hlywdkjk
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Posts posted by hlywdkjk
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Monday, July 4th
Happy Independence Day!
Preliminary Artwork by Joseph Christian Leyendecker for Saturday Evening Post cover, 1935
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*"Kyle...Fight for Fairness??? Do you honestly believe any of these states are fighting for retailers and not just to get more money in the coffers??? (...) Sadly, your state is in for the shock of it's "life" very soon... "* - ziggyelman
I am not going to play tea party with you or "Mr. Heartland". Sorry.
Kyle In Hollywood
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*"I must point out that - according to the IMDb at least - the OAR of The Blob was 1.66:1, and TCM showed it in 1.78:1."* VX
And this is why I usually steer clear of discussions that pertain to OAR. I fall into the "It's either letterboxed or it's Pan & Scan" camp. If a film is letterboxed yet still not in its OAR, then it becomes all too "inside baseball" for me. My eyes glaze over.
I liken it to expecting soy milk for a latte in an Italian restaurant. When did soy milk supposedly become as "de rigeuer" as Sweet & Low or Equal? I thought "Splenda" was going a bit far.
C'mon people!
But I know you aren't one of those types, right? (I hope...)
Kyle In Hollywood
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*"Just another move by the State of Ca. to ensure more business moves out of its State and goes to more welcoming environments..."* - Mr. "Heartland"
Well, good luck with that.
Affiliates are mostly "bloggers" or other small website owners doing their "Amway" routine of passing along sales through links on a webpage.
And California is far from alone in this action. The number of states that have (or will) enact online sales tax legislation in the coming few years is growing. Even Texas is thumbing its nose at Amazon's offer to build a warehouse in the state if it grants the company a reprieve on collecting state sales taxes there.
Here's a map of states that have been cut off from the Amazon Affiliates Program, are under threat to be cut off or are where Amazon has agreed to collecting the taxes.
http://www.thestreet.com/_nasdaq/story/11052898/1/amazon-sales-tax-the-battle-state-by-state.html
Gosh! There's California listed with (among others) Alabama, Arkansas and both the Carolinas. Sounds like the "heartland" is just as active in this fight for fairness for local retailers as New York and California.
kjk
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One of the funniest things I've seen in a looooong time.
Pressbook Cover for *Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?*
alt="WhateverHappenedBabyJane_AddamsCoverLRG">
Original Artwork by Charles Addams
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Hmmm...
Well, even if IMDB is owned by Amazon, it would still be considered a referral/sales site. IMDB/Amazon does have a physical presence in California (Studio City). Here's a link for a job opening there -
And IMDB could still be earning revenue through referrals to Amazon. (Think how WHV/WB makes money off films leased to TCM. Same idea.)
So I bet the links were taken down to make sure that Amazon has no "sales affiliates" operating in California - even ones they own.
Kyle In Hollywood
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*"Does anyone else believe that tcm makes 'every effort' to obtain uncut and properly aspected versions?"* - darkblue
Why wouldn't it?
If TCM requests a particular film "uncut and in its OAR" and is told there is one to be had, why wouldn't it expect that is what will be delivered to the channel?
Whatever inventory lists TCM works from to lease films are prepared by the studios and/or distributors themselves. If those inventory lists are in error, it isn't TCM's fault.
If there is a copy of the *The Cyclops* floating about in the distributor's warehouse that is marked as "digital television transfer" (or however such things are labelled) but has been editted to remove the five seconds of the monster's eye being impaled with a stick (a piece of violence that was likely removed long ago for televison presentations) it isn't the fault of TCM that it was sent that copy of the film.
Only one of the films shown this past Thursday night were announced/advertised as being "letterboxed" - *The Blob*. So TCM obviously knew it couldn't obtain OAR versions of the rest of the night's line-up. Maybe such copies don't even exist. If they don't exist, the question would become why doesn't the studio/distributor have a OAR copy prepared for television showings?
Kyle In Hollywood
Edited by: hlywdkjk on Jul 3, 2011 6:26 PM
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Because this happened very suddenly and if IMDB is based in Califronia, I am betting it is because of the recent California law requiring internet sales operations to collect state sales tax from online retailers - if they have a physical sales presence in the state of California. And by "physical presence", that would include all referral sites that direct sales traffic to Amazon.com and which are paid a commision by Amazon.
Rather than collect the sales taxes from California buyers and remit the funds to California, Amazon has dropped the links to those sites.
Read more from the LATimes here -
http://articles.latimes.com/print/2011/jul/01/business/la-fi-amazon-sales-tax-20110701
This is not an isolated incident. Many other states are looking at recovering such lost tax revenue also.
Kyle In Hollywood
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Concession Display, 1957 - Majestic Theater, San Antonio, Texas
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"Thirsty? Try a Tall Texan. Just 20 cents."
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*This Is The Army* - Los Angeles Public Library Photo Archives
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A photograph taken on a Warner Bros. soundstage during the filming of *This Is The Army* (1942). I don't think I've ever seen a better photograph that showed just how BIG and cavernous Hollywood soundstages were.
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I've decided to begin posting some very random images and other ephemera that I find interesting. It may or may not relate to current TCM Programming. I hope you find it interesting too.
Kyle In Hollywood
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*"I received some nice second-degree burns in March..."* - smileys
Ouch! I hope they healed nicely.
*"wildfires were miraculously stopped one-hundred yards from the house in April,"*
Yea! I was wondering if your area was going through that hell. Glad to know it passed you by.
*"...and it seems as though I hear a fire truck nearly every day."*
Well, as long as they keep right on going...
Enjoy the pin-up!
Kyle In Hollywood
Edited by: hlywdkjk on Jul 2, 2011 5:36 AM
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Saturday, July 2nd
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*"Well, pooh on Kyle in Hollywood. You would have gotten my vote."* - LonesomePolecat
I am very flattered you found my schedule worth voting for, "LP". But if I hadn't recused myself for personal reasons, I would have had to do it because I didn't follow the rules 'kingrat' put down.
I mis-remembered that the "1-2-3" needed to be three sets of _three_ films. I was thinking about his invoking of the sharing of films with friends that one wants to expose to classic films with the inclusion of this requirement. Now, I have done such sharing with numerous friends and acquaintances - but I always kept it to two titles at a time. Double features seemed to go over well with the recipients. Triple features could be burdensome for newbies.
Anyway, because I only included two films each in the "1-2-3" section, it wouldn't be fair to everyone else for me to "compete" with them for the honor of being the "favorite" Challenge Schedule.
(I also mis-numbered my premieres using "#4" twice. I caught it but left it alone as I only used 13 premieres total in the week of programming anyway. But I don't want anyone to think I was trying to sneak in an extra premiere with some loose accounting methods.)
Kyle In Hollywood
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*"Hey, it looks as if we made some headway. In his intro to X: THE UNKNOWN, Robert Osborne referred to a certain movie character as Quatermass - not QUARtermass."* - clore
Ha! And I was all set to put money on the liklihood that he was going to mis-pronounce it once again. Guess I'll put a buck in the lottery tonight instead.
Kyle In Hollywood
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*"Internet Explorer. I had no problem last month changing to PST when I printed out the schedule."*
The same is true for me. I think there is a coding glitch that occurred when adding the link to the Canadian Schedule on the page. (That link won't work in IE either.)
Hopefully it can be straightened out today.
Kyle In Hollywood
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Wow!
Got the "Cruise email" yesterday. The Alloy Orchestra is taking the cruise. I am betting that means a Silent with Live Accompaniament is on the schedule. Could it be a Keaton Nautical Comedy? How cool is that? I am envious of you all
Though I'd hate to have to pay the surcharge they are going to incur for going over the luggage allowance. They've got some big gongs to pack.
Kyle In Hollywood
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One can now access the printable Canadian Schedule through the link to the U.S. version.
From the Schedule Link in the banner above, choose "Month Schedule". When the page loads, there is a link at the top of the page for the Canadian version of the listings.
And "Happy Canada Day."
Kyle In Hollywood
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Yep. The link 'lzcutter' posted is working this morning.
And for those celebrating "Canada Day" and are wondering where their monthly schedule is located, there is now a direct link for the Canadian Schedule on that same page.
Kyle In Hollywood
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Friday, July 01, 2011
Happy Holiday Weekend!
Don't forget to practice bar-b-cue safety!
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Singing Cowboys Every Friday Night In July
Reposts from TCM 2011 Film Festival Thread -
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ragdoll9 -
Also keep an eye on TCM's podcast page of audio versions of the past Private Screenings episodes.
http://www.tcm.com/this-month/podcast.html
(Look on the right side of the page for the downloadable audio podcasts.)
It's likely that the "Child Stars" episode will turn up one of these days.
BTW - These are the unabridged versions of the interviews.
Kyle In Hollywood
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*"Kyle, I love your Olympic theme. TCM should pick this up and run with it."* - kingrat
Thanks. We'll just have to wait and see.
If I thought I could have gotten away with it, I was thinking of pulling a "Jacques Cousteau" and including a day made up of Bud Greenspan's theatrically-released *16 Days Of Glory* about the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics along with a full day of episodes from Greenspan's documentary mini-series "Olympiad" from the 1970s. (There's 22 hours worth.) I figured that the Cousteau uproar would be just a distant memory by 2012 and TCM would be ready to do it all over again. Personally, I think Bud Greenspan is a filmmaker worthy of inclusion on TCM.
Glad that you found other parts of my schedule appealing too. After the first two Challenges, I haven't been too successful at getting ideas into the actual schedule. Maybe this time...
Kyle In Hollywood
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_Some Notes on "Kyle In Hollywood"s Programming Challenge Schedule_
Like a "seven-year cicada", after taking a hiatus from Challenge writing for the past seven editions, I have returned to write a week of programming for TCM. But, I am still invoking my "Challenger Emeritus" status and not "competing" for the chance to moderate the next Challenge. My day-to-day life won't allow it for the forseeable future. But I was inspired with some ideas that I wanted to put forth for the membership and for the Programming Department. I hope it is met with some approval.
Choosing to assemble a full "Spotlight" event for this Challenge, I programmed Five Nights to salute the Olympic Games. It is scheduled for the last week of July, 2012 which would lead into the opening of next year's London Games that begin on July 27th. Originally planned for four nights, it was expanded to five nights because of the number appropriate titles and the numerous premieres available for use this time out.
_The Olympics, Night One - Documentaries_
Of the documentaries made about the Olympic Games, Leni Reifenstahl's two-part *Olympia* about the Berlin Olympics in 1936 is probably the most well known. It was included in TCM's Spotlight on Documentary Films back in 1999. Of the documentary premieres presented this night, two cover the 1972 Games in Munich - *One Day In September* about the murder of the Israeli athetes that year and *Visions Of Eight* which compiles work by eight different directors who focused on specific competitions that year. The eight directors include Arthur Penn, John Schlesinger and Claude Lelouch. The film *Olympic Cavalcade* chronicles the 1948 Olympic Games held in London and which were the first held after WWII.
_The Olympics, Night Two - Olympic Settings_
There are quite a few films set during Olympic Games that don't focus specifically on the athletic competitions. This evening is made up of some of those films. *Charlie Chan At The Olympics* is (surprise) a mystery set at the 1936 Games in Berlin - where No. 1 Son is a member of the U.S. Swim Team. *Million Dollar Legs* is a comedy with W.C. Fields about the nation of Klopstokia entering the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. *Search For Beauty* stars Olympian Buster Crabbe as a former Olympian who becomes involved in promoting a titillating fitness magazine. The familiar *Walk, Don't Run* reimagines *The More The Merrier* by placing the housing shortage at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. *It Happened In Athens* is a Jane Mansfield farce set during the the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, 1896 while *The Games* takes place at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
_The Olympics, Night Three - Olympic Fictions_
This night covers fictional stories about Olympic competitors. The English film *Wee Geordie* is the story of a small-ish lad from Scotland who becomes a celebrated hammer-thrower. *Downhill Racer* is the Micheal Ritchie film about a downhill skier that climaxes at the Olympic Games and *The Cutting Edge* is a love story about a former hockey player who becomes the partner to a prima-donna figure skater. *International Velvet*, recently seen during the TCM "Playing The Ponies" Spotlight, has Velvet coaching an aspiring Olympic Equestrian.
_The Olympics, Night Four - Olympic Actors_
I think it was Ben Mankiewicz who mentioned in an intro of his that Nat Pendleton was an Olympic medalist. It's true. This night's line-up features Pendleton and other assorted actors who have competed in the Olympic Games. Four former Olympians have protrayed Tarzan on film with Johnny Weismuller being the most famous and successful. Buster Crabbe also did a turn (and which wil be seen on TCM in July) as did decathlete Glenn Morris - who abandoned acting shortly afterwards. Herman Brix was an Olympic shot-putter in the 1928 Olympics, winning a silver medal in the event. In 1935 he starred in *The New Adventures of Tarzan* followed by *Tarzan and the Green Goddess* in 1938. (He is also seen in *Million Dollar Legs* as a member of the Klopstokian Olympic team.) Frustrated at being typecast as another Tarzan, he changed his name to Bruce Bennett. This new name changed the trajectory of his acting career. As Bennett, he was seen in better films, including *Mildred Pierce*, *Treasure of the Sierra Madre* and *Angels In The Outfield*. *The Younger Brothers* represents one of his best starring roles. The infamous Gold Medalist Figure Skater Sonja Henie was made a star at 20th-Century Fox and made numerous films there through the 1940s - including her debut film *One In A Million* which focuses on an Olympic Figure Skater. I would have used that film but the film's running time made a mess of my night's line-up. A focus on Olympic athletes-turned-actors also fit into the TCM Underground mindset with two Olympic Gymnasts being featured in two pretty dreadful films of the 1970s.
_The Olympics, Night Five - Olympic Bio Pics_
While not everyone may consider *Chariots Of Fire* an "Essentials"-worthy film, it was useful for the last Olympic Spotlight I planned. The lives of Olympians do provide inspirational stories and *Chariots Of Fire* does succeed on that level, as do all the other titles included this night. Besides *Jim Thorpe, All-American*, the night also includes a dramatic look at the life of another Native-American Olympian, Billy Mills (portrayed by 1980s heart-throb Robby Benson) and the story of another runner, Steve Prefontaine, who was the subject of two feature films within two years, *Without Limits* (included in my schedule) and *Pre*. The evening (and week) finishes off with *The Bob Mathias Story* starring, of all people, Bob Mathias himself.
Most of the rest of the schedule is pretty self-explanatory. I riff on the name of a famous NYC music club, CBGB's (OMFUG), with a day-long look at the co-starring turns of Bette Davis and George Brent that they made at Warner Bros. for "Uncle Jack" Warner. "Dudley Nichols & John Ford" is a line-up of Ford films with scripts by the screenwriter Dudley Nichols. I've been long amused and impressed by the lengths films studios went to stir patriotic and pro-war feelings in the audience during WWII. Two looks at such studio endeavors can be found in the use of franchise film characters to fight the Nazis (Tarzan? Lassie? Really? Highly Amused.) and the "Homefront" films (Impressed) that explore the idea that "They also serve who only stand and wait" when performing their civic duties (and enduring domestic hardships) far from those on the battlelines.
Albert Finney films have been a staple on TCM for the past few years - so much so that I thought TCM was gearing up to name him a "Star Of The Month". It hasn't happened yet. Maybe soon. But it was nice to explore his career without having to use any premieres.
I had fun attempting a Challenge Schedule again. But don't be surprised if I wait out another seven Challlenges before jumping in again.
Kyle In Hollywood
Kyle In Hollywood's CENSORED Ephemera Drawer
in Remembering Kyle in Hollywood
Posted
Some Pictorially Appropriate Travel Posters & Artwork for the Holiday
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