filmlover
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Posts posted by filmlover
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Sansfin, you are correct. $10 million could be spent on research with the world's greatest experts proving that TCM hasn't changed, and all it would take is just one "Maybe, but it FEELS to me that they aren't as good as they used to be" for all the TCM-is-going-the-way-of-AMC posters to support that theory.
By the way, fxrey, great work!
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She's already been Star of the Month three times. That's enough.
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Today, a look at Robert Taylor
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With the interest in the comic tie-ins appearing in the General Discussions area, I noticed that I still have quite a lot of images that I never used, so I am starting up from where I left off.
Today, a look at Fred Astaire.
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In addition to the link that Kyle provided, here was the second thread that took up where the first left off due to the thousands of images that made the first slow to open:
http://forums.tcm.com/messageview.jspa?messageID=8642342&stqc=true
And since there is some interest in it, I have just re-opened that second thread and I have added new material (I have still quite a bit I never used). Today is Fred Astaire.
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One thing to remember...especially in the case of film noir...
While men may wear the pants,
It's women that make them dance.
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> {quote:title=ugaarte wrote:}{quote}
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> I have a Jewish friend who had informed me several years ago that the Comic Book Superman (and I think he mentioned Batman, also) comic books had Jewish influence, even moreso, during World War II . . . with the 'bad guys' in the comic books being the Axis Power ..... being Conquered by the Allies or the 'Good Guys'! . . . .
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> And whenever I watch 'Seinfeld' (who is Jewish himself) and I happen to see the little figurine of Superman on his bookshelf, I'm always reminded of what my friend told me.
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> Has anyone ever heard of this ?
Yes, there was a Jewish influence, but when you look at the early comic books characters, many were created by Jewish writers and artists, such as Superman (Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster), Batman (Bill Finger and Bob Kane) The Spirit (Will Eisner,) and Captain America (Joe Simon and Jack Kirby). Even Stan Lee (born Stanley Lieber).
More importantly, however, the heroes were a wish-fulfillment for many young people, no matter what faith they were. How many youths who had been bullied didn't wish to be Superman? And the early Superman character appeared to adults, too, as he stood up against social problems of the day, such as wife beaters, munitions lobbyists corrupting politicians, and mine workers conditions.
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> {quote:title=AndyM108 wrote: }{quote}They were a lot more sophisticated by the 70's, because in the 50's the DC Comics editor was asked by a reader why there hadn't been any Superman stamp. He replied that Superman was afraid that a post office in Altoona, PA might cancel the stamp with the Double *OO* 's in Altoona centered over Superman's eyes. Seeing that, the jig would be up and everyone would realize that Clark Kent was really Superman.
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> And no, I'm not making that up, although there are times I can hardly believe it myself.
They did a story in the early Fifties on that:
And, actually, there were eventually real Superman stamps.
And there was even a Canadian stamp. Why? Because the co-creater of Superman, Joe Shuster, was born in Toronto. (The Daily Planet was based on The Toronto Daily Star. In the first Superman story, the paper was called The Daily Star.)
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I am very sorry about the pain you are feeling, but am glad that that old thread gives you some comfort and a bit of a smile.
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> {quote:title=TCMfan23 wrote:}{quote}want to debate ? I think CRT's give a better picture than a LCD or a LED.
I haven't noticed anyone giving any scientific proof yet (which hasn't worked on people who say that TCM is running more recent movies than ever, but let's give this subject a shot).
So, let's look at the statement that a CRT gives a better picture than an LCD or an LED...
If you are looking at a standard definition broadcast of 480p on a standard definition 480p TV, yes it looks good. And if you look at that same 480p broadcast on a 1080p HDTV LED/LCD, it does look pretty bad...because the broadcast is only standard definition. As a matter of fact, it can look like crap on an HDTV. The 480p broadcast is sending only a little of the detail information that an HDTV can get, and so the image breaks up. Kind of like comparing VHS to DVD. BUT - and this important - if you look at a high definition broadcast image of 1080i or 1080p on an HDTV, it knocks the legs out of any standard definition broadcast.
For example, I have DISH and I get both the standard def and the high definition from TCM on different channels and the images are vastly different on my HDTV. The HD broadcast is far superior.
So, based on what the criteria the original broadcast is, your view will be different. So the statement that a CRT gives a better picture than an LCD/LED is neither here nor there depending on what you are looking at. HOWEVER, if you are starting with a 1080p image broadcast to both the CRT and to the LED/LCD, then the LED/LCD wins hands down.
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I forgot to mention that there was also a Boston **** radio series with Morris repeating his role for the first few months.
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Getting back to the topic...
Here are the BB posters in order of film release
There was also a silent Boston **** film
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Yes, but there were many times that Lois suspected Clark of being Superman, and he was always frustrated by it. Below is the final time.
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> {quote:title=SansFin wrote:}{quote}
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> Has any person ever explained which superpower allows Superman to be in perfect disguise by only putting on glasses?
Actually, yes. There was a comic book story in the mid-1970s that explained that unbeknownst to Superman, while disguised as Clark Kent he was using a super hypnotic control beam to everyone he encountered that they saw Clark as weaker and thinner and not looking that much like Superman.
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Network Films in the UK has announced a British release of Things To Come on Blu-ray on June 18th. While there was a U.S. release by Legends, it looked terrible. According to release info, "This version of Things To Come has been painstakingly restored from the remaining film elements and represents the most complete version known to exist."
The UK release will have these extras:
*Disc One – Blu-ray*
* Audio commentary with Things to Come expert Nick Cooper
* Comprehensive HD image gallery, including many rare stills
* HD merchandise image gallery
* US re-release trailer
* Script PDF
* Extensive booklet (expanded from the DVD) by Nick Cooper
*Disc Two – DVD*
* Virtual Extended Edition – a viewing option allowing for the inclusion of text and images from long-missing and unfilmed scenes to present a tantalising 'what if?'
* On Reflection: Brian Aldiss on H.G. Wells – a 25-minute documentary from 1971
* Ralph Richardson interview by Russell Harty from 1975
* The Wandering Sickness – an original 78rpm recording
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Costco has the following DVD items:
(the below are the DVD versions, not the Blu-ray)
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wouldbestar, let's see if I can answer some of your questions.
(And, Kyle, thanks for posting the link to that thread I did. I am stunned by how many images I put in that thread!)
As you will see from some of the items I posted on the first page of that thread, there were movie tie-ins going back to 1939. (Newspaper strips that occasionally had movie connections went back even before that.)
While there were 3D comics, the only one I can recall that tied into a movie was The Rocketeer. Disney produced this particular 3D issue in 1991 when they released the film.
As to the ban on comics, mostly this came about because of Dr. Frederic Werthram, a psychiatrist, believed that certain types of comics caused juvenile delinquency. He wrote a book called "Seduction of the Innocent" that really put the kibosh on many comics. Not all, but things like horror and crime comics, in particular. He also took a swing at superhero comics, insinuating that Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson were more than just friends. Werthram also believed that artists were hiding naughty female parts in their drawings. Parents were looking for someone other than themselves to blame for their kids becoming unmanangeable, and so cheered on his efforts to cleanse the comic book industry. Many comics were burned in bonfires. The Comics Code came out of the industry wanted to have some sort of self regulation. (Think of it as the Hays Code of comic books.) Some publishers went out of business. Others subscribed to the code, with every page of comic art having to be passed by them. Some companies managed to not have to carry the code on their comics, such as Dell Comics, which published Disney and Tarzan titles (though, not to take a chance, Dell did have a banner in their comics that said "Dell Comics Are Good Comics.")
Why would studios take a chance on comics after the terrible times of the Fifties? Easy. Money. Kids were a great audience for movies and so the chance of a tie-in could mean a kid could also buy a comic. More money for them. Remember, at 10 cents (and later 12 cents) from the late Fifties and early Sixties, that was an amount close to what a boy or girl paid to get into a movie, so it was more profits for the studios. Much of the money that studios make comes from movie merchandising. To this day, comic books are still used as a selling tool for movies. However, more now than ever, comic book companies are often part of film corporations. For example, Disney owns Marvel and Warner Bros. owns DC Comics.
With regards to that plot you mentioned, it does not ring a bell.
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First half of August 1936
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> {quote:title=FredCDobbs wrote:}{quote}
> > I saw a new 70mm print, from the front row of a theater with a very large screen, ans I could definitely see the grain of the film.
> That's too close. At that closeness you can see texture in the cloth screen itself.
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> You need to sit about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way back toward the projection booth, and in the center seat in the row.
But, Fred, this is were your argument about there being no film grain in old films falls apart. If you distance yourself from any image far enough, it looks perfect. Film grain in motion should not likely be detectable because we are concentrating on the film itself, but if you freeze frame even a film in a theater, you will see that it is not always perfectly clear as far as no grain existing.
What you might see, an accurate but not-so-great image of the poor print you are watching, if you were first several rows.
Move yourself to the back of the theater and it looks a lot better from there:
Some studios, when releasing films on home video, will use DNR (digital noise reduction) to remove film grain and the like to make it look almost like video, but in doing so will scrub away fine detail.
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> {quote:title=darkblue wrote:}{quote}Is there anything that's more far-fetched, requiring said suspension than musicals?
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> Romantic comedies are not too far behind in that regard, either.
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> I'm not unaware that these have much entertainment value for fans of those genres, but musicals and romcoms have no true comparables in the real world. I'm still waiting to see a spontaneous musical number break out at the DMV.
Proof that suspension of disbelief really does apply when watching a stage production...When "A Chorus Line" came to Los Angeles in 1976, I saw it at the Shubert Theater (sigh, I miss that theater). At the ending, I was giving it a standing ovation. But when I got outside, I saw another theatregoer trying to emulate the dancing to a friend, and I felt embarassed watching him doing it in the real world.
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Many good choices have been presented here. It would be hard to limit it to, say, the current generation because who knows what they know of classic films. I don't mean that in any snobbish way; just in their lack of interest in anything classic. For example, The Magnificent Seven theme by Elmer Bernstein was popular after the fact for following generations for its use in cigarette ads...but with the demise of cigarette ads on TV, even that theme would be lost on the young.
Probably the most popular composers would be song composers, such as the OP choosing Henry Mancini. People may not know the composers, but they know the songs. Old time western fans may like like Roy Rogers singing "Don't Fence Me In," without even knowing it was written by the sophisticated Cole Porter. The Wizard of Oz song score is known to all generations.
As others have mentioned, there are composers who are best known for one theme or two: Bernard Herrmann - the "Psycho" shower theme and "North by Northwest" theme. Max Steiner - "Gone With the Wind" and "A Summer Place." John Williams - "Jaws" and "Star Wars". Jerry Goldsmith - "Patton." Maurice Jarre - "Lara's Theme" from "Doctor Zhivago." David Raksin - "Laura". Miklos Rozsa - "Ben-Hur." So many more choices.
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Suspension of disbelief has to be strong...
1. ...to believe that even teenagers would go back to holiday camps where every summer before all the teenagers were bloodily murdered.
2. ...to believe that people would want to live in an Amityville house that has told them to get out.
3. ...to believe that these are teenagers
4. ...to believe that when a person turns on a radio that a news items comes on at that exact second that relates to them...such as, "Be on the lookout for an escaped convict..." who is standing right in front of them.
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Other release news:
from Kino on DVD and Blu-ray August 14th:
*Les Vampires*
After the success of his Fantomas films, French director Louis Feuillade attempted to create the ultimate espionage serial, a ten-episode, seven-hour epic called Les Vampires. This Kino Classics edition is authorized by the Gaumont Studios, and was mastered in HD from 35mm film elements restored by the Cinémathèque Française, and is accompanied by a new musical score by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.
And in Germany, Universum is releasing a Blu-ray version of 1930's *Der blaue Engle* aka The Blue Angel, Dietrich's breakthrough film.
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New Criterion release date and disc specifications info.
August 14th
*Rosetta* (1999) — on DVD and Blu-ray
* New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Alain Marcoen
* 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
* Conversation between film critic Scott Foundas and filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne
* New interview with actors Émilie Dequenne and Olivier Gourmet
* Trailer
* New English subtitle translation
* A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Kent Jones
*La promesse* (1996) — on DVD and Blu-ray
* New, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Alain Marcoen
* 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
* Conversation between film critic Scott Foundas and filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne
* New interview with actors Jérémie Renier and Olivier Gourmet
* Trailer
* New English subtitle translation
* A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Kent Jones
*The Royal Tenenbaums* ( 2001) — on Blu-ray (already on DVD)
* Restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised by director Wes Anderson
* 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
* Audio commentary by Anderson
* With the Filmmaker: Portraits by Albert Maysles, featuring Anderson
* Interviews with and behind-the-scenes footage of actors Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, and Danny Glover
* Outtakes
* The Peter Bradley Show, featuring interviews with additional cast members
* Scrapbook featuring young Richie's murals and paintings, still photographs by set photographer James Hamilton, book and magazine covers, and storyboards
* Studio 360 radio segment on painter Miguel Calderón, along with examples of his work
* Trailers
* Insert with Eric Anderson's drawings of the Tenenbaum house
* An essay by film critic Kent Jones
August 21st
*Weekend* (2011) — on DVD and Blu-ray
* New high-definition digital restoration, approved by director Andrew Haigh and director of photography Ula Pontikos
* 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
* New program featuring interviews with Haigh, Pontikos, producer Tristan Goligher, and actors Tom Cullen & Chris New
* New interview with Haigh on the film's sex scenes
* On-set video footage shot by New and others, and two scenes from Cullen's and New's auditions
* Video essay on the film's set photographers, Oisín Share and Colin Quinn
* Cahuenga Blvd. (2005) and Five Miles Out (2009), two short films by Haigh
* Trailer
* A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Dennis Lim
August 28th
*Lonesome* (1928) — on DVD and Blu-ray
* New digital restoration
* Uncompressed monaural soundtrack
* Audio commentary featuring film historian Richard Koszarski
* The Last Performance, director Paul Fejos's 1929 silent starring Conrad Veidt, with a new score by Donald Sosin
* Reconstructed sound version of Broadway, Fejos's 1929 musical
* Fejos Memorial, a 1963 visual essay produced by Paul Falkenberg in collaboration with Fejos's wife, Lita Binns Fejos, featuring Paul Fejos narrating the story of his life and career
* Audio excerpts about Broadway from an interview with cinematographer Hal Mohr
* A booklet featuring essays by critic Phillip Lopate and film historian Graham Petrie and an excerpt about Lonesome from Fejos's autobiography
*Quadrophenia* (1979) — on DVD and Blu-ray
* New high-definition digital restoration of the uncut version
* Original 2.0 stereo soundtrack as well as an all-new 5.1 surround mix, supervised by the Who and presented in DTS-HD Master Audio
* New audio commentary featuring director Franc Roddam and director of photography Brian Tufano
* New interview with Bill Curbishley, the film's co-producer and the Who's co-manager
* New interview with the Who's sound engineer, Bob Pridden, discussing the new mix, featuring a restoration demonstration
* On-set and archival footage
* Behind-the-scenes photographs
* A booklet featuring an essay by critic Nick James, a reprinted personal history by original mod Irish Jack, and Pete Townshend's liner notes from the album
*Eclipse Series 35 - Maidstone and Other Films by Norman Mailer* (1979) — on DVD
filmlover's images of stars and movies in the comics PT. 2
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