Bogie56

A lot of despots are truly evil but are they psychopaths as well? Any views? Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland? Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler in Downfall?

Well, my last word is that I doubt it was an accident. **Not quite my last word: Interesting that Steinbeck does not use the common spelling of Aaron. I'm always amazed at the different spellings and pronunciations of common names in America at present. Especially in African Americans. Just an observation.

Andy, if you haven't seen the Dennis Potter BBC mini series The Singing Detective with Michael Gambon I would highly recommend it. Not to be confused with the terrible movie of the same name with Robert Downey, Jr. The characters spontaneously break into song all of the time. And they sing to playback of the original recordings. But as it is all a drug induced hallucination for once the musical aspect works. A true noir musical.

Well where did he get it from I wonder if no one who speaks English would pronounce it that way? I doubt very much that it was unintentional so I wouldn't say HE mispronounced it. Was he trying to show that the character was different, more 'biblical' than the rest?

Is his sister Black too, or does she spend the entire movie being invisible?

In your OP you spent some time telling us the Origin story and I thought you would then tell us how they had changed that for the worse. One thing I cannot understand with all these superhero movies is that every second one seems to be a reboot and we go right back to square one with yet another origin story. Now that is boring, boring, boring. Do we need to see how Batman Begins every 8 years? Why not just get on with it with your new cast?

So, pray tell what is the new spin on it? As I won't be rushing to see it you might as well finish your story.

Yes, I think the resolution to that scene had the Centurian presenting the young boy's head to Caligula. And Caligula (Hurt) took great delight in tormenting his grandmother on her death bed. But just an astounding acting job by Hurt. His range was on full display.

This is from a BBC television mini-series but IMHO is the grandaddy of all psychopathic performances: John Hurt's Caligula in I, Claudius. It is master class.

Does that really matter? My parents didn't sound like me one bit.

... Vittorio De Sica's The Roof (1956) or Il Tetto. It tells the story of two poverty stricken newlyweds and their struggle to find a place to live in urban Italy. In the film's programme notes it mentions that De Sica used two non-professional actors in the lead roles. One, Giorgio Listuzzi was actually a soccer star. A few weeks ago I watched Ermano Olmi's The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978) and in an interview in the dvd extras Olmi says that the way to cast and direct non-professionals is not to demand performances that you would expect of a professional. In other words, let the 'actors' be themselves. Well, that may have been Olmi's method but it certainly was not true of De Sica. The performances in The Roof are right up there with anything by professionals. Gabriella Pollotta and Giorgio Listuzzi display just about every human emotion in this film and do so very well. This is true of all of De Sica's 'neo-realist' performances. His direction of children is probably the best in cinema history. Rinaldo Smirdoni in Shoeshine and Luciano De Ambrosis in The Children Are Watching Us are two prime examples. De Sica was clearly able to draw upon his own experience as one of Italy's top actors when it came time to direct others. But it is his uncanny ability to see life's truths and to be able to imbue that in his non-actors performances that make him a cut above the rest.

Henry Fonda's brilliant turn as Frank in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) is a good example of a psychopath. Frank wouldn't lose a wink of sleep after killing a young boy or making love to a beautiful woman then killing her too afterward. Just a good ole blue-eyed boy.

"No, Johnny. Not the Melbourne method." Toronto's own, Raymond Massey as Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace.

Mr. Hyde is a definite looney psycho. Take your pick of the performers who have played him from Barrymore, Fredric March, Spencer Tracy, Jack Palance ...

It may have been in Stephen Bogart's book about his father that I read about how Raymond Massey was a frequent visitor to Bogie when he was terminally ill. Sadly, not all of his friends had the moxie to come and visit him in those last days.

Whip-crackin' Liberty Valance as played by Lee Marvin. He took great delight in tormenting that milksop, Jimmie Stewart.

Monday, August 10 Put away those wire coat hangers, Joan’s back. 6 a.m. The Unknown (1927) with one of my favourites, Lon Chaney. I saw this on the ‘big’ screen at the Barbican in London but unfortunately the presentation of the film was ruined by a rap DJ who was trying his hardest to outdo the film instead of accompanying it. So, I’m glad to get a copy of it today. 7:15 a.m. West Point (1928). Haven’t seen this one. 11:45 p.m. The Damned Don’t Cry (1950). Joan and the mob. Sounds intriguing. "Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger. Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi."

Sunday, August 9 Criss Cross ... Robert Walker day and I have lots to record. 8 a.m. Vengeance Valley (1951) 4 p.m. Song of Love (1947) 10 p.m. See Here Private Hargrove (1944) midnight. What Next, Corporal Hargrove (1945) 1:45 a.m. The Beginning or the End (1947) BTW ... Hold old was Robert when his voice finally broke?

Someone who 'guys' admire and would aspire to be like? Maybe another thing she got wrong.

Well, in that case the music would have been licensed for a television broadcast of the product and they did not acquire the license for the dvd rights. That's usually not the case with a feature film where they have licensed the music for just about every type of sale.

The music rights in a film are attached to the film rights. So it comes down to the film rights itself.

I too loved Kubrick's The Shining. But I cannot really comment on whether it is a good interpretation on the King novel because I threw the book in the trash can after reading 100 pages of the dreck.

Saturday, August 8 Yeah, Raymond Massey!!! b. Aug. 30, 1896 Toronto 1:30 p.m. Seven Angry Men (1955) with Massey as John Brown. One of his best performances. 3:15 p.m. The Naked and the Dead (1958). Good Bernard Herrmann score, 10:15 p.m. Abe Lincoln In Illinois (1940). I don’t think this has been on in a while. Another in a string of Canadians playing American presidents. What's next? Ted Cruz?

There are a few good suggestions in the Movies Waiting To Be Made thread that was started in June ... http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/53357-movies-waiting-to-be-made/ Sort of a cross-over topic.

And his hair was perfect.