jarhfive
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Posts posted by jarhfive
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Jon,
Yeah...best movie ever, but the best parody ever was Mad Magazine's "Valley Of The Dollars". Here's a link...
http://www.officialpattyduke.com/madmag.htm
Rusty
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Lynn,
KINO's silent movie DVDs are truly wonderful. Well, the part of their catalog I have watched (maybe, five KINO silents). If you have not already watched, check out the KINO DVD of Murnau's "Faust". My God, it is a beautiful looking movie.
I wonder, should I have said..."My Mephisto, it is a beautiful..."?
Rusty
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Matt,
Regarding your analysis of Lois and Jimmy as passive/aggressive/"tooter turtle"? I had a very similar idea floating around my brain box. Whaddaya psychic?
Rusty
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Matt,
I am glad you mentioned "file cabinets". Your comment naturally leads to another question. In fact, one I asked several times during the Superman serial. I am sure you noticed the filing cabinet room. The filing cabinet room...what a godawful mess! Every time Superman did his thing in the filing cabinet room, I said (often to my living room walls), "why doesn't Superman do a super clean up of that room?!"
I really did ask the question...many, many times. And I think my question is appropriate because Superman was capable of "too fast to see" activity...for example, straightening up a living space before the return of Lois, or Jimmy, or Perry.
Rusty
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CineSage,
Regarding the possibility of a future restored version of "The Red House". The second Edward G. Robinson movie on my E.G. Robinson two-fer was "Scarlet Street". My DVD of "Scarlet Street" was harder to watch than "The Red House". Even worse source material was used for my DVD of "Scarlet Street", than the DVD of "The Red House". I understand "Scarlet Street" was a public domain title. However, I notice Amazon has a KINO DVD of "Scarlet Street". The description of the KINO DVD says something like, "re-mastered version". One reviewer notes the KINO DVD of "Scarlet Street" is from a "never released", archive print. I don't know how the movie looks, but it has to be a step up in quality compared to my DVD. Anyway, I hope, if "Scarlet Street" is purchased by KINO for a DVD release...maybe, I will see a future "re-mastered" version of "The Red House". Hey, KINO? What about a "Red House" release?
MissGoddess...thank you for your message. Really, try to find a version "The Red House" for a look-see. It is a great movie...please don't be too disappointed when you discover it is hard to see what the heck is happening on your television screen.
Rusty
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I pulled this thread from nowhereville because I just watched the first four installments of Superman versus Atom Man (or some similar title).
First, I noticed on another thread a discussion of Lois Lane's "new" hat. Summarizing the discussion...Lois Lane's new hat is a very nice bit of wardrobe accessory. I agree with the sentiment, but I still miss Ms. Lane's "condo on a cranium" headwear.
Second, this thread is the place to ask trivial, yet important, Superman questions. Here is my question. Using the Superman television show as a guide, I know many episodes required Superman to show off his super strength by crushing a piece of coal into a multi-carat, cut diamond. For instance, he would make a perfectly acceptable substitute eye for the stone god. Okay, the diamond Superman creates is always cut and polished...that fact is too absurd to discuss. My question. Superman uses coal...right? Well, I know coal is carbon and hydrogen...not carbon only. Amorphous carbon is graphite. I never heard the word graphite during those times Superman made the idol eye. Diamond is carbon only. Where did the hydrogen go? We know that Superman makes diamond with pressure and heat...for instance, we see the "steam" during his strain. Why no explosion? The hydrogen has to leave the coal while making the diamond and free hydrogen plus heat equals explosion. Any answer to my question?
Rusty
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bobhopefan,
You had to mention Spaceballs. Oh, the pain...the pain...
I'm still on the lookout for Steve Martin's remake of "The Jerk".
Rusty
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MissGoddess,
I have not paid much attention to political conventions the last twenty plus years...when the party nominee was know months before the get together. However, I watch CSPAN frequently and many of the politicos I see on the channel would support the "shock wave/goo" hypothesis. Of course, merely my opinion.
By the way. The "shock wave" story is odd and silly, so I took the trouble to find my reference book--"Dunsel's Digest Of Dubious Documents".
Rusty
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Several months ago, I was given a truly miserable DVD of "The Red House" (1947). I was so dismayed by the poor video I hardly noticed the soundtrack. Well, last Saturday, my local PBS station broadcast the movie. The PBS version was only a little better (picture-wise) than my DVD, but this time I noticed the score by Mikl?s R?zsa. Has there ever been a more evocative score for the movies? And loud, boy was the musical soundtrack loud...
I wonder, do you think the producers of "The Red House" thought so highly of Mikl?s R?zsa's score they made a decision to dramatically highlight the music?
"The Red House" is a very odd movie. Odd, in the same sense that "Night Of The Hunter" is odd. Both movies very different from the standard Hollywood fare. Regarding "The Red House", I can't think of any movie made during the classic (or, modern...for that matter) era that includes the combination of pastoral and mystery-supernatural scenes. Like the plot, the Mikl?s R?zsa music is a highly contrasting mix of light and dark moods (with a little wooo....wooo...wooo thrown in).
I thought Bernard Herrmann's score for "The Ghost And Mrs. Muir" (1947) was the perfect companion to the on screen happenings. I think I found another "perfect companion" with Mikl?s R?zsa's score to "The Red House".
Rusty
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Here is a couple of classic movies featuring some of the fastest "fast talking"...ever.
"I Sell Anything" (1934). Auctioneer and schemer Pat O'Brien does fast talking from first scene to end credits. And he is wonderful! If you have not seen this movie...keep a look out for the next TCM broadcast.
"Turn Back The Clock" (1933). Time traveler Lee Tracy fast talks his way through all 79 minutes of this excellent fantasy. Now. I want tcmprogrammr to look at my message. Please, tcmprogrammr, act on my request to schedule "Turn Back The Clock" on TCM. As soon as possible.
By the way, have you ever heard the following story? I remember reading the thing somewhere, but I don't remember where. Anyway. After Lee Tracy's dismissal from MGM he was approached with an offer by Warner Brothers to appear in a movie with the extreme fast talking duo--Pat O'Brien and James Cagney. Fast talker Ann Sheridan was picked for one of the female leads. Production plans were in the works and proceeding smoothly, until the WB executive suits were notified by a studio physicist (not physician, but physicist). The PhD said something to the effect that all four fast talkers would not be able to appear in a scene...at the same time. The reason given was...so much fast talking in one place, at the same time, would create a shock wave capable of cell disruption. Something like the high energy, ultrasonic cell disruptors used in laboratories today. Obviously, the sort of powerful atmospheric waves generated would put the highly paid performers at risk (not to mention, the behind the camera folks). Specifically, the four fast talkers might end up as four piles of clothes...and goo. The plans for the movie were shelved.
Rusty
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Kyle and coca,
Thanks for the replies regarding my Davis versus Wyler scrap.
Kyle...no, "gosh darn it honey"?! Damn those IMDB "memorable quotes"...
Rusty
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benwhowell,
Quote:
"I love movies and reading so I get the best of both worlds with sub-titles...and I do prefer sub-titles over dubbing. The DVD of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" does an excellent job at dubbing dialogue that (perfectly) matches the actor's lips with the literal translation in sub-titles... "
I recently watched the DVD of "Matango: Attack Of The Mushroom People". The movie was dubbed and the DVD had a menu option for English sub-titles. So, I turned on the sub-titles. It was interesting to compare and contrast the difference between what was coming out of the mouth of a character and what the sub-titles displayed. Often, the titles and vocals were significantly different. And I wondered, "why?" So, now I know...to match as close as possible the dubbed words with lip movement. Why didn't I th-th-think of-of tha-tha-that???
Sorry about that last sentence, I was slapping myself upside my head.
Rusty
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The last movie I squirmed a bit while watching was "Monster's Ball". Specifically,the sex scene between Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) and Leticia (Halle Berry). Usually, I am not bothered by big screen, explicit sex scenes, but I was watching the movie with my wife. About half way through the scene, I looked in her direction and she was glaring at me. I did not have the guts to ask, "why are you staring at me?" I thought of two possible answers. One, she thought I was concentrating way too much on the Hank&Leticia show. Two, she was saying to herself, "so, that is what I am missing"...
Rusty
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Talking about the fights between William Wyler and Bette Davis, here is a question. I understand Wyler and Davis fought over one line of dialogue in the movie "The Letter". Leslie (Davis) says to Robert (Herbert Marshall) something like, "gosh darn it honey...with all my heart, I still love the man I killed!" I understand Wyler shot the scene many, many times because Davis did not want to say the bit of dialogue. However, Wyler wears down Davis and the disputed dialogue makes it into the movie.
Frankly, Leslie's, "...I still love the man I killed!" does sound a little clanky. Oh yes, the question. Does anyone know how Bette Davis wanted to do the scene? Simply, leave the line of dialogue out and just put a pained expression on her face? Or, what?
Rusty
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benwhowell,
Another scene in "Mildred Pierce" I don't understand, thus makes me shake my head, then laugh. And I should know this scene word for word, because TCM has played the thing about one billion times (the Blyth tribute to Crawford short film).
[Veda (Ann Blyth) has just found Mildred's (Joan Crawford) waitress uniform in a closet at home]...
Veda: My mother...a waitress.
Mildred: I took the only job I could get...so you and your sister could eat and have a place to sleep and some clothes on your backs.
Veda: Aren't the pies bad enough? Did you have to degrade us?
Mildred: Veda, don't talk like that!
Veda: I'm really not surprised. You've never spoken of your people...who you came from...so perhaps it's natural. Maybe that's why father...
I mean, c'mon they are related...right? Mildred's "people" are Veda's "people". That Veda, she needs to pay attention during her biology class.
By the way, the scene I mention has made me shake my head about a billion times. Thus, one heck of a pain in my neck.
Rusty
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pintorini,
Just a guess, but I bet the crossed eyed guy in the painting was asked about name placement on the poster, e.g. "Hatfield Reed" and "Hurd Donna".
benwhowell...the movie you mentioned, "Three Women", sounds interesting. I plan to find and rent the Altman movie.
Rusty
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benwhowell,
Talking about exploitation pictures...have you ever watched a 1934 movie called "Maniac"?
This was included on one of those fifty movie, five DVD packages. Not knowing anything about "Maniac", I spun the thing and was shocked...shocked, I tell you. Directed by Dwain Esper of "Reefer Madness" fame, I could not believe "Maniac" ever made it to ANY theater. Why? Well, the movie features a guy chasing a half naked woman, a couple of women fighting each other with hypodermic syringes, a scene with a man throttling a cat and doing something with part of the cat I cannot even describe here without making readers sick. Makes me queasy now, just thinking about the scene. Oh yes, "Maniac" never played in a mid-1930's movie theater. I looked the movie up. It was something called a "road picture". That is, Dwain and company arrive in town with tent, projector, screen, film, advertising flyers and tickets. Townsfolk attend one showing of "Maniac". Immediately after one showing of "Maniac", Dwain and crew fold up tent, projector, etcetera and get the heck out of town before local constable arrives. Local constable arrives to throw Dwain and friends in hoosegow, but Dwain&Co long gone. I guess, one way to make money during the depression.
Rusty
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A documentary about runaway kids in Seattle--"Streetwise" (1984). Even though twenty years have passed since I rented the movie, I remember watching "Streetwise" as a very sad experience.
Here is something much more depressing than watching the movie "Streetwise"...
I don't know the following as fact (I don't live in a large city), but the "living on the street" children presented in "Streetwise" are probably as much a part of American cities today as in 1984.
Rusty
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Carnival Of Souls (1962).
Zero budget movie with a lot of style. Very accomplished movie making. Scared me as a youngster watching this movie on television in the 1960s. Scared me as a oldster watching it a second time one week ago. So many good things about the movie, particularly how it captures and presents on the big screen the "look" of late 1950s, early 1960s "main street"--the department stores, public buildings, etcetera. Also, the abandoned building on the shores of Salt Lake? I was on a family trip through Utah at about the same time this movie was filmed. We saw the abandoned amusement park and it was even spookier in person than in "Carnival Of Souls".
Arsene Lupin (1932).
The Barrymores (John and Lionel) appear together on screen in this wonderful, obscure film.
Rusty
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This thread needs a DVD review. Here's one...
Faust (1926).
I watched a rental of the KINO DVD of F.W. Murnau's "Faust" last night...
Astonishing.
The best description of the movie and the DVD presentation of the movie is astonishing.
First, everyone knows the story of Faust. I don't need to write a synopsis of the story. The movie "Faust" grabbed my attention one minute after the start of the movie...I was tinkering with something in front of the television while my wife watched the DVD. "Faust" grabbed my attention and I was transfixed by the movie until the last scene (almost two hours). By the way, my wife had fallen asleep by the end of the movie. She says she will "pick up" the last ten minutes of the film today.
Second, the special effects of Murnau's Faust are...well, incredible. Even by today's standards.
Third, the acting is superb. Emil Jannings' performance as Mephisto is...uh, once more...astonishing.
Fourth, Murnau's job as director of "Faust" is masterful. I thought it was interesting, during a recent John Ford documentary, Mr. Ford mentions the difficulty of directing silent (versus talkie) films. I guess he means the many camera set-ups required to present an idea to the audience. The presentation of an idea simplified considerably if the soundtrack has dialogue. Well, Murnau makes no missteps directing "Faust". Here is a small example of Murnau's mastery of the silent film. One scene has Mephisto and Faust placing a pretty bit of jewelry (the temptation) in the dresser drawer of Faust's love interest. The dresser is in her bedroom. Mephisto and Faust exits the bedroom. The love interest enters her bedroom and she...shudders slightly. No words. She merely trembles for a second...just enough to tell us (the audience) she feels the lingering presence of evil. Wonderful.
Fifth, KINO's DVD beautifully presents the black and white cinematography. This movie has a lot of effects--fog and smoke, fade outs, fade ins, double exposures...what have you. These effects are central to the story. These effects would be "lost" without top notch video luminance and contrast. The KINO DVD does not take anything away from the film. In fact, the DVD artfully enhances Murnau's vision. Really, the video of this DVD is wonderful. Watch this DVD on the largest screen possible (I watched the thing on a good 35 inch CRT television).
Sixth, KINO's DVD soundtrack also enhances the experience of watching "Faust". This DVD has an orchestral soundtrack and the music follows the action nicely.
The extras on the DVD are spare. The only extra is a series of stills from the making of "Faust". The still pictures display for a few seconds before moving to the next picture. Some pictures display a zoom image, before moving to the next picture.
I have watched more than fifty silent films. My opinion? "Faust" is the perfect introduction to silent films. Considering the effects, the story, the DVD...only one other silent film competes with "Faust" as the perfect "first silent film"--"The Phantom Of The Opera" .
"Faust" is one of...maybe, six films I have rented and immediately looked the movie up on the internet to purchase. And that means "Faust" is a pretty darned good movie.
Recommended.
Rusty
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I'm betting November 16 is D(elete)-Day.
Any other predictions?
Rusty
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otterhere,
Here is a on-topic reply to your "off-topic" thread.
I bought a 2004 big video catalog from...uh, I am not sure, I don't have the thing with me (maybe, Movies Unlimited?). I am keeping the 2004 big video catalog for reference. Why? Because it has hundreds of movie listings that are probably not in the 2005 and 2006 and future big video catalogs. Why? Because the 2004 big catalog of videos has a lot of VHS only movies listed.
otter...for your VHS/DVD to DVD only question, does reference material count? Also, I wonder, does looking at paper reference material, not computer screen reference material, make me even odder...otter?
By the way, I looked at the catalog yesterday. I pick up and thumb through the pages of my big video catalog all the time.
Rusty
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"Hide Out" is a treat. Edward "not really a bad guy" Arnold makes me all verklempt...sniff.
Rusty
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filmlover,
Regarding your "turn your wife in" thing? I understand "ratting out" a spouse does not promote a harmonious household. On the other hand, since watching the last five episodes of the "Superman" serial, I have thought about finding and purchasing one of those Lois Lane, ChrisCraftroomy hats for my wife. Headwear having the same relative proportions of hat size to body size. Now, my wife never wears hats. However, she has never said she hates hats. So, if I go to the trouble of finding the mega-hat (note, I refrained from writing gi-normous)...I might consider using the "big house" as leverage to wear the "big hat".
Rusty
Robert Altman - RIP
in General Discussions
Posted
Thirty minutes before reading this thread I put Altman's "Three Women" in my Netflix queue...recommended by a TCM forum contributor.
"McCabe and Mrs. Miller" is one of my favorite movies. I agree with silentfan..."The Player" is another great Altman movie. If TCM does an Altman tribute, I hope they schedule "A Wedding"...another great Altman movie.
Robert Altman's death...sad news.
Rusty