[Criterion New Year's Cartoon]

Here's the new one - much smaller than usual.

[Best nose jo...I mean rhinoplasty in Hollywood]

  

 

[Your Favorite Films From Years Ending in 0]

1920- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari  (16 seen)

1930- All Quiet on the Western Front  (88 seen)

1940- The Grapes of Wrath  (143 seen)

1950- Sunset Boulevard  (122 seen)

1960- Spartacus  (186 seen)

1970- Woodstock  (168 seen)

1980- Raging Bull  (187 seen)

1990- Goodfellas  (225 seen)

2000- Memento  (242 seen)

2010- Inception  (242 seen)

[Syd Mead (1933–2019)]

 

[The 4 Best Manly, All-American Movies Of 2019]

By the way, here's a pic of the guy who wrote the original post's article from The Federalist website, which should tell you all you need to know:

[The 4 Best Manly, All-American Movies Of 2019]

13 minutes ago, TomJH said: I appreciate Pitt's character's understandable anger with her but nothing justifies the extreme of his behaviour (based, strictly, upon what you see on screen in Tarantino's film).

Don't forget that Pitt's character is also blitzed on LSD at the time, too. Combined with his lifetime of violence (both simulated as a stunt performer, and real - his war record is mentioned, as is his getting away with "murdering" his wife), and his hyper-violent reaction is more understandable, although still disturbing.

BTW, I loved the film (perhaps my favorite of the last decade), and I loved the ending.  I believe Tarantino expects that much of the viewing audience will be as cognizant of the real events of that night and the players involved as he himself surely was, and his subverting of the historical events (a fictional hyper-violent event prevents the actual hyper-violent event from occurring that would, to QT's mind, forever negatively alter the cultural landscape) is paramount to the story.

[I Just Watched...]

Judy (2019)

Eh.

6/10

[Upcoming Releases]

Some more random titles announced:

Kitten with a Whip (1964)   January 21

 

Bell, Book and Candle (1958) January 28

 

Blood and Sand  (1922)   February 11

 

The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes  (1937)  February 18

 

Munchausen  (1943)  February 18

 

Mom and Dad  (1945)  February 25

 

Reefer Madness (1936) and Sex Madness (1938)   February 25

 

Unashamed: A Romance (1933) and Elysia (1938)  February 25

 

The Bolshevik Trilogy   March 10

• Mother (1926)
• The End of St. Petersburg (1927)
• Storm Over Asia (1928)

 

 

[How Many Flintstones Movies Are There?]

On 12/29/2019 at 1:35 PM, David Guercio said:

Does anyone know how many Flintstones movies there are and I think The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones are included in the franchise too.  So could anyone tell me the movies in order?  I just watched The Man Called Flintstone last night. Which was their first full length movie.   Which I own.  Great movie.  So you guys could tell me all the movies in order.  Starting with that one.  I really appreciate it.  Thank you.

Click here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flintstones#Films_and_subsequent_television_series

[Where are the Classic New Years Eve movies?]

One Way Passage (1932) is probably my favorite classic-era film with a New Year's aspect.

Strange Days (1995) is my favorite modern-era New Year's film, even if it's now almost 25 years old.

[I Just Watched...]

The Dain Curse (1978) - ~5 hour TV mini-series based on a Dashiell Hammett work, with James Coburn as a P.I. circa 1928. What starts out as an insurance company job looking into some stolen jewels turns into a multiple-murder mystery. The cast includes Jean Simmons, Jason Miller, Hector Elizondo, Beatrice Straight, Paul Stewart, Roland Winters, David Canary, and Brent Spiner in one of his earliest appearances, playing a weaselly crook.

This was apparently later edited down to 2 hours for VHS release. That version may be better.

6/10

 

[seven keys to baldpate]

1 minute ago, TopBilled said:

The Dix, Raymond and Terry versions were all on YouTube (and might still be)...and I watched them all a few months ago. I expected the Dix film to be a belabored talkie, which it is. I expected the Raymond version to be the best, which it is not. And I expected the Terry version to be throwaway fluff, which it is...but it is very well made. The best part of the Terry version is Margaret Lindsay and the film noir-influenced low lighting that RKO was specializing in during the late 40s.

I watched the silent Cohan version (there's an even earlier Australian film version), and the Dix version a year or so ago. It was interesting seeing George M. Cohan starring in a film. I don't recall much from the Dix version. 

I saw the re-titled 80's version with all the horror stars (Price, Cushing, Lee, Carradine) back when it was new. I don't recall much from it, either, other than the novelty casting.

[seven keys to baldpate]

That's exciting news. I'll be sure to miss those as well.

 

   

   

[How long is Ava Duvenay going to be on The Essentials?]

5 minutes ago, jamesjazzguitar said:

There will be a different host for The Essentials the next time it runs  (I.e. someone other than Ava to work with Ben). 

I believe they're replacing The Essentials with new programming - Pink Panther Theatre. 2 or 3 of your Pink Panther favorites, every Saturday night, all year long. Hosted by Matthew Broderick.

[Order of Canada]

7 minutes ago, midwestan said:

Maybe Bogie or some other poster can enlighten us as to why Genevieve Bujold and Glen Gould refused the award?   (if they know, of course).  I'm sort  of glad I clicked on this thread to see what it was about.  I was almost ready to place "two orders of Canada to go, please"!  😋

Genevieve Bujold refused in protest, due to her support of the Free Quebec movement. 

[I Just Watched...]

11 minutes ago, LornaHansonForbes said:

I'm sorry that the guy who directed this didn't go on to do more features, because he crafts the movie really, really well and draws some MARVELOUS performances out of pretty much everyone involved.

The director Alex Cox went on to direct the very good Sid & Nancy (1986), then the less accessible Straight to Hell (1987), followed by Walker(1987). 

Sid & Nancy is the biopic of Sex Pistols "bassist" Sid Vicious and his destructive relationship with Nancy Spungen. Gary Oldman had his breakthrough role as Vicious. This was one of my favorite films of its year.

Straight to Hell is a pseudo-western with Joe Strummer (from the Clash),  Dick Rude, and Courtney Love as a trio of outlaws who hide out in a western town. It also features Dennis Hopper, Shane MacGowan (from the Pogues), Jim Jarmusch, Elvis Costello, and Grace Jones. Enter at your own risk.

Walker tells the strange-but-true story of William Walker, an American who led his own mercenary army into Nicaragua where he made himself dictator.  The cast is full of recognizable character actors, and Ed Harris is terrific as Walker.

Cox has gone on to direct a lot of other obscure movies, most of which I haven't seen, but his 1980's stuff is all worth looking at.

[Order of Canada]

3 hours ago, TikiSoo said:

Surprised no awards for Glen Gould? Neil Young?

Glen Gould refused it. 

I didn't list any music stars earlier, but there are a few, like Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Celine Dion, Anne Murray, and Gordon Lightfoot. Not Neil Young, though.

[The "real" DARGO.....]

Here's the opening post from my old thread on Coburn. There are also several posts from others with thoughts on Coburn and his career:

Posted April 7, 2016

James Coburn (1928-2002) was born in Nebraska, but during the Depression his family moved to California. They settled in Compton, where Jim was raised. After a stint in the Army he studied acting and quickly started getting roles in commercials. He made his dramatic TV debut in 1957 on Studio One in Hollywood, and he would continue to guest on TV shows regularly over the next six years, appearing in everything from Wagon Train, M Squad, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Bronco,  and Bat Masterson, to Have Gun-Will Travel, Peter Gunn, Wanted:Dead or Alive, Perry Mason and The Twilight Zone, among many more. He made his movie debut in 1959 in Budd Boetticher's Ride Lonesome. He alternated between television and film for the next several years, gaining roles in such well-loved movies as The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, and Charade. 

 

He reached stardom with the lead roles in Our Man Flint and In Like Flint, two of the better James Bond spoofs of the era. His lean, macho persona, played just a tiny bit over the top, made him a perfect fit for the role of Derek Flint, an expert in more fields than can be counted, who is called upon to save the world. Coburn stayed a film star for the next decade or so, but as the last half of the 70's came around, the roles started drying up, and the ones he got weren't up to the old caliber. By the 1980's, he developed severe rheumatoid arthritis, crippling his hands and limiting his work. After making a recovery of sorts, he started acting in more films in the 1990's, and even earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his brief role in 1998's Affliction, an honor that was seen as largely a career nod. He seemed to genuinely revel in this acknowledgment of his work, but his celebration was relatively short, as he passed away just over 3 years later, while at home listening to music.

 

James Coburn was a unique star. He wasn't conventionally handsome, but he never had trouble getting the girl either. His toothy grin and charming demeanor, matched with his great, easily recognizable voice made him enjoyable as secret agents, pickpockets, Wild West bandits and lawmen, and whatever else he was called on to play. He seems now like a particularly 60's type of star, with his fashion sense, a new girl on his arm each night, a love of fast cars, being seen at the hottest nightspots and trendiest swinging Sixties events. He even found time to be a student of Bruce Lee, and would display his martial arts prowess even into old age. He was the type of character that can't really exist anymore, but a lot of guys wish they could be. If Steve McQueen was the King of 60's Cool, then Coburn was the Baron, never as big of a star, but with more of a devilish twinkle in his eye.

 

https://forums.tcm.com/topic/95407-in-like-jim-james-coburn/

 

And my list of favorites with him:

• Our Man Flint (1966)
• The President's Analyst (1967)
• The Great Escape (1963)
• Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)
• In Like Flint (1967)
• The Magnificent Seven (1960)
• Major Dundee (1965)
• The Americanization of Emily (1964)
• Duck, You Sucker!/Fistful of Dynamite (1971)
• Hard Times (1975)
• Affliction (1998)
• Hudson Hawk (1991)

 

As for actors nowadays who are "cool", I can't think of any, but regarding people as "cool" isn't something that I do too often anymore.

[Animation around THE WORLD]

Here's an article from The New Yorker website about early animated shorts. If you mouse over the titles mentioned, you can also watch the shorts.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/12/30/the-surprise-and-wonder-of-early-animation

[Anti-aging vs old school aging.]

I'm currently making my way through the 1978 TV mini-series Centennial. There's a lot of make-up aging done on many of the actors, most of it pretty terrible looking.  However, one of the stars is Timothy Dalton, who looks like this in the later episodes:

 

I've also recently watched the series Penny Dreadful (2014-2016), which co-stars Dalton. Here's how he actually looked at age 68:

[Order of Canada]

Genevieve Bujold was also awarded the Order of Canada, but she refused it.

[Order of Canada]

Past honorees with a film or TV connection include:

• Denys Arcand
• David Cronenberg
• Atom Egoyan
• Norman Jewison
• Lorne Michaels
• Norman McLaren
• Gordon Pinsent
• Christopher Plummer
• Donald Sutherland

There may be more whose names I'm not familiar with.

[Name An Outstanding Performance From An Actor You Don't Normally Think Is That Good]

Keanu Reeves is one of my least favorite actors, although I think he was well cast in both The Matrix and John Wick series. I do think he gave a surprisingly effective performance as a violent jerk in The Gift (2000).

 

Another of my least favorites is John Travolta. However, I thought he did a good job as the Bill Clinton-esque lead character in Primary Colors (1998).

 

Adam Sandler consistently makes some of the worst comedies of the past 25 years, but he was excellent in Punch-Drunk Love (2002).

 

And I second the above mention by skimpole regarding Elizabeth Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

[TCM REMEMBERS 2019]

6 minutes ago, CW Barrett said:

Who is the haunting female singer/songwriter who repeats "Are you coming back?  Are you coming back?"  towards the beginning of this year's  "TCM Remembers"?

The song is  "Waiting" by Alice Bowman 

https://forums.tcm.com/topic/262126-tcm-remembers-2019/page/4/#comments

 

[Have you seen these 10 classic films..?]

3 minutes ago, speedracer5 said:

350 Not sure which film this is, though I can see it's Warren Beatty and I think Annette Bening?

It's Bugsy (1991).

I've seen everything except for Tea & Sympathy.