrics. Sometimes the long hot summer can get a little too long. Why not bring in Max Cady (Robert Mitchum version) from Cape Fear to goose things up a little. "Hey cousin, I'm goin' put a headlock on boredom and get things speeded up a little. One thing Max Cady don't like is slow, so you and me counselor, we're goin' to pick up the pace. Just you, me and that sweet little ole family you got. Reeeaaaal juicy. Now, I'll be back in a while counselor, and if things haven't changed, well, we're just going to have to have us a little talk. You dig, counselor? Okay, see you around." Bet MC from NC could even give the Snopes a run for their money.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - Double Chin Entente. Next-Dead of Night.

If old Bob was High, it probably wouldn't have been from piloting an airplane, but as he might have remarked 'It sure beats working.'

They've been good and around for so long, sometimes they get lost in the shuffle. I missed the last few CDs, but did get Accelerate. Nothing surprising, but good old REM music. And, if you're pressed for time, it's only a little over half an hour long. Maybe this post will go through too.

I'm not really a raver, but I do enjoy those two groups. Might as well add a few more: Pink Floyd, REM, U2, and the whole Throwing Muses/Breeders/Belly conurbation. You really need a genealogical chart for those folks. And old-time reggae: Bob Marley, Toots, Burning Spear. Maybe this post will actually make it through.