2002-2006 films AREN'T classic movies!!!!!

[DownGoesFrazier]

...and the wheel goes round and round.

[FredCDobbs]

>touch?

 

Thank you.

[AndyM108]

Contact the Encore people and ask them to lower their prices and show wide-stretch-era films.

 

Either that, or demand it from TCM and be prepared to pay higher fees to receive TCM, since the newer movies will cost more for TCM to rent, and TCM will also have to raise rates to make up for the loss of all the old-movie fans who cut the cable and decide to watch old movies via the internet for free.

 

Fred, you're the one who's constantly complaining about TCM, not me. I'm quite satisfied with their longstanding mix of older and newer films. I don't like the vast majority of newer movies any more than you do, but TCM seems to do an excellent job of weeding out the garbage. Your complaint seems to be that they show any new movies at all.

 

And if TCM doesn't have a newer movie I'd like to see? Well, that's why I keep my membership in Netflix. Encore doesn't even enter into the picture, since most of what they show is the usual Hollywood blockbuster crap.

[Baker]

Why aren't 2002-2006 films classics?? Nonsense! All well made movies are classics and belong on TCM. There is no barrier on what year they were made. (See R.O.s explanation from the first day TCM began.)

 

Enjoy....

[jamesjazzguitar]

To me the issue here isn't if these movie 'belong' (they clearly do and Osbone said so in his intro to TCM on the very first day), but how much of TCM's programming should be devoted post studio-era movie (as well as foreign films).

 

For example, say TCM was to devote a fairly equal percentage of films per decade. (so around 10% for each decade from the 30's until 2010). Would that be OK with you? How about if 50% of the movies were foreign films? Would TCM still be the same brand? I would say NO. i.e. that would be too much post studio-era movies or foreign films for my taste.

 

Also Fred is right that the cost of TCM would go up if more modern movies are shown since obtaining rights to current films is most expensive than 'old' ones.

 

To me it is silly to debate what is a classic movie. Instead we should be debating what our expectations are as it relates to TCM's programming. Mine is that around 80% of TCM's programming is devoted to American Studio-era movies. The remaining 20% can be foreign films and post 1969 films (all the up to the current decade).

[AndyM108]

But it's not us fans of more modern and foreign movies who've been complaining about the current mix. The complainers seem to be almost exclusively those who want to see that 20% of recent and foreign films reduced *below* that.

[jamesjazzguitar]

I agree with you that those doing the most complaining are the people that would like TCM to show American Studio-era movies 99.9 percent of time. (but hey, their flexible otherwise they would want 100%!).

 

They are also the same people that refuse to accept what RO said on the day TCM started. They just wish to believe TCM has made some radical change but have nothing to back up that POV.

 

I only continue to make my point because while I'm A-OK with NON American studio-era films (I especially love French films from the late 40's and the 50's), I would be disapointed if 'too much' progamming was devoted to non American studio-era movies.

[Fedya]

This is why I included a day of "pretentious foreign films" in my previous Programming Challenge schedule.

 

It's also humorous when people complain about rarely-seen foreign films and in the same breath complain about the same stuff being shown over and over.

[darkblue]

> Contact the Encore people and ask them to lower their prices and show wide-stretch-era films.

>

> Either that, or demand it from TCM and be prepared to pay higher fees to receive TCM, since the newer movies will cost more for TCM to rent, and TCM will also have to raise rates to make up for the loss of all the old-movie fans who cut the cable and decide to watch old movies via the internet for free.

 

Or, enjoy the wonderful and fairly programmed movie variety that TCM provides, and has provided from the very start, and will hopefully continue to provide till the very end of time.

 

All while ignoring the malcontents in this forum who whine incessantly about TCM showing movies they don't personally want to see.

[FredCDobbs]

>we should be debating what our expectations are as it relates to TCM's programming. Mine is that around 80% of TCM's programming is devoted to American Studio-era movies. The remaining 20% can be foreign films and post 1969 films (all the up to the current decade).

 

TCM movies (features and shorts) for Jan. 2014:

 

1930s 110

1940s 103

1950s 73

 

Tot: 286 = 73.5%

.

.

.

1960s 69

1970s 22

1980s 6

1990s 5

2000s 1

2010s 0

 

Tot: 103 = 26.5% 1960s through 2010s

 

A large number of the older films are now being shown in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep, and many of the newer films are shown in daytime and prime time.

 

Here is the TCM schedule for January, 1995, showing very few newer films and none from the 1990s, 2000s, or 2010s:

*http://i59.tinypic.com/rbw0hg.jpg*

 

 

*Newer films in Jan. of 1995:*

 

*1960s 29*

*1970s 11*

*1980s 4*

 

*Total: 44*

 

NONE from the 1990s, 2000s, or 2010s.

[lzcutter]

>NONE from the 1990s, 2000s, or 2010s.

 

FredC,

 

That's because in the first ten years they were on the air, they focused on films made between 1920-1989.

 

Here is their original mission statement:

 

"Turner Classic Movies presents the greatest movies of all time, from the 1920s through the '80s-- featuring the silent screen, International pictures, as well as all of Hollywood's genres--commercial-free, uninterrupted, 24-hours a day."

 

They amended that statement when the network celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2004 to include movies from the 1990s (and they may update it this spring when the celebrate their 20th anniversary).

 

And for the record, studio era films were made well into the 1960s, so those films should not be part of the percentage for the modern films of the 1970s-2000s.

[FredCDobbs]

I don't need to read any statement from 20 years ago. Because I know what I saw on the air 20 years ago. And 15 years ago, and even 10 years ago.

[FredCDobbs]

Ok, wrong 103.

 

Edited by: FredCDobbs on Feb 5, 2014 2:52 PM

[lzcutter]

>I don't need to read any statement from 20 years ago. Because I know what I saw on the air 20 years ago. And 15 years ago, and even 10 years ago.

 

So, I guess we shouldn't let facts get in the way of your argument, huh?

[FredCDobbs]

Ok, sorry. I thought you were talking about the 1940s 103.

 

I don't have time to debate 6 to 8 people at one time. I know you guys enjoy it so much, but I just don't have the time. The numbers of 1995 and 2014 show what has been creeping up on us.

 

I remember when TCM aired the big Will Rogers film festival in the middle of the night about 4 years ago. Several very rare old films, shown on TCM only once, while everyone was asleep, and most people here missed the festival. While we always get the three separate annual Elvis film festivals in the daytime and prime time. And Bullitt seems to always turn up in daytime or prime time.

[lzcutter]

Sorry, I realized after I wrote _this_ post originally that I confused a reply by obrienmundy for a post by Fred.

 

Edited by: lzcutter on Feb 5, 2014 2:00 PM

[AndyM108]

Here is the TCM schedule for January, 1995, showing very few newer films and none from the 1990s, 2000s, or 2010s:

http://i59.tinypic.com/rbw0hg.jpg

Newer films in Jan. of 1995:

 

1960s 29

1970s 11

1980s 4

 

Total: 44

 

NONE from the 1990s, 2000s, or 2010s.

 

Gotta give them credit there for not showing 25 years worth of movies that hadn't yet been made!

 

And they must be keeping it up, because right now they're not showing any movies from 2015 through 2039!

 

I remember when TCM aired the big Will Rogers film festival in the middle of the night about 4 years ago. Several very rare old films, shown on TCM only once, while everyone was asleep, and most people here missed the festival. While we always get the three separate annual Elvis film festivals in the daytime and prime time. And Bullitt seems to always turn up in daytime or prime time.

 

That was on Tuesday, December 28, 2010, and the Will Rogers films ran straight through from 8:00 PM to 6:30 AM. I'd rather have had them from 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM myself, but more people probably saw those first few in prime time than would have likely watched the entire batch, had they been screened during the day.

 

And anyway, that's why they invented DVD recorders (I got all of those Rogers movies on disks) and DVR machines. You can also sign up for e-mail reminders if you have a hard time remembering when they're playing.

 

But if you want to substitute Will Rogers for Elvis each and every time "Old Peanut Butter and Banana" appears on the schedule, then hey, I'm with you all the way. I never met a Will Rogers movie that I didn't like.

[FredCDobbs]

>Gotta give them credit there for not showing 25 years worth of movies that hadn't yet been made!

 

I'm glad someone noticed that. Unfortunately now we have 6 post-1950 decades, and only 2 of the best decades for classic films, the 1930s and 40s.

 

60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s

[fxreyman]

Its amazing.

 

Aren't you forgetting the 1920's and 1950's and most of the 1960's?

 

The studio system fell apart for good in 1968. So I would include films from the 1960s as well.

[fxreyman]

The thing is this Fred.

 

You are never ever going to be happy that a few more recent films are being shown on TCM. The ratio is still around 75 to 80% pre-1960 films being shown on a month to month basis.

 

You are not going to be happy that some of the so-called classic films air during the overnight hours. As Andy mentioned that is why they created DVD-Rs and other recording devices.

 

That due to the fact that there are more decades now that exist outside the so-called studio-era films, there will be not as many older films for you to see.

 

Unfortunately Fred everything is not the way you want them to be here at TCM. They try their best but apparently they aren't doing what you think they should be doing. I'd say that TCM does a pretty remarkable job of presenting many films from the studio era. The few more recent films they show each month are not in this writer's opinion enough to get upset about.

[jamesjazzguitar]

It does appear that Fred goes out of his way to be unhappy. I find that sad. I'm really surprised he continues to come to this TCM forum since he is so unhappy with TCM.

 

As noted films up to 1969 are studio-era movies. Most feature 'old time' actors (actors that got their start in the 40s or 50s).

 

So since most 60's films are studio-era movies TCM is maintaining a little more than that 80% benchmark. (not that TCM has to stick to this benchmark of course but only as a frame of reference for this discussion).

[FredCDobbs]

James, I've already said I'm not going to debate 6 people at the same time. If you think I'm wrong, just ignore my posts.

[fxreyman]

Wow. Did not know we were bothering you all that much.

[FredCDobbs]

>Did not know we were bothering you all that much.

 

You're not. Not at all. I just don't have the time because I'm doing some film research right now.

[Geralddddd]

So basically TCM should only play what some viewers want to see. Not only that but, TCM must show them 24 hours a day. Can't show them too early or late for you. To heck with us on the west coast !

 

I love TCM because it always surprises me. Lots of films new and old I have never seen and seen often. I am happy with it as it is. And I think my vote is just as important as anyone else's.