lzcutter
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Posts posted by lzcutter
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I would like to suggest to everybody reading this thread that they take some time to research some FACTUAL reviews of these Sundance films before we have some mob-minded drum-beating going on here.
Perspective, context, and the inclusion of ALL relevant facts should be of paramount importance here; my Uncle Hollis liked to remark that opinions are like laundry: everybody's got some, and sometimes, it don't smell too good!
Also, I seem to recall some past threads begun by this Board member that were smoke screens for some pretty flagrant right-wing grenade throwing.>>
Klondike,
Thank you!
On a more fanciful note, when you and "Buffalo Gal" (Dean M. Finnie) return from dogsledding the great white North, please apply for a job at the Cinema College.
We need folks like you on staff!
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The worst thing that happened to movies in my view is that no morals are taught anymore. In most of today's movies, good doesn't always overcome evil or win over evil, like in the old classics. And there are no standards. We see almost everything there is possible to see. Old movies had standards, they tried to improve society and make people of character. Most old movies used to teach a lesson, like being honest, helping others, and working hard.
Movielover,
The problem I have with that is that it is not Hollywood's job to teach morals. That job belongs to all of us.
Granted many us of a certain age learned about the code of honor from all the westerns we watched at the theater and on television back in the day but our parents had already taught us the basics so when we recognized it in the movies we were more apt to listen.
The movies have taught me many things over the years but my parents were more influential in teaching me right from wrong, that working hard is expected and that being honest and giving your word is paramount.
<>
It is not the job of filmmakers to teach kids character building life lessons.
That responsibility belongs to their parents.
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> I would look forward to Garfield being Star of the
> Month on TCM. That would be a real treat.
Me too! =D >>
Wasn't John Garfield a Star of the Month last Spring and included the documentary by his daughter?
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Don Siegel: " I like people who like my movies", he told me. He had come out the previous year for a tribute to Sam Peckinpah that we did and wanted us to concentrate on Sam that evening. A year later, when we did a tribute to Don, he wanted us to concentrate on Clint Eastwood.
Clint Eastwood: Came for the Don Siegel tribute and refused the spotlight at all times. Talked about his feelings for Siegel and all that he learned from him but refused to have the spotlight taken off of Siegel. Wanted us to have Olympia beer on hand.
Sam Peckinpah: Towards the end. We were expecting a wreck of a man. Instead we got the man at his best.
Jason Robards, LQ Jones, James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Strother Martin's widow, Stella Stevens and Brian Keith, all came out that evening to say "This is a man".
Orson Welles- He came to talk about his later career and instead told us about his early career: Radio, Kane and Ambersons. I still remember the young moderater smoking like a chimney waiting for Ambersons to end and the introduction of the man himself. We thought the moderator, in his twenties, would have a stroke. Instead Ambersons ended, the lights came up and the moderator hit the stage and was a pro the entire evening asking hard ball questions.
Marty Scorcese- Before it was even fashionable to talk about film preservation, Scorcese was traveling around the country talking to anyone who would listen about the need for film preservation not just of silents and early talkies but of color films from the 1940s and 1950s.
He showed us film clips to highlight what he was talking about. There were so few of us in the audience that night that we gathered on the floor around him.
Gene Kelly- We gave a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man who regaled us with stories far into the night.
John Milius and Arnold S.- came down with Conan the Barbarian. Smoked stogies and regaled the audience for hours with stories from location.
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Worst thing that ever happened to movies?
Corporations.
The corporate takeover of the studios has had a tremendous effect on Hollywood and the movies that get produced.
Up until the mid-1970s, a corporation like Kinney Shoes could own Warner Bros or Gulf Western could own Paramount, but the men at the very top understood that they had to have men who understood the creative process in control. Thus, Frank Wells and John Calley at Warners, Robert Evans at Paramount.
By the early 1980s, thanks to the summer blockbuster, corporations thought they didn't need men or women who understood the creative process in charge. Movie making was subjected to the bottom line and making movies began to feel very formulaic.
Make the majority of films for the teenage demographic. Why? Because they go to the movies every weekend no matter what.
What do they want to see:
Choose one high paid Actor (and increase salary and back end).
Give him (rarely a her) a hot, young love interest. Doesn't have to act, just look hot.
Choose one dire situation (up the ante for the main character until you stretch the audience's ability to suspend disbelief)
Release film at summer time and demand it do well. Overlook that every other studio is doing the same.
Release films that will actually appeal to other people after Labor Day when those people that the films appeal to have little time to go to the movies.
Create franchise films, especially from comic books.
Repeat over and over and over.
Ignore new technologies that are taking away your desired teenage audience.
Continue to make and market films for that dwindling teenage audience all the while ignoring the older film audience that grew up with movies, like going to the movies and appreciate good movies with good stories and actors.
Continue to press the bottom line that every film must make a profit no matter what.
Wonder why movie attendance continues to drop each each year but juggle the numbers to prove that more people are going to the movies (ignore the price increase that makes that makes possible).
Tell your shareholders you are doing marvelous because more people are going to the movies.
Fire anyone who disagrees.
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Gouldings should be a good place. There should be plenty of ghosts around there. >>
Fred,
If we get there, I will post about it and let you know.
As I said in a thread from last November in General Discussions, for me, Monument Valley is haunted with the ghosts of films and characters of films past and also the Native people who once roamed the land and still do.
Hoping, hoping, hoping.....
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Is it possible that the most seemingly innocuous document can hold a treasured bit of information for the scholar researching, for example, Yul Brynner?>>
Yes, most definitely. The wording of the contract, the year, etc can tell us a great deal about where Brynner fit in the food chain of Hollywood and Fox.
<< I hope that Twentieth Century Fox is at least scanning copies of the paper ephemera that they're selling and keeping a catalogue of this.>>
I'm hoping but not holding my breath.
<>
We can always drown our sorrows together.
<
>Probably can't afford anything at auction but might be able to offer a studio tour. Would that work?
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The first time I saw "Written on the Wind" I had the same opinion of most people here. It's really a film that requires repeated viewings. It also helps to go into this film knowing it's a satire--not a soap opera. It's also quite a funny film and the straight playing of the characters is intended to generate that humor.
Sirk has the phoney backdrops and fake rear projection to show us the plasticized fake world these people live in. Hitchcock used a similar idea with Marnie (1964).
There is an extensive use of color. For instance, Robert Stack's sports car is yellow implicating the cowardliness of his character. Dorthy Malone's dresses also have implications.
Sirk also works a great deal with mirrors. Next time you see this film, check out the use of mirrors and how things are framed within them. One example would be Robert stack looking at himself in the mirror and then pouring booze directly onto the glass.
There are a lot of hidden jokes and other things in this film. Although it's not for everyone I do think it's a film that SHOULD be seen (more than once).>>
You hit the nail on the head, Arkadin!
Essential films are different from classic films. I think Essential films are not always obvious as to why they are essential. One of the best threads we had a few years ago was why "Ft Apache" was an essential.
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The tent calls to the nomad in us all, all the kids and former kids who ever wanted to run away and join the circus; it towers over us and returns us to that childhood, if only for a couple of hours. In an arena, everything's postage-stamp size, a mile away, the floor's thick with cellophane hot dog wrappers, and the experience is a cold and calcualted as a trip to Disneyland (if not quite as expensive).>>
Damn CSJ,
Your post makes me want to run and away and join the circus if only it was still the way it was when we were young.
I have a rocking chair handy if you need one (
) and we're probably neighbors. -
Who's in charge of Disney Studios now?
I believe it is Robert Iger.
I know for a while Walt's brother took over, but if most of the original family is gone now, is it possible the 'grab the money and run' bug has bitten?
Roy Disney spent a year and a half lobbying hard for the ouster of Michael Eisner, the former head of Disney. Without Roy Disney and Stanley Gold taking such a public, anti-Eisner stance, ol' Michael would still be running the show, running the movies and the parks on the cheap as much as possible and collecting obscene bonuses every year.
>>then literally pulled from the racks, now they're left to be sold at sale prices. I recently purchased 'Snow White' at my grocery store for $4.99 with all the extras included. I know I heard Walt state at one time, that his movies would never be sold in any widespread distribution, other than the timed re-releases, but since that has changed, I assume his original wishes have been altered either by time or revision of trademark dictates.>>
Disney took a great deal of heat from consumers once they realized that this strategy was only good for a couple of years and then Disney would re-re-release a beloved Disney film with some more extras and charge more money.
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April will also see the debut of another live-action Disney movie: "The Barefoot Executive". >>
Holy Crap, Batman!!
Has TCM finally been able to melt the iron bars around the Disney Library? First, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in February which I thought was likely a one shot deal given that it was Oscar month and TCM hardly ever (like once in a blue, blue moon ever) gets a chance to show a Disney film and now another one in April.
Can there be more Disney live action films on the horizon? Dare we hope for an animated classic in our future?
Has anyone checked to make sure that Hades is not in the midst of an ice age?
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Fred,
Thanks for the pointers on Monument Valley. I am hoping we can stay at Gouldings. While not the original trading post, tents and a few bungalows of Ford's days in the Valley, the place sounds like a comfortable place to stay and Mr Cutter should enjoy it.
Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping to hear the voices of films past while there and maybe see a ghost or two of Nathan Brittles or the stage to Lordsburg.
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WoW!
JackB,
I had no idea about the difference between the stage version and the movie version of Carousel.
Next time I watch the movie it will be with new eyes.
Thanks so much!
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> Fred,
>
> Okay...here's a challenge. Briefly discuss
> ALL moving film formats. I count about 150 different
> formats (listed on Wikipedia). You can charge me
> whatever suits you.
>
> Rusty
This is such an easy topic, I'll let my assistant, lzcutter, discuss it.>>
Fred,
While I appreciate that you have that much confidence in me, I must defer and let you handle this one.
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Anne and Filmflub,
Nick Clooney was the anchor on our local Channel 4 News (NBC) back in the mid-1980s.
He was great as the anchor and Mr Cutter still talks about what a stand up guy he was to work with. The only other news guy Mr C holds in that regard (and he worked with some of the big ones at NBC) is Keith Morrison.
How I wish I had known Mr Cutter when he was working with Nick Clooney.
sigh
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"It's like King Tut's tomb," says Rothman. "These are cultural records. It's a shame to keep them in a dark box." >>
And it's a shame to let them fall into the hands of private collectors or become ebay fodder when Fox could have donated the entire lot to the Motion Picture Academy Library or UCLA where these studio records and ephemera would be available to the public, scholars and authors for years and years to come.
I would hope that the people who win would ultimately donate their winning items to those libraries but I fear that the majority of the auction will end up on ebay and be lost to history forever.
As for it being a fundraiser, Fox could have just made a sizeable donation to the Fund and donated the archive to one of the libraries.
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I find her heartbreaking in the scene with Slim Pickens down by the river in "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid".
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Pretty interesting especially now that he has THE GOOD GERMAN out right now. Could Clooney be our best hope in keeping the older style of film making and storytelling alive?>>
I know many will disagree with me on this but I like George Clooney. He is a good actor and he while he makes films like the "Oceans" sequels he does that so he can then help finance and help find financing for films like "Syrania", "Good Night and Good Luck" and "The Good German".
He has an understanding of film history and he knows who Preston Sturges and Howard Hawks are. I'm not surprised he does, he is well read and his aunt was Rosemary Clooney and his uncle Mel Ferrer (or was it Jose, I get confused).
But so often here on this board we complain that the stars today have no clue about the actors and filmmakers of the studio era and here is one that not only does but tries to emulate them.
I like George Clooney.
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BTW, if R. Reagan can have his own box set why can't someone put together a good JG set?!>>
Warner Bros may be holding off on it until they can include "The Sea Wolf". They are currently scouring archives around the globe for the missing scenes from the film. They are hoping to find them so that they can restore the film to the way it was when it premiered. Some time (I don't know if it was shortly or what), after the premiere, the negative was recut and scenes were deleted. (I don't know exactly what scenes, if anyone is interested shearerchic may know or you might be able to find more info by googling.)
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I was surprised to see that Borat received the best adapted screenplay. Is this because the concept was adapted from his television show?>>
Jack,
That and the fact the film has something like four screenwriters credited. There was an article in yesterday's LATimes about how much of Borat is actually scripted. Sshhh! Don't tell anyone.
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Larry,
I think the horse race this year may be between Forrest Whitaker and Peter O'Toole.
Love that Ennio is finally getting an Oscar!
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(Still not getting why some of you are SO sensitive to any constructive criticism or suggestions for improvement. This isn't a fascist regime where you're shot for it?)>>
Otterhere,
The rub may come from those who have been posting here for a few years. It's the thread that will not die. People have been debating and arguing about it as far back as 2000 and possibly since the inception of the Message Board.
Also, we spent more than the half of last year arguing about this.
Now Playing Guides were found and posters took the time to pour over the copies and post the stats. The Wayback Machine was fired up so that people could read the old schedules on line.
And still we argued on.
It is now 2007 and we are still debating and arguing about it and still going in circles.
On a side note about this type of thread, too often the arguing gets very personal and very nasty and, ultimately, turns too many folks away from posting here again.
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JackBurley,
I'm betting Helen Mirren for Best Actress but Best Actor is a little tougher. Will the Academy go for Peter O'Toole or Forrest Whitaker?
Could go either way right now.
Eddie Murphy has the buzz right now for "Dreamgirls" for Best Supporting Actor, as does Jennifer Hudson for Best Supporting Actress.
Will be interesting to see how closely the actual nominees mirror your choices.
The only long shot on your list may be Jack Earle Haley, if only because the members may not have seen the film.
Waiting, waiting, waiting.....
Message was edited by:
lzcutter because I didn't see the word actual in JB's original post!
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Larry,
I was reading the review today for the play "Legends" starring Linda Evans and Joan Collins.
The reviewer said that it originally starred Mary Martin and Carol Channing. They did not get along at all and the whole experience was so incredibly over the top the play never made to Broadway and the author of the play wrote a book based on the experience and to set the record straight about all the gossip that was going around about these two actresses that did not get along.
Any inside scoop?
Help Needed With Music In FOOTLIGHT PARADE (1933)
in Information, Please!
Posted
Jack,
I heard this theremin group, Project Pimento, over the weekend. They are based out of SF and are quite good.