jarhfive

FredCDobbs, Yiddish radio. A few years ago, NPR played some recordings of radio shows originally broadcast to NYC Jewish neighborhoods (low power AM(?) stations), post WWII time frame. Like most local radio of a long time ago, the programming was: news of local interest, interviews of local inhabitants and music of interest to locals--a lot of Klezmer music. I listened to some of the stuff (Yiddish translated to English or, English? I don't remember) until the Klezmer started--five minutes of Klezmer music satisfied me for the rest of my life. Rusty

lzcutter, I read your message after I posted the thing I wrote. lzcutter...all good points. Now...where is the "lzcutter" thread I mentioned a couple of months ago? This is just the sort of technical issue that needs a 'one-stop shop', uh..so to speak. I know, it would be a lot of work. I'll keep hoping! Rusty

kaplan, Quote: "It's specifically about the lifespans of burned CDs, which are given as between 2 and 5 years (!). Everything I've read indicates that burned DVDs are even less stable than CDs are." I am glad you brought up the 'shelf life' issue. I mentioned that thing somewhere earlier in this thread. I will write a couple of brief points. 2 to 5 year CD life span is probably pessimistic--I have read 10 to 20 year DVD life span. I am splitting hairs. The important thing is--the selling of the compact disk format was, "digital data is forever"--not true?! How long a DVD will last is not known--burned at home and purchased. Accelerated wear tests are models. The simulations may or, may not, reflect actual shelf life. Actual shelf life is dependent on a bunch of variables--disk quality, burner quality, DVD burner algorithms (ability to handle errors), disk storage, etcetera. One anecdote. A couple of months ago I unearthed a twenty year old, six VHS set of "I Claudius". Recorded in 1985, stored in a variety of environments, all six tapes played fine. Not a hitch. I wonder if DVDs will survive 20 years--no one knows! Bottom line, transferring VHS to DVD for archival purposes? My advice--keep the original tape after burning the DVD. Rusty BTW: Technology does improve, what may be unreadable today may play a few years from now (better software, you know). Hang on to those unplayable disks.

nursekimmy (and the rest of you'all), Your mention of "Random Harvest" is timely. The weather outside is frightful (N.E. Oklahoma--as if anyone cares) so, I decided to pick up a book. I read a few pages of Faulkner's "The Sound And The Fury" and decided my brain was not up to the challenge. Instead of reading, I watched a tape of "Random Harvest". My wife mentioned that we had James Hilton's "Random Harvest". She said, "why don't you read 'Random Harvest'...probably not so taxing as Faulkner". I picked up "Random Harvest", the book, and looked at the cover. I will start reading the thing, uhm...today. Now, to the point of my post. When completed, I will compare and contrast "Random Harvest", the movie, and "Random Harvest", the book. I estimate three months to read the book. Please don't be on 'pins and needles' until my review. BTW: If I like "Random Harvest", the book, I will probably try to read James Hilton's "Lost Horizon". When I complete "Lost Horizon", the book, I will compare and contrast with "Lost Horizon", the movie. Maybe, six months from today. Rusty

MattHelm, "movie is dark..." How did I miss that? Clue...CLUE! Rusty

MattHelm, "I wonder if the indians have a mob now..." Within a 10 mile radius of my residence are: Modoc, Quapaw, Miami, Eastern Shawnee, Seneca and a couple of other tribal casinos. Two more 'gamers' are under construction. Your comment has been the topic of discussion in my household several times. My opinion? No mob here but, maybe, string-pullers. Rusty

MattHelm, Quote: "My great grandmother was full-blooded Algonquin..." Why work for the man? Build a gaming facility. Rusty BTW: Not even partial credit for my muppet movie answer?

What was that muppet thang? "The Dark Crystal"?

movieman1957, Quote: "He may have been our greatest director of westerns but he was exceptionally good at dramas. It's hard, but not impossible, to find a bad Ford film. "The Long Voyage Home" is a great film. Unfortunately, so seldom shown. Once you get past John Wayne with a Swedish accent you'll be fine. (It's only a minor part.)" I had to come to a decision about John Ford's greatness as a director. He definitely has his own style--sometimes corny, occasionally maudlin but, never dishonest. I am glad I made a decision to 'get past' John Ford's (sometimes) eccentric style because, he has become one of my favorite filmmakers. His drama "How Green Was My Valley" is uniquely "John Ford"--one of my favorite movies. It's interesting that Ford's "Long Voyage Home" is the only film that Eugene O'Neill authored that O'Neill considered worthy of a personal print (according to Mr. Osborne). movieman...I bet you already knew about the Eugene O'Neill thing. Rusty Jeez...I like John Ford...Eugene O'Neill likes John Ford...I am in good company!

Hello, Unless a producer wants to: Find a vintage camera. Refurbish the vintage camera. Find or, fabricate, the appropriate black and white film stock. Find or, fabricate, the necessary negative development materials. Find or, fabricate, the required print materials. Find or, somehow train, required technical people. Any movie made in three strip, dye process, Technicolor...can never be re-made. Thanks to FredCDobbs for information I required to write this post! BTW: Some of the recent examples of digital color production has been pretty darn impressive...in my opinion. Rusty

MattHelm, Jerzy Kosinski appeared in two movies (IMDB filmography). Have you read Kosinski's "The Painted Bird"? My experience reading "The Painted Bird" was something like my experience of...drunken friend crashing his dune buggy into the side of a mountain (I was the passenger). Okay...I am exaggerating. Reading "The Painted Bird" was the mental equivalent of getting hit about the head with a baseball bat. My brother told me of a modus operandi for murder he read in one of Kosinski's books--a villainous pilot 'paints' his victim with microwaves from a fighter jet radar. The murderer knows he just wrote a death sentence for the victim--cancer ten or twenty years in the future. I don't know the book reference. I do know my brother's comment, "Man...that was cold". Rusty BTW: About the dune buggy? We were okay. The dune buggy (and the humor of my friend's dad) was not.

starlett, As I remember, the seamless mix of live action and animation in "Roger Rabbit" was a big deal in 1988 (theatrical release). Note that I did not write "cutting edge"...so there! Besides, my mother loves "Roger Rabbit" so...who am I to argue. starlett...I really like the movie. Rusty

mongo, Quote: "It was an eerie story from the book by actor Tom Tryon..." Have you ever read any books by Tom Tryon? "The Other", along with Tryon's "Harvest Home", are superior supernatural thrillers. "The Other", the movie, was a great adaptation of Tryon's novel (kudos to Uta Hagen as the grandmother/teacher). "Harvest Home", the movie, was kind of a disappointment. Tom Tryon and Sterling Hayden are two actors who succeeded as fiction writers. Can you name any other screen performers who also wrote worthwhile novels? I bet you can! Rusty

cashace, Quote: "If I may I would like to add a couple. All My Sons - Edward G Robinson" Since I decided Robinson was my favorite actor and discovered his role in "All My Sons" one of his best, I've wanted to see "All My Sons". I have looked and the movie is only for sale as a used VHS--asking a minimum of 50 dollars! I posted a question about "All My Sons" a few months ago and it has been broadcast but, on a channel I do not receive. I am going to hold my breath until..."All My Sons" is put on DVD! Rusty

FredCDobbs, Sorry about not getting back to you sooner. I was at work. I wrote that just before I was headed out the door. Did not turn on the computer at home. Instead of computer stuff watched the TCM broadcast of "The Long Voyage Home", a recording of "Yellowjack" and "Right Cross". So, I am not really starved for entertainment besides, it is sleeting like crazy. The "cup pressure" comment referenced an old (but expensive) Sony CD changer (it was worth fixing). As I remember, the changer mechanism was having problems and, while I had the player open, I decided to do a little experimentin'. I discovered that there is an optimum adjustment for cup pressure. Too much and the spindle will not spin the disk up to required RPM and shuts down. Even in the most expensive equipment the motor is probably not designed for a lot of torque and does not have the 'oomph' to overcome much resistance. Too little and the disk spins but, also slides, between the spindle and the pressure cup. Again, the disk does not reach required revolutions and the player quits. The situation of too little pressure--you can hear the plastic disk scraping the spindle. Way too little pressure and the aforementioned "flying disk" is the result. BTW: Does a CD player relate to a DVD player? Yes. Consider. The basic mechanics for a turntable have not changed since platter shape replaced cylindrical shape. The disk size and shape determine the mechanics of the player/ recorder. I wonder if the Laserdisk has the same sort of mechanism? Larger disk than compact disk, a lot more stuff to rotate. Rusty

FredCDobbs, Good idea about not opening it up. I've had a disk fly out of the holder--I was 'adjusting' the cup pressure screw. BTW: If you don't insert a disk and power it up, it is interesting to see the laser 'slam' from one end of the linear track to the other (as I remember, it does it two times). I think the microprocessor 'freaks' if it does not immediately read the directory...then decides no disk is present. All right...so I'm starving for entertainment. Rusty

FredCDobbs, No roller. Let me see...it has been awhile since I opened a player up. An arm with a spindle contacts the disk center, lifts the disk off the drawer. A pivoted arm with a rotating cup contacts the center of the disk from above and holds the disk in place. The spindle begins spinning the disk. The laser is located on the spindle arm and slides from the edge of disk to the center of the disk (~1/2 to 3/4 inch off center of disk). The 'park' position for the laser is at the edge of the disk. When the disk is 'up to speed', the laser slides from the park position to the directory sectors. The directory sectors are located 1/2 to 3/4 inch off center. Once the directory is read the front panel display activates. Playing the disk, the laser moves along a linear track from inside disk to edge of disk. BTW: If you want to have some fun(?), insert a disk into your player, power it down, take the cover off the top, locate the switch (usually) somewhere around the edge of the case, insert something to hold the 'case open' switch closed, power back up and see the disk mechanism do its thing. On the other hand, if you value your warranty, you probably should not open the player. Rusty

"The Naked Gun 2?: The Smell of Fear (1991)": (Frank meets Jane after a long time) Lt. Frank Drebin: How are the children? Jane Spencer: We didn't have any children. Lt. Frank Drebin: Yes, of course. Jane Spencer: How was your prostate operation? Lt. Frank Drebin: Oh, good. Fine. Never been better. Oh S***, I did it again. Rusty

MattHelm, I remember Jackie Rogers Jr. very well...probably Martin Short's strangest character. BTW: My last message? It's prostrate...not prostate. I hope I am not at the age where it becomes some sort of mantra, "...prostate this and prostate that...". Rusty

MattHelm, I was looking at sctvguide.ca rundown of the first SCTV season. The 'skit list' brought back fond memories. Have you seen SCTV's parody of "Ben Hur"? Ben is at the end of his tether and prostate......a mysterious stranger steps into view...a cocktail shaker and glass materialize...a martini is poured...Ben greedily accepts the miraculous gin... . Rusty

scarlett, An ideal companion to "Becket" is the Second City Parody of the genre--"The Man Who Would Be King of the Popes". SCTV Guide quote: "The gripping epic of the king who wanted to be pope, the pope who wanted to be king, and the man who would betray them both. Peter O'Toole (O'Tule) as the King - Flaherty; Katharine Hepburn (Cathryn Hepbern) - O'Hara; Richard Burton (Berton) as the Pope - Candy; Richard Harris (Hariss) as King of the Popes - Thomas; Victor Spinetti (Spynneti) as the Tailor - Levy; Announcer - Candy" Starring SCTV's original cast (Canadian television, first season). The parody also goes well with "The Lion In Winter" and any other Burton/ O'Toole/Harris costume over-the-toppers. Rusty

FredCDobbs, Quote: "I can’t imagine “Funny Girl” winning an Oscar for anything, other than “longest movie” or “most boring movie” or "best cartoon." " Is it B.S. or, her movie? How do you rate "Yentl"? Our local PBS station has "Yentl" scheduled for Saturday evening. Worth taping? Rusty

susanb, Quote: "As far as comments about new people posting, I don't quite understand why anyone would feel this to be a negative thing. Diversity in any ecosystem brings sustainability." Excellent point! Rusty BTW: Sorry I can't do better than a "me too" post.

daddysprimadonna, Quote: "Antar was a trip,LOL..." Do you think the name "Hedy Lamarr" still sends him cartwheeling? Rusty

scarlett, "Not Scarlett"'s problem is not with (paraphrase) "low balls" but, no balls. scarlett... Apropos to "Can you believe this?"--I like Robert Ryan's line from "Clash By Night", "away...DUST". Cheers! Rusty