lzcutter
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Posts posted by lzcutter
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Here's more details still from the book "The RKO Story" -->>
By the way for anyone who has not read The RKO Story by Richard Jewell, it's a great book about the Studio written by a man who spent a good portion of his life studying and researching RKO Studios (in addition to his teaching film history especially American film, film genres (especially westerns) and adminstrative duties).
It's a great addition to your library and can be found on ebay as it is out of print.
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That film never got off the ground and when Welles returned to the States, he found out that Magnificent Ambersons had been sneaked and performed poorly.>>
Lydia,
I misspoke when I wrote that post as I was reminded over the weekend. Welles, while down in Brazil at the behest of Rockefeller and Jock Whitney to make a propaganda film, knew that Ambersons had previewed poorly. There are letters from Joseph Cotton to Welles vividly describing the preview and the audience reaction and telegrams back from Welles.. Welles attempted to recut the film via telegram and telephone while still in Brazil.
Finally there was a management turn-over at RKO. Welles' contract for final cut was no longer in effect and so RKO put together a team that included Joe Cotton, Robert Wise and Welles' manager to oversee the recutting of Ambersons.
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Thanks for the compliment, MissGoddess,
Liberty Valance is one of my favorites and I love to talk about Ford movies, especially the westerns.
Glad you liked it. Hope you get the chance to see it on the big screen there in NYC one of these days.
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Judyfan,
According to the crew from Warners in the Home Theater Chat the other night, a box set of Garland-Rooney films are coming with lots of extras.
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belong to SONY PICTURES, so there will be a cold day IN HELL before we see these films on dvd.>>
Marco,
If the recent long-term deals with TCM are any indication, Sony seems to finally being taking an interest in their Columbia Films Library.
From what I hear, that may mean more DVD releases of Columbia movies.
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They take the long link and make a working short link out of it.
www.tinyurl.com
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Now, I tend to think that most film reviewers, while a few genuinely love film, see almost too many movies for their critical health. It becomes an exercise in self-referential idolatry or elitism that I don't care for at all. >>
I think you hit the nail on the head there. I love my Pauline Kael books, my Roger Ebert books because they love(d) film so much. They opened my eyes to look for things that I might not have noticed. But for the most part, Ebert withstanding, few critics today write with that passion for film. You don't have to agree with Kael and Ebert but at least it was thought provoking reading.
f I'm going to see a movie that interests me before it opens, I will often avoid reading reviews or interviews with the principals. That way, it is somewhat fresher for me.>>
I do the same because inevitably a major plot point or the ending gets revealed in today's reviews and interviews.
Oddly, I'll find the funniest little things to be the most enjoyable in movies. The light captured at a certain time of day, the apparent artlessness of an old movie story, or the discovery (for me) of a wonderful, small scale performance.>>
You are not alone. Often the supporting characters will be more interesting than the main characters and I will end up wishing the movie had been about them. Also, good cinematography goes a long way with me.
Many of these aspects of film enjoyment are never mentioned in reviews, in my experience.>>
Film Criticism has changed a great deal in our lifetime.
Hope all is well and I agree with your last point on responding quickly and dominating the conversation as well.
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Pinecone,
Last night in the Home Theater Forum Chat, the crew from Warners announced that coming to DVD would be:
The Big Parade
The Magnificent Ambersons (they just found a better set of elements to restore)
Paramount has announced that Wings is coming to DVD sometime this year.
The African Queen is still tied up in rights hell.
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Movielover,
Wanted to let you know that in last night's chat with the Home Theater Forum, the crew at Warners Home Video announced that Twilight Zone: The Movie would becoming to DVD this fall.
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But why -- OH WHY!!! -- would you assume that giving a counter-opinion is in any way, shape, or form, any kind of attack that Dewey should take personally? Just because I (or anybody else for that matter) happens to have the contrary view, doesn't mean it's an attack on Dewey!>>
Perhaps because of the way you worded it. Instead of giving your opinion of Kael or not responding to Dewey's post at all, you chose to point out to him that she is an awful critic who may be an interesting writer.
You get upset when others respond less than enthusiastic about things that matter to you.
Why do the same to them?
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Yep a real shame and with that new version knocking around , may be people will not be so interested in the older greater version a crying shame.>>
Mr Dash,
I think it may have less to do with today's generation and more a factor of other possibilities.
It may be tied up in rights hell or as it was a Goldwyn production, it may not fall under Warners Home Video or Sony or Fox but one of the other studios that don't produce many classic films on DVD as the other three.
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As for Pauline Kael, well, it's already been mentioned here several times why she was an awful critic (albeit perhaps an interesting writer).>>
Part of the disfavor with Kael may be generational and part of it may have to do with her book on Citizen Kane.
But many of us, like Dewey, grew up reading Kael's film criticism and her film essays. Her books such as "I Lost It at the Movies" and others, were very popular back in the day and many of her essays are well written.
I didn't always agree with her but her passion for film came through in every sentence.
She may not be everyone's cup of tea but Dewey certainly didn't deserve to get slammed by you for liking Kael.
The header on this thread is after all an Opinion Poll.
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It's being reported that the numbers of viewers for this year's Oscar telecast were up slightly over previous years.
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Warners has been doing that for some time now. It is one of the reasons that Sea Wolf is not available on DVD. They are searching archives around the world for footage that was cut out after the initial release.
Also, they delayed City of Conquest until they could find the missing prologue. City of Conquest was finally released last year with the missing prologue.
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I didn't mean to imply that they had found the lost footage.
But from the wording, it sounds like they found elements that they were searching for.
Elements in a foreign archive that will produce better prints? A long lost fine grain?
Both of those are much more likely than the lost footage.
The question I am hoping to find the answer to is what was wrong with the elements in the RKO library? Was the original negative destroyed in a fire? Thrown out for shelf space? What happened to the fine grain?
But the way the response was worded during the chat, it will have people thinking they found the lost footage.
Message was edited by:
lzcutter
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I missed the forum. Would you happen to know what this means?
Elements for The Magnificent Ambersons has been found.>>
Lydia,
It's a good question because it is an odd way of wording one's response. Especially since the lost footage is one of the holy grails of cinema.
I'll do some asking around and let you know what I find out.
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Anyway, given Rob Reiner's recent track record I'm already concerned; but the idea of Jack and Morgan Freeman together has some appeal. What do you think?>>
I, too, would be concerned considering Reiner's track record of late. I like the idea of Jack and Morgan Freeman starring in a film together.
I hope maybe somebody can shed some light on Jack's new look because I would like to know what that's all about.
My first thought was he might have the same health problem as Jerry Lewis and is on prednisone which would explain his recent weight gain.
I hope instead it's for a movie.
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Brian,
There is a wonderful documentary on Technicolor called Glorious Technicolor that is part of the The Adventures of Robin Hood box set.
The documentary does show up on TCM from time to time.
There is also a companion book that has the same title.
Also Aljean Harmetz has written two books:
On the Road to Tara and The Making of the Wizard of Oz and if I recall correctly, both books do talk about the technicolor process and Natalie Kalmus.
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I deleted the postings of SAY IT WITH MUSIC>>
John,
Can I ask why you deleted it. I saw it posted and was looking forward to reading it at length.
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Izcutter, hun, nobody is saying that there aren't ANY good films being made and released in America. Nobody, absolutely nobody, as far as I can see in this thread.>>
And I didn't say anyone was saying that.
What we've said is that the quality of the average movie has decreased since the Golden Era...>>
No, that's what you said and I responded to it.
You and I don't agree on this subject. That's fine. There's plenty we don't agree on. This is just one more subject.
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but the quality of the average American movie has decreased significantly since the Golden Era..>>
I think the films of the late 1960s to the mid-1970s represent a second Golden Era of Hollywood filmmaking.
The quality of the subject matter of films has decreased since the late 1970s. But, we as a culture and as a society, share in the blame of that.
The changing business climate in American also shares in that blame. By being owned by large corporations, the demand is greater that films make a profit and so there is less opportunity to take risks with subject matter.
But having said that, it is still possible for good films to get made and released.
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Al,
They had one. I think it was in the last hour of the telecast. It was well done.
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you'd have to be blind to claim that the American movies you're seeing are as good as the foreign? >>
Call me crazy, but I think there are some good, even great American movies being made these days and I think they can rival the good, even great, foreign films being made.
I like movies from all decades, including this one.
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On the other hand, wanting a competitive Oscar after winning an honorary Oscar might strike some as maybe a bit much. I've mixed feelings about it,>>
Don't forget, Paul Newman won his only Oscar the year after he received his honorary Oscar.
"The Goddess"
in General Discussions
Posted
Ben,
Kim Stanley was very much admired by her peers. They talk about her as a stage actress in Rick McKay's wonderful "The Golden Age of Broadway" documentary.
I love her narration in Mockingbird and adore her in her later years as Pancho Barnes in The Right Stuff.