ElCid
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Posts posted by ElCid
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Just now, TopBilled said:
My favorite (of their four collaborations) is THE BLUE DAHLIA. TCM never shows SAIGON (1948).
I have Blue Dahlia on DVD and watch it occasionally. Definitely a much better movie than TGFH. Never seen Saigon, but I am a sucker for any movie purportedly set in Saigon during that period.
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I assume This Gun for Hire is the Noir Alley selection for Oct. 19. I purchased the DVD several years ago and watched it once. May have to pull it out and watch it again, but I just didn't get much out of it. Seems to drag a lot. There are other Noir/mystery movies with Ladd and/or Lake that I do like, but not this one.
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I assume This Gun for Hire is the Noir Alley selection. I purchased the DVD several years ago and watched it once. May have to pull it out and watch it again, but I just didn't get much out of it. Seems to drag a lot. There are other Noir/mystery movies with Ladd and/or Lake that I do like, but not this one.
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13 hours ago, LawrenceA said:
As of a week ago, it has been a decade since I've read a work of fiction. I remember the date due to other life events that coincided with the last novel I read. It's been nothing but non-fiction since then.
I feel like I should be sadder about that than I am.
While I occasionally read non-fiction books, 90% of what I read now is fiction. Mostly mysteries and related. Right now I am working my way through the Matt Helm series.
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Just finished Red War by Vince Flynn. Oops, he died in 2013. Actually it is by Kyle Mills, but that is in small print on the cover. Didn't realize that until I already had it home. Gave it a try. He is no Vince Flynn.
I finished it, but it really goes way into too much detail. One two person fight scene took a page and a half if not more for example.
I tend not to purchase books where the famous author "partners" with someone else or the famous author is actually deceased and new person just using the name to sell the books. The ones I have tried have been very mediocre at best.
Only exception was when Vincent Lardo took over the McNally series for Lawrence Sanders when he died. Lardo was spot on in the books.
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On 10/13/2019 at 3:24 PM, SansFin said:
I am sorry to say this is a current picture of all of our books from the shelves in the living room and front hallway:
We had scheduled to move in February and began packing accordingly. A problem with the house which we meant to buy pushed the date into March. It was during that delay that we both fell victim to greed and retreated from 'retired' status to 'will work if you pay us much more' situation. We are very much living out of boxes but we do not wish to unpack as we continue to look for a suitable house as work allows.
This raises a question we are facing. What do you do with books that you do not wish to keep? Do not wish to use the book swapping businesses, but prefer not to sent them to a landfill or recycling.
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I skipped it and did not bother to record. Tried to watch it several years ago and it was a boring romance movie to me.
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4 hours ago, laffite said:
I have no idea what kind of service Filmstruck had. I'm just saying that I would stream TCM for $10 a month.
I don't do streaming and it seems you have to subscribe to a lot of separate services to get a full range of offerings. As for over the air, its good if it works. I can get 4 NC ETV stations, 4 SC ETV stations and about 8 over "networks." 7 of them show noting but old TV shows and none appeal to me.
I do agree that it would be nice to delete all the sports shows, but doubt that will happen.
My comment on sports fans subsidizing TCM fans to some degree was in reference to cable and similar where people are locked in to Tiers and not able to select specific "networks." By having all the sports fans sign up for cable, they subsidize the very limited number of people who watch TCM.
Incidentally, I have no liking for sports and never watch any of them.
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15 minutes ago, SansFin said:
I fear it requires more mental gymnastics than I am capable of doing to pinpoint which movie(s) pay tribute to this important recognition.
Should make for some interesting Sunday services. In answer to your question, probably more than you think.
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We don't do all the various "online, WiFi, etc" methods of viewing TV programs. Also do not watch them on a computer or smart phone.
While I dislike the prices for cable and all the sports channels. Remember, the people who do want the sports channels are subsidizing our access to TCM and other programs. Same with reality, shopping and all that trash.
Someone may know better, but the problem with being able to select only what we want on a cable system is likely a very expensive proposition for the company. That cost will be passed on to the customers.
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11 minutes ago, crecente said:
FYI - if I had a package that included TCM and then TCM was removed then I could cancel my service without paying an early termination fee because that contract became invalid once the package was modified. (This is not intended as legal advice but rather just a point about contracts.)
Apparently Comcast is rolling this terrible policy out across the country gradually -- probably in order to try and avoid the backlash if rolled-out nationwide.
Yesterday (in Atlanta) I was forced to add the terrible "sports entertainment package" in order to continue with TCM. As TCM was literally the only reason I was still paying for cable TV I will be finding an alternative solution to Comcast / xfinity.
Not only do we not watch sports (sometimes we might watch the Olympics and tend to keep the Super Bowl on in order to catch the commercials but that is all) but we are already paying an absurd ogligatory fee of $8 / month for some regional sports nonsense.
Worse though is that we absolutely refuse to pay additional money to the NFL given its position on domestic violence and sexual assault.
Good luck with that. Since TCM has no advertising and must make its money off DVD's, Wine and other TCM products AND what they charge cable and other providers, you will see prices go up there as well.
Every time you purchase a product that was advertised on the Super Bowl or elsewhere on an NFL affiliated venue, you ARE paying money to the NFL.
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31 minutes ago, mrbillz2012@yahoo.com said:
Went to tcm to check movie line up and all choices showed rent.tcm had always been part of comcast expanded basic.so now they move up so you have to pay about $10 more.was blind sided by this move as there was no notice in my case.you get no where calling to complain just runaround.tcm was my go to channel for great old movies without all the commerical interuption.I believe seniors make up the majority of viewers for tcm channel and told comcast cannot afford to upgrade to to keep one channel.this is just lousy mean sprited move and greedy money grab by cable company and tcm should also take notice as they are hurting possible their main viewer base which I believe are mainly retired and senior citizens.I HOPE COMCAST AND TCM TAKE NOTICE AS THEY ARE KILLING GOOSE WITH GOLDEN EGG.AS WE WILL TAKE OUR BUINESS AND $$ ELSEWHERE!
Seniors are not an attractive audience for most networks as they do not spend enough. Not my opinion, but that of those who run networks, marketing and businesses.
Cable companies raise fees or move to higher pay tiers because the providing network (TCM here) is likely charging more for its product. Somebody has to pay. Especially when there are NO commercials.
Unfortunate for us, but that is American business model.
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12 hours ago, midwestan said:
I get where you're coming from. After being a loyal cable customer from the inception of pay television, I returned my cable box, remote, and some wires to my local cable company office on Wednesday. At the first of this month, the company had a channel shake up in which it took off several channels (which naturally, I liked watching) and replaced them with stations I couldn't stomach. So, I have no television programs to watch. Any content I want to enjoy will come on my desktop. How long before I go with a competing company? I don't know. The thought of saving $125 a month is rather appealing to me. If I can make it through the college football bowl season without tearing up the house, I'll be fine! Maybe!
Don't blame the cable companies. They are reacting to the "networks" charging more for their products.
We still have Charter Spectrum and TCM has always been on a higher tier. While the tier we have is pricey, not unreasonable for us. Now I would be really happy to give up all the sports and reality programming channels, but that is not likely to happen.
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18 hours ago, cigarjoe said:
Like how Lloyd Bridges was almost a chain gum chewer in this. Nice change from the usual cigarettes.
I kept looking for a reason for that, but never noticed one.
16 hours ago, Looney said:OKAY TCM FANS LOONEY HAS A TCM PROBLEM.
It looks like I will very soon, as in possibly later this week, be canceling Sling TV. I believe I've stated before that I only have Sling TV for certain channels and Sling has been forced to drop ALL of those channels, except TCM. I can't justify spending thirty dollars a month just to have TCM and Sling has no intention of dropping their rates. It is ridiculous. They have lost most of their sports networks and they refuse to lower the price of having the sports networks package. (BTW, this isn't just me watching. The sports are mostly for someone else to watch, but I can't justify thirty dollars monthly just so I can watch TCM.)
I refuse to go back to Cable or Dish.
Who can tell me some alternatives so, at a minimum, I don't miss any Noir Alley episodes?
And does anyone know another thread I should mention this in that might garner more responses from knowledgeable TCM fans? (Not that fans in this thread aren't knowledgeable. I am just trying to get as many responses as possible.)
I would start a specific thread in order to get the most information.
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30 minutes ago, speedracer5 said:
Unfortunately the last drive-in left my hometown back in the early 90s. I think I was 8 when I last saw a movie at the drive-in. 8 is probably too young to be partaking in the "passion pit."
There is a drive-in left near the Portland area that still operates... I feel like now I'm probably too old to be partaking in the passion pit.
Alas, I'll have to live vicariously through the teens on tv/movies and their various make out points.
Last I heard there was one drive-in left in S.C. I don't think they are passion pits anymore, but are rather trying to appeal to nostalgia and families again.
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Trapped was a good movie and I recall having seen it quite a while back. The print and sound quality are very good. I do think some of the plot contrivances were a little too convenient. As for the tail near the end, any third rate crook of the day would have known that any time you have two Nash's behind you, you are being tailed by the law.
The most interesting part was Mueller's narration on Barbara Payton's life. Now, that would be a great movie, especially with today's very limited censorship.
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On 10/3/2019 at 2:01 PM, LornaHansonForbes said:
I would think that British weather would be a factor in their lack of popularity. That and the fact that British people don't make out.
(KIDDING! KIDDING!)
Actually drive-ins began as a family oriented enterprise. You didn't have to worry about a baby sitter or buying tickets for adults and children. That's why so many had playgrounds and other children oriented activities.
Of course, TV had an effect on them becoming passion pits.
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7 hours ago, TikiSoo said:
My bf bought me a purple Fiat (to match my hair) for my first car. I never learned to drive that stick so it ended up his car anyway. I've only spoken to him ONCE in 40 years and the car was the main topic of conversation-he has a restored one now, most likely not purple.
My Dad had a teeny MG convertible for awhile, we called it "The Green Bug" I loved it but it rode like a tin can.
I'm going to show Mr Tiki that Volvo and suggest we buy one of those, tart it up with subtle hints of hearse elements and use it as our "touring" car, for the 2 big dogs to ride in the back coffin area. Way more practical than going the authentic Jag Hearse route. (although the thought of having a 12 cyl engine Jag appeals to me)
It was probably an MG Midget - very small.
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1 minute ago, cigarjoe said:
Little British Car
When I got my first sports car (1978?), I was looking at Alfa Romeo (very, very undependable), MGB, TR7 and Fiat 124 Spider. Went with the Fiat and it was fairly reliable for the few years I had it. Worked with a guy who had MG's and liked them.
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On 10/2/2019 at 8:33 PM, cigarjoe said:
mrs cigarjoe and her LBC
76 Spitfire 😎
What's an LBC? I remember one of the TV ads for the Spitfire. Had the car and a beautiful woman in front of a Spitfie fighter. Don't remember the tag line exactly, but something to the effect that you not only get the car and the girl, but a piece of history as well. Don Draper probably wrote it.
Anyway, both are exceptionally nice.
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1 hour ago, cigarjoe said:
I agree with you on the electrical but not the mechanical You can fix pretty much everything on it with a 3/8, 7/16,1/2, 9/16, and 5/8 inch wrenches/sockets a Phillips and a regular screwdriver. That's it.
I rebuilt the one in the photo twice. The first time when we babied it to home to Montana from Spokane Washington in 1986 it was ten years old had 79,000 on the odometer and had belonged to a doctor. It was originally a California vehicle. It was leaking oil out of the valve cover gasket. I pulled the motor stripped the block had it hot tanked at a machine shop and put in new rings and bearings drove it hard. So a hand full of 9 years later I got it up to 97 MPH the oil pump sort of crapped out and starved the rings so I had to do a second rebuilt. some of the pistons got screwed up so I had to drive to Spokane, Washington to check wrecking yards to see if I could find some pistons, I found some that came off a MG Midget MKIV they were using the same 1493b cc engine.
So I rebuilt it again with a new oil pump pistons, rings, bearings this was sometime in 1996 so had it all rebuilt but was moving back to New York. Got a 24 U-haul truck put all the furniture and boxes etc., etc., into the front of the U-haul truck drove it to a loading dock with a ramp and drove the Triumph in with a bit of room to spare. Then we hitched a 16 ft trailer to the truck drove the Toyota 4 runner onto it and headed to New York. From 1996 until now it's pretty much been in storage. I'd take it out for a spin every couple pf weeks. Three or four miles into town and back at most from May to October so maybe 10 miles a month so 70-100 a year up until three years ago. So that's maybe 1900 miles on a rebuilt engine.
The last three years haven't driven it started it a few times but that is it. Been working on it the last month, the battery was dead, the clutch master cylinder was froze the zenith-stromberg carb was leaking. So I ordered a carb kit a clutch kit a new sending unit for the gas tank. Rebuilt the carb and put it on. something was wrong it would idle but no power. Something was botched up. took off the dashpot cover unbolted the air valve and after a couple of wildass guesses figured out it was in the wrong way Turned it 180 and put it all together and now it purrs like a kitten and accelerates.
Got the clutch master cylinder soaking in some stuff, we'll see if I can free it or have to buy a new unit. Still got to change the fuel tank sending unit.
Thanks for saving a piece of history and congratulations on owning it, but seems you have done a lot of mechanical work on it. Of course, most of it probably related to not being driven enough.
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2 hours ago, Dr. Somnambula said:
Dargo - Dargo - Dargo
I'm passing this link along after actually learning something.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Never_Even_Called_Me_by_My_Name
"I was drunk the day Mama got out of prison
And I went to pick 'er up in the rain
But before I could get to the station in my pickup truck
She got runned over by a damned ol' train"I think I remember something about a dog and being drunk, but I heard it a long, long time ago.
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4 hours ago, TopBilled said:
Why don't you like it?
Same reasons as always. Too much emphasis on one person, rather than the variety I prefer.
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Nobody as I disagree with the whole Star of the Month process.
HITS & MISSES: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow on TCM
in General Discussions
Posted
I caught the last half of the O&H movie set at a rodeo and the outro afterwards. Now I know how the TV series came to be.
One of the local OTA stations here periodically shows O&H and we have a Christmas TV shows DVD with 4 O&H shows on it. So, I have seen several of the shows. Two of the Christmas shows are fairly interesting and one even features Ricky predominately. However, the other actors, script and direction save it from his weak acting.
As for the regular shows, not all that good in my opinion. The scripts are weak and the acting is very stilted. If I recall correctly Ozzie wrote, produced and directed the TV shows for the most part.
I have a The Falcon DVD with a show on it with Harriett Hillard (Nelson). Didn't realize until later that she was Harriett Nelson. She actually performed better in The Falcon movie than she did in the O&H movie or in the TV show. Not sure why, but suspect too much Ozzie influence.
As for Rickie, in my opinion he could neither act nor sing. His "hits" were a fluke with many being recorded with special techniques to make up for his poor singing, at least initially. I listened to a lot of Rock and Roll in the late 50's and 60's so I heard him as well as many, many others.