TikiSoo Posted January 25, 2015 Why are all the premieres lately Grade Z programmers/imports? Probably cost 10 bucks to rent...... Realize there are several Underground/Imports that are NOT readily available to rent or borrow from the library; Nothing Lasts Forever, The Reluctant Dragon & The Manitou to just name a few recent titles. When I looked at Feb's Now Playing, the few Premieres listed were recent movies like the excellent THE FISHER KING and el stinkerino LORD OF THE RING trilogy....both found easily for sale or rent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyM108 Posted January 25, 2015 Why are all the premieres lately Grade Z programmers/imports? Probably cost 10 bucks to rent...... Whether they cost 10 bucks or 100,000 bucks, many of those recent foreign imports like The Warped Ones and I Am Waiting, both of which made The Criterion Collection cut, are far superior to 90% of what TCM shows every day. The problem isn't the imports, it's the utter mediocrity of the great percentage of so much of the studio era Hollywood product. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hibi Posted January 26, 2015 Why are all the premieres lately Grade Z programmers/imports? Probably cost 10 bucks to rent...... Realize there are several Underground/Imports that are NOT readily available to rent or borrow from the library; Nothing Lasts Forever, The Reluctant Dragon & The Manitou to just name a few recent titles. When I looked at Feb's Now Playing, the few Premieres listed were recent movies like the excellent THE FISHER KING and el stinkerino LORD OF THE RING trilogy....both found easily for sale or rent. After seeing The Manitou, it wasnt worth the money! Seems like most of the TCM premieres lately are stuff shown on TCM Underground. Definitely Grade Z stuff............. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyM108 Posted January 26, 2015 After seeing The Manitou, it wasnt worth the money! Seems like most of the TCM premieres lately are stuff shown on TCM Underground. Definitely Grade Z stuff............. Just to be clear, are you one of those people who simply can't handle foreign films? If so, that would go a long way towards explaining your comment, because there have been several terrific foreign premieres lately, both French and Japanese. Of course it's true that none of them have been in prime time, but then very few premieres ever are. The best stuff is almost always shown during working or sleeping hours. Prime time is usually reserved for repeats and AFI Top 100 types, but that's just TCM trying to attract new sets of eyeballs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hibi Posted January 26, 2015 Just to be clear, are you one of those people who simply can't handle foreign films? If so, that would go a long way towards explaining your comment, because there have been several terrific foreign premieres lately, both French and Japanese. Of course it's true that none of them have been in prime time, but then very few premieres ever are. The best stuff is almost always shown during working or sleeping hours. Prime time is usually reserved for repeats and AFI Top 100 types, but that's just TCM trying to attract new sets of eyeballs. I wasnt talking about foreign films in general. I was talking about most of the Grade Z looking programmers on the overnight hours (foreign or domestic) on the Underground shows as premieres. (as if that was something to crow about)........... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyM108 Posted January 27, 2015 I wasnt talking about foreign films in general. I was talking about most of the Grade Z looking programmers on the overnight hours (foreign or domestic) on the Underground shows as premieres. (as if that was something to crow about)........... Okay, in that case your complaint is more valid, since most of these programmers aren't much to write home about. But you should catch some of those Japanese and French premieres, as well as non-premieres like Tokyo Story. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HoldenIsHere Posted January 27, 2015 Whether they cost 10 bucks or 100,000 bucks, many of those recent foreign imports like The Warped Ones and I Am Waiting, both of which made The Criterion Collection cut, are far superior to 90% of what TCM shows every day. The problem isn't the imports, it's the utter mediocrity of the great percentage of so much of the studio era Hollywood product. I was blown away by THE WARPED ONES, a fantastic movie that deserves more recognition. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyM108 Posted January 27, 2015 I was blown away by THE WARPED ONES, a fantastic movie that deserves more recognition. The Warped Ones is like Rebel Without A Cause, minus the constraints of 1950's Hollywood censorship. And I Am Waiting may be even better. These two premieres alone more than make up for whatever else has cluttered up the January schedule, though actually this hasn't really been that bad a month at all. If only we could skip straight from March to May. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr6666 Posted January 28, 2015 tonight 1-28-15, for Richard Attenborough: 8:00 pm ET C- 179 min war Sand Pebbles, The (1966) A naval engineer stationed in 1926 China defies local authorities to rescue a group of missionaries. Dir: Robert Wise Cast: Steve McQueen , Richard Attenborough , Richard Crenna . Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sand_Pebbles_%28film%29 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hibi Posted January 28, 2015 Sand Pebbles has been on a few times.............. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TikiSoo Posted January 29, 2015 I was blown away by THE WARPED ONES, a fantastic movie that deserves more recognition. Thanks....I value your opinion and just requested it from my library! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fedya Posted January 29, 2015 The problem isn't the imports, it's the utter mediocrity of the great percentage of so much of the studio era Hollywood product.To be fair, we have posters who whinge when TCM shows non-studio era, non-Hollywood stuff. Anyhow, This Property Is Condemned was new to me this month, and a commenter at my blog said he'd never seen A Place in the Sun before. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyM108 Posted January 29, 2015 To be fair, we have posters who whinge when TCM shows non-studio era, non-Hollywood stuff. Anyhow, This Property Is Condemned was new to me this month, and a commenter at my blog said he'd never seen A Place in the Sun before. Given that A Place in the Sun is a strong candidate for The TCM Overplayed Hall of Fame, that kind of reinforces the point that we long-time TCM addicts aren't the only people who tune into the station. In Oscar Month nearly everything we're getting has been shown plenty of times before, but for new TCM viewers it must seem as if they've died and gone to heaven. Let's just remember that we were all virgins once. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roverrocks Posted January 29, 2015 tonight 1-28-15, for Richard Attenborough: 8:00 pm ET C- 179 min war Sand Pebbles, The (1966) A naval engineer stationed in 1926 China defies local authorities to rescue a group of missionaries. Dir: Robert Wise Cast: Steve McQueen , Richard Attenborough , Richard Crenna . Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sand_Pebbles_%28film%29 My favorite Steve McQueen movie bar none. I watched this movie last night again. Hadn't viewed it for a few years. Excellent movie. Well acted by all and well photographed. Candice Bergen is lovely. Richard Crenna was very intense. I do so enjoy historical period movies. China: the land of so very many sorrows. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fedya Posted January 29, 2015 Given that A Place in the Sun is a strong candidate for The TCM Overplayed Hall of Fame,It is? It aired once in 2014 (31 Days of Oscar), once in 2013 (31 Days of Oscar), zero times in 2012, and once in 2011 (Summer Under the Stars). Unless I missed an airing for Elizabeth Taylor's memorial tribute. Or perhaps my computer's search function isn't working? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr6666 Posted January 31, 2015 tonite 1-30-15 for FNS: Neil Simon: 8:00 pm ET C- 106 min comedy Heartbreak Kid, The (1972) A (disenchanted) newlywed falls in love with the perfect woman during the honeymoon from Hell. Dir: Elaine May Cast: Charles Grodin , Cybill Shepherd , Jeannie Berlin . Article: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/77593/Heartbreak-Kid-The/articles.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr6666 Posted January 31, 2015 VERY funny film! Does Jeannnie Berlin sound like mom, Elaine May, or what!? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HoldenIsHere Posted January 31, 2015 tonite 1-30-15 for FNS: Neil Simon: 8:00 pm ET C- 106 min comedy Heartbreak Kid, The (1972) A (disenchanted) newlywed falls in love with the perfect woman during the honeymoon from Hell. Dir: Elaine May Cast: Charles Grodin , Cybill Shepherd , Jeannie Berlin . Article: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/77593/Heartbreak-Kid-The/articles.html The above image has Cybill Shepherd's name spelled with one "L" instead the actual spelling with two. Cybill Shepherd was so pretty in this movie. I loved her facial reactions when Charles Grodin was stating his intentions to her parents. I think most actors would have played it very stone-faced in an attempt to seem more "natural" or "real," but her reactions came across as truly real as opposed to "movie real." I probably would have never seen this movie had it not aired on TCM so I'm glad it was part of the Neil Simon spotlight. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkblue Posted January 31, 2015 Cybill Shepherd was so pretty in this movie. Yes, in the early 70's, she was certainly well-served by her youth - 'The Last Picture Show' from the previous year being a case in point. Didn't last long. Aging is rarely beneficial to those whose looks peak so young, and she is a sharp example of that. She takes it in stride, it seems. When a talk show host mentioned he'd seen her nude the night before while watching 'Last Picture Show', she responded "That's okay, I don't look like that anymore". She also admits that she was pretty bratty back then. Being overly beautiful when you're young can have that effect sometimes. It shows well in 'The Heartbreak Kid', though. Adds a great deal to the movie. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TikiSoo Posted January 31, 2015 Didn't last long. Aging is rarely beneficial to those whose looks peak so young, and she is a sharp example of that. She takes it in stride, it seems. Heck, I'd take her aging ANYTIME! I think she's aged quite well both in the 80's TV show MOONLIGHTING and 90's CYBILL which I just loved. (she was an aging actress in H'wood, divorced from a movie stuntman) I had a friend once that said "a beautiful woman is always a beautiful woman" meaning beauty shows through all the inevitable sagging & shifting that takes it's course. Look at how pretty Eva Marie Saint & Maureen O'Hara are (Jessica Tandy was too) as old ladies! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyM108 Posted January 31, 2015 Yes, in the early 70's, [Cybill Shepherd] was certainly well-served by her youth - 'The Last Picture Show' from the previous year being a case in point. Didn't last long. Aging is rarely beneficial to those whose looks peak so young, and she is a sharp example of that. She takes it in stride, it seems. When a talk show host mentioned he'd seen her nude the night before while watching 'Last Picture Show', she responded "That's okay, I don't look like that anymore". She also admits that she was pretty bratty back then. Being overly beautiful when you're young can have that effect sometimes. It shows well in 'The Heartbreak Kid', though. Adds a great deal to the movie. One lasting benefit Shepherd got from The Last Picture Show was that she acquired a lifetime friend in Larry McMurtry. She and many others in the film and writing communities used to crash at Larry's apartment above his book shop whenever they were in Washington. Sometimes he'd bring them around the corner to my own shop, and while I never got to meet Shepherd, I did have the pleasure of meeting and selling some books to Susan Sontag. Beneath his gruff exterior, Larry is one of the true princes of the western world, and probably the best-read prince in addition. (/name-dropping) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HoldenIsHere Posted January 31, 2015 [Cybill Shepherd] also admits that she was pretty bratty back then. Being overly beautiful when you're young can have that effect sometimes. It shows well in 'The Heartbreak Kid', though. Adds a great deal to the movie. I agree. She is very convincing as a smug, rich and beautiful Midwestern girl, whose rudeness can be endearing because it is so playful . . . and because she is so pretty and "wholesome looking." In this movie, she reminds me very much (both physically and in her personality) of someone I knew in college, although the girl I'm remembering was from Wisconsin and Cybill Shepherd's character in THE HEARTBREAK KID is from Minnesota. In real life, I think Cybill Shepherd is originally from the South. I think Cybill Shepherd is still a beautifull woman, but of course it is not the same youthful beauty that we see in THE HEARTBREAK KID. I like that she doesn't look "done" whether or not she has actually had any cosmetic surgery over the years. And in her talk show appearances I like that she doesn't seem to take any sh*t from anyone. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkblue Posted January 31, 2015 One lasting benefit Shepherd got from The Last Picture Show was that she acquired a lifetime friend in Larry McMurtry. She and many others in the film and writing communities used to crash at Larry's apartment above his book shop whenever they were in Washington. Sometimes he'd bring them around the corner to my own shop, and while I never got to meet Shepherd, I did have the pleasure of meeting and selling some books to Susan Sontag. Beneath his gruff exterior, Larry is one of the true princes of the western world, and probably the best-read prince in addition. 'Lonesome Dove' is my all-time favorite novel. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr6666 Posted January 31, 2015 late Sat., 1-31-15 FINALLY, animation on Underground !! 2:15 am ET Color74 min adventure/animation Twice Upon A Time (1983) A despot tries to turn the world into a non-stop nightmare. Dir: John Korty Cast: Lorenzo Music , Judith Kaham Kampmann , Marshall Efron . morlock blog: http://moviemorlocks...983/#more-81352 article: http://en.wikipedia....ime_(1983_film) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr6666 Posted February 26, 2015 finally tonight a Premiere & one of Newman's Best performances.... 10:00 pm ET Color129 minTV-14 drama Verdict, The (1982) An alcoholic lawyer struggles to redeem himself by pursuing a high-stakes malpractice case. Dir: Sidney Lumet Cast: Paul Newman , Charlotte Rampling , James Mason . ARTICLE: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/18651/Verdict-The/articles.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites