Why I hate TCM...

[therealfuster]

..it's because I can't get anything done at home!

 

Like this past weekend, I stayed up all night watching TCM films. Was planning to go to bed around 10am, because all that was coming on was some routine oatser, called "Badman's Territory".

 

Then I made the mistake of reading the cast....Randolph Scott is great, but I could pass on him, uh oh...George "Gabby" Hayes, is in it!

 

One always has to watch a few seconds of Gabby, as tarnation, the offscreen sartorially splendid and erudite George, is always a shabby mess on screen, and fun to watch and listen to. Oh, the film also had Mercury Theatre alumnus, Ray Collins which promises class acting, and then I see that omnipresent screen character actor, Andrew Tombes was in it too, in addition to screen heavy and bad boy, Lawrence Tierney and for good measure, erstwhile sideman, the great Steve Brodie, and multiethnic, Nestor Paiva.

 

Then I notice that Isabel Jewell is in it....and it's a western How often does one get to see the finest horsewoman in Hollywood, on horseback?

 

I had to watch, at least for a bit....but the story was quite interesting. Badman's Territory was an area, above Texas which was by mistake, not governed by the law. This is the movie premise and though a bit ridiculous, what with both the James Gang and the whole Dalton tribe roundabout town, one could only wonder why they had not put Tierney's bro, Scott Brady in it as Frank James.

 

Finally...Isabel rode in with assured aplomb as Belle Starr, looking fully regal and in charge of her steed, and I just could not seem to stop watching the film.

 

Consequently...I had to go to bed at noon, and it is all TCM's fault.

 

So my question to you is...how does TCM impact your life in such horrible ways, that you watch all the marvelous film gems, and don't do what that you need to daily?

[shainablue1]

Ha- I have the same problem! I print out the schedule and mark all the "must sees" and "must records", and Ihave it on my dresser next to my TV, and every day I consult it, and I have a day care and I have to maneuver things so if I can't watch it, I record, if I will be gone at the starting time, I have my mom pop over and press record for me ( she lives next door). Then, as with you, I cannot sleep at night if a great movie is coming on- cuz I think I may have to wait a year or two if I miss it. Then there is my alarm I set again and agian at night to wake me up to record certain movies in the middle of the night so I can record and go back to bed sometimes a few times in one night! Humble ways my life is affected. Oh yes- I bought a treadmill so I could exercise at home whil watching movies I have previously recorded instead of wasting time at a gym.Don't get me wrong, I have kids and spend lots of quality time with them all day and night- but when all are tucked in or napping- it's TCM time for me!

[therealfuster]

I do the same thing...print out the schedule, and highlight things to see, with big arrows going from three days back if it is something really special and must not be forgotten.

 

I realize I could just set up my vcr, but I like to play it by ear sometimes. Like last nite, I did not mean to watch the Great Profile as Dr. Jekyll, as I own the movie...but seeing him looking so Hamletlike, just made me watch a bit of it.

 

Tonight I'm already planning my evening around taping "The Devil and Miss Jones" which is so much happier at the end, than the copycat x-flick, as it has Spring Byington in it, and no one is more likable than she, unless it is Fay Bainter.

 

I also am planning to watch "The Ex-Mrs. Bradford" later and tomorrow is all day Errol, and though I've seen them all, I've not seen "The Sisters" for many moons, so I must catch that.

 

Have you heard of the new treadmills, which hook up to your tv, and the picture starts going off, if you let up on the prescribed time you have chosen to exercise?

 

I thought it was a joke, but then saw one on tv.

 

 

 

[lux0786]

I would drop cable if it were not for TCM (and the fact that the movies are commercial free), I'm quite sure of that. I don't watch TV generally and without a decent and honest cable news network there isn't enough interest. Not that I don't watch something other than TCM on occasion ... still, it's TCM that keeps me paying $65 a month for cable (that includes the rental of a DVR so I won't miss anything.)

 

I'm always a little amazed reading how people stay up for this or that to see a movie. I'm probably warped but I rarely watch anything in real time anymore, what with DVRs and VCRs.

 

And Shainablue, I hope you learn to program a VCR soon, it will make your life so much easier.

 

 

[nsallieharding]

I copy and paste the TCM schedule to MS Word and change the font to red for the movies I want to record and watch later, always three months in advance. That way I know how many times any movie will play in that three month period. Luckily DVDs only cost 44 cents apiece so the cost isn't all that much. Knowing how to use the timer is a must! April has been a challenge to say the least, but the May line-up will not be as busy.

[slappy3500]

Fuster is there an imposter? Anyway, switch to AMC. You'll snooze away the week-end.

[savoiafour]

I start work at 8:30AM and live about ten minutes away from my office. My wife and daughters leave for work and school by 7:30AM so that gives me about 45 minutes to dress and catch TCM. I cannot tell you the number of times I get so engrossed in a film that I barely get out of the house by 8.20 and have to motor to get to work. LOL. There is nothing better on tv than commercial free classic movies.

[moviejoe79]

I used to print out the schedule and highlight all of the must see movies. But about a year ago I FINALLY decided to subscribe to Now Playing, and now I just write all over the inside, marking everything that I want to tape in different degrees of importance.

 

And I too have trouble either getting to sleep or getting to work because of TCM. Just last week I got so caught up in "George Washington Slept Here," which is a real favorite of mine, that I wound up being late for work.

 

And this Friday morning I plan on getting up at 6 am to start taping the Marie Dressler movies. If I set the timer on the VCR, for some reason the VCR/TV function doesn't turn off, and I get vague reception lines all throughout the picture. So, I have to manually tape everything so I can turn off the VCR/TV function. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I always try to get the best quality picture possible, short of DVD quality.

 

I also find myself scheduling activities around "what's on TCM" so as not to miss something really important. I've already missed out on certain goodies like "The Black Cat," and most of the Laurel and Hardy films that were on April 1st. I wanted to take the day off to watch and tape them but I couldn't!

[moviejoe79]

You know, this topic should actually be called "Why I LOVE TCM," since we allow it control our lives at times! I have to really LOVE something to devote as much time to it as I do to TCM.

[bhryun]

I would also change it to 'love'. Since I found and became addicted to TCM, I find it almost impossible to watch a movie with commercials or one that is edited. I have a schedule of what I need to watch and/or record each week for me and also for my friends next door because they don't have cable but love old films. It gets confusing with 2 schedules and having to sometimes program 2 VCRs to record for both of us, but I dont mind.

I'd hate to see them miss a film.

 

The man of the house sometimes gets irritated when I go on a taping binge-like this month-but he gets over it when I catch something he'd like to see. He liked all the silent comedies(Arbuckle,Lloyd,Chaplin,etc). He's being turned into a TCM fan slowly-recently I caught him checking the preview guide to see what movie is on, and he seems to enjoy a good comedy or mystery film.

 

I've also had to squeeze the budget to buy blank tapes and now I have to figure out some more places to put tapes because the shelves are about full.

 

Sometimes, like therealfuster, I dont get anything done most of the day because I'm stuck to the TV, then I have to rush around and "do stuff" before the rest of the

family gets home. I try to stay up at night, but usually fall asleep halfway through something and then I have to search the schedule here to see when it will be on again!

 

Its one of the few channels worth paying the $48.00 a month that the cable co. charges, and Im glad to see that other people are so affected by this network.My daughter and my best friend both think I'm nuts,(roll their eyes and say "What are you watching NOW??") but at least I'm not a bored nut! Happy viewing all!!

 

 

[therealfuster]

but I just thought it would be more tongue in cheek to say "hate", since it would be shocking for anyone to "hate" such a wonderful place.

 

Being that I too am a big William Pratt fan, I can imagine TCM viewing keeps you content, and I can only hope they show "Isle of the Dead" again sometime soon.

 

I was up last nite till 2am watching all those Lubitsch films, and I really enjoyed seeing "The Merry Widow" again.

[bhryun]

I think of it as a "love/hate" relationship:

 

I love having access to all these films, but I hate that I'm going broke on DVD-Rs, boxes, DVD case inserts, and ink for the color printer.

 

I love the quality, but I hate that so many films I wanted to record were one after another, and I had to pick and choose what to record.

 

I love the wide variety of films, but I hate that if I miss something, it might not be repeated for months.

 

I love the schedule of all the feature films, but I hate that there isn't an equal list of the shorts, so I can "capture" more of those.

 

And of course, I love that it's always there, but I hate that when the TV is on TCM, I don't get anything done. I try to exercise some control: I program 6-8 movies into the DVD recorder, jot down the times I have to change disks (I have been known to race home from work at lunch to change disks), and then turn OFF the TV, and hang a sign on it "Recording--Do Not Touch."

[bhryun]

I waited for more than 10 years for TCM, until finally my cable ssytem added it to the digital tier. I'm still in awe. This is such a great channel!!!!!!!!!

[katyscar11ett]

LOL I was getting ready to blast someone for this thread - but instead I'll heartily agree that TCM makes housework almost impossible. But - what was life before TCM? I've loved classic movies - mostly 30's and 40's - since I was a child and TCM is a dream come true to me, literally. I never thought it possible to have all this enjoyment CONSTANTLY!