Det Jim McLeod
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Posts posted by Det Jim McLeod
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1 hour ago, LawrenceA said:
Blackadder the Third (1987)
I love this series. I believe Seasons #2 and #3 are in a tie as the best in the series. I did not care much for Season #1, as Blackadder was just an idiot, it was funnier when he became the sarcastic smart aleck, and Hugh Laurie was the dim Prince . Baldrick always remained the same, the filthy, but well meaning scruff.
Two episodes stand out as the best and IMO two of the funniest sitcom episodes ever
Sense And Senility-The Prince wants to take speech lessons from a pair of prissy and untalented actors. Blackadder finds that saying the word "Macbeth" to them drives them crazy in some of the funniest moments.
Duel And Duality- The Prince is challenged to a duel with the loud and violent Duke of Wellington (Stephen Fry in a hilarious performance). The Prince begs Blackadder to pose as him in the duel.
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On 1/17/2020 at 8:57 AM, TopBilled said:
442.
Casablanca-I saw it all the way through years ago, I thought was pretty good, but I was watching it for Peter Lorre and was disappointed he had such a small part. I will watch it again one day.
On 1/17/2020 at 8:57 AM, TopBilled said:444.
The Men - great debut for Marlon Brando, fine supporting cast with Teresa Wright, Everett Sloane, Richard Erdman, Jack Webb
On 1/17/2020 at 8:57 AM, TopBilled said:445.
The War Of The Worlds- very good 1950s sci fi about evil alien invasion
On 1/17/2020 at 8:57 AM, TopBilled said:450.
Finding Nemo-I am usually not a fan of animated PIXAR but this one was very entertaining.
So only 4 for me this time, I usually see about 6 or 7
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48 Hrs (1982) Cop Nick Nolte and convict Eddie Murphy have tough, exhausting brawl on a San Francisco street
From Here To Eternity (1953) There are some use of doubles in some scenes but this is one of the best moments in the film. Private Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) is constantly being bullied by nasty Sgt Galovitch (John Dennis). He finally strikes back in the scene, which is also very well edited.
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20 hours ago, LawrenceA said:
I'm in the middle of Miami Vice season 3 (1986-1987).
This show was an 80s favorite of mine, though I haven't revisited it since it's been off the air.
Season 1 and 2 I felt were the best but I do recall some good ones from Season 3. One was where Crockett tries to get into the mind of a psycho burglar who may be getting ready to graduate to murder, it was reminiscent of the great 80s Michael Mann film Manhunter.
Wilie Nelson guest stars on another one when he shoots it out western style with some drug dealers.
I seem to recall this was the season where there was controversy because they made the show look darker and less pastel colors, plus Crockett cut his hair.
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Spencer Tracy and Ernest Borgnine in Bad Day At Black Rock
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Talk About A Stranger (1952) TCM 7/10
Bud, a small town boy thinks a mysterious new neighbor killed his dog.
This is a short B film that I discovered on late night TV when I was a little kid. The fact that it is told from a child's point of view is why I liked it so much and still has nostalgic feeling for me. Other 1950s films like the later Invaders From Mars (1953) and Night Of The Hunter (1955) have the same feel to it. Billy Gray (Father Knows Best also named Bud on that show) plays Bud and he gives an excellent performance. Kurt Kasznar (best known as the cowardly Fitzhugh on the TV show Land Of The Giants) is well cast as the strange neighbor Matlock. Matlock is secretive and surly, plus he has a foreign accent which makes him the perfect target for suspicion in a small 1950s American town. There is a great scene in a grocery store where Bud makes the accusation that Matlock poisoned his dog, the suspicious townsfolk (character actors like Burt Mustin and Kathleen Freeman are among them) really start jumping to conclusions. All the mystery is tied up at the end, I recommend this to anyone fond of 1950s movies with good child actors and if you like short to the point B&W suspense.-
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Once Upon A Time In America (1984) TCM 7/10
A group of Jewish gangsters go through decades of violence and secrets.
I just saw this last night on TCM, I thought it was very good, I was surprised that I was able to stay awake for the late night showing for this nearly 4 hour film. Robert DeNiro is excellent as always as Noodles, the mobster who reflects upon his life throughout the film. Sergio Leone direction is very good, not quite as stylish as his westerns. It is probably the most brutally violent of his films, including a pair of horrific rape scenes. James Woods plays the second most interesting character and there is a good twist to the story near the end. Joe Pesci, Burt Young and Treat Williams appear in small near cameo roles.
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On 1/13/2020 at 2:24 PM, LawrenceA said:
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) - This was another re-watch for me. This entry in the series, directed by Leonard Nimoy, doesn't get as much discussion as many of the others. I'd forgotten quite a bit of it. It firmly establishes the Klingon template that would be used for the next couple of decades, largely in the person of evil Klingon commander Kruge, played by Christopher Lloyd in between Reverend Jim and Doc Brown. It was an unusual bit of casting but he has fun chewing up the scenery. I also enjoyed bit roles by John Larroquette (as another Klingon), James B. Sikking, and Miguel Ferrer. Judith Anderson shows up at the end as the Vulcan high priestess, surrounded by young Vulcan maidens in see-through gowns. The recasting of Lt. Saavik, previously played by Kirstie Alley, with Robin Curtiss is unfortunate. Overall it's still an enjoyable movie to me, if a lot less memorable than part 2.
I liked this one a lot, 8/10. I was never a TV Star Trek fan, but this one got me into the movies when I first saw it back in 84. I liked the way it gave at least one good scene to each of the Enterprise crew. Uhura especially is fun when she straightens out a cocky young officer.
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On 1/14/2020 at 5:58 AM, cigarjoe said:
Marriage Story (2019) Seemed like non stop screaming that drags on way too long you want to kill them all by the time it's over. I lost interest. How did it end? Anybody care?
I actually loved this one, 8/10. The acting by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johannsson as a divorcing couple is excellent. The supporting cast is great too with Laura Dern and Ray Liotta as the divorce attorneys who turn the whole thing nasty. Alan Alda shows up as a nice guy lawyer briefly hired by Driver.
It reminded more of 1970s films where things seemed a lot more real than many Hollywood fluff films about relationships.
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I will add my 2018 pick-
Eighth Grade- one of the best coming of age stories in years, it is very 21st century but anyone can relate
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Jack Nicholson was the Joker in Batman
Christopher Lloyd was Uncle Fester in The Addams Family
Danny DeVito was The Penguin in Batman Returns
Brad Dourif was the voice of Chucky in Child's Play
The movie is One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Next-
Tina Vitale is suspicious of husband Victor Franco and neighbor Mary Todd Lincoln
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Since I'm a guy, the ones from Animal House
Next who would you want to be walking with you in a tough neighborhood- Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) or Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) from The French Connection?
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On The Town
Next- On The Waterfront
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13 minutes ago, jakeem said:
You actually watched "The Irishman" in a single sitting?
I sure did, in a NYC movie theater, didn't move the entire time.
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3 hours ago, jakeem said:Best Director:
- Sam Mendes, "1917"
- Martin Scorsese, "The Irishman"
- Todd Phillips, "Joker"
- Quentin Tarentino, "Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood"
- Bong Joon-ho, "Parasite"
I have seen all five of these, all very well deserved.
If it were up to me I give it to Tarantino, mostly because I think Once Upon A Time In Hollywood was the best film. I was impressed by the work of all these directors.
Mendes gave us a stunning technical achievement.
Scorsese held my attention for 3 1/2 hours
Phillips created a bleak, fascinating world
Bong Joon ho managed to change mood and genres and make it work.
However, Tarantino made IMO the best film of the 21st century
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14 hours ago, CinemaInternational said:
The Academy Award nominations for 2019 are due in the morning, for this the 92nd year of the Academy's history. I for one have always looked forward to nominations every year, and have been determined to catch up with many past nominees and winners, even the ones that only featured in the smaller categories. So I have always had a love for them, especially the films nominated in the golden age, and in the later decades of the 60s through the 90s.
But I also know that the Oscars are controversial. Of course, by this time, we have seen so many of them that TCM's 31 Days of Oscar begins to seem like old leftovers, buut that isn't even really the big controversy. Last weekend, there were some truly harsh words spoken about them in The New York Times, and in a way it seemed like a takedown of shared cinematic experiences, quote being: "The Oscars are irrelevant, empty, dispiriting, maddening and invariably wrong". Now I think we can all admit that we rarely fully agree with what in nominated, but are they really this, even at their peak in decades past? Or is it all grousing? The only real drawback I feel they have is that sometimes people avoid classics that weren't up for Oscars, but other than that, I think they have been a help, and do feel that without them, some really great films might never have been made. But how do you feel about them all; I'm not meaning in a political context or anything, but just in terms of films and performances, how do you feel about them?
I look forward to them every year. The problem these days is there so many awards shows, but as far as I am concerned the Oscars are the gold standard. It is voted on by the peers (actors nominate actors, directors nominate directors, etc) so I think the people know what they are doing. I discovered many of my favorite films from them being Oscar winners. Like From Here To Eternity, On The Waterfront, West Side Story, Midnight Cowboy. Even recently I discovered gems like Moonlight and Lady Bird due to Oscar nominations. There was a push to honor more popular films but I believe the box office hits already got their prize by making so much money. It should be more artistic and original films that should be nominated so more people can discover them since otherwise they might be forgotten.
The Golden Globes were considered a joke for many years, I mean who is the Hollywood Foreign Press anyway? Nobody really knows. Plus back in the 1980s Pia Zadora was voted Best Newcomer, making her and the awards a national joke. Today some are actually taking them seriously.
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I just saw it, 8 minutes is not enough. She barely talks about her Hollywood classics or the legends she worked with.
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On 1/10/2020 at 12:25 PM, EricJ said:
And the only one they did keep was Wilma's maiden name, and that's the one everyone gets wrong.)
Was it Wilma Pebble? I recall it on one episode.
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41 minutes ago, TopBilled said:
Cheat Sheet:
I have seen all except 403, 404 and 407.
My favorite-Young Mr Lincoln because it is great portrayal by Henry Fonda and has some of my favorite courtroom scenes.
Least favorite-Torn Curtain - rare dull film from Hitchcock
Most underrated-Sylvia Scarlett- I really enjoyed this comedy/drama with Katherine Hepburn masquerading as a boy and Cary Grant playing one of his less likable characters.
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46 minutes ago, TomJH said:
Or, like me, do you have certain films that you will watch multiple times and love to savour?
Yes, I am that way. Some films I have seen countless times, I will pull out a DVD of some of my favorites maybe once a year.
Some films I have seen the most times:
Babes In Toyland (1934)
Frankenstein (1931)
Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)
Wizard Of Oz (1939)
This is because I saw them on TV starting when I was a child and still occasionally watch them, so I am sure that it has been more times than I can count.
I saw Citizen Kane one time and was very impressed, I give it 10/10 rating but for some reason I have had no desire to watch it again.
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On 1/9/2020 at 9:56 PM, Allhallowsday said:
This takes me back to "over moderated," but by whom?
Are you the victim of a conspiracy?
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Dead End (1937) Gabe Dell's character says he has T.B.
Next-traffic jam
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10 hours ago, Allhallowsday said:
I thank you for your response and clarification. There are members here who are respectful, kind, and logical. I do not understand why a simple correction of an actor's name (which is still there) would yield a rebuke followed by removal of the originator's response to my correcting him, plus removal of my own response to the unwarranted rebuke. It is censorship. It is lack of ownership. There were no words exchanged that were insulting, obscene, or violating, except I'm the one who was insulted. I'm just a newbie. I must remember to never advise it is BOBBY not BILLY, take my licks, and put a cork in it.
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Hot L Baltimore by Lanford Wilson
When Was TV at Its Best?
in General Discussions
Posted
This was my favorite era.
The ABC Friday lineup was at it's best when Room 222 was added to it. The Odd Couple is my favorite TV show of all time.
The CBS Saturday lineup of 1973-1974, I believe was the greatest ever
All In The Family
M*A*SH
Mary Tyler Moore Show
Bob Newhart Show
Carol Burnett Show
I own the DVDs for that season for the first 4 shows and few episodes from that season on some of Best Of Carol Burnett. I have occasionally done a night of 1973-1974 TV and played the actual episodes that aired on the same night.
Many of these shows ended at the right time. MTM did it right by stopping at 7 seasons, still at high quality. Bob Newhart at 6 seasons knew the time was up as well. Bridget Loves Bernie was a good show but was cancelled after a season, despite it being highly rated. The Brady Bunch's final season was it's worst, so it was good it stopped there.
Other shows like AITF (9 seasons) and MASH (11) outstayed their welcome.
AITF in particular, the first 5 seasons were hilarious and brilliant, if it had ended there it would have been the greatest sitcom of all time. Later seasons had Gloria having a baby, Mike and Gloria moving and later leaving the show all together, Archie becoming more sedate and whiny, Edith becoming a victim of attempted rape, so it was not much fun to watch anymore and the humor was less edgy and more juvenile. And the final season added a little girl to the cast, a sure sign of desperation.
MASH was still pretty good towards the end but many cast changes did not always work well IMO. Some of the episodes became a bit too preachy in the later years, and not as funny.