ChristineHoard

The Best Picture Oscar will go to the "safe choice" LA LA LAND because (1) it is safe, not especially controversial, and there are still a lot of older voters and (2) it is about Hollywood and Hollywood loves movies about Hollywood. I would like to see MOONLIGHT win. I haven't seen it yet but I have read wonderful things about it.

I think 2015's CAROL is the closest thing. It's a gay love story and takes place in the early 1950's. It has some of those Sirk touches.

I watched this when TCM ran it a few months ago. I liked it, not Altman's best, and I'm glad I saw it and mostly agree with your views but I think Altman was making more of an indictment of Hollywood than a tribute. Altman was more of a studio outsider. I like 3 WOMEN also and would like to see that one again.

Not the best of the Dave Cronenberg horrors (in my opinion) but worth checking out again. I wish TCM would show THEY CAME FROM WITHIN (aka SHIVERS), one of my Cronenberg favorites. I had a bootleg VHS copy but the print quality was so-so and I'd love to see it again. Anyway, I like all the Cronenberg horror movies as they deal with terrible things happening to your body so they are super scary and he doesn't shy away from graphic horror. A master of the genre'.

He was a great director. He worked in every genre' and did excellent work.

Audiences and critics may not have liked THE THING but I sure did; saw it twice in the theater and I've got the DVD. It's great; I love the original, too, very much. Carpenter's version came out around the same time as ET and audiences wanted their aliens cute and cuddly.

Ladies They Talk About is scheduled for later this month as part of the prison movies lineup. I've never seen this Barbara Stanwyck precode so I am looking forward to it very much. Lillian Roth is in it, too! Caged, which I have seen, is also on the schedule. Eleanor Parker is excellent as is Hope Emerson. Lots of familiar faces in the cast. The FILM COMMENT web site has a pretty good article about both these movies.

She's really good. I think I've said it before: If there had been Supporting Actor Oscars from the early 30's, she certainly deserved it for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, no doubt. Also loved her in Trouble in Paradise. Terribly underrated, like many others from the early classic era. Halliwell said in his Filmgoer's Companion that "her rather brittle style has dated" but I like her and glad to read others appreciate her as well.

Looks like scrapping-the-bottom-of-the-barrel to me; the usual action sequels and recycled mediocre tv shows, but I'm not part of the desired audience. Hopefully the more interesting and adult flicks will come out later in the year. I love Idris Elba so maybe THE DARK TOWER might be worthwhile. Thanks for the listing, LawrenceA.

ROPE wasn't a critical success but I do like it very much and it's one of my favorite Hitchcock movies. It's different. Jimmy Stewart does play a different sort of character and I like John Dall's intensity; he's trying to be cool and manipulative but I think inside he does want Stewart to know what he did and think he's a genius. He wants that approval. (I love Dall's performance in GUN CRAZY). I don't get the sense that Stewart's character is gay but the subtext is there for the two leads. After all, it is 1948. My other Hitchcock favorites include SHADOW OF A DOUBT, NOTORIOUS, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, REAR WINDOW, PSYCHO and THE BIRDS.

Wow; I saw this when it first came out (haven't seen it since but I would like to) and I also thought Sutherland was great and should have been nominated for an Oscar. Yes, everyone is very good in this movie.

They should be able to include her. Zsa Zsa got included. Someone famous always dies at the end of the year, so I would think they plan for edits. Really surprised and saddened about Carrie Fisher. I feel bad for Debbie. Aside from STAR WARS and WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, I always liked Carrie's performance in SHAMPOO ("I'm nothing like my mother.") Her scenes with Warren are brief but memorable.

I think "Father Figure" is my favorite George Michael song. We've lost a lot of people this year...sad

FUNNY!

Cody1941 - I assume you mean the Helen Morgan APPLAUSE from 1929. I would love for TCM to show that! How about a double bill of Helen's APPLAUSE and the original THE LETTER with Jeanne Eagels, also from 1929 (which TCM has shown)? Two early talkies starring great but troubled actresses who were Oscar noms. Heh, they could show them during 31 Days of Oscar!

I was fortunate enough to see LAST PICTURE SHOW when it came out originally and it became one of my very favorites, and still is. The performances are all amazing. I don't recall any epilogue as to what became of the characters; I think the creators wanted us to imagine it for ourselves.

Poor TCM Wine Club; seems like everybody hates it but nobody has tried it. I said before that if I could afford it, I would join. Wine is supposed to be fun. Looking at the wine producers they've lined up, these seem to be pretty decent wines. Maybe they are misusing Eddie; I loved him as the film noir host. But I'm sure he's getting paid and, heh, maybe he likes wine (since he's a film noir expert, I tend to think of him as a spirits man myself). Don't mean to sound stupid but what is a "toff"? Is it someone who likes wine or other alcohol beverages too much? Is it another term for wine snob? As I said before, I don't like wine snobs either. Wine should be enjoyed and drink what you like, or don't. Maybe we're just getting sick of the commercials. I've seen only two - one with Ben and one with Eddie - and they play those a lot. If TCM is going to promote the heck out of the wine club, make some new commercials and put the emphasis on that these are quality wines and you will like them (I do like the idea of suggested food pairings as wine plus food is always a good idea and increases enjoyment of both) plus you can tell TCM what not to send you, e.g. no white wines or whatever. Finally, if you do hate it, quit the club! Just wanted to add that if I ever do join the club, I will dutifully report my findings and be honest.

God Bless You. Thank you so much for sharing all your wonderful photos and I wish you the best of health in the New Year.

Correction, Spence, I believe William Hopper is Hedda's son, not older brother. He would have been much older in REBEL. He was also in the PERRY MASON tv show. "Favorite" movie is different than "Best" movie as others have said. I don't think I can narrow it down to just one. It depends on my mood. For horror it's going to be "Bride of Frankenstein" or "The Thing From Another World." For noir "Double Indemnity" probably. For silents, "The Big Parade" - no doubt. For laughs I like pre-MGM Marx Bros. and for music I like RKO-era Fred & Ginger. For all around greatness I'll go with "Best Years of Our Lives", "Sunset Blvd." or "All About Eve."

I sure wish TCM had honored Kirk with some of his films on his 100th birthday. He certainly deserves it. My favorite may be ACE IN THE HOLE but he was great in so many roles. I love LONELY ARE THE BRAVE but the ending is so sad I don't think I can ever watch it again. I also like early Kirk when he was playing more outwardly subdued characters but you know there's something going on deep inside like in STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS and LETTER TO THREE WIVES. Fine actor; one of the very best.

I just watched a 1991 doc on CBS called "The Heroes of WWII" narrated by Walter Cronkite (it ran after the network evening news here in Atlanta). The camera footage of Pearl Harbor and other war scenes was amazing. The only downside was that the background music was kind of loud while the Pearl Harbor vets were talking about their experiences. Otherwise, excellent and important viewing on this 75th anniversary.

Too bad they didn't have more nominees then so Bette, Myrna, Carole Lombard and John Barrymore all could have been nominated as they deserved it. I haven't seen the Grace Moore flick so I can't comment on that but I love Norma in "Barretts". Can't argue with the eventual winners, though. I always thought McLaglen won the next year because the vote was split among the three co-leads in "Mutiny on the Bounty." It's hard to believe that Myrna didn't get nominated for something. Ditto for Eddie G.

Another sad example of grown men taking advantage of a young woman. Both men should have been ashamed and did they really think that Maria, an actress, couldn't act humiliated but had to feel humiliated? I have my doubts and I suspect they knew what they were doing and just didn't care. After all, here is the great actor and great director and she's just an unknown actress, so her trauma didn't matter as long as the scene came off as they wanted.

Welcome, catladywdc. TCM showed Miracle on 34th Street last year. I remember watching it. As others have said, NBC has It's a Wonderful Life.