Bogie56

The Epic That Never Was (1965) narrated by Dirk Bogarde. I caught it in England. And it may have been an interesting film too. It certainly would have helped Emlyn William's career who had the showcase role of Caligula. I have the box set of Derek Jacobi's I, Caligula which is magnificent. One of John Hurt's finest performances. And Brian Blessed's too if you don't count Flash Gordon which is often quoted in England I must say.

He was probably about 16 at the time and already working in the business and 'rooming' at a house with a few friends of mine. I never asked him about his father as I didn't know what their relationship was like. I believe he was primarily raised by his mother, Shirley Douglas. Interestingly, Kiefer just shot a Canuck western with his father. I heard it had financial hiccups so I don't know when we will see it. I heard too that Kiefer was trying to keep the project alive personally. It's called Forsaken. And that reminds me, Forsaken co-stars Michael Wincott. I went to school with Michael and his brother Jeff. in fact I first met them when I was shooting a horror movie in Super 8mm in a field and Michael and Jeff rode up on their bicycles and spent a few hours watching the proceedings. If I had known that they wanted to be actors I would have enlisted them right then and there!

Yes, it is often referred to as the way to make a small fortune in the film business. First you start out with a big fortune ...

I remember these well, Richard. Sole Survivor with Bill Shatner and Vince Edwards. I ripped off the story to make a Super 8mm war movie! I remember seeing Goodnight, My Love as well which costarred Michael Dunn. I don't think we are offered Turner Classic TV in Canada. We're deprived. So it would be a once in a while thing on TCM, or nothing for us.

I don't think I've ever seen this one. The thing about the old tv movies is that they often had great casts. I just looked up your Fire! suggestion and see that it has Ernest Borgnine, Vera Miles, Donna Mills, Erik Estrada, Patty Duke, Alex Cord, Lloyd Nolan, Neville Brand, Ty Hardin and one of my favourites Gene Evans.

Yeah, baby. The Night Stalker. 1972 ABC TVM with Darren McGavin that kicked off a tv series, right? Great support cast in this one too: Ralph Meeker, Elisha Cook, Jr., Ralph Meeker, Charles McGraw and as Ben Mankiewicz once pointed out the creator of that famous diet, Claude Atkins.

Sure, why not! QBVII (1974) had an amazing cast: Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara (together again), Anthony Hopkins, Dan O'Herlihy, Robert Stephens, Milo O'Shea and what I thought was some of their best ever work - Anthony Quayle and Leslie Caron. I'd love to see that mini-series again some time.

Old tv movies seem to have gone the way of the dodo. At least they are almost as hard to find. They used to be a big event on television in the seventies. You have to search out the older Leonard Maltin guides if you would like to find reference to them. I realize that the distribution rights to many of the best TVM's belong to the big networks. So this may be a pipe dream. But if you were to pick from past tv movies which ones would you like to see on TCM uncut and commercial free? Once in a while that is. I'll start with The Execution of Private Slovik, a 1974 NBC TVM directed by Lamont Johnson featuring a fine performance by Martin Sheen.

bata-boom!

Hats off to all three who accepted this challenge. It's like intricate puzzle work combined with a vast knowledge of film. I have a great deal of difficulty in selecting one of the three. But if push comes to shove may I choose Lydecker. Working Slavko Vorkapich into the challenge was probably what swung it for me.

Peter O'Toole's Loitering With Intent is a very good read. He is a very good writer and as you can imagine spins some very funny tales.

Kiefer Sutherland used to room with a friend of mine before he became a name. I remember coming to work one day and found him sleeping on the floor. I thought he was a great kid then. No special airs. I used to play Space Invaders with him in the arcade during our breaks.

I guess going for a walk with the dog didn't even register.

Wow. This morning at about 5:50 following Sanjuro, TCM had a very powerful short subject on. The Ship That Wouldn't Die (1945) about the US carrier Franklin. Incredible footage of the carrier burning after the Japanese attack and men jumping to the bow of a destroyer rescue ship.

This is a question for the Moderators really. I thought people were supposed to try and ignore topics and people that they disagreed with? I have heard that advice given. I certainly stay away from a great many threads myself and don't venture into them because I don't feel I will have anything positive to add. But time and again in the past week or so I have seen a couple of members join into a discussion in a thread demanding from the outset that it be shut down. In the last instance their comments were removed by the moderator. But that wasn't enough. Back they came and yes the moderator shut down the thread. Shouldn't they be advised to ignore rather than to keep trying sway discussion their way, or no way? This really is a question for the Moderators, not for general discussion as I suspect the same old same old will happen - someone who doesn't like to ignore will come stomping into this discussion too. I tried to PM the Moderator but his or her mailbox may be full so I am bringing this question to their attention here. Thank you.

I just went to see The Voice of the Moon (1990) Federico Fellini's last film which I just at TIFF, the Toronto Cinematheque. It was just dreadful. No wonder it was never released in North America. Very much a bad 8 1/2 with all of the same themes and types of set pieces. Hundreds of crazy extras and lots and lots of bit actors with something to say before we are wisked to the next bit. It is a Fellini dream without the story anchor that 8 1/2 had. Very draining to watch. The afternoon's saving grace was that Roberto Benigni introduced the film and he was in top form. And I must say that he has hardly changed one bit in 25 years. (Damn him) He talks enthusiastically a mile a minute. And while I once suspected that his mangled English Oscar speech was a routine I discovered that he really does talk like that. He even had an interpreter beside him for the words that eluded him. One anecdote was great. He related that every word in a Fellini film is replaced in post sync. So, while on other films sets there is a buzz of activity and then dead silence when the director yells action it is the exact opposite on a Fellini film. There is dead silence and when action comes, Benigni and others are supposed to act while Fellini yells instructions non-stop. And the cinematographer yells. And the grip yells and so does everyone else. He says it is complete chaos and bedlam when the cameras are rolling. Benigni also mentioned that a Toronto University has given him a doctorate. So he is now Dr. Benigni. The audience loved that.

John Alexander as Teddy Roosevelt in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) was priceless.

Monday, June 8 Seems like most of these films have already been on recently. The gem is probably I See a Dark Stranger (1945) at 2:30 a.m. Directed by Frank Launder. Starring Deborah Kerr and Trevor Howard. Co-starring Raymond Huntley in one of his best film roles as Mr. J. Miller.

It's not nice to edit my posts.

Someone left the cake out in the rain I don't think that I can take it 'Cause it took so long to bake it And I'll never have that recipe again, oh noooooo

Once I got a dual 8 with a vary-speed dial it made things a lot easier. But it was those 8mm's with discs that taught me how to put a rough soundtrack on my movies. I actually had a film that I made when I was 13 screened on several tv stations for a few years. The Vengeance of Frankenstein. It had the Frankenstein monster, Dracula and the Wolfman in it and a lot of Villagers who met gruesome ends.

And could we get anyone to admit that throwing parties for the number of postings is certainly sending the wrong signals as to the value of that statistic? And I mean the above as a clinical question.

Obviously this topic means a great deal to him.

Well said. People are becoming increasingly frustrated. I only wish I could say more.

Yes, it's that time we've all been waiting for. Broderick Crawford bathrobe day at 2 p.m.