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Amph Turner Classic Movies: RARE FILM ALERT: "Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages" (1922) on TCM Tonight

Discussion in 'Community' started by Zaz, Jan 4, 2006.

  1. Zaz

    Zaz Jedi Knight star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 1998
    About a month ago or so, my local cable package started to include the Turner Classic Movies network. I know some of you get this, because one of you used to torture me with the information.

    I love old, rare, foreign movies of any description, so I have been glued to the tube every since.

    On Sunday night, they show silent films, and have commissioned scores from young composers for them. I know very little about music, but I watched one of the prize-winners, and was very impressed.

    Anyway, this thread is to discuss movies on TCM. Given that you have difficulty seeing B & W movies or silent movies these days, this may be one of the few places you can view them.

    Tomorrow, they are starting a month-long Hayao Miyazaki film festival, starting with "Spirited Away" at 8:00 EST and Princess Monotoke after that. They will show nine Miyazaki films, a couple of them each Thursday. I have only seen "Spirited Away" so I'm looking forward to this.
     
  2. Mastadge

    Mastadge Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 1999
    Spirited Away is by far the best of them, though they're all good and in some cases excellent. Mononoke is visually very impressive but kind of boring.
     
  3. master_organa

    master_organa Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 5, 2004
    I've seen Spirited Away, Princes Mononoke, and Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind. All of them are good. SP and PM are truely magnificient.
     
  4. DAR

    DAR Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 8, 2004
    I've never seen any of these films but am really looking forward to it. TCM is a great station. And they know what's a classic. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers does not fit into that category *cough* AMC *cough* But I love some of the theme nights they have. The introductions Robert Osborne gives are always first rate. It's one of my favorite stations.
     
  5. Soothsayer

    Soothsayer Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 20, 1999
    I too am looking forward to watching some of these. I have scene Spirited Away and Monoke, but have yet to see any of the other ones. The nice thing about TCM is no commercials.

    From the two I have scene I like Mononoke the best...SA is good but I agree witht the above poster that it got kind of boring in parts. One thing that stands out on his films is the score...I do not remember a lot about the movies, but I do remember the great music. Hopefully his earlier films have this as well.
     
  6. Mastadge

    Mastadge Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 1999
    I thought Mononoke was very standard: beautiful, but really nothing I haven't seen before. Spirited Away was pure magic.
     
  7. QweenofEgypt

    QweenofEgypt Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 20, 2002
    Holy crap that's awesome. I have a lot of his movies already, but I'll definately try to tune in. I can't necessarily pick a favorite from his collection, but there are some that are better than others. One of the reasons why Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke are appealing to me is because, technically, there isn't a villain.

    Anyway, good stuff.
     
  8. ShiriKeiCelisoe

    ShiriKeiCelisoe Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2002
    I missed it. :_| I really wanted to see Spirited Away too. :_|:_|
     
  9. LegatoBluesummers

    LegatoBluesummers Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 7, 2004
    why don't you just go buy it...

    Also, I generally liked SP and PM much more then the other movies, although they have their "certain something"(unlike Totoro [face_sick] )
     
  10. Zaz

    Zaz Jedi Knight star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 1998
    Well, as it turned out, you didn't miss anything. They didn't show the movies, after advertising them all week. They showed two Fred Astaire movies instead. I like Fred Astaire, but I was not happy.
     
  11. ShiriKeiCelisoe

    ShiriKeiCelisoe Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2002
    Uh... Maybe because I don't have any money.
     
  12. Zaz

    Zaz Jedi Knight star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 1998
    Have a similar problem, myself, Shiri.
     
  13. Zaz

    Zaz Jedi Knight star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 1998
    Okay, try again.

    Tomorrow night they claim to be showing famous screwball comedies starring Cary Grant:

    "The Awful Truth" Excellent
    "His Girl Friday" This contains a brilliant performance by Cary Grant in which he is completely corrupt, conniving and manipulative, and still keeps the audience's sympathy.
    "My Favorite Wife" I haven't seen
    "Bringing Up Baby" A terrific movie that also stars Katherine Hepburn
    "Topper" I haven't seen, and it is difficult to get in any version.

    In the morning (8:00 am EST) they are also showing "Gilda". Be sure to watch to see Rita Hayworth do that 'thing' with her hair...
     
  14. americantragedy

    americantragedy Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jun 6, 2005
    I love spirited away. i almost always watch it in japanese now(i have the dvd). I loved Kiki's Delivery Service.
    -mia-
     
  15. HandmaidenAnde

    HandmaidenAnde Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2001
    I adore Cary Grant and will be sure to watch. I'm a little disappointed my favorite Grant comedy isn't on the list. "The Bachelor and the Bobbysoxer" is one of my all time favorite oldies. I just love Myrna Loy in that one. :)

    Andé :)
     
  16. Zaz

    Zaz Jedi Knight star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 1998
    They had "The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer" on last week. I didn't see it, however.
     
  17. Zaz

    Zaz Jedi Knight star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 1998
    "My Favorite Wife" wasn't bad, but the undertones in the casting made it hard to pay attention to the comedy.

    Next interesting night: Wednesday, when they are showing movies with "Big" in the title:

    "The Big Heat" Excellent melodrama, with Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Lee Marvin as the heavy; directed by Fritz Lang;

    "The Big Sleep" Excellent melodrama with Humphrey Bogart & Lauren Bacall, directed by Howard Hawks.

    "The Big Store" Later Marx Brothers comedy; which means some good comedy and a lot of padding;

    "The Big Sky" Adventure directed by Hawks; haven't seen this.

    "The Big Hangover" Haven't seen this either.

    But the first two are must-see.
     
  18. Ive_Got_Two_Legs

    Ive_Got_Two_Legs Jedi Youngling star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 18, 2005
    No Big Lebowski?
     
  19. Zaz

    Zaz Jedi Knight star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 1998
    No; and no "Big", either.
     
  20. Obi-Wan_Skywalker_29

    Obi-Wan_Skywalker_29 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 1, 2003
    Wow. Those were actually the only two movies I could think of with "big" in the title. :p
     
  21. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    The Big Red One? :p

    TCM is the finest television station on the air right now, one of only a few to show movies in their Original Aspect Ratio, which means when you watch a movie shot in widescreen, they show it in widescreen.

    And I like their selection criteria too: they know what a classic is, something AMC has lost sight of. :p

    Topper is great, Zaz, how'd you find that one? My Favorite Husband I didn't like too much.

    I remember the theme night they did Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Throne of Blood. That was a great night, though I didn't get much sleep. :cool:
     
  22. Zaz

    Zaz Jedi Knight star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 1998
    I watched "The Big House" (1930) last night. It was highly effective until about half the way through. MGM couldn't do melodrama like Warner's. I liked Chester Morris, though, at least in that flick.

    "The Divorcee", which followed it, was godawful. Norma Shearer won a Best Actress Oscar for this?
     
  23. Vaderbait

    Vaderbait Jedi Knight star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 26, 2001
    About a month ago or so, my local cable package started to include the Turner Classic Movies network. I know some of you get this, because one of you used to torture me with the information.

    Wow, I've been getting this for years as a basic part of cable and later, satellite. You're slow to the game. :p
     
  24. dudalb

    dudalb Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2001
    No "The Big Country"?
    Granted that Turner seems to show this an awful lot anyway.
    Great Western though, will Burl Ives deserving his Best Supporting Actor Oscar as one of the two feuding ranchers in the film. ("If'in you ain't the grandaddy of all liars") and Gregory Peck and Charelton Heston also very good.
     
  25. Zaz

    Zaz Jedi Knight star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 1998
    It is a great Western (love that score), but Wyler seemed to forget how to cut; it was insanely long, and could have lost a half hour with no pain.

    And you're right: Ives is good. I never liked him as a singer, but in "The Big Country" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", he's very effective.