I really enjoy the show SB and it has also become one of my can't miss shows. Don't know if you ever watched Third Watch...but there are a couple of people from Third Watch that are now on this show.





Scent of A Woman was not even close to his best work?
Are you serious pizzaboy!?!

I remember walking out of the movie theater after seeing Scent Of A Woman for the first time and turning to my wife saying.. "I think that Pacino will finally WIN his first oscar."

He was unbelievably convincing as a blind man and overall, in my opinion, it may have been his best piece of acting since GF and GFII.

Okay, maybe I overstated it, but he should have won for both "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Godfather II." So to me, they were compensating him a bit for ripping him off back in the '70s. And don't get me wrong, I loved "Scent of a Woman."

Hoo-ah!

I think you're right that "Birth of a Nation" is often ranked so high because it's perceived as having revolutionized filmmaking in important ways. But I've also read that all these things had already been done in previous films, it's just that none of those movies are remembered much today because they weren't as popular--and controversial--as "Birth" was and is.

From the AMC Top 100 Site, on 'Birth of a Nation':

http://www.filmsite.org/birt.html

A controversial, explicitly racist, but landmark American film masterpiece - these all describe ground-breaking producer/director D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915)....

Its pioneering technical work, often the work of Griffith's under-rated cameraman Billy Bitzer, includes many techniques that are now standard features of films, but first used in this film. Griffith brought all of his experience and techniques to this film from his earliest short films at Biograph, including the following:

•Use of ornate title cards
•Special use of subtitles graphically verbalizing imagery
•It's own original musical score written for an orchestra
•Introduction of night photography (using magnesium flares)
•Use of outdoor natural landscapes as backgrounds
•Definitive usage of the still-shot
•Elaborate costuming to achieve historical authenticity & accuracy
•Many scenes innovatively filmed from many different and multiple angles
•Technique of the camera "iris" effect (expanding or contracting circular masks to either reveal and open up a scene, or close down and conceal a part of an image)
•Use of parallel action and editing in a sequence (Gus' attempted rape of Flora, and the KKK rescues of Elsie from Lynch and of Ben's sister Margaret)
•Extensive use of color tinting for dramatic or psychological effect in sequences
•Moving, traveling or "panning" camera tracking shots
•Effective use of total-screen close-ups to reveal intimate expressions
•Beautifully crafted, intimate family exchanges
•Use of vignettes seen in "balloons" or "iris-shots" in one portion of a darkened screen
•Use of fade-outs and cameo-profiles (a medium closeup in front of a blurry background)
•Use of lap dissolves to blend or switch from one image to another
•High-angle shots and the abundant use of panoramic long shots
•Dramatization of history in a moving story - an example of an early spectacle or epic film with historical costuming and many historical references (e.g., Mathew Brady's Civil War photographs)
•Impressive, splendidly-staged battle scenes with hundreds of extras (made to appear as thousands)
•Extensive cross-cutting between two scenes to create a montage-effect and generate excitement and suspense (e.g., the scene of the gathering of the Klan)
•Expert story-telling, with the cumulative building of the film to a dramatic climax

Jane Russell dies at 89 Feb. 28, 2011, 7:10 PM EST
By Joshua L. Weinstein

Jane Russell, the voluptuous "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" star who was a pinup girl during World War II, has died. She was 89.

Do any of you Board members watch American Chopper. I haven't kept up with it in awhile, so I was surprised to find out that the Teutal son and father have gone their separate business ways and that the new OCC hq building is in loan default.

I liked the father initially, but his rants got old real quick.

My office is not too far, and I actually met Junior at a local business dinner. They also allowed a tour of the new building last year on a real estate tour. With all the money they've gotten from the show(s) and merchandising, I don't understand how they could be losing money.

By OSKAR GARCIA The Associated Press 2011-03-11

LAS VEGAS — The Sahara Hotel & Casino, among a few Las Vegas Strip resorts left from the Rat Pack era, is closing nearly six decades after dealing its first hand.

I have stayed at the Sahara several times. The problem was it is too far from mid-strip which is the area that has most activity. It is very old and I understand why it's going, but it is kind of sad.

I believe it was back in the 80's when I went to Vegas and the Sahara had a special (of sorts) on their rooms. They had a big roulette wheel with numbers 1 to 50 (or so) by the check-in desk. You spin the wheel once and that was your room price per night. Anyway I spun the wheel and got my room for $13.00 Not a bad deal even back then.

I know the Riveria is still there as is The Flamingo (which I can't see them tearing down), but The Stardust, Frontier and others are gone sadly.

TIS

I started watching Criminal Minds over the weekend. I'm really enjoying this show.

I know there was a thread for this but I couldn't find it.

They had the ceremony for the new inductees in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last night. They are:

Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, Darlene Love, Dr. John and Leon Russell. With the exception of Tom Waits (who I'm not real familiar with) I like all of them. If anyone knows if/when this will be televised please let me know. I'd love to see it. I know HBO usually airs it but I haven't heard yet.


For those interested there is a link to view some pictures.

TIS

http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Lat...ll-Hall-of-Fame

I think Joan Rivers is one of the funniest people on earth.

Seriously???? I use to love her humor way back when, but she easily gets on my nerves these days.

I remember for some reason this particular joke: She appeared on Ed Sullivan a lot in her heyday. Liz Taylor was the target of her jokes because Liz was "getting" heavy in those days. I remember Joan saying in her routine, and I'll paraphrase....."If you go to McDonalds and see the number showing how many served changing constantly, that's because Liz is eating there. Mean? Yes but it was funny. Btw, they don't have that "how many served" anymore do they? In which case, makes my story confusing for the younger set.

TIS

Tonight is Paget Brewster's final appearance on "Criminal Minds." I hope they don't kill her off. I love her character.

Friggin CBS. First they cut A.J. Cook from the show, now Paget Brewster. All to save a few bucks and produce even more reality shows .

I loathe reality television. It's going to make people stupid. Mark my words.

I never in my life wanted to a hit woman..until I saw Joan Rivers. How annoying can one person be. Her husband hated her so much, he actually killed himself 'cuz of it.

I agree. I haven't seen one of her performances in decades, but she was always funny. Of course, like most comedians of her generation, her humor was clean. Today's comics, even the women, feel compelled to use such foul language. I think it's a crutch - kind of like a laugh track.

By the way, for you Men in Black fans, another sequel of it is currently filming and yes, it will star Jones and Smith.

The reason I like guys like Ricky Gervais or Larry David is because they're ridiculously funny. Their comedy works for millions of people and I think one of the main reasons for that is because they talk like normal people talk. People relate to this shit.

Throw out your religious beliefs and most of the values you were taught by your beloved mother and just watch this with an open mind!

i guess HBO is premiering a new miniseries tonight. Mildred Pierce which is staring Kate Winslet, Evan Rachel Wood, and Guy Pearce.

Bam,

I have HBO and new of the movie (didn't know it was a mini series either) but didn't realize it was premiering tonight. Thanks for the heads up. I saw the original one many many years ago and liked it. I am looking forward to seeing this version.


TIS

TIS, you, I, and a few other Board members maybe old enough to remember this. But, do you remember the song in Japanese titled Sukiyaki from the 60s? I heard it the other day and looked up the the words in Japanese. Surpisingly, Selena did a spainish version of it.

Oli,

I sure do. I'm singing the tune as I type. I "think" I even remember the artist. You'll have to take my word for it that I didn't look it up, but I like music trivia. I believe the artist is (and excuse my spelling) Kyo Sokomoto???? hu? I'll check to see if I am correct.

I can't imagine a Spanish version but why not. If I remember correctly Sukiyaki is a food no???

Thanks for the flashback


TIS

The story is that, in place of the Japanese title, someone chose Sukiyaki since it was already a popularly used word in America. You're right about the song's author. I sing it all the time, but I compared my lyrics witht he actual ones. I was close, but no cigar. It's funny how you hear a song over and over, but still can get the lyrics wrong.

Oli,

You're right about the title. I was inspired to check further and found the Japanese title is "Ue O Muite Aruko", which means "I look up when I walk." But like you say Sukiyaki was a more used/popular word in America.


The artist died in a 1985 Japanese plane crash at only 43 years old.

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1230

For those who may not recognize the tune by title...for your listening pleasure as you read this. Damn, I surely must have time on my hands. I guarantee you'll be whistling the tune in no time.



TIS

I am so disappointed that the networks have stopped broadcasting the St. Ickett's Day parade. When I was a kid, I watched it every year and really looked forawrd to it every April. But I think that parades like so many things that we used to enjoy have lost some of their luster these days. Or maybe it's because we are more and more a secular society.

Is anyone watching HBO's mini series, Mildred Pierce? It's pretty good.



TIS

Me too, Oli. For me, springtime didn't begin until the part of the parade where they sacrificed the virgin. Makes me sad for America how things have changed.

NEW YORK – Fox News Channel on Wednesday said it was dropping Glenn Beck's afternoon talk show, which has sunk in the ratings and suffered financially due to an advertiser boycott.

Fox and Beck said the show will end later this year.

Fox News and Beck's company, Mercury Radio Arts, said they will work together to create other projects for Fox television and digital.

Beck was a quick burn on Fox News Channel. Almost immediately after joining the network in January 2009, he doubled the ratings at his afternoon time slot. Fans found his conservative populism entertaining, while Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert described Beck's "crank up the crazy and rip off the knob" moments.

He was popular with Tea Party activists and drew thousands of people to the National Mall in Washington last August for a "restoring honor" rally.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110406/ap_en_tv/us_tv_fox_beck

I have Charter cable. Recently, it eliminated several HBO and Cinemax movie channels. Have your cable providers done the same?

I have Time Warner and haven't noticed any changes in channel lineups. Although my monthly bill did increase by about $8.00. I have my Internet Cable & HBO (which is a package addition). I don't have, but can get (for more money) the other movie channels. I find they tend to play the same movies over and over again though.

There are a lot of what I call bullsh*t channels that I never watch. I wish they had a package where you can actually pick individual channels.

I really do like having "On Demand" and find myself taking advantage of it since some (not all) of my favorite shows can be seen. So if I miss them I know I can watch there.

TIS