CaveGirl

I was extremely disappointed that in "Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde" the poster-promised "sexual transformation before one's very eyes" did not actually occur. I was also sorry in 'The Velvet Vampire" that the advertised multiple "climaxes" left something to be desired. Caveat emptor!

I'm sorry but too many fonts and typefaces does not art make. I also thought Picasso's Blue Period had just a wee bit too much blue. Carry on!

Though I love orange Jello, I don't think I'd like it in a Jello-shot form with Quaaludes. First Jim Jones ruins the Kool-Aid image and now Jello goes by the wayside. What next, M&M's?

Watching the scintillating documentary on legendary guitarist, Mance Lipscomb last nite [or was it this morning?] got me to thinking about other great ones I may have missed. Enlighten me as to your special lists, as I love the documentary style. For me, the film "Marjoe" from the 1970's about child evangelist, adult con man and huckster tent show revivalist, Marjoe Gortner, coming clean in a full disclosure confessional way, is a must. The scenes with all the backstage pulpit machinations was truly absorbing. Another favorite of mine was Flaherty's "Nanook of the North" which was so moving, I was truly heartbroken to find that the eponymous star had died but a year after filming I think. All the Les Blank films were interesting, but that garlic one really made me hungry!

Gotta love him, even if just for the name, Tor. Who can not think of him stumbling around in PNFOS, in the cemetery as the scenes change back and forth from night to daytime and back to night. Stunning performance for sure! He's always fun to watch, and in the wrestler build mode, who can forget Man Mountain Dean in "Mighty Joe Young". I think at one time due to his girth he even doubled for Charles Laughton. Alas, not much acting career after that for the poor boy. Now if Gorgeous George had just had a few more chances, besides "Alias the Champ" he could have risen to the fame of Tor perhaps.

Oh yes! Thanks Bogie as I'd forgotten about Mae, even though I actually have an album of hers, in which she sings "Ticket to Ride" or some other Beatle classic, and always is in bad taste. I like to watch for scenes with her platform shoes showing, as they are even higher than Carmen Miranda's occasionally. I think Mae looked like she was about 4'10" with 8" heels. And the hair, like a mermaid's or Botticelli's Venus unfurled. Poor, poor dear sweet old William Claude Dukenfield, having to cope with her on the set of "My Little Chickadee". I really need to rewatch "Sextette" as currently the only dvds I have with her in them are a boxed Fields' set and an episode of "Mister Ed".

You've probably seen these but "The Crimson Pirate" and also "The Flame and the Arrow" with Burt Lancaster are classy adventure yarns. And though any Errol Flynn film is marvy, I think "The Sea Hawk" has some great scenes. This is assuming you've already seen all his more famous film like Sabatini's "Captain Blood" and the Robin Hood epic. Silent films with Douglas Fairbanks can be a revelation for excitement if never seen before.

As to "what does he want" I think he wants a good movie. But first, he or she must define for the uninitiated what to said person IS a good movie. Perhaps if NipkowDisc would mention some of the films of the past he or she found noteworthy and rewarding, one would have a better understanding of the justifiability of the complaint. Waiting...

No, not the ones from Camp Winimaka. The films which you can't live without, as they provide endorphin levels which could kick the venom of a Black Mamba to the ground. One of my personal favorites is, "Zontar, the Thing from Venus". Now any film with an almost comatose John Agar starring is a gem, as one can leave the room to get snacks, or write a term paper, and never miss much. This bizarre patched together remake of ostensibly, "It Conquered the World" has more laughs per minute than a Marx Brothers' festival, being that it does NOT have Kitty Carlisle singing anywhere in it. I also dig "The Wasp Woman" which became even more intriguing after the Susan Cabot personal life revelations. In the same vein, "The Leech Woman" mines similar territory but has the great Colleen Gray in jungle gear, kicking poor Gloria Talbot to the ground for the affections of Grant Williams. Any Ed Wood film is worth viewing, but my personal fave is "Glen or Glenda" just to hear Bela intone inane profundities. "The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant" takes the theme of black-market body part grafting to new levels of lunacy. And any film with wacko surgery themes is always on my watch list, even if it is a good movie like "Eyes Without a Face". Even a horrid tv movie like [i think it was called "Black Market Babies] with Desi Arnaz, Junior impregnating innocent girls just to dump them so they have to go to the girls' halfway house, is noteworthy. Of course films by Ray Dennis Steckler, Arch Hall [that would be both senior and junior], teenage werewolves [on wheels], devil dolls or ventriloquist's dummies, or even tiki themes are not to be missed. And a yearly obligatory watching of "Mommy Dearest" is necessary, or at least some other Joan film, like where she is a circus owner or supposed axe murderess. And if Barbara Payton is in a film, all the better particularly if a gorilla is hitting on her. Though I've wasted a good portion of valuable time watching mondo trash like the above, and feel I may have seen it all, I'm open to new suggestions. Please no movies made after 1982, since I feel "Basket Case" closed the book on this kind of supersonic kitsch.

Thank you, Dargo! This pretty much says it all about what makes Muller an appropriate host for film noir, and pardon me if I do chuckle a bit at its backhanded complimentary style: " his monotonous delivery works well" Buster Keaton might have been a good choice also. But you got my point, get a femme fatale, as females are more deadly as hosts and it is a killer topic.

There is no place for Clinton or Cosby, in comparison to Robert Osborne. He's way handsomer than both.

I love horror films and anything from the sci-fi genre also. Too bad someone has not done an amalgamation of all three in a film to please everyone. I do think Klattu's robot is a bit like a noir heavy, and the scenes in the spaceship are frightening enough for a horror film, with Patricia Neal looking a bit like a female victim in a Jacques Tourneur film. But Michael Rennie is way too handsome to be a noir antihero or fan. Nuf said.

Well, he's just perfection in everything, isn't he? This must be why I watch "Perry Mason" episodes every single day and try to outwit him, in figuring out who murdered who before he does. Those eyes, that slow smile, with the dastardly twinkle in the pupils. How he looks at Della, how he looks at Paul, in fact...how he looks at everyone. If a movie is on, and Raymond Burr is in it...I watch. Large or smaller, whether he goes up or down in girth, whether he plays heavy or hero, he's a mountain of an actor. Great posts!

One thing leads to another oftimes! In the film dvd, "I Am Cuba" of Mikhail Kalatozov, I believe it was Martin Scorsese who incorrectly named the singer in the nightclub sequence to be possibly one of The Platters. I was doing an investigation online today trying to find a recording of Duo Los Diablos who are supposedly the real performers in this stunningly mesmerizing vocal cover version in the movie. New information has surfaced since I first bought the dvd, stating that they actually called themselves Los Diablos Melodicos, and the lead singer was named Ignacio Castro with cousin, Felix Castro as backup and that this is their only recorded on film performance, of the song "Loco Amor". This edification lead me to looking up the original English version, which is "Crazy Love" written and performed by Paul Anka. Hard to believe that this very Cuban sounding version, came from a very American pop origin, which then lead me to looking up versions online, in which other songs interpreted as "Mad Love" came up, which then lead me to thinking about the Karl Freund film with Peter Lorre and that cockatoo or bird sequence, which reminded me also of the similar scene in "Citizen Kane" with the bald-headed Charles Foster looking a lot like the mad doctor in the netherworldly pastiche of "The Hands of Orlac". Being that both scenes are so dreamlike, and things in infra-red film like "I Am Cuba" are also, I wondered if any other films were ever shot in infra-red film, but only came up with something called "The Enclave" by Richard Mosse and that got me thinking about films with the best dreamlike sequences and for my money, it would possibly be the dream section of "Los Olvidados" by Bunuel, which is amazing and quite frightening also. Which leads me to ask and get to my real point...what do you think is the most effective dream sequence in a film, or your personal favorite?

What a plethora of fascinating reveals of the noir psyche, all resulting from my teensy weensy little prod. Having given up my bad girl noir days of lying and cheating, I can finally reveal the truth of my intent, to see what really gives in the vaste wasteland of pale that now subsists as noir. I see the sycophants, I see the hopefuls, I see the die-hards, I see the self-serving victims and I see the true noir aficianados...not afraid to buck the crowd, in many of the posts. Don't hate me for being bad, just hate me as I can take it. Now that is the kind of female host from the rabble that you should get to sire the post, but don't look at me as I am currently incarcerated. I purposely misspelled a certain person's name, so that the censors or faithful fannage would not alight in unison to block my post. One doesn't have to go far to remember the host's name is Muller, just like Maude of sweet candy fame. I was also pleased to see that the most tame girlie contingent [the Virginia Huston imitators] came out in full force to praise and give adulation to their potential suitor. Only a few posters were astute enough to get it in the subtext, like someone named EdgeCliffe who I would like to meet in some dark alley someday, but of course packing some heat just in case. Perhaps my displeasure at the hosting vapidity is due to the fact that I often find the truly knowledgeable and most avid fan of any subject matter, be it gandy dancers, palimpsests or film noir, is one with no agenda or things to promote, like books or other paraphernalia. Just my view, but if others are so pleased so be it but one must remember that saying a host is knowledgeable about the subject is relative to the defender's own level of knowledge. So kill me, for not being part of the majority, but that's what noir is all about...right? A lone woman going against the grain and the vicissitudes of life, looking for that one great heist or take or time of her life. I'm looking for the great, the utmost, the ginchiest as Kookie would say. Vanilla is not what noir is all about, and contrary to what a Mister Tom thinks, no "fedora", nor "five" or four "o'clock shadow" could repair that or cure my noir angst...or even a trench coat, though I do think trench mouth might be appropriate. Now...back to my lonely cell. Thanks to all who posted such succinct comments.

Though I thoroughly enjoy all TCM's programming, I wish they would perhaps have some original programming with maybe shorts of historical film footage, like any boxing match from the 1890's with Gentleman Jim, James J. Corbett of whom I was reminded with the recent showing of the Errol Flynn epic. Another area that might be fun would be the showing of famous, yet rarely viewed silent serials like "The Woman in Grey" or even the Pearl White "Perils of Pauline" perennial faves. Other silent stars nowadays neglected are the sadly tragic Wallace Reid, who was wonderful in "The Deerslayer" and anything with the incredible Alla Nazimova. Though I think she worked for Metro in things like "War Brides" with Richard Barthelmess, some of her best are like her auto-produced work like "Salome" which with only one viewing will show one where Lady Gaga gets some of her best hair-do and style ideas. Nazimova was one of a kind to be sure. Speaking of "Salome" it would be fun to see the Theda Bara earlier Arab Death version, as Theodosia Goodman fans would also be thrilled. Another wonderful silent film goddess, Jetta Goudal could best be represented by "White Gold" but it may still be a lost film for all I know. Covering a star with numerous accolades as a child, Jackie Coogan seems not to be available much on TCM in his First National films like "Peck's Bad Boy" or "Circus Days" but I do think they have shown "Oliver Twist". What would be a really great film to see would be his version of "Tom Sawyer" which was a talkie and done during his Metro days at the latter stages of his prepubescent period. I've yet to see many early westerns on TCM like those of William S. Hart so that might be another topic of interest. Lastly in an historical cast, the films of the Bison company before and after their connection to Keystone would be evocative. Also perhaps films celebrating the talents of Billy Bitzer who seems to be the original stylist of innovations like the close-up, the fade-in and the fade-out could be educational. As yet, I am still waiting for a Harry Langdon festival, in which his classic "Three's a Crowd" might finally demolish any criticism perpetrated by Frank Capra. All in all, these are not complaints as there has never been any more wonderful and further reaching purveyor of film history than TCM and I am happy to have lived during a time when they show such great and amazing fare daily. Thank you and long live Turner Classic Movie Channel!

I can never watch this film without thinking about Billy Wilder saying that Stanwyck in the blond wig, resembled a bit good old George Washington. I love this film, but her hair does bother me. She is such an incredible actress, but who picked that horrid wig. Could they not have had Lana Turner's hair stylist do the hair-do?

I am loving the festival of noir films that is currently on TCM, but it would appear that they really need a better host. Regardless of this person's connection to the subject matter, as a host he makes me nervous watching him as he monotonously introduces the films. Let's face it, he's no Rod Serling or even John Cameron Swayze. Now if Zachary Scott were hosting I might be able to stomach these intros. Mr. Mueller [or is it Muller?] also uses the same two hand movements, to emphasize all his points and it really distracts from what he is saying, so is detrimental anyway. He has only one facial expression and no inflection to his voice also. I think that just like the men in noir films, who are always rather boring and wishy-washy, that the best noir host for a noir festival, would be a HOSTESS! That's right, the only proper person to host noir films, would be from the sex that made them interesting to begin with...the female sex. I've never known a man who liked noir who was not a bit vanilla-ish and that is why such men are attracted to the noir films to begin with I would diagnose. But the women fans of noir, are a bit like their exciting prototypes on screen, which is why they are so much more fascinating. Now if Jan Sterling or Lizbeth Scott were around, they would make the perfect hostess but since they aren't, pick someone who is more exciting than the current host, and could liven up the proceedings. And always remember, the only good noir is one with a bad girl, which is true also for the hosting duties! Bland men just don't cut it. You can hate me for saying this, but as a noir girl...I have to tell it like it is as horrid as the true facts may be.

Boy, this movie sure looked a lot better than the old DVD I had of it. Liz was marvelous as always. Great work, TCM!

General Ripper, how's the War Room antics today? Yep, Kane is dark but not as dark as the twin Charley's, and finding out your beloved uncle was a serial killer. Yikes! "I've researched the real-life murder case that "A Place in the Sun" was based on and do think the film brings out its darkest corners. Hamradio, you ask if I was referring to the following as criteria for dark: "I'm assuming when you say dark it's a reference to the atmosphere and setting of the film." Actually, no. I was referring more to the psychological underpinnings of the characters and their neuroses which propel the plot, but your take is fine too.

Levant was much funnier live on tv than in scripted movie performances. I've seen a clip of him from maybe the Jack Paar show, where he was asked if he exercised, and Levant said something like "Yes, first I fall into a stupor and then into a coma." Well, that's from memory so I might be a bit off, but you get the idea. And of course there is the more famous comment of his, saying he knew Doris Day BEFORE she was a vestal "you-know-what". I have a book written by him, called "A Smattering of Ignorance" that was owned by someone in my family and it is very fascinating and quite funny.

Sometimes it is just fun to wallow in misery and watch countless folk go to their grave due to their own situational ethics or just malaise, and for me when I feel that way I like to watch the 1947 film, "Mourning Becomes Electra" with Rosalind Russell and Michael Redgrave. This film is so dark, and so perverted that it just screams for an operatic version to be made of it. The vibes are full of human misery worthy of a Greek drama, which of course was its inspiration for O'Neill who could make even his modern plays be morbidly turgid and I mean that in a good way. Who doesn't like seeing Katherine Hepburn burning up with her addiction in his more famous play based on his own sick family dynamics. But I digress...do you have a favorite dark film, and I would prefer no film noirs as they are too easy to categorize as such, if possible but if you must, go for it.

Hey, Richard...never let not knowing something about a topic stop you from commenting on it. I know people who do it everyday. As for Beckett, what he thought about Langdon was probably due to his being stabbed that time or being rejected by Eisenstein as his assistant. My lips are sealed. Thanks for interjecting!

Thank you, Richard Kimble for this information on the "Marty" teleplay. I hear you are hiding out in Las Vegas, since there are so many One-Armed Bandits there. True?

I just watched the auto-directed films of Langdon, "Three's a Crowd" and "the Chaser" which have a somewhat low reputation in film circles and amongst the intelligentsia. I had always heard what Samuel Beckett thought about Langdon and I know where I stand. But I'm curious what others think of this legendary controversy. Speak softly and carry a big stick, but like Harry...never throw it!