KeithFromKC

From the world of classic movies, I always love the mysterious, slightly dangerous women. Veronica Lake would definitely make my list, as would Hedy Lamarr or Greta Garbo....Maybe Louise Brooks. Any of these women would be a challenge, so I'm not sure that it qualify as a "dream date," but man would I have an interesting time. Today's equivalent would probably be Angelina Jolie, who I think is beautiful beyond words. My first question to Angelina would be, "So, what was the deal with Billy Bob!?" I'm still trying to figure that doomed union out!

Happy 10th, TCM! I'll say it again, TCM is the best thing on my Cable TV package and I say we propose a TOAST....OK, it may still be a bit early in the day, but here's to 10 more years....at least!. Thanks, TCM!

I'm almost ashamed to say that I have never really cared for Musicals. There are some beautifully made films in the genre, but it's just never been music that I care for. I do appreciate the fact that in the 30's and 40's, an actor, to be well-rounded, had to display a talent not only for acting, but for singing and dancing as well. Can you see some of today's stars attempting a musical? I don't think the Ashton Kutcher's or the Brittany Murphy's of today could pull it off. I have a very eclectic taste in music, but I just never got excited about the songs from those classic musicals. Of course, you will pelt me with stones when you find out that I consider The Who's TOMMY and Pink Floyd's THE WALL (and PURPLE RAIN, for that matter) to be musicals I can get behind. As much as I love old Jazz and Blues, Rock and Roll is the music that captured my imagination when I first heard The Beatles in 1970 at age 7. For my personal taste, Dylan's DON'T LOOK BACK, The Band's THE LAST WALTZ, The Stone's GIMME SHELTER, WOODSTOCK, THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION (Parts 1&2), The Sex Pistol's THE GREAT ROCK AND ROLL SWINDLE, The Beatles' HARD DAY'S NIGHT, etc., are 'musical' films I can relate to. Having said that, I am willing to re-evaluate my opinion of the classic musicals, now that I'm older. I have seen a few of the classic musicals, but really not that many. In YOUR opinion, which musical(s), should I start off with?

Silentmovieguy, I'm afraid that the LOST AFTER MIDNIGHT that TCM has broadcast before, was a collection of still photographs that tell the story. I've seen it on TCM and it's on the Lon Chaney DVD collection that TCM released last year. I would love to have seen the original film, but I gotta say, what TCM gave us, and I thank them for making the effort, was a big disappointment. There is no 'film' footage at all. I'm pretty sure they are just re-broadcasting it. Glad to see THE PENALTY finally making it to TCM. It is one of my favorite Chaney films. If you haven't seen it, you are in for a treat! It's Classic Chaney.....

Classicsfan1119, Thanks for the info! There are a few places I go on the Net to find movies, but haven't really looked for the Our Gang shorts in a while. I'll give it a shot. Again, I appreciate your kind help. Thanks, again.

Jackie Coogan, in Chaplin's THE KID, is amazing. Funny and moving, it's probably my favorite performance by a child actor ever. I am glad the 'Our Gang' kids were mentioned. What a talent pool Hal Roach had to work with. I have seen most of the Our Gang/Little Rascals shorts, but there are still many silent 'Our Gang' shorts I haven't seen and would love to find on video or dvd........

I thought this question would probably fit best in the CULT film section. Is there a film (or films) that you've seen that was so disgusting that you couldn't watch anymore? What film nauseated you so much that you had to leave the theater early or switch off the VCR/DVD in disgust? I'm talking physically, of course, as I have been disgusted by certain films based merely on script or bad acting. I have an extremely high tolerance for most things I've seen. I always tell myself that "it's just a movie," and then I'm usually OK, if somewhat uncomfortable. I have mentioned the 1991 film, BEGOTTEN, a couple of times here and have friends who could not make it through the whole film. The only film I ever lost it over was Bunuel's UN CHIEN ANDALOU. You know the famous scene of the razor and the eyeball....I'll stop there as it nauseates me to think of it! So I reiterate, which film disgusted you so badly, you couldn't finish it?

I love, LOVE, all of the old Universal Horror films. I would have loved to have been around at the time to see them in the theater when they were first released. All-time favorite horror film is probably NOSFERATU. I've seen it probably 50 or 60 times and it still gives me chills. Although I thought the new DAWN OF THE DEAD was lousy, the original is one of my modern favorites. Also, THE EXORCIST is definitely on my short list. Also, if you want a double dose of creepiness, I recommend two of Guillermo Del Toro's (HELLBOY, BLADE 2) Mexican films, THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE and CRONOS. They are not really Horror films, per se, but are pretty scary and will stay with you long after you've seen them. Both are excellent films........

Recent lousy film Title: 'Something's Gotta Give' Good film, though........

Best modern directors? You are right on target with the COEN brothers, Phillygl24. What a career they are having. 'Miller's Crossing' is probably my favorite from their vast, brilliant body of work. Other personal favorites are HAL HARTLEY (Simple Men, Amateur, Henry Fool), PEDRO ALMODVAR (Talk to Her, The Flower of My Secret), and ATOM EGOYAN (The Sweet Hereafter, Exotica, Speaking Parts). All three directors can tell a story in a completely original way. Their films are in a class of their own. Creeping up on them is Mexican director ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ INARRITU, who directed the amazing 'Amores Perros' and last years '21 Grams.'

classicsfan1119, Just to set the record straight, mi amigo, I responded to phillygl24's earlier post and explained why I like silent films after she said she didn't see the appeal in them. I stated nothing degrading or condescending towards her in my post, I merely stated my opinion. I know you are not singling anyone in particular out, but just wanted to say that I will never begrudge ANYONE who doesn't agree with me. You just can't argue with personal taste. Either you like something or you don't and the world continues to spin. I wanted to say that for myself, because there are unusual films I like, even love, that make my friends cringe! For example, I mention on the genre thread for cult films, that I love E. Elias Merhige's (Shadow of the Vampire) 1991 film, BEGOTTEN. Now if you have ever seen this film, then you know that it, well, DIVIDES people. I suggested that my girlfriend watch this last year and she HATED it! Maybe repulsed is a better word. Thankfully, we are still together, but it was shaky there for a while.......I still think BEGOTTEN is a work of genius and respect my girlfriend's right to be nauseated by it! So again, I concur that if someone loathes something I think is good, all I can do is defend it in the most respectful way I can. Hey, I'm just happy to be amongst so many thoughtful movie fans. Very cool.........

Silent Favorites? I'm such a devoted fan of the Silents that I wouldn't know how to start, as far as picking just one. If I had to pick, I would probably say that Louise Brooks in PANDORA'S BOX might take the title. What a twisted little tale that was and thankfully it was produced in Germany, because Hollywood would probably have never let this film be released. Louise Brook's character, LULU, literally defined the cinematic femme fatale (Pola Negri fans might disagree). What a great film, though. Beyond that, I love many of the great Silent directors from Germany. Fritz Lang's DR. MABUSE-THE GAMBLER and METROPOLIS, F.W. Murnau's NOSFERATU, FAUST, THE LAST LAUGH and SUNRISE, Paul Leni's WAXWORKS and THE MAN WHO LAUGHS, Walter Ruttmann's BERLIN: SYMPHONY OF A BIG CITY, as well as Robert Wiene's CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, are all fantastic films. In addition, the wealth of Hollywood Silents (and let's not forget some other tremendous International Silents-has anyone here seen the French serial, LES VAMPIRES?) are too many to mention. THE GENERAL, STEAMBOAT BILL JR., THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, THE CROWD, THE THIEF OF BAGDAD, THE BIG PARADE, BEN-HUR, FLESH AND THE DEVIL, THE KID, SAFETY LAST, THE SON OF THE SHEIK, etc., have all added wealth to my knowledge and love for this genre. ANYTHING Lon Chaney was in could go on my list of favorites! I do see folks on this board that don't care for Silent films. It all boils down to personal taste, but they are missing out on some really great films........

Ah, the FEMME FATALE....I have always had a thing for dangerous women! I have seen some great examples on this thread. Barbara Stanwyck, Marlene Dietrich, Hedy Lamarr, Gene Tierney, Greta Garbo, and the scorching Veronica Lake are all members of my Femme Fatale hall of fame! But my personal favorite has to be Louise Brooks. In just three films, from her less than stellar body of work, she literally defined the genre. I am not putting down her career, but I just don't think Hollywood knew what to do with Miss Brooks. She was way ahead of her time. That's why she had to go to Europe to make her best work. The three films I mention are classic examples of the utilization of the femme fatale. The two German films, PANDORA'S BOX (My favorite Louise Brooks film, and possibly my favorite silent film, period!), and DIARY OF A LOST GIRL, as well as the French film, PRIX DE BEAUTE, are all you need to know about Louise Brook's legacy. While Clara Bow (who I love) was getting the accolades and labelled the 'IT' girl, Louise Brooks was toiling along in a series of average films, although BEGGARS OF LIFE showed what true potential Louise had as an actress. She only found fame when cinema fans rediscovered her well after she had left Hollywood behind. It's a case of what might have been. With her stunning beauty, her trademark Dutch Bob hairstyle, her intelligence and free-spirit, she should have been more famous and better utilized than she was. But as far as classic Femme Fatales go, Louise Brooks is hard to beat. If you haven't seen PANDORA'S BOX, you are missing a silent classic of the highest order........

Typo: in that last sentence, I meant to say JOIN instead of 'joined.' I will go ahead and apologize now for the dozens of typos I will obviously make in the future. I just hate to try to make an intelligent point only to see that I misspelled something simple. Maybe those nights spent drinking in college should have been spent studying.......

brackenhe, You hit the nail on the head, my friend. I only post on two other message boards (both are for bands I enjoy) and they are both filled with mature, intelligent, and, key word, PEACEFUL posters. However, I recently began posting on a message board for a show I enjoy on Comedy Central and after a month I am about to throw my hands up in the air and surrender. The show, which will remain nameless, has the rudest, most immature people to ever spend time behind a keyboard. It seems that someone will start a topic, and then everyone denigrates and badgers the poor sap who was foolish enough to open a forum of discussion. The name calling and overall attitude of these 'fans' is brutal. I have tried to add posts on that site in the intelligent, respectful way that I am accustomed to, only to be ridiculed by this mob of passive-aggressive sadists. I have seen whole message boards literally destroyed by one or two bad seeds, but that Comedy Central board is swarming with them! It's a shame. I personally only post on two or three boards at any given time, because like everyone else here, I have other things in life to occupy my time. Things like work, family, friends, and, oh yeah, MOVIES! I just wanted to say that I am glad I jumped on board here (five days ago, in fact). The people on this board are intelligent, friendly, and most importantly, are fanatical about cinema....My kind of people! I wonder why I didn't joined sooner......

Roldfilm, I also enjoy knowing there are other people who are as passionate about the work of Lon Chaney as I am. I do hope you enjoy that Chaney dvd collection. I have it too and as much as I love it, there are just so many other, lesser-known Chaney films I'd like to see released on dvd. This is just the tip of the iceberg. We Chaney fans will take what we can get though.......

I am going to swim against the current and go with Joan Crawford, and not only because she went to Grade School one block away from where I currently live (the school is still there)! I am a fan of both actresses and would admit that Bette Davis is probably the better actress of the two, but I just feel that Joan Crawford had more 'star power' than Davis. Especially in the earlier films. People who only remember the 'Mommie Dearest' hullabaloo, forget how strikingly beautiful Joan was. She had a 'presence' that Bette Davis, at least to me, did not. Now I am usually a fan of substance over style. I will take a Cate Blanchett or Julianne Moore over Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan any day! I always appreciate a good actor, as opposed to a 'movie star.' But every once in awhile, a star has that x-factor that propels them forward and makes them completely fascinating to watch. For all of Bette's technique, I don't think she had half of the personality that Joan Crawford did. When Joan was onscreen in those great pre-code films, you couldn't take your eyes off of her. Having said that, I think she was also a really good actress and looking over both actresses filmographies, I think Crawford's films were more exciting than Bette's. That's just my opinion. I will reiterate that Bette Davis will go down in cinema history as the better 'actor' of the two, but I think Joan Crawford's status as a Hollywood icon perhaps make her shine brighter in my eyes. When you look back at the golden years of cinema, Joan Crawford personified Hollywood glamour. She was larger than life, and you don't see many stars these days who can pull THAT off........

LON CHANEY (sr.), minus the lung cancer, of course. I just thought he put so much craft and integrity into his work. You see so many stars these days just playing themselves or extensions of themselves, but how many screen stars these days can literally transform themselves and become the character they are portraying. There are some, but I just think character actors are the TRUE unsung heroes of cinema. Then AND now! You saw that not only was Lon Chaney obsessing over his characters, he really seem to be enjoying himself in the process. He was a cerebral and thoughtful actor, and who wouldn't want to live life with such passion and joy for their work? My second choice would probably be Chaplin, but after reading a few biographies on him, well, he led a pretty screwed up life despite being the obvious genius he was. To have the kind of fame he had, well, it would probably mess anyone up. Having said all that, I am pretty happy just being myself, flaws and all......

phillygl24, I love films from every era. I have the same appreciation for a good modern Independent or Foreign film, as I do for the great films I see on TCM. I do have an almost unhealthy obsession for movies from the Silent era, and when I saw that you "do not get the appeal of Silent films," I thought I'd explain why I enjoy them so much. At age 40, I was not even old enough to appreciate THE GODFATHER, or TAXI DRIVER when they were first released, so the Silent era was considered ancient history to me. But as I stated in an earlier post, I saw the 1925 version of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA when I was 7 or 8 and was completely enthralled with it. PBS used to show silent films when I was a kid and I became fascinated with them and to this day, I try and view every silent film I can find. I own many silents on video and DVD. I love the passion and the ethereal glow they emit. I realize Silent films are not for everyone, but to understand how cinema has evolved, everyone owes it to themselves to at least check a few silents out to see where filmmaking took root. They are not only tremendous films, they are a crucial part of cinema history. I think NOSFERATU is as scary as any recent horror film. Chaplin's, THE KID, is as poignant as any Oscar-nominated drama in current memory. If you've seen Buster Keaton's, THE GENERAL, you know that it's as funny now, as it was in 1927....and I will put Lon Chaney up against any current actor, as far as technique and acting chops go. Sorry for being so long-winded, but I have to come to the defense of my beloved Silent films. To appreciate them, you have to use some imagination and even work a little harder than you would viewing a sound film, but it is well worth the bother. The actors, directors, and producers of the era were innovators and paved the way for all that came after, and for that, they at least deserve our respect. I will always have a place in my heart for Silent film..........

Professorecho, I love the Film Noir films TCM broadcasts, so I taped PHANTOM LADY the other day and just watched it last night. I agree that this is a real find in the film noir genre. Ella Raines is pretty spectacular, isn't she? Wonder why I haven't seen her in anything else (that I can recall). I also enjoyed the great Noir cinematography in 'Phantom Lady.' Also, could that scene with the drummer be the first ever Cinema depiction of a beatnik nightclub? That band was rocking! Anyway, I agree that 'Phantom Lady' is a good little film that deserves to be rediscovered.

Count me in as a member of the MILLER'S CROSSING Appreciation society! I'm a huge Coen Brothers fan and still think 'Miller's Crossing' is their finest work. As much as I like Gabriel Byrne in the film, Albert Finney's performance is phenomenal. Jon Polito as Johnny Caspar and J.E. Freeman as Eddie Dane almost steal the movie! They had the best lines in the film. Leo O'Bannion: So, you wanna kill him? Eddie Dane: For starters.......

I had never heard of Warren William until about two years ago, when I began to catch up on some of the great pre-code films I haven't seen. He looked familiar, but I never placed the face with the name. Anyway, I saw EMPLOYEE'S ENTRANCE and was blown away by his performance. I admit that I initially tuned in for Loretta Young, who I think is one of the most beautiful women to ever grace the screen, but Warren's performance was a surprise. You dislike his character when you first meet him, but as the film goes along, you begin to understand him and almost pity him by the end of the film! What a brilliant piece of acting......

LIQUID SKY (1982): Aliens come to earth looking for Heroin in New York. Androgynous fashion models, New Wave clubs, a mad German scientist, it's all here. A darkly funny cult film of the highest order. The colorful cinematography is worth seeking this out if nothing else. I think it's a hilarious, prophetic look at the excess and greed of the 80's. This is the first 'Midnight' movie I ever went to. It makes ROCKY HORROR (which I like), look like 'BAMBI.' BEGOTTEN (1991): Before E. Elias Merhige made SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE in 2000, he made this. Begotten is just too hard to describe. No dialogue and shot in an unusual, speckled Chiaroscuro style. It is the closest depiction of a dream-like state ever filmed. You either like it or you don't. I LOVE it! Like it's trailer says: "No Names, No Dialogue, No Compromise, No Exit--Nobody will get through BEGOTTEN without being marked." It's true........ CAREFUL (1992): Canadian Director Guy Maddin is a mad genius and I love anything he touches. This film is probably my favorite from his ever-growing body of work. Shot in the style of the early German 'Mountain' films, this is a moody and dark comic work of art. Maddin's films are all beautiful to look at, despite being filled with the oddest characters you will ever encounter. If you are not familiar with Guy Maddin's work, start here.

ALL ABOUT EVE--I think 'All About Eve' and 'Sunset Boulevard' may be the two most brilliant scripts that were ever produced by Hollywood. But 'All About Eve' is just perfect. Great script, great direction and a superlative cast lead by Bette Davis. Speaking of Bette, I still have the occasional nightmare from seeing her at age five in 'What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?" Frightening.......

George C. Scott in PATTON. The opening monologue alone might warrant this.......