LornaHansonForbes

I forgot to mention my favorite part of KID GALAHAD... BETTE plays a NIGHTCLUB SINGER and she shows up in a scene near the end of the film where she is standing on stage, with an orchestra behind her, *and a cigarette in her hand* moving her mouth while a voice that no reasonable person could possibly believe was hers sings one of those standard “Gossamer wings of love” type songs that exist for scenes like this. The only thing that could’ve made it better would be if she had taken a few puffs from the cig while the voice continued singing.

I can see that. It’s not an angle that were used to seeing Bette from.

Very bummed out that NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is not on TCM ON HULU. (CHOPPING MALL is nothing special)

I finally broke my HORROR streak and watched KID GALAHAD (1937) It is almost as good as the poster and a fascinator because I THINK it is the only pairing of DAVIS AND ROBINSON, and he is one of VERY FEW COSTARS in her career who works on an even keel with her- it's a mutual performance- and it's great to watch (the only other actor who compliments her that comes to mind IMMEDIATELY is CLAUDE RAINES.) EDIT: herbert marshall too. it's a BOXING MOVIE ALL THE WAY, I don't know how accurate the fighting styles were or if they'd pass muster with the experts, but it looked like some OUTRIGHT BRAWLING WITH OVEN MITTS ON AND I NOTE THAT EVEN IN BLACK AND WHITE, THE OVERHEAD SHOT OF THE RING SHOWED IT SPATTERED IN BLOOD. BETTE is fantastic- there are actually quite a few of her early films that I have not seen- and this was one of them. It is nice to see her before she turned into ONE OF THE SURLY APPLE TREES FROM "THE WIZARD OF OZ," she was very genuine and real, it was a good part and she looked great (although her hairstyle was curious- hard ringlets for the bangs and front, strait and lacquered in the back.) Also not fond of bras, apparently was Miss Davis. ROBINSON is fantastic in this and it is ultimately HIS MOVIE- I wonder if GARFIELD watched his performance in this before he did FORCE OF EVIL. WAYNE MORRIS was SO cute. I have no idea if he was any good or not. (HANDSOMENESS is like a lead shield against my SUPERCRITIC ABILITIES) BOGART is stuck being the bad guy and manages to be both visibly hostile to his part while being good in it at the same time. No small feat. The ending is a surprise.

THE TRAILER: (YES, I THINK THAT IS DON LA FONTAINE (sp?))

THE BLOB (1988) Quarantine and suits and all kinds of FAMILIAR THEMES, PLUS IT'S REALLY GOOD! My review is in the I JUST WATCHED THREAD.

STARS IN THEIR CROWNS is one of my favorite films of the 1950's, and it (at least recently) was on TCM and may be available thru ON DEMAND or HULU. it manages to be resonant IN SO MANY WAYS, i really HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

I remember sometime back in the late 80's, my sister and I watched the remake of THE BLOB (1988) and when it was done, we both turned to each other and were like "WOW, that movie was ACTUALLY GOOD!" So all these years later, I decided to check it out on AMAZON PRIME. WOW, this movie is ACTUALLY GOOD! I'll be upfront with the fact that- THEME SONG ASIDE- I do not much care for the 1958 ORIGINAL. I also am NOT INTO STEVE McQUEEN, who makes about as believable TEENAGER as MARIA OUSPENSKAYA. If anyone wants to contend this is one of the best HORROR REMAKES ever, you got solid ground and not much in the way of competition to stand on... The STUNTS AND Special effects are superb [GOD I MISS "SPECIAL" EFFECTS!!!!!!]- this movie cost $10 million [VERY LARGE BUDGET in those days] and only made 8 and has since faded into more obscurity than it deserves. it's also a clever remake- taking the bones and outlines of the original and laying a much more interesting cloth over the top. it also plays PSYCHO with us- killing someone we do not expect to be killed early thusly setting the 'all bets are off" tone. i think my favorite thing about the film was SHAWNEE SMITH as cheerleader/warrior goddess MEG PENNY who undergoes one hell of a metamorphasis of her own by the film's end: JEJUNE "we're out of MYDOL and DIET COKE.!" AMERICA, 2020 I would really highly recommend this film, and it would be GREAT for TCM UNDERGROUND or even the regular programming line-up.

It’s amazing that SHIRLEY MACLAINE was a constant presence in films from something like 1956 up to 1972 and then took ***FIVE WHOLE YEARS OFF*** before returning, Getting nominated twice, winning once and doing more or less a movie a year ever since. And when she came back she had developed pretty much a new persona as a curmudgeonly, grizzled but lovable middle-aged Gal, Whereas before she pretty much always been “The Kook.” With the exception of all the male stars who took time off for World War II, I can’t think of another major Hollywood name that took so many years off and then returned successfully

SHIRLEY must’ve taken the flop of SWEET CHARITY and the cancellation of her brief TV series “Shirleys World” EXTRA HARD to have said “yes” to DELANEY. One can only imagine the conversation between Shirley and her agent: “Yeah Shirl, here’s the script, but just so you know upfront: it requires full frontal nudity from your 12-year-old male Co Star and there’s a scene where you’re both gonna be forced to eat dog food...” (listens to receiver) ”seriously? Ok Babe, I smell an Oscar!”

It belongs THROUGH THE CRACKS. PS- I do not think they could edit it enough for it to air on network tv and even cable wouldn't touch back in the day (when there were A LOT FEWER channels and viewing options). THE ENTIRE LAST 10 MINUTES WOULD HAVE TO BE CUT. (CHECK OUT THE WIKI ENTRY) PS- It is also available in several versions on youtube, in full. don't know how unedited they are though. (i also know you don't like watching films on your computer, but maybe one of the other masochists we got here might like to see it though.)

(I may wander off The Reservation with this one.) for whatever reason, I am still needing "Horror" movies- but classic arty horrors are fine (even preferred) and on that note, I FELT COMPELLED TO WATCH DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1965/6?)...and discovered that, although it is shown a lot on TCM, it is not available on amazon and as far as DVDs go, it can largely be found as only a BLU-RAY and a REGION 2 DVD (cuales solamente trabajando en Espana, no se por que) or as a triple feature set, which I actually paid $30 for, largely motivated by the fact that I checked out SCARS OF DRACULA on DVD and THE COPY I OWN AND PAID $20 for IS NOW SELLING FOR $129.99 AT THE LOWEST PRICE, so i was like, "why not?"That's a better return than I'd get on a T-BILL. " It's a great DVD- nice picture and everything, few extras- but a lot of the extras about the film (including HOME FOOTAGE OF THE FILMING OF THE FINALE NARRATED BY BARBARA SHELLEY AND CHRISTOPHER LEE, who remember the names of ALL THE CREW PEOPLE- who are about the BRITISHEST LOOKING LOT I've ever seen IS ON YOUTUBE) as someone who is FASCINATED by VAMPIRES, I want to say that this is the first DRACULA FILM I EVER SAW...And it was The Summer sometime in the 1980's on TBS: THE SUPERSTATION and we even timed the VCR to record it because we had a swim meet to go to and would not be home. and it's funny, because every single time I see it, my thoughts are about the same as they were when I saw the movie ca. age 7 or 8. SIR LEE FAMOUSLY has no dialogue- but he truly looks so perfect in the part, I can't argue. Out of all the HAMMER DRACULAS- this is the one where he looks just right- and he is lit PERFECTLY. I was lucky that my introduction is that marvelously framed opening piece, re-using the ACTION-HEAVY finale from HORROR OF DRACULA- IT'S A WONDERFUL WAY TO OPEN A FILM. THE SCORE- all the HAMMER SCORES- are MARVELOUS. I highly recommend searching youtube for this, I listen to them cleaning my house or working in the yard. I like a score that GRABS YOU BY THE SHOULDERS AND SHAKES THE **** OF YOU , and ALL the DRACULA SCORES (Up to SCARS) do that so nicely. [spoilers to follow] I've learned to live with a certain amount of dissatisfaction/disappointment/frustration with the FILM, one of the reasons why it fascinates me- because I think it could have used a rewrite. I always feel like the wrong couple dies in this movie- of course, those of you who have seen the film will then offer, "Yes, but BARBARA SHELLEY would not have gotten that marvelous death scene", to wit I admit thatI just feel like CHARLES AND DIANA (their names in the film- THE BLONDE WITH 20 POUNDS OF HAIR and her PONCY CARY GRANT-LIKE HUSBAND (STANDING) in this photo) WERE JUST TOO STUPID TO LIVE. I would have VASTLY ENJOYED THIS FILM had THEY been the ones to get offed in the second act , leaving HELEN and her HERBERT MARSHALL-FACSIMILE HUSBAND to be the ones to FACE THE ULTIMATE EeeeeeeVIL- and all the while she HENPECKS HIM MERCILESSLY OVER WHAT A SH!TTY VACATION THIS HAS BEEN.

ODDLY ENOUGH, I saw THE POSSESSION OF JOEL DELANEY on some variety of SHOWTIME or CINEMAX or an early version of STARZ- basically premium cable IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. I have real doubts as to whether anyone would want to broadcast it in 2020.

I noticed that as well. The "IN A WOOORLD..." guy was named DON LAFONTAINE (SP?) he died some time back. I'm not sure if its him or not, but it sounds like him.

Ah, the 19seventies: a decade when even someone as FINE as PERRY KING could manage to find an unflattering hairstyle.