Movie Talk

If you're interested in the Pre-code era in Hollywood (pre 1935, approximately), which is the period before the censors got hold of things, TCM is also exploring the era in May.

https://pre-code.com/pre-code-movies-on-tcm-in-may-2021/


sorry for all the posts. Just sitting here at my computer...


Good line up.  Surprised on of my favorites, Witness for the Prosecution,  isn't on there.


You know, I don't think I've ever seen that. Will have to dig it up.

It's on Prime. I see there's a remake too.


Charles Laughton is one of my favorite old timey actors.  His portrayal of the Hunchback in the 1930s version is one of the most heart wrenching performances I've ever seen.  Great as the defense lawyer in WFTP too.


bub said:

Charles Laughton is one of my favorite old timey actors. His portrayal of the Hunchback in the 1930s version is one of the most heart wrenching performances I've ever seen. Great as the defense lawyer in WFTP too.

A moving performance, too, in Tales of Manhattan. Add one of my favorite old timey actors, Edward G. Robinson, in another of the vignettes and you have an underknown winner of a film.



bub said:

Charles Laughton is one of my favorite old timey actors.  His portrayal of the Hunchback in the 1930s version is one of the most heart wrenching performances I've ever seen.  Great as the defense lawyer in WFTP too.

 Hunchback is another that I need to revisit. Haven't seen it in many years.


Wondering if I should upgrade to get TCM. What a list.

Seeing Jimmy Stewart at the piano always reminded me of my Dad.


I thought TCM was part of basic cable. What service do you have?


Finally caught up with Ad Astra, the recent Brad Pitt sci fi movie.  Good not great.  Marred, for me, by their injection of improbable even cliched super heroics/escapes by the Pitt character into a movie that is supposed to be, and largely is, serious and cerebral.  I'm good for some action but it should be smart action, especially in a movie that aspires to smarts.  The science was kinda vague and bogus though I could live with that.  It wasn't central to the story.


Haven't seen Ad Astra yet, but your post reminds me of why I like The Martian - I thought the science was done very well. The ending was a little fantastical, but up until then it was pretty solid.


I liked The Martian.  


drummerboy said:

I thought TCM was part of basic cable. What service do you have?

 It is no longer available on Optimum. Spent time trying to upgrade but finally found out that they do not offer it with any packages. In the immortal words of Snidely Whiplash, "Curses, foiled again."  Actually that is a great name for a cat. 


Morganna said:

drummerboy said:

I thought TCM was part of basic cable. What service do you have?

 It is no longer available on Optimum. Spent time trying to upgrade but finally found out that they do not offer it with any packages. In the immortal words of Snidely Whiplash, "Curses, foiled again."  Actually that is a great name for a cat. 

 oh. that's too bad.

I wonder if this will work for you?

https://www.tcm.com/watchtcm?ecid=mainnav1watchtcm

Click on a movie to watch, and then you'll be prompted for your optimum id/password.


drummerboy said:

 oh. that's too bad.

I wonder if this will work for you?

https://www.tcm.com/watchtcm?ecid=mainnav1watchtcm

Click on a movie to watch, and then you'll be prompted for your optimum id/password.

 I tried optimum, it suggested Altice which technically took over and it said the content was not included in the subscription. It's pretty difficult to get an actual human on the phone but I'll try. What a drag.


I love the the African Queen but steampunk???


I still don't exactly understand what steampunk is.


bub said:

I love the the African Queen but steampunk???

 Yeah that one gave me pause. 


drummerboy said:

I still don't exactly understand what steampunk is.

 Here's a definition that I just found but I bet @ridski could do a better job. I'm on a couple of Steampunk FB sites and we often debate the best definition. I love the fashion and set design and would say a few clear film choices would be The Nevers, the Sherlock Holmes films with Robert Downey, the Johnny Dep Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Penny Dreadful, Dickensian, Gentleman Jack, Johnny Dep's From Hell, Frankenstein. Lots of Victoriana and Edwardian flourishes. Industrial Revolution backdrops. Weird gadgets.

steampunk[ˈstēmˌpəNGk]NOUN

  1. a genre of science fiction that has a historical setting and typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology."if you like steampunk, this is a great book for you" ·
    • a style of design and fashion that combines historical elements with anachronistic technological features inspired by science fiction."the essence of steampunk is homage to vintage fashion with a modern, sassy twist" ·

yeah, I've read the definitions but I still only vaguely get it. It's been that way for years.


Morganna said:

drummerboy said:

 oh. that's too bad.

I wonder if this will work for you?

https://www.tcm.com/watchtcm?ecid=mainnav1watchtcm

Click on a movie to watch, and then you'll be prompted for your optimum id/password.

 I tried optimum, it suggested Altice which technically took over and it said the content was not included in the subscription. It's pretty difficult to get an actual human on the phone but I'll try. What a drag.

 Hit the key that says you want to disconnect. You'll get a live person pretty quickly.


marylago said:

 Hit the key that says you want to disconnect. You'll get a live person pretty quickly.

 Sounds risky LOL. At any rate the link that db posted responded quickly and said I had to register as Altice, not Optimum as they sold their TV section to Altice, then it clearly states that the provider does not include TCM. Quite a few searches clarify that Optimum/Altice does not include TCM. Seems to be some competition with one of their channels. Too bad as I really liked TCM.


bub said:

I love the the African Queen but steampunk???

Tough one. There's a difference between Steam Era and SteamPunk. I'd class this as Steam Era, as there's no anachronistic or retrofuturistic element to it. The page does say it's a list of films including "steam powered technology" and the African Queen is a steamboat. But that's really it. Zulu is on there, too, and that doesn't contain anything "steam powered" to my recollection. I guess they included it because of the uniforms and helmets.

I'm also personally tempted to reclassify anything made before the term Steampunk was invented (1987) as proto-steampunk, the same way I do with art that had elements of cyberpunk before 1983.

Some of the other movies in there are definitely Dieselpunk, like The Rocketeer, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, and Brazil. 

It's not a terrible list, though. The Assassination Bureau is a lot of fun, The City of Lost Children is amazing, Steamboy is a great YA adventure, and I really enjoyed Hugo, too.


I saw "Together Together" the new Ed Helms movie over the weekend at the newly re-opened Angelika in NYC. The movie was meh, at best. Helms' stuttering, wishy-washy character was annoying as hell and the film ends with no resolution. Phoooey. 


new list! new list!

Not sure Lost in Translation is an actual comedy.

Sideways as #1?


I outright disliked Burn After Reading.  The rest a mix of good to great.  I thought Enough Said was an underappreciated gem.  Glad it made the list.  


The full list has 45 movies "that never fail to leave our sides splitting." 

Can any of them do the job themselves, rather than leave it to my sides?


I think The Hangover belongs on a list of 45.  Tropic Thunder too.


I saw several of the movies on the list of 45 but other than Best in Show, I didn't care for any of them. Comedy is trickier than drama.


Morganna said:

I saw several of the movies on the list of 45 but other than Best in Show, I didn't care for any of them. Comedy is trickier than drama.

I enjoyed the ones on the list that I saw, but only a few made me laugh out loud. A few unlisted movies, off the top of my head, that did: In the Loop (more so than Death of Stalin), Logan Lucky, Ant-Man.


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