Movies/TV Random Post Whoring

Boy, the Sci FI Channel does show some dumb movies doesn't it? I've never heard of half of them.



TIS

national geographic is the best station i can watch it 24/7

Really? I know my Son-in-law and my Ex would watch National Geographic a lot. I must admit, it's not my cup of tea. It'd have to be something that really sparked my interest to watch it. I guess I'm more for regular tv/movies. I don't know.


TIS

im more for real life documentries that sort of thing

It really does depend on the topic for me. If it's a storyline, era, country, or event that sparks my interest I'll watch it. As opposed to turning on NG and watching whatever is on.


Btw Chopper in another thread you mentioned when you lived in the US and I know now you are in the UK...and this is a random post whoring thread, so I'll ask here. Are you from the UK or US originally? And, what brought you to the US and back to the UK...if I may inquire.

TIS

I too used to love NGC when I had TV (that was 2 years ago ). One particular episode on prairies (wildebeest, forest fires etc) is still fresh in mind. Great episode. And then another one on red ants in America. And of course I can watch any number of programs on pyramids, archeology, fossils, dinosaurs, saber tooth tigers, super crocs and other extinct species

I laugh SVSG because that sounds exactly like my ex-husband. He'd love those kinds of shows and I'd say "come on let's watch something good." I didn't want to watch bugs, mountain lions or a show on weather vanes or whatever.

One of my daughters loves watching a show called "flip this house" in which they redecorate/remodel homes. I mean hey, that's great, but I guess I'm more into entertainment. She could watch these shows all day. I think they're boring. It's definitely to each his own.

TIS

Btw Chopper in another thread you mentioned when you lived in the US and I know now you are in the UK...and this is a random post whoring thread, so I'll ask here. Are you from the UK or US originally? And, what brought you to the US and back to the UK...if I may inquire.

TIS

im from the UK but i lived in New Hampshire for about six months in may2006 i wasworking at a sports camp called Camp Winaukee in New Hampshire it was a great time i went to quite a few states and Also Montreal we used to go out drinking in Boston once a month it was a great time,im actually going to visit one of my friends in Febuary in New Orleans

First, thanks for the clarification Chopper. Glad you'll be visiting the US again.


Ok, I am not a Ben Stiller fan at all, but I have to laugh at the previews to his most recent movie. I don't even know the name of it. But he marries some overbearing obnoxius girl who isn't at all like he thought she was. In particular the scene in the car where she keeps singing one song after another and doesn't shut up. LMAO

TIS

Wow, tonight's episode of The Moment of Truth was pretty disturbing -- how personal they get with these questions! And WTF, even passing milestones as far as win-money, ONE lie and it's ALL gone! WTF is that, after sharing your deepest, darkest most embarrassing secrets on national television?

"Did you feel you were still in love with your ex during your wedding?" Yes - TRUE

"Did you have sexual relations with anyone other than your husband?" Yes - TRUE

(The Ex asks:) "Do you feel you should be with me instead of your husband (who's sitting right there)?" Yes - TRUE!

All questions like that, and she had like $200,000 or something on the line, then they asked, "Do you feel as if you're a good person?" (This is after we (and her family) already know she's stolen from work, cheated on her husband, etc) -- and she says YES and loses it ALL!

So instead of winning ANY money, she's basically told she should seek therapy. And her marriage is pretty much shot now (which she obviously wanted anyway). Unbelievable!

Gotta love it, though.

PS - Check out the application to be on the show. Who'd wanna answer all that knowing the worst would be announced on national TV?

I want to see Stewie Griffin and Bart Simpson in a no holds barred cage match. Stewie would wipe the floor with Bart.

Baby Stewie for President

Stewie is the best. Brian cracks me up.

I watched the episode yesterday when Brian got addicted to cocaine, hence my signature.

Did you see the Star Wars Episode?

No. But I just watched an episode with The Godfather theme. Peter gets a job with a tobacco company and has to woo George W, Al Gore, and Dick Armie. (sp). He takes them to a skin bar. The next scene you have The Senator crying over a dead prostitute. Peter says, "Senator, I don't know if you killed this prostitute. But this girl had no family. It'll be as if she never existed".

I've never seeen that epi. but I did see the one when Peter goes to the Don to ask him to take the hit off of Lois on the Don's Daughter wedding day.

My buddy wants to drag me to The Foot Fist Way, but F that. It looks like a huge pile of shit. I'm not paying $10 to see this shit in a theater. Don't buy the "Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, and Seth Rogen" bullshit -- they have nothing to do with this, any more than Jane Austen had anything to do with Mafia! It looks like a bad direct-to-DVD title that somehow made it into some theaters. He says I don't "get it" -- maybe I don't. But there still are plenty of more intelligent films out there, like "Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay" for chrissakes.

I was looking something up on IMDb and saw that James Gandolfini will be appearing in a re-make of "The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3". For those that don't know, it's the story of a gang of four guys who hijack a NYC subway train. The original movie was just so-so but it's a great story and maybe the remake will tell the story better (than the original movie).

John Travolta is set to star in this version, and it's scheduled to come out next year.

Sounds interesting,ill keep an eye out for this.

Yea, I recently heard they were remaking it too, and heard about Travolta but didn't know Gandolfini was in it too. Only, for whatever reason, I never saw the original, so it'll be new to me.


TIS

TCM is jumping on the bandwagon tonight, TIS. "20 Million Miles to Earth" is being shown tonight at 8:00 (Eastern). Its a corny movie about some jelly from Venus that turns into a monster that goes beserk in Rome. Its definitely a Grade B movie, and a pretty bad at that, but I love the scene in which this "monster" fights an elephant (the effects are somewhat dated, but they're pretty decent in that scene).

If you have the time and want some laughs, check it out.

Ha ha!!! Sort of like "The Blob." Yet, I liked that movie, even if corny.


TIS

I loved the original of "The Blob" simply because it had Steve McQueen in it. It was a bad movie but it was fun. The remake had some good special effects, but it lacked the campiness of the original.

Don't know if there's enough to say about this to start a new topic, but these movies remind me of going to the Drive-In theaters. Remember? We'd go occasionally when I was a kid, as a family, but I'm talking about as a teenager or with a group of friends. Scarey movies were always more fun at the drive-in. They would have $1.00 movie night per car, where you could cram as many people as you can in your car and see a double feature.

Some had kids in their trunk just so take advantage of the deal. Gee, a double feature for $1.00.

Of course then they would have intermession with the dancing hot dog.

TIS

I am young so I have no Idea what they were really like, but they always looked fun

Growing up in Brooklyn, drive-ins were not a big thing (we didn't have any). To me, drive-ins represented the "country", and I would go only if my family was on vacation, so I really missed out on the drive-in experience as a teenager.

Santino,

Yea, I guess they are a thing of the past. They were fun, especially in the summer. You could watch a movie in the comfort of your car. Some would bring their own lawn chairs and sit outside in front of their car, when weather was nice.

You can talk during the movie, bring your own snacks if you like, and for families they usually had a playground with swings and slides that the kids could play on while the parents could see them from the car window.

There were times it seems though, that you'd get settle in your space and you find your speaker (car speaker that hooks to your window) didn't work so you'd have to move.

Anyway, I think there MAY be only one left in my neighborhood. It was fun at the time. Not someplace I went all the time but still it was nice to have that option.

TIS

man, they do sound like fun, I wish I was alive back when they were still widespread

How cute!! I say this in humor (making fun of myself)....."Damn, I feel old."


(since movies will always be popular, I'm sure most young people WOULD still enjoy drive-ins)


TIS

I think I've only been to a drive in once in my life.

I don't know, to me seeing a movie meant sitting in a nice air conditioned theatre.

There was a drive in close to me when I was growing up we went to a lot. $10 a car and overpriced food but just about worth it for the experience. We used to go maybe once a month or so in the summer.

There is a drive in where I live now but I've never been to it.

AMC is addictive. Now I'm watching Stand By Me - I think I'd seen parts before, but never straight through. This is one of the airings where they include trivia with it, and though it can get distracting from the movie, I love to read it. I never knew this film was based on a Stephen King novella (The Body).

AMC, TCM, USA and Bravo. They have better shows than network television. It's a bonus that I get to watch reruns of shows that usually run new shows past my bedtime.

Yeah, those are all great stations, Beth! I got caught up in another movie on AMC, I think it was...Murder By Numbers. I didn't even want to watch it - well, wasn't planning on it - but they lured me in! haha

Twilight Zone fans: the episodes are on SciFi each night from midnight to 1 AM (Central time)! I'm always so impatient for the marathons, and now I've got it more often! Then again, having them all day to watch, rather than just two episodes, is much nicer. 4th of July's not too far away, you know.

AMC is disappointing now. Up until six years ago they aired their movies commercial-free, and that was great. Now, they have a damned commercial every 8 minutes or so, and that completely ruins the viewing experience for me.

The upside of it is they will often show decent flicks.

Nothing beats TCM!

When WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S showed up on AMC, it was the beginning of the end. Okay, I do still laugh my ass off at the movie, but AMC used to stand for something. Oh yeah, American Movie Classics. Back in the late 80s through the late 90s, it was my favorite place to check out all my old black and white favorites. SC is spot-on: TCM is the best!

That's as laughable as MTV standing for Music Television.

Weekend at Bernie's is a riot.

I happened upon "Throw Momma From the Train" just fifteen minutes into it, and now I'm hooked. I like both Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito, and it's such a goofy/funny movie. I knew the title but had never seen it before.

Oh, and for the "My Cousin Vinny" fans, AMC's showing it this Saturday, at 8 PM Eastern, 7 Central.

Billy Crystal is funny, but acts the same way in every movie. Woody Allen and Denzel Washington immediately come to my mind for the same quality.

I always preferred Billy Crystal more in standup comedy (loved when he hosted the academy awards), but never was much of of fan of his movies.


TIS

Crystal had some good roles (especially in romantic comedies like "Forget Paris" and "When Harry Met Sally") but IMO he had a GREAT role.... that of comedian Buddy Young in "Mr. Saturday Night". While the movie is basically a comedy, it's also a great study of this sad character and how he relates to others (most notably with his brother, excellently played by David Paymer).

I started watching "Forget Paris" one night, thinking that I'd be changing the channel any moment, but enjoyed it. He was great as a referee, exchanging barbs with NBA players. And I cracked up during the scene in the apartment with the girlfriend's father or grandfather, especially when Crystal stood behind him with the kitchen knife.

I've never seen Mr. Saturday Night, which for some reason I alwys confuse with "Broadway Danny Rose." I'll be sure to catch it when I can.

"Forget Paris" was hysterically funny. I LOVED how the other characters took turns in describing what happened and the scene in which Crystal races back to the hospital with his sperm sample was priceless.

The scene with the bird glued to Debra Winger's head actually happened to someone connected with the movie. I can't remember if it was the writer or director's family, but they were staying in a temporary apartment, the bird got on the glue trap, etc., and they decided to write it into the movie.

Why are sports HD channels much clearer than other (say movies) HD channels?

Probably because sports are shot in HD and most movies aren't...

Hey, you Brits would know this.

Clive Hornby has passed at 63.

A Brando documentary is on TCM now. It's on for 3 hours. Then at 8pm On The Waterfront is on. If I remember I'll be watching. Great flick.

What does everyone think of THE UNTOUCHABLES, I personally love it

If you are talking about the movie then I agree with you.

yeah, the movie

They are showing the GF scenes now. What a handsome man he was.

Anyone know the type of cigars Robert De Niro smokes in CAPE FEAR?

I watched the movie IT tonight on the Chiller channel.

HORRIBLE movie. What a piece of shit. It's right up there with Mobsters, starring Christian Slater as Lucky Luciano.

MOBSTERS wasn't great but I enjoyed THE UNTOUCHABLES. De Niro and Connery were both pleasantly enjoyable

Because of my irrational fear of clowns, "It" scares the hell out of me. "We all float!" My nephew, who along with my daughters finds my fear of clowns endlessly amusing, will randomly text me "Hey, Auntie! We all float down here!"

As for The Untouchables, I like it very much. The train station scene, the scene when the scene at the opera house, when DeNiro is simultaneously crying at the beauty of the aria, and smiling at the news he's just received, echoing the words of the aria. I actually like the movie very much.

I don't have a fear of clowns but that movie scared me also. I had to watch something funny afterwards so I could go to bed and not have nightmares. I still like the movie though.

I'm watching a PBS station right now and it's ttitled "That's Amore - Italian American Favorites." It has original clips of Italian American artists that is bringing back such memories for me. I know all of them so far. They show some very old clips of Julius LaRosa, Rosemary Clooney, Dominco Mudungo (Volare), and a recent 92 year old Tony Martin and a the last appearance of Frankie Laine. Yet to come, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin and Bobby Darin.

Well, maybe SB and others who were raised around that atmosphere or remember these artists, can relate. They just had Connie Francis' moving rendition of "Mama". Brought tears to my eyes. This is a real flasback for me. I am thoroughly enjoying it.
Oh, btw, Danny Aiello is the host.


TIS

Fwiw - I knew Danny Aiello was a singer, but never really heard him sing. He just sang a number and really sounded prtty good. He said that Bobby Darin influenced him, and I can tell by the song he sang.

That sounds really great, TIS. I grew up listening to those songs. My dad loved this one singer, Ray Allen, and the way that he sang Al di La. My dad played that album so many times that I think I could sing it word for word today.

That is funny SB, that is my older son's first and middle name.

SB,

Ad di la, very beautiful. My parents and brother had that song by various artists, Connie Francis for one, and Jerry Vale. I don't know Ray Allen by name. Was that a stage name? I'll ask my parents if they know it.

My father's very favorite was Mario Lanza, who was a household name in my house.

I too remember them being real critics on who spoke the best Italian (in song). Ha ha.....Connie Francis they say, spoke it very well. Don't know why I remember that but I do.

Speaking of Jerry Vale, he's on now....."O Solo Mio." Beautiful!!!

TIS

I just Googled him and it seems that he was more of a songwriter. Perhaps he just recorded that one album. It seems that he wrote some famous songs, such as "Pepino the Italian Mouse", "Who Stole My Provolone?" and, a holiday favorite in the Babe household, "Dominic the Christmas Donkey".

Hey,

I see this show listed to the left on the BB page. It's on at 10:00 in NYC. Check it out.

I'd love to record it but don't have a DVD that records. My daughter has Direct TV. Anyone know how I can find out if it is on Direct TV and what channel? I would love to give it to my parents. I'd buy it but they want $150. I just paid that for the Mario Lanza show they had a few months ago. That's quite a bit.

SB, I remember Dominic and Pepino, but can't recall who stole the Provolone.

TIS

I would imagine that Direct TV would have a website with all their listings. I'll run next door and tell my mom about this show, TIS. Sounds like she'll love it. I will try and wrestle the remote from Mr. Babe, but doubt I'll have much luck.

Btw, Geoff has TV listings on here?? I had no idea!

What??!!

Please, stop spreading ridiculous rumors like that!!

Dammit, TIS! I still have NO idea what show you're talking about, but I coulda recorded to the DVR for ya (like I do for my mom, with Monk) and I'd do it for only $99.99/week! lol

The reason why it's so expensive is because it's a PBS station and you have to "contribute" aka "join". You can make any kind of donation, BUT to get the video you pay $150.

Later in the evening they replayed he show. I ddn't watch a second time, but right after they had another interesting show on "Italian-Americans" (they had another a few years back) and although it was late and I fell asleep, it looked interesting. That was hosted bay Tony LoBianco.

Anyway, I'm sure they'll replay it.

TIS

In the "Singin' in the Rain," is that line in the Broadway sequence "Got a Dance," or "Gotta dance?"

"Gotta" as in "must". One of my favorite movies, Afs.

Thanks, I was surprised that IMDb has got it down as "Gotta," because the way they pronounced and what it meant (as I can dance, I supposed) didn't make sense to me to be "gotta." So I wanted to make sure.

And here was "Got a dance" as well:

http://www.geocities.com/classicfilmfreak/Singin-in-the-rain.html

Anyway, thank you.

I don't think I've ever even seen that in its entirety! But I will guess "gotta" as well, cuz a geocities (that's still around???!!) site that spells "rythem" more than once isn't necessarily that trustworthy now, is it?

No, I don't say it is trustworthy, I just said what I heard was more like "Got a," that's all and I'm not alone.

Plus, editing IMDb is not that hard either.

Is general public allowed to edit IMDB?

No. But you can validate your account and add/edit stuff in FAQ. But for other things I guess you have to report it and IMDb staff would go through it.

I heard on the radio yesterday that "The Blob" is 50 years old. I never saw it in the theater, but I remember as a kid watching the Friday night "scary movie". One of those silly concepts (I mean, come on) Yet something about that movie made it fun to watch and just plain enjoyable.
And, if I'm not mistaken, Steve McQueen's first movie no????

TIS

No... he had been in a few before this... most notably (IMO) in "Somebody Up There Likes Me" (Paul Newman starred as Rocky Graziano); McQueen had a small part of a gang member.

"The Blob" may have been his first STARRING role, though. I have it on DVD and watched it about two months ago... it's still campy and fun even if it's God-awful.

The PBS special, THAT'S AMORE: The Italian-American Singers was great. It's hosted by Danny Aiello and it's on again tonight at 9:30 on Channel 13 here in New York.

I saw a TV ad for The Day the Earth Stood Still, but I don't know if it was a tv program ad or a movie ad. Anyone know which?

I just saw the previews. Real quick random shots, but didn't look bad. They announced a "sneak preview" on Sunday before or after "Fringe."

TIS

So, today I was just thinking what "Here's looking at you kid!" really means. Some on the net say that in the commentary it says that it is about a hand in poker.

I can't believe I missed the season premiere of HOUSE last night! My DVR was set to the old schedule and didn't record it. I'll be able to watch it here, but "Episodes [appear] Online 8 Days After Broadcast" -- that makes a lot of sense, airing previous episodes a day after the subsequent episode airs.

My DVR cut it off at the end when House and Wilson are talking!

If you don't want to wait the 8 days to see the House Season 5 Premier ....

http://iwatchtvshowsonline.com/2008/09/house-md-season-5-episode-1-dying-changes-everything/

FOX has the best shows... but those mutherfockers ALWAYS overlap by a minute and the DVR never gets the ending!! ...and I can't even tell the DVR to record a minute past because of the fockin' schedule it goes by!

Sweet, thanks!

( ...and before anyone gets the idea that me watching that was the same as not buying a CD or DVD, it's not the same thing -- I missed a broadcast television episode, I didn't download a song/video/movie to bypass paying for it. )

I changed my schedule to go 5 minutes before and after now.

I've tried to do that countless times -- it used to work -- but for some reason I cannot seem to change "record every first run episode" then add a minute or two at the end -- it just takes the schedule it receives. Maybe I need a new DVR (mine's a few years old)... but it pisses me off. And it's not just FOX...

My whole organization is not legit. I'll not even try to go legit. You can leave me Kay.

Is THAT what Michael said??

He may've meant it, but still... lol

Maybe where you are you gotta "finagle" things a bit, I understand.. But here, in the States... it's just cheapass fockers who feel good about "beating the system" and then at the same time COMPLAIN that shit movies/shows come out because there's no money for the studios to actually create anything GOOD because half the people are STEALING their shit so they don't have the money for development! But of course I'm talking about Americans, 16-30ish, who have access to this already, but feel everything's entitled to them so why pay for it -- I'm not talking about international fans who have no choice...

Well, that's what Michael should have said, but he didn't.

Hey, I get what you say, but I don't think the bad movies are solely the result of pirating. A cheap ass bastard would not buy it anyway if it comes down to it. Producers spend a lot when it comes to CGI, no picture really suffers in that department nowadays. They are out of ideas, and either they don't want to spend as much to get some sane and creative people to write, or everyone is just out of ideas.

I watched the season premiere of TWO AND A HALF MEN last night. It had its moments, but has definitely seen better days. John Cryer and Charlie Sheen are both looking very much middle aged all of a sudden, and the kid, like a lot of teens, is just kind of awkward looking. It was much funnier when he was a cute, smart alecky ten year old. Now it just reminds me of an inferior version of THE ODD COUPLE, with a teenager thrown in for no apparent reason.

Doesn't look like "The Rum Diary" is getting done.

Just watched the FRIENDS rerun where Winona Ryder kissed Jennifer Aniston.

Niiiiiiice. . . . In my best Borat voice.

I agree. Now that Jake is older and can actually get involved in sexual situations, the writers should be careful about the sexual oriented dialogue since Jake can act in response to it. And Charlie in shorts at his age looks like an effort.

I just read Keira Knightley probably won't be in it

JoBlo

Just watched an old GUNSMOKE with a very young Donna Mills (KNOTS LANDING). Boy, was she gorgeous!

Wow!! I love Donna Mills in Knots Landing. I didn't realize she was around during the Gunsmoke days, but yea, I guess it's possible. Use to watch Gunsmoke every Saturday.

Me, I'm watching the Dirty Harry series playing on AMC. Right now, Sudden Impact.



TIS

Hey, New Yorkers. I watched a History Channel program that stated that at the rate the Hudson River is being dredged naturally of its bed soil, eventually it will uncover the Holland and Lincoln tunnels.

Maybe ya'll need to start walking to work.

I just watched Celebrity Deathmatch Deniro vs. Pacino on MTV a few minutes ago.

GARY UNMARRIED, with Jay Mohr and Paula Marshall, is a very funny new show. I hope it makes it.

Gary Unmarried is VERY funny.

Whenever I watch tv shows on dvd, I like to look up the "original air date." It's kind of nostalgic, or maybe I'm just a bit of a drama queen.

Anyway, my brother gave me HAPPY DAYS: Season Three as a gift earlier this week. We both loved that show, corny as it was. I just watched the episode titled "Fonzie Moves In." Original airdate: September 9th, 1975. Holy crap, do I feel old! I was about 6 weeks shy of turning 16 when it aired, and I remember it like yesterday.

Was that when he moved into the apartment over the Cunningham's garage?

My cousin was here from Sicily and I took her and her husband to Johnny Rockets for burgers. They were remarking on the decor and said that it reminded them of Fonzie! I thought that was hilarious.

Yeah, that was the episode!

Now I'm watching "The Motorcycle," when Malph wrecks Fonzie's bike.

Mr. C: "It's just a motorcycle."

Fonzie: "And I suppose your mother was just a mother."

Classic!

I think my favorite episode ever was the Thanksgiving dinner that Fonzie had with the Cunninghams.

William Shatner ranting about Sulu's wedding. Hysterical!

Seth Rogen was great in THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN, hysterical in KNOCKED UP, annoying in everything else since. Now I'd like to hit him in the head with a blunt object.

The nerds on THE BIG BANG THEORY are the funnuiest guys on television. I'm literally crying right now.

It is definitely one of my favorite shows, PB. Each and every episode is better than the last.

You know I don't watch many comedies (at least I never use to). Yet I always watch Big Bang Theory and the two that follow every Monday. Yea, that real nerdy one (Is it Leonard) is a crack-up. They all are good.


TIS

They are all just hilarious. I've noticed that many cast members are alumni of the old Roseanne show. Anybody know what the connection is??

I only know the one star use to be the boyfriend of Roseanne's daughter (Sara Gilbert, who's also guest stared a couple times). And I think the gal who played Roseann's sister made a guest appearance too. Other than that, I don't know.


TIS

Wow. There's a show on FX called Testees

Doe anyone here watch Ghostwhisper and did you see it last night?



TIS

I used to like the show WINGS on NBC. I just picked up a season on dvd.

Oh yea, I liked that show too. Very funny.



TIS

Trilogy marathon coming up next weekend on AMC

One of my colleagues at school is Tomas Haden Church's father.

No kidding?

I saw one of those E-True Hollywood deals about him a while back, so I knew he was from west Texas. Wasn't his father military? I thought they mentioned something about his being an "army brat."

True. His dad's name is George and they look nothing alike.

Here in the UK we have an Irish chap called Graham Norton who has his own half hour chat show thing on the TV. Last night he had Robin Williams as his special guest. Williams just took over the show,he never shut up from start to finish. It was like watching him do half an hour of stand up.

I have not laughed so much in years. The tears were rolling down my face.

The man is a genius

He's pretty damn funny sometimes! We get The Graham Norton Show which airs on BBC America on Saturday nights (it's 60 minutes, so maybe a different show?). I don't see Robin Williams in the schedule, but I'll keep an eye out. Dustin Hoffman is coming up, though - that should be good. I love seeing serious actors up against his raunchy humor!

I liked him in Broken Trail with Robert Duvall.

I'm watching Halloween Resurection on WGN now. The music is enough to scare me.

Wanda Sykes is gay?

So I went into my local Blockbuster today to possibly grab O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU (I've never seen it). Yeah, they don't carry it. How do they not carry it?

For a brief time that I was there, I noticed they didn't have many movies I like. I think they only have box office hits anyway.

No, they usually carry the classics as well. But I was surprised because O BROTHER isn't that old of a movie and basically EVERY video story I've gone in has it. And if they don't have a movie, they don't order it.

Well, what do I know, the store I sometimes went to was in the great state of Alabama.

That WAS hilarious. Maybe they snubbed him because they wanted to keep him away from the buffet table. Have you seen Shatner lately? If they remake the Godfather he could be Clemenza.

Anyone who's interested in horror flicks see "Twilight", the vampire movie? I was thinking about seeing it, but don't know too much about it.



TIS

YAY!! They're airing this episode tonight on BBC America at 10pm ET!

Yes TIS, I'd like to see it. But probably wont till the DVD comes out.

They said it did not have any violence or sex. Is that legal these days?

Is anyone going to watch the "24" movie, "Redemption" tonight at 8:00?? I still haven't seen the last season of 24, but my friend insists that this move is separate from the series, so I am anxious to see it.



TIS

Martin Scorsese had a cameo in the season finale of "Entourage" tonight. He's going to direct the show's main character's next movie. It's The Great Gatsby set in modern day NYC.

Remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still - December 12.

With the success of the movie, Twilight, I am so much hoping that they bring back the short lived tv Vampire show, Moonlight. It was so good and they never gave it a chance. Checking on line, there is an almost cult-like following. There aren't too many shows, that are cancelled that disappoint me. This one did.

I read too, since Twilight, that the HBO series True Blood (which I only saw once and didn't care for), has seen an increase in viewers. So, I say, never say never. This could be the year of the vampire.

This is the promo before the show debuted. (testing my youtube posting skills)




TIS

I'll tell you what's sad.

Someone I know was telling me that he wanted to see that, and I told him I had some worries that it would be another lousy (idiotic) remake.

He looks at me and says, "This is a remake?"

Maybe I was naive, but I thought most people knew of the original THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, if not necessarily seen it.

Now Keanu Reeves is their introduction.

Ha ha...wow, it does sound funny that someone didn't hear of the movie. Then again,I'll bet if I mentioned it to my daughters, they might not know of it.

I think I will see the movie. I'm guessing this kind of Sci-Fi movie, with a technology update might be pretty good, as long as they don't overdo it. Know what I mean?


TIS

You think that's something?. My sister was 12 when TDTESS came out. I told her the remake was coming out soon. She claimed ignorance of the original. Now, Virg is really big-time Catholic. She's almost Opus Dei. So, in reply, she says "Is that the movie about Fatima when the sun stood still in the sky?" Madonne!

The big difference is that if the original was about the fear that many had about the proliferation of atomic bombs (the reason behind the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) signed in the 1960s), and thus spread atomic war to the stars...

How can EARTH work in a 2008 geo-political context? I had heard reports it will have to do something with ecology or environment or whatever, and I just don't know.

Did anybody watch the Cheech and Chong roast on TBS tonight?

Shit, that was tonight?

I watched "most" of Armageddon which showed on one of the cable stations. I had never seen it, but I like Bruce Willis, and have always wanted to see the movie.

I unfortunately fell asleep sometime in the last 45 mins/hour of the film (it was 3 hours). My question is, where the hell was Bruce Willis? They gave him and Billy Bob Thorton top billing, and I saw neither..unless they were one of the strange looking "creatures".

All considered, and from what I saw, I was disappointed in it, but not exactly sure as to why. I normally enjoy these kinds of movies, but it was too......cartoonish maybe???? I don't know, but I more than likely will not watch it a second time. I am not even curious as to how it ends.

TIS

We have a TV journo type called Louis Theroux who does a lot of shows about the US. Last night he was riding with the cops in the 24th district of North Philadelphia.

Wow

Scary stuff. It was almost like watching an episode of the Wire at times, what with the corner boys and such.
Mr. Theroux was obviously shocked at the scale of violence he witnessed.

How'd you miss them? They were in it, especially Willis, throughout. In fact, the first hour or so of the movie had Willis going after Affleck over his relationship with Liv Tyler and it was Thorton who recruited Willis and his team.

However, I too was disppointed in it. It's an ok movie, but nothing more. Also, I think it was too long and I thought the Tampon reference in the scene I referenced above was totally unnecessary. I liked Bucemi though.

I'm sure I'm the only person excited about this news

---

Zombie Halloween 2?

If Rob Zombie's overexplained white-trash variation of John Carpenter's slasher classic HALLOWEEN wasn't enough for you, it sounds like you might be getting a second dose.

A sequel to the lucrative revamp has been in the works (initially as a direct-to-DVD project), and word was that Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, directors of the deeply disturbing French domestic terror film INSIDE, would be handling the continued exploits of massacre man Michael Myers.

But now they've apparently departed the Myers household... and according to STYD, Rob Zombie is slipping back in the side door to direct a theatrical follow-up, scheduled to film in March. Tyler Mane is reportedly wearing the mask again, but everything else (the script, the status of Zombie's violent wrestler/biker tale TYRANNOSAURUS REX) seems to be a question mark. More as we hear it.

Source: JoBlo

I'm watching Sling Blade right now.

"I like them French fried potaters."

I reckon

mm-hmm

A Christmas Story is on right now on TNT.

Deck the halls with boughs of horry, ra ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra.

If you ever go to Cleveland go tour Ralphie's house. I did a couple years ago.

I got A Christmas Story on DVD from Target a year ago a day after Thanksgiving. It was about $4, got a bunch of others then too.

For Christmas I bought this stocking for my older son as a gag gift.

That's a cool stocking! I would use it. It looks Italian. "Frageelay"

I saw an ornament today of the Frageelay box that you could open and see the leg in there

From the previews, it looks like it's full of destruction which was absolutely absent from the original.

I heard there's a Terminator 4 coming out. Can anyone confirm this? ALso Christian Bale is meant to be playing John Conner.

That's been on IMDB for awhile. Last I heard, it's a go.

Ronnie would probably know something.

Its already out on Region 1.

BREAKING NEWS
msnbc.com
updated 1 hour, 5 minutes ago

Jay Leno may be sticking around NBC longer than previously thought. According to the New York Times, the network will announce on Tuesday that it has signed the comic and talk-show host to a new contract to host a 10 p.m. weeknight show similar to "The Tonight Show."

(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC.)

NBC announced in 2003 that Conan O'Brien would take over "The Tonight Show" beginning in 2010.

I just now am hearing this too. Is there a reason they are doing this? I thought Leno was gonna quit altogether. I am surprised he is taking on another show.


TIS

I can't see a 10:00 talk show being successful.

Maybe it will be a weekly thing, rather than daily. Perhaps it will be like the old Ed Sullivan Show!

Front page says daily.

I think it's a big mistake. If they don't want to lose him to ABC (in the old Nightline slot), they should just roll out Fort Knox and keep him on the Tonight Show.

NBC's rationalization is that the talk shows are a LOT cheaper to produce than a series show.

I think they're nickle and diming themselves to death. They'll have FOUR talk shows in a row (interrupted only by the nightly local news).

It used to be that the "Tonight Show" was NBC's biggest money maker (certainly when Johnny Carson was hosting).

I think having Leno do this is a waste of his time and doomed for a quick failure.

I like it when he does the headlines segment.

I've never been a big Conan fan. I just find him annoying. If I am up late enough to watch anything, it's usually Letterman followed by Colin Ferguson, who I find very funny.

I watch Conan but he was a whole lot better when he didn't have writers.

Conan was better when he had Andy Richter as a sidekick. But I still love Conan. Although lately I've been enjoying Jimmy Kimmel the most. Personally I think Leno and Letterman are outdated and it's good to see new guys that are good like Conan, Kimmel, and even Ferguson is funny in his own weird Scottish way.

Scottish people are weird??


Well,i am half Scottish, so you may have a point

I watched an English comedy last night: DEATH AT A FUNERAL. I honestly haven't laughed so hard while watching a movie in years.

I have not seen that yet PB,but i would like to. It has a great cast.

It was absolutely hysterical, Yogi. Rent it TONIGHT!!

Well maybe not tonight cos i am on the old night shift again but i get your point!

ASAP

Field of Dreams is on Encore right now. I can't believe how much I like this movie.

I have to go to a stupid meeting at school tonight and I'm going to miss Criminal Minds again. Of course, it's not as good without Mandy Patinkin. Isn't that a great name?

Mandy Patinkin. Mandy Patinkin.

Not as great as Carrie Nations.

Actually, to go completely off-topic, the best name I ever heard was Irma Aklu. I read her name in the obituaries, and will randomly say it out loud. It drives the girls crazy.

Especially since I say it like this - Irma A-klu. Aklu, Aklu, Aklu.

Then I may pretend to sneeze - Aklu!!

I thought that movie was funny as well. It ended so abruptly, but it's good English humor.

I said they were weird because it takes one to know one right? I'm also (more than) half Scottish.

Well, after seeing DOOMDAY, maybe the Scottish should be walled-up and blockaded.

Ahhh!

I knew there was a reason i liked you

Joe Mantegna's doing a great job, though.

I really like Joe Mantegna, but after Princess Bride, I will always prefer Mandy Patinkin.

Me too because Mandy came and he gave without taking.

By the way, whoever sees the remake of TDTESS, please post your comments about it.

Did you ever just want to see a leopard come roaring out of the forest on Survivor and eat the contestants???

I've never seen the show, but leopard leaping on the participants is nice to imagine

I haven't watched it either, although I have friends who are faithful viewers. Their promos about tribes and immunity and getting voted off the island crack me up. A loose man-eating cat would just add a certain dimension that I feel the show currently lacks.

I'm going to try to see it this weekend, Olivant.

I love the original. It was one of the first sci-fi films with subliminal, Biblical overtones. Klaatu drew comparisons to a Christ like character waaaaay before Luke Skywalker.

MY WIFE AND KIDS was a great show. The little kid that played Franklin the next door neighbor is just about THE most talented child actor I've ever seen.

I'll wait untilits run is almost through, then I'll go see it because I love to watch a movie with only a handful of people in the theater.

DMC and I were half the audience when we saw the new Punisher

Actor Van Johnson, '40s heartthrob, dies at 92
Dec. 12, 2008, 2:41 PM EST
NEW YORK (AP) -- Van Johnson, whose boy-next-door wholesomeness made him a popular Hollywood star in the '40s and '50s with such films as "30 Seconds over Tokyo," "A Guy Named Joe" and "The Caine Mutiny," died Friday of natural causes. He was 92.

Johnson died at Tappan Zee Manor, an assistant living center in Nyack, N.Y., said Wendy Bleisweiss, a close friend.

With his tall, athletic build, handsome, freckled face and sunny personality, the red-haired Johnson starred opposite Esther Williams, June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor and others during his two decades under contract to MGM.

No doubt the very best way to see a film: By yourself in a half empty movie theatre.

Living in the City, it's almost impossible, so I often drive up to Westchchester, during the week, midday, when I really want to see a certain movie.

My wife likes to go with the theater full and sit right in the middle. I can't understand how anyone can enjoy a movie that way.

Assuming that people can STFU throughout a movie, which they can't, but, a large crowd creates a nice energy to feed off of. Funnier scenes seem funnier when 100 people are laughing, and it's contagious. Sames with scary scenes, etc. I almost never laugh out loud by myself, but w/ others there I'm more apt to.

I agree JG. I've found that opening night for a movie usually has the best crowd because they are actually their to see the movie and not talk to one another during the movie.

I remember seeing Arachnophobia in the theater on opening night with a full crowd and it was so much fun to see the entire audience jumping out of their seats at the same time and hearing all the women scream at the same time. So fun being with a crowd with that much energy!

Right in the middle of what, the theatre? Surely halfway across the row is best position; centre of frame and all... and, for me, three (at most) rows back is best. Full immersion and all. AND AND, nobody else in the vicinity bar me.

Does anyone plan to see "Seven Pounds" soon? I rarely see movies in the theater. I usually wait for them to come out on DVD and get them from Netflix. However, I find Will Smith to be so engaging, and this is supposed to be such a departure from his usual roles, that I might be intrigued enough to actually buy a ticket.

SB.

It sounds intriguing. I can't say I know what it's about? Do you know the storyline? What exactly does "Seven Pounds" mean?



TIS

It's supposed to be one of those movies with a twist. I am a big baby when it comes to spoilers, so I did read some, but don't want to say anthing.

Will Smith plays an IRS auditor who falls in love with a woman dying of heart disease, played by Rosario Dawson (Mimi of "Rent"). Woody Harrelson plays a blind man. It just has some performers I really like, so I thought it might be an interesting movie to see.

I also hear that it's quite the tearjerker.

I love movies with a twist (most of the time anyway). Don't tell me the twist though. I'm opposite of you. I hate to find out the twist and/or how a movie ends.

Maybe I'll check it out. Thanks for the info.


TIS

Did you see it yet?

I finally watched "Yes Minister" and "Yes Prime Minister." Wonderful British political satire. Makes you sad to know the leads are both dead.

I don't know about the US but the festive TV in the UK sucks

Apart from new offerings of Doctor Who and Wallace and Gromit there is nothing to tickle my fancy this year!

A Christmas Story!

It starts soon...

And don't worry, if you miss it once, there are eleven other chances to catch it.

gina,

Did you ever get a chance to read any of Jean Shepherd's books? (He's the guy who wrote "A Christmas Story").

No, I never have, but reading up on him, I think I'd like to. I didn't realize he was the writer and the narrator (or else had forgotten)! Watching the beginning, I now see that a lot of what I find so funny about this movie comes from the way he narrates, paired with what's going on...I think that adds a lot to the comedy.

So his books are humorous, as well? I need to add him to my booklist!

I think you'll like the books, gina. There are four of them that are readily available, and they're all collections of short stories. You already know some of the characters from "A Christmas Story". BTW - There was another good film adaptation from some of his stories - it's called "It Runs in the Family" (1994).

He used to have a radio program that was hilarious. He talked often about his father and his love for the Chicago White Sox (he grew up in northwestern Indiana near Chicago) and had a hilarious story about going to a game with his dad when the Sox were playing the Yankees. They were way out in the right field stands and Shepherd's father was "riding" Lou Gehrig for a few innings (yelling loud insults, etc.). Well, Shepherd tells that Gehrig came to bat in one of the late innings and hit a screaming line drive right into the stands where they were sitting. He swore Gehrig was aiming at his father.

So the short stories are kind of a mix, both autobiographical and fiction? I'll get the titles and check for them on my next bookstore trip, which hopefully will be soon. I bet I'd like the movie, as well.

What a great baseball story! haha I'm checking now on YouTube, and I think they actually have some clips of his radio stuff! I'm imagining Ralphie as I'm listening to it, too.

This is interesting, from Wikipedia:
I always love her reaction, and that it was natural makes it even funnier, I think!

Some of the stories blend together. As you remember, the reason that the family went to the restaurant on Christmas was because the dogs from next door ate their turkey. Those dogs belonged to Delbert Bumpus, a hillbilly who moved in next door to Shepherd with his entire extended family. They play a big part in the other movie.

The four books of his that I have and recommend are:

"In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash"
"Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: And Other Disasters"
"The Ferrari in the Bedroom "
"A Fistful of Fig Newtons"

I'd concentrate on getting the first two, but all of them are wonderful.

I'm gonna check out YouTube now... thanks for the idea.

I just watched the whole movie by myself and I just realized I'm 45 minutes into it again. I didn't even notice it ended and restarted, I love it so much!

It's one of those movies that I've seen dozens of times and I still always notice something I never noticed before. Whether it's a funny line by one of the characters or just simple things like subtle facial expressions by the actors. Tonight the Dad is cracking me up more than normal. In the scene when he receives his "Major Award!", I had never focused on just his face the entire time. I had to rewind it a few times when he hands the lamp to his wife, climbs out of the crate and then looks at the lamp and says "Ohhhh WOW!". The look on his face is priceless! He plays the part of a Dad perfectly!

A Christmas Story is one of my all-time favorite movies. It's one of the few Christmas movies I wouldn't mind watching in the middle of summer, I enjoy it that much!

"There has never been a kid who didn't believe vaguely but insistently that he would be stricken blind before he reached 21, and then they'd be sorry."

"Soap poisoning!"

I wrote the titles down, thanks SC!

BL, I feel like you and I should have (virtual) movie nights together - you have such good taste!

Do your family members enjoy the movie, too? I am apparently the only one who really loves it. My dad enjoys it, and my mom appreciates it, but I drive my mom crazy when this marathon comes on. She keeps complaining about how I watch the same movies over and over, but she can't seem to understand it's because they're GOOD!

I know what you mean about all the details, like the expressions they have. Ralphie is probably my favorite for that - some of the looks he gives are just priceless. And his brother's adorable...I always love that laugh he does when Ralph's in the bunny outfit.

Has anyone seen TDTESS remake? If so, what did you think about it?

From the How thiings have changed file:

I'm watching an episode from 1964 of The Andy Griffith Show titled Andy's and Opie's Pal. It's about Opie making a new friend who comes over to spend the night at the Taylors. When the two boys are supposed to be in bed but making alot of noise, Andy breaks them up and tells Opie's friend to come into his room and sleep with him.

Can you imagine that today? The appearance of innocence if not the reality of it sure has changed.

I agree, Blibble. This is an all-time classic. My cousin is uncredited in the scene where a high school band is playing during the Santa parade while the Parker's are watching just before going to see Santa. That entire scene was filmed in downtown Cleveland at the Terminal Tower. It's also in the opening scene when the kids are all looking in the storefront windows. I never understood why they made the setting of the movie to be in Indiana.

About the scene with soap poisoning: my three year old boy looks very much like Ralphie when we put some sunglasses on him. Next year, our holiday cards are going to be a picture of my son dressed like Ralphie (hat, shades) with the phrase: "It...it was...soap poisoning!"

The scene that always gets me is when the Old Man is cursing about the car: "that son of a bitch would freeze up in the middle of summer on the equator!"

Other favorites:

"It's a klinker!"
"You can put your arms down when you get to school"
"He looks like a pink nightmare. He looks like a deranged Easter bunny."

Goombah,

Did You take a tour of Ralphie's house in Cleveland? I did a few years ago.

I'm also a big fan of A Christmas Story. I watch it after midnight on Christmas Eve, and it's usually on throughout the day when we're having dinner or opening presents.

Every year I find occasions to let loose with my best Darren McGavin, "Sons of Bitches! Bumpuses!"

I always get a kick out of the weird kid in front of Ralphie and Randy in the Santa line ("I like the tinman.").

Of course, Ralphie beating the tar out of Scott Fargas is as much a Christmas tradition as putting the star on top of the tree. That scene took place in my youth as the neighborhood bully got beaten up by the least likely kid on the block. All I remember was watching the barrage of punches coming from the meek kid while he was barking like a dog. Like Fargas, the bully went home with nothing more than a nosebleed, but it ended his days as a bully.

Not yet, but it is on my "to-do" list next year. I have heard it is very cool.

They have a Museum across the street which is nice. You buy the tickets for the house there.

I forget the city name they use but it's representing Hammond, Indiana. Which is close to where I live.

Yup, with McG as director.

Yes, that same McG who shot those CHARLIE'S ANGELS pictures.

I did, and review is coming up.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (2008) - **1/2

"...need not have taken its title so seriously that the plot stands still along with it." - Roger Ebert

Director Robert Wise's original THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL from 1951 was a rare gem for that time in that it actually had the audacity to tell a serious science fiction story, and likewise maturely accept the genre instead of mocking it. Wise's EARTH also had everything else you might ask for in a film, with terrific acting chemistry, smart scriptwriting with memorable scenes, a good solid story, and thought-provoking, then-topical political preaching against the pre-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty world with the uncontrolled and wreckless proliferation of atomic bombs.

Either way, the 2008 remake keeps the basic premise but uses a whole new political angle which would compel a prophet of doom from the stars named Klaatu to come visit us. The advanced aliens are now prepping for an armed intervention to save the planet with its dying ecology, and if necessary, exterminate the humans that are trashing the place. Yet I think that whole framing is the fatal flaw of this entire endeavor. Now look, I care about the rain forest and polar bears and all that shit, I really do. But the problem is the same that afflicts every other Hollywood picture that tries to preach a pro-environmental sermon, which is that I have a hard time taking that crisis to heart like I would with a nuclear holocaust. I think environmentalists mean well, but they usuallyfight their noble cause by personalizing plants and animals, but guess what?

They aren't people. I truely think that they should try instead to highlight Earth's biology will evolve and adapt to whatever we do to our world, for in fact about 99% of all lifeforms that have ever existed on Earth are now extinct. The point is they will survive, but we won't. That's more effective ideological argumentation, and notice that the movement has in recent years used this sharp point regarding Global Warming or whatever. Good for them.

Not though for this EARTH "revisioning," a Hollywood term I despise for the original is arguably still more relevant and universal, what with war-front nations like North Korea, Pakistan, Israel, and India having gained nuclear weapons in recent decades either by ignoring or outright violate the nature of the 1968 NNPT Treaty. The West got Libya some years ago to disarm itself, so there's hope for our future on that front. Plus let's be honest: Why logically would aliens, even if they are highly advanced in technology and civilization, launch an armed intervention for an ecology? Shit the West at least wouldn't for sure.

To use a metaphor, this EARTH alreadys has its legs broken, and then ordered to run a marathon. Then it gets blindfolded with barbwire, and stumbles about for it's produced like a Roland Emmerich-esque big budget disaster movie. You know what I'm talking about: so-called scientists acting like morons, a thin story merely an excuse for tons and tons of CGI to detone the threat of the danger, the military (led by Kathy Bates doing her best Hillary Clinton impersonation) being evil warmongers who want to blow up everything (that would be Michael Bay) and all the usual stock footage used to show global panic and civil unrest over this new global peril. Yet amazingly enough, Emmerich wasn't the director.

The imposter is Scott Derrickson, who's previous movie was THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE which I didn't see because of my allergies to contemporary American horror cinema. But with the amount of intelligence and artistic grace (or lack thereof) displayed here, maybe I'm not missing out on much. Take that sequence borrowed from Wise's EARTH where the visitor is peacefully greeting and he gets shot out of a simple misunderstanding. Thing is, in the original you can understand that knee-jerk mistake, for Michael Rennie looks like he's reaching into his belt for a weapon (like unfortunately way too many civilians gunned down by cops because they only were getting cellphones from their jackets.) In the remake, it occurs when the visitor is only reaching out to Jennifer Connelly for a handshake.

Yes, a fucking handshake.

He did have a few nice clever ideas, like how the alien spaceship isn't the traditional mechanical vessel, but a primordial glob of goo. The alien astronaut travels by being mixed within this giant orb, and with a collected strain of human DNA, he mutates and is "reborn" as one of us. But fuck man, couldn't they belong in a good film? What's strange is how ole Gort retains his iconic industrial design, but it just contrasts strongly with the spaceship. Why couldn't those aliens simply have a giant blob as the ultimate weapon? I'm sure it could be just as effective, but yeah then it wouldn't be a remake, now would it?

Now I know Keanu Reeves is a punchline with many, but here and there I've defended. Yes he's famous for his limited emotional acting range, yet somehow he's gotten involved in quality productions worked to his advantage. From a dimwit in the BILL & TED series to being a surfer-cop (POINT BREAK) and a solid credible foil to insane baddie Dennis Hopper in SPEED. Don't forget THE MATRIX where ironically or intentionally that human savior acted more Vulcan and distant than his angry and pissy digital-enemy Hugo Weaving. Anyway his legendary blank stare is actually perfect for Derrickson's EARTH, an alien basically wearing a humanoid suit, and initially awkward in operating basic functions like drinking water.

But what I don't like is how his character is scripted. Rennie's Klaatu may come from an alien civilization more advanced technologically and culturally, but he's still fascinated by these primitive and barbaric humans. Take that scene when he's amazed by the humble-but-majestic words of Abraham Lincoln, and he beat Barack Obama by what, more than 50 years? Plus, Rennie had some good touching moments with that orphaned boy, like in Arlington. Seriously, they'll always deny it, but I'm dead certain that BBC was inspired by this smart friendly-but-forceful alien explorer for their DOCTOR WHO.

Anyway, Keanu's Klaatu though hears the classical music of Bach, and flatly says that it's beautiful. Dude, try be a fan of The Clash before I'm impressed. Otherwise, he doesn't seem curious about his hostile foreign environment and is convinced that Earth must be wiped clean as a plate. But guess what? He supposedly he changes his mind because Connelly and adopted son Jayden Smith finally bond together, that humanity can change for the better or whatever the fuck.

Supposedly. Obviously we the audience are supposed to take to heart this transformation for both them and Keanu, but the vibe I got from the crowd at the screening was that they never cared, and why should they? That whole storyline's climax just feels so underwhelming, and since Derrickson pinned on this drama for his EARTH, it's a crippled project with a messy message that does the best that it can to crawl its way to the finish line. Plus Will Smith's boy, his fault or the screenplay, just comes off as whiney and annoying.

I know it sounds like I hate EARTH, and I do but not because it's a bad movie. It's just so uninspired, empty, and even warrants the accusation of being pointless. It's your roommate who has a job across the street from your joint, but he's too lazy to go to work and gets fired. That feeling of fustration is what I got with this EARTH. I did like John Cleese playing the intellectual uses good logic to demolish Keanu's entire argument, which we don't get much of at the movies. Too bad he's only a glorified cameo. I even dug the James Hong appearance, though I guess it finally makes sense that David Lo Pan from BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA was an alien all along.

But memo to Hollywood, please never hire Connelly to play a scientist again. She seems like a nice woman and all, even a good actress at times, but the last two times that she's worn a thinking cap were in both EARTH and Ang Lee's HULK. I guess three times is the charm, but it's not worth finding out if that's true, even if it was for the PUNISHER franchise.

Angels&Demons to be released in May. The trailer doesn't show much, but looks intriguing.

does anybody know if Brian De Palma still going to do an prequel to the untouchables?

I have not heard anything.

Is anyone watchin the Grammy's. It's not on here yet and I don't really care to see it, BUT I did want to see Cold Play perform. If anyone has watched it can you give me an idea how far into the show before they perform?

Thanks

TIS

About a year or so ago I asked for and received your help trying to identify a movie from the 50s(?). Ya'll advised that it was The Sign of the Pagan with Jack Palance. Well, I watched it and it wasn't the one I was thinking of.

The one I am thinking of has a scene in it where the Roman soldiers are gathered on a hill with their white surfaced shields in front of them with their bottom edge on the ground. When the enemy attacks, they angle the shields to reflect the sun into the eyes of the attackers. If it's the same movie (about Attila the Hun), there's a scene where the Pope comes out to meet Attila and Attila rides in a circle around him.

Do these descriptions ring a bell with anyone?

would it be this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attila_(1954_film)

It might be. A friend is going to buy the dvd for me. So, we'll see. Thanks.

When's Public Enemy coming out? Depp and Bale, shot some parts nearby at the Crown Point jail Dillenger busted out of...

There was a MFTV movie from the 80s about some guys who are having sex with a girl and she dies and they dump the body. One of them becomes a televangelist and ends up on trial for something. The supposedly dead girl though jumps up in the courtroom. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

Olivant, I definitely know the movie. I think I even had the novel at one point, but can't remember the name of it. I just went to check my bookshelves to see if I still had it, but no.

SB, do you think that the new movie Last House on the Left(?) might be a remake?

The plot details on IMDB sound exactly like the original. I am not a big fan of the original - my main problem was unnecessary comic relief.

I am not familiar with the original OR the remake of Last House on the Left.

Olivant, I think I found the movie you were talking about before, though. It was a miniseries called "Celebrity" from a book by Tommy Thompson. Here's the IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086679/

Watching Rooster Cogburn on tv now. Great movie.

That's it. Thanks. I wish it came on again.

The original would have been a great horror film if they edited out every scene involving the cops.

Paul Harvey has passed away.

When I was in high school, his evening radio broadcasts along with those of Alex Dryer nourished my young mind with national and international news. God, he was good.

I agree. That comedy was just....in bad taste considering the rest of the movie.

Am i correct in thinking the original Last House On the Left was in the 70's????? I either saw it or a movie by a similar title. I remember seeing it at the drive-in and it was kind of sick creepy, yet I'll be darn if I remember the plot. I don't think I'd wanna see it again for some reason.

TIS

There wasn't a plot with LEFT, for it was a pure sex-ploitation thriller from Wes Craven and Sean Cunningham, both who later of course directed the slasher classics A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and the original FRIDAY THE 13TH.

An early example of pure hype and an excellent marketing campaign making a hit out of nothing.

You know, the BLAIR WITCH PROJECT of its time.

There was a Last House on the Left in the 70s? Above when I posted, I thought the current Last House might be a remake of Celebrity. The Last House trailers reminded me of Celebrity.

I was right. This is the one I'm thinking of from 1972. What a "dated" trailer. Just remember "it's only a movie."

TIS

I wouldn't say it was nothing. I wasn't alive in 1972, but I'm pretty sure it was one of the early films about ruthless killers that killed and raped for fun... and actually showed the brutal violence.

As you mentioned with The Blair With Project, it was a success due to the creative marketing campaign, but because of the creative marketing a new type of horror film was brought to the masses and inspired new ways of thinking in horror filmmaking for years to come.

While I have issues with the out-of-place comic relief, I think Last House on the Left deserves credit for influencing the genre.

Last House on the Left had a well defined plot IMO. It just goofed up the execution. It could have been among the best revenge movies, but...

One of you provided a link to a video of Adam Sandler impersonating Bruce Springsteen. Will you post the link again?

Has anyone ever watched the game show "Hole In The Wall"?? This is alternately the funniest and most incredibly stupid show I've ever seen.

Women stand on the edge of a pool while a wall with various shaped holes in it comes at them. They have to bend their bodies in the shape of the hole so that the moving wall doesn't knock them into the pool.

http://www.fox.com/holeinthewall/

Edit: Actually, I'm not sure if all the contestants are women. I've only seen the show once.

They had this show in the UK rencently, pretty funny..

NEW YORK - Actor Ron Silver has died in New York City after a two-year battle with esophageal cancer.

The Creative Coalition Executive Director Robin Bronk says the 62-year-old, who co-founded the nonprofit, died peacefully in his sleep with his family around him early Sunday morning.

Silver won a Tony Award as a take-no-prisoners Hollywood producer in David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow" and did a political about-face from loyal Democrat to Republican activist after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Oh, I loved him as Bruno Gianelli on "The West Wing". I didn't know that he had changed his political affiliation. On WW, he originally worked as a consultant for the Democratic incumbent, but then worked for the Republican candidate in the next election. Was that a reflection of his activism? If it was, I never caught that.

He was also in "Blue Steel" with Jamie Lee Curtis, a rather predictable police thriller, but his performance always stuck with me.

I've always enjoyed the acting of Ron Silver. Sad news.

He played a really good part in the movie Time Cop and he also did an outstanding job playing the character David Sternburg, the son of a jewish rag-trade mogul, (played by Jerry Louis) in the TV series Wiseguy.


An excellent character actor.

Very sad.

He was great in "Wiseguy." I also loved him as a producer in "Mr. Saturday Night."

He was very pro-union. I remember when the foodservice workers were on strike a few years ago, he wouldn't cross the picket line to eat at Cipriani in Manhattan. It's famous for being one of those beautiful people/celebrity/society joints. So it was apparently more important to him to be true to himself than be swayed by a bunch of phonies. That's true character.

Obviously a good man. Sad news.

March 17, 2009
Posted: 1:19 pm
March 17, 2009

Actress Natasha Richardson is brain dead - after falling in a ski accident in Canada - and is now on sad journey home to New York, friends told The Post today.

She's married to Liam Neeson I believe, but I never heard of her.

Me neither but still sad..

Didn't you guys ever watch the remake of The Parent Trap?? My daughter loved that movie when it came out. Anyway, she was the mother in that movie. And, yes, she's married to Liam Neeson.

Other reports say she's dead, brain dead, or suffering from a head injury after a fall during a skiing lesson. Who knows??

where did u get that source, and i found another source on yahoo stating nothing besides her having a fall and hitting her head.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090317/ap_en_mo/people_natasha_richardson

I have been hearing this story all day. I think it's "unconfirmed" however just now on my local news in one of there brief newsflashes, they indicated it might be true.

I too only have heard of her, but don't know her. I didn't know she was married to Liam Neeson AND Vanessa Redgrave's daughter.

Anyway, my great Aunt ( who was much older and fell under different circumstances) last year, slipped, fell and hit her head, walked away and felt fine with no obivious bump/bruise. Later that evening she had horrible pain and ended up on life support and brain dead within 24 hours. She passed away a day or so after (Well, they took her off life support). This sounds like the same kind of thing. Always, always check out any head injuries. You never know.

TIS

She's Vanessa Redgrave's daughter? I had no idea. Terrible if the rumors are true.

TIS, Have you ever seen Maid In Manhattan with Jennifer Lopez? She was also in that.

SB, I just read that she was Redgrave's daughter.

Yes, I loved Maid in Manhatten, but it's been a while. I can't place who she was.


TIS

If you remember the movie, Jennifer Lopez was pretending to be a guest of the hotel when she was actually a maid. Natasha Richardson played the guest whose room she was pretending to stay in.

Posted Mar 17th 2009 1:18PM by TMZ Staff

UPDATE 2:00 PM ET -- The hospital tells TMZ Richardson is sedated and suffering from brain swelling -- but, contrary to some reports, is not brain dead. We can't confirm the accuracy of the hospital's statements, or the other reports circulating the web -- fact is, right now we just don't know.

it is offical Natasha Richardson has died due to an head injury.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obit_natasha_richardson

Does John Leguizamo still appear in movies? I have seen him in Summer of Sam, The Fan, and a couple other movies and always thought he was a very good actor.

Also, am I mistaken or confusing him with someone else, but didn't he have a short-lived comedic sketch show named after himself in the early 90s?

I am sure i saw him in a series of ER a couple of years back!

He was in The Happening, but it was a pretty bad movie. All the characters, including his, were very bland.

I just saw a 1961 episode of The Andy Griffith Show and in one crowd scene there was a black women.

What is the earliest TV show in which you remember a black person in the cast?

that is a good question...i really cant think of any besides a episode of Dick Van Dyke, but that might had been later.

That episode used race as a joke too. Rob Petry was convinced that the hospital mixed up his newborn with that of another couple's. When he had the other couple stop by his home, he immediately realized he was wrong because the couple was black. It was rare for tv to inject this type of humor then.

olivant, I recall only a couple episodes of Andy Griffith with black people, but they were extras without speaking parts. Didn't Jack Benny feature a black character in his show in the 50s? Also, The Little Rascals and Our Gang had Buckwheat, whom I liked more than Alfalfa, but not as much as Froggy.

Yes, Kly. Benny had Rochester. By the way, Greg Morris of Mission Impossible played the black parent of the child Rob thought got mixed up with his.

I also remember Frank (pronounced Frahnk), the gardener on Fathers Knows Best. I believe he was supposed to be hispanic.

What about Amos & Andy which had an entire Black cast if I recall. This was way way back in the 50's when tv was very new. That had to have been unusual for sure. I can't say I remembe specifics of the show, but to my memory, that was the first (and only) show at the time that had a Black cast. I remember watching it regularly though. SC & TB, surely you guys remember it.


TIS

Yeah, TIS, "Amos & Andy" was one of the early pioneers with blacks on tv. It was thought to be a politically UNcorrect show, though, and I think the NAACP bought up the rights to the show vowing to never air it again.

Nat King Cole starred in his own variety show in the mid 50s.

Bill Cosby is generally regarded as the first black to co-star in a major series and that came in the mid 60s ("I Spy").

Buckwheat was the last of the blacks on the Little Rascals. Before him there was Sunshine Sammy, Farina and Stymie.

"Sunshine Sammy" Morrison went on to star as Scruno in the Bowery Boys movies during the 40s.

OMG I used to love those flicks!! I hope they make it to DVD one of these days... it's been a while, to say the least!

Wasn't the show "Julia" one of the first of its kind as well?

Yes, Babe, it was. In fact, she predated MTMoore as a single mother. Being a black single mother was even more progressive.

Glad ya'll mentioned Amos 'an Andy. God, it was one of the authentically funny shows on TV ever. It was hilarious. It was predated on radio though. The performers then were white.

how the hell did i forget about buckwheat? i wonder though when was the first time that African Americans were shown in film?

I used to love those movies too. I was turned on to them when I was a kid and a local tv station used to air one each weekend morning. It was a few years before I discovered that the "regulars" (Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, etc.) were a part of the Dead End kids before being "The Bowery Boys" or "The East Side Kids".

If you've never seen the movie "Dead End" (Joel McCrea and Sylvia Sidney star along with a young Humphrey Bogart) you should really try to catch it on tv or rent it. It was a serious movie showcasing the poverty of a tenement street and some of its inhabitants. The kids were supposed to be tough kids (dated by today's standards) rather than the clowns they later portrayed.

Back to the subject of blacks in film.... Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, arguably one of the best dancers who ever performed in the 20th century appeared in a movie with a very young Shirley Temple in the mid 30s. It created quite an uproar to have them dancing together.

Sammy Davis Jr appeared in a film in the late 20s.... I'd highly recommend his autobiography, "Yes I Can", for some good insight into blacks and films and the entertainment industry back then.

wow i didnt knew sammy davis jr went that far back. also too has anybody heard about the upcoming three stooges movie...staring jim carey as curly, and sean penn as larry fine.

http://www.variety.com/VR1118001643.html

I happened to be channel surfing and found The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. I forgot Eli Wallach was really that young?
Of course Eastwood was in his prime too.




TIS

I'm not sure what to make of this. The Stooges are sacred. I don't know the guy playing Moe, but he sounds capable. It will be tough, I imagine, to recreate the slapstick hilarity of the Stooges.

A new Jim Gaffigan standup special is premiering tonight on Comedy Central in about 10 minutes. Although maybe you guys on the East Coast might have missed it already? He's one of my favorite comedians, a very goofy extremely pale white guy. If you ever get a chance to see his standup he's hilarious.

I didn't see the show, blib, but Jim Gaffigan is hilarious. He's one of the best.

Just saw "Primal Fear" on T.V. I hadn't seen it since I was in primary School. I don't like Gerbil loving, Richard Gear, But in this film he's actually pretty decent. I couldn't believe this was Edward Norton's movie debut. He got an Oscar nomination for this part and he is friggin' fantastic in this. Definitely a great actor.

Good film.

I liked that movie too Whisper. And, I agree Norton was fabulous. It's been a long time since I've seen it as well. It definitely is worth watching again.


TIS

I too like this film and especially Edward Norton's acting. His transformation for American History X is amazing, though I don't like the movie as much.

Pale white guy from Indiana? Oh, the OTHER one.

Just about to watch Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares USA. Watch big Gord sort out some softie Americans by swearing constantly at them

I just found out who he was a couple of months ago. He's very funny and entertaining.

Farrah Fawcett has been hospitalized and is in bad shape, sources close to family and friends tell RadarOnline.com exclusively.

She has been battling cancer for three years and recently returned from Germany, where she had experimental stem-cell treatment. Sources told RadarOnline.com that she is critical but stable in a Los Angeles-area hospital. They also say she is unconscious and has been hospitalized for days.

Long-time love Ryan O’Neal has been by Farrah’s bedside, as has troubled son Redmond, who bolted from rehab earlier this week.

Farrah, 62, was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006 and later pronounced cancer free at a press conference.

It is not known whether she will survive.

I've only heard she's in the hospital, but no story, even on the local L.A. News (although I could have missed it) on how or "if" it's life threatening at this time.

I'm sorry to hear that though. I pray she survives her cancel battle.


TIS

damn...i hope she makes it though

Watched a thing on the BBC last night called FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN. I know you have a US BBC channel so if you get the chance watch it.

Set in Northern Ireland during the troubles and featuring both sides of the divide,a great human drama starring the ever excellent Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt (who you may not be so famaliar with).

Excellent viewing and highly recommended.

There was a multi-part series on Jesus on DSC last night. On it they even used skulls from Palestine to figure out what Jesus might have looked like. They definitely don't think he was blonde.

Some scientists performed a similar study some years ago.

In his life on Earth Jesus most likely never saw a person with blue eyes.

Whether you liked the film or not, that's one thing THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST had right: a black haired, dark eyed Jesus. I really can't imagine another Jeffrey Hunter type being cast in the part ever again.

During the past year I was able to locate on Youtube the opening scene of Patton which is a speech performed by George C. Scott as Patton. However, I've been searching Youtube the past couple of days to view it agaibn and I cannot locate it. Anyone else find it?

I just remembered thatI was meaning to watch that Harper's Island Show, but forgot. Will they replay it before the next episode, or will one of those tv web sites have it?

It hasn't played here yet. They sure have been advertising it a lot and it looks good. However, is it on once a week or more often. They said what? 12 episodes or something.

Before I commit to watching it, I have to make sure it doesn't interfere with my regular favorites.


TIS

My problem is that I rarely watch network tv anymore, and I can't commit to the 1 hour dramas as I have many interruptions. But I saw this show advertised during the Basketball tournament, and noticed that it lasted until July. It reminded me of that series, "Twin Peaks" about 20 years ago. I missed that show too.

I remember Twin Peaks!

Weirdly brilliant.

It was removed for copyright infringement.

Hell, I like to show it in my class.

By the way, Patton 360 will be on History Ch tonight.

so is patton going to have a red ring around him? lol

Watching A League Of Their Own right now. I never get tired of watching that movie!

"There's no crying in baseball!"

Great footage of Cooperstown in that movie, plus I was always glad that they showed the actual players during the credits.

In my class, I show the part of it where the black women throws the ball back to Geena Davis.

By the way, is anyone else watching Deadliest Warrior on Spike?

This week look for the Yakuza v. Mafia.

After 22 years, WALL STREET 2 is a go. Why do I get the feeling that a Bernie Madoff type character will figure into the plot?

Read on:

Wall Street 2: Michael Douglas and Oliver Stone reunite for sequel

Oliver Stone is to direct a timely sequel to Wall Street, the Hollywood film which introduced the world to the mantra: "Greed is good."

Michael Douglas will reprise his role as Gordon Gekko, the ruthless corporate raider whose rise and fall came to symbolise Eighties excess.

A sequel to Stone's 1987 original has long been on the cards, but the meltdown of the world's financial markets has given the scriptwriters a wealth of source material. "We need to keep the storyline under wraps, but it's literally ripped from today's headlines," said a spokesman for the movie studio, 20th Century Fox.

Douglas won an Oscar for his performance as Gekko, whose declaration that "lunch is for wimps" became a catchphrase for City boys.

The last film ended with Gekko facing prison for insider trading, but the sequel finds him back in business two decades on. Douglas, 64, described the returning character as "a great, old-fashioned villain" whose moral compass remains unchanged: "I don't think he's much different. He's just had more time to think about what to do."

Stanley Weiser, screenwriter of the original film, has complained that real-life traders looked on Gekko as more of a hero than a villain.

"After so many encounters with Gekko admirers or wannabes I wish I could go back and rewrite the greed line to this: 'Greed is good. But I've never seen a Brinks truck pull up to a cemetery,'" he said last year.

"If Oliver Stone and I had a nickel for every time someone uttered the words 'greed is good' we could have bought up the remains of Lehman Brothers."

Wall Street 2 will go into production this summer and is scheduled for release in 2010. New York, London and Dubai will feature as locations.

Charlie Sheen, who played an ambitious stockbroker in the first film, will not return. Instead, Shia LaBeouf is in talks to join the cast as the younger character who becomes Gekko's apprentice.

Im ashamed to say that ive never seen the first one..

idk who to give the edge to in this one...i believe that yakuza wins this though...i sure hope i am wrong though.

I couldn't believe they matched up a Ninja against a Spartan. I really don't see a Ninja as a warrior.

I have to go with Mafia.

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Dom DeLuise, who spiced up such movies as "Blazing Saddles," "Silent Movie" and "The Cannonball Run" with his manic delivery and roly-poly persona, has died, his son's publicist said.

Dom DeLuise was best known for his roles in Mel Brooks films as well as films with his friend Burt Reynolds.
Publicist Jay Schwartz did not disclose the cause of death, but DeLuise, 75, had been battling cancer for more than a year.

DeLuise was surrounded by family when he died in a Santa Monica, California, hospital Monday night, son Michael DeLuise told CNN affiliate KTLA.

DeLuise was most famous for his supporting roles in a number of Mel Brooks films, including 1974's "Saddles" -- in which he played a flamboyant musical director who led dancers in a number called "The French Mistake" -- and 1976's "Silent Movie," in which he played the assistant to Brooks' director Mel Funn. He was also in the Brooks-directed "The Twelve Chairs" (1970), "Spaceballs" (1987) and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993).

Has anybody seen Angels & Demons yet? Just wondering what you thought and if it lived up to the hype.




TIS

Don't know how accurate this is, but I heard on the radio the other day that Simon & Garfunkle's Mrs. Robinson was to be nominated for the song of the year at the Oscars in 67. According to the story, Paul Simon admitted he was so stoned (sign of the times?) that he forgot to send the necessary paperwork in thus eliminating the song from competition. Funny, I don't remember that either (sign of the times)

Anyway, I love that song and all the S&F songs from that movie. Sounds of Silence & Scarborough Fair were soooo popular. In mind mind S&G remind me of an "era". Even today though, I enjoy Paul Simon's voice. It's so pleasant to listen to.


TIS

My mother went to see it today, but she's not home yet. I'll let you know what she thought.

I'm going to see the WEST SIDE STORY revival this Saturday night at the Palace Theatre in Manhattan. It's gotten some great reviews so far.

From what I've read, this time a lot of the dialogue is in actual Spanish. I guess if you're Puerto Rican, you can only say, It's about time! I think it's a much more realistic portrayal of the immigrant experience when portrayed that way. I mean, think about it, what would GODFATHER II have been like if DeNiro spoke English?

I wasn't even sure where to post this. Maybe we need a Broadway/Theatre random post whoring thread?

Just wondering if there is a thread for favorite (or perhaps worse) movie scene? Like, "Yo Adrian", "E.T. Phone Home" or just a memorable part of a movie. Would that be an interesting thread? I don't have time to check all the pages.



TIS

A few that come to mind are:

James Earl Jones' famous soliloquy about baseball in Field of Dreams;
The last 20 minutes of Shawshank Redemption;
2 scenes in Life is Beautiful: When the dad has to give the school kids a speech on Aryan superiority and when he translates for the German guard;

You're retiring and now you're bitching about not having time?? You got some balls, lady.

(That would make for a fun thread).

Ha ha ha!! You know how sometimes being "old" gives you somewhat of a pass to get away with stuff? Well, I'm old so I'm turning bitchy. I think I'll "grow a pair."

Ok, I'll try starting a thread then.


TIS

OK, I'll buy you a can of Brasso as a retirement gift. Why, you ask? Because those balls are made of brass, lady!!

I love the end of "Jackie Brown." That Bobby Womack song, "Across 110th Street." Great song. Great flick.

Anybody into CSI:NY? I just got to see the season ender episode...wow! One of my favorite shows on network television.

I like CSI NY. I don't like CSI Miami though. That David Caruso gets on my nerves.

Mig, did you see the season finale? Wow! It went out with a bang! Agreed...I don't like the othe CSI's - Caruso sucked on NYPD Blue and I see nothing has changed.

Oh, I loved David Caruso on NYPD Blue. I find him more than a bit hammish on CSI Miami, but I like to watch it because I like Emily Procter, who plays Calleigh.

Babe, okay - Caruso wasn't that bad on NYPD Blue (One of my fav all time shows-BTW) The thing was that Jimmy Smits was so much better and the show continued on an upswing after Caruso and his ego left. Never saw a full episode of Miami...I guess I should see it before laying down a judgement.

How opposite I must be. I never was an NYPD Blue fan, mostly because I didn't like Caruso. I wouldn't watch CSI Miami because of him as well (he didn't appeal to me). Now, though not a regular viewer of CSI Miami, he grew on me an I like the show and his Horatio character. Go figure.


TIS

I have heard that from some people I work with...Caruso grew on them and now they love him. CSI:Miami is their fav show.

Anybody remember Caruso from "First Blood" with Sly?
How very young he looked. Just a kid.



TIS

I do! He was the smartest deputy in the station. He tried to tell them all that Rambo was a "bit different". He tried...

Btw, I've always wondered, is Caruso Italian? Cause he sure doesn't look it, but by the name......Could be half Italian I suppose. Like DeNiro, half Italian, half Irish, yet looking at DeNiro he totally looks Italian; looking at Caruso, he totally looks Irish (or whatever his other half may be). Talk about oppostie. Then again, I hear Northern Italy has many blonde Italians and maybe that's his bloodline. Just curious

TIS

Here's da scoop...Caruso was born and raised in Forest Hills, Queens, NY in 1956 to an Italian dad and Irish mom. He attended the same Catholic school system as Ray Romano and Pia Zadora. His first part in film was "An Officer and a Gentleman". We can all agree that he looks like mom?

Gee thanks Mark. I now know where to get the scoop. Isn't it funny how he and DeNiro are the same nationality and yet one looks totally Italian and the other totally Irish.

Btw, did you know that Susan Lucci is half Italian & Irish as well?

Nice talking to you Mark. I have to go to work now (12 days anc counting)


TIS

Mr. Babe was born a redhead, so maybe I just feel something for Caruso. He also just bought himself an H3, so my brother now calls him "H".

I really, really liked Caruso in NYPD Blue, one of my favorites, too. I loved the way that he took Turturro's character under his wing. There was also one episode that I loved which involved the death of another officer. Caruso went home with the officer's wife, who was also a cop, and helped her talk to the children. Although it was years ago, his interaction with those children, and how well he acted in that episode, has stayed with me all these years.

Yes, Smits was excellent. So was the last guy (who is now in "Raising The Bar"). The only actor that I felt did poorly in that show was Rick Schroeder. I especially liked Esai Morales as the Lieutenant.

And, naturally, nobody could touch Dennis Franz. He was just amazing as Andy. I feel like the show jumped the shark, though, when they killed off his son, his partner and his wife! Then the little kid got leukemia or something. I would have started to drink again, too.

Babe, I agree with your post. Franz, a Chicagoan, was great...in fact, when Smits' character died (that episode made me cry like a baby) Franz tried to get his fellow Chicago buddy, Joe Mantegna to come on board but Joe was wrapped up in another project and could not commit. That would have been great! Mantegna is one of my favs - only behind De Niro. Instead we got Schroeder IMO, there has not been a cop show that touches "Blue" since.

Mantegna is one of the reasons that I watch "Criminal Minds". I originally started watching because of Mandy Patinkin, a performer that I love, but when he left, I was happy to hear that Mantegna was taking over.

My dad was all Italian and he had red hair. Two of my nephews and one niece who are half Italian have red hair.

I have the first season of NYPD BLUE on dvd. And as much as I don't care for Caruso (I think he's a GIANT "ham"), I have to admit, he was awesome on that show.

If you watch the first few episodes, watch out for David Schwimmer as "4B," an intellectual type who gets mugged, plays vigilante, and meets an untimely end. He has pretty good dramatic acting skills (I think he's a comic GENIUS). Also watch out for another FRIENDS alum, Robert Costanza, as stoolie gangster Alphonse Giardella. He played Joey's father on several episodes of FRIENDS.

A GREAT New York City tv show. They filmed "exteriors" here, usually in July and August. I used to see the film crew on the lower east side near Stuyvesant Town quite a bit.

"Yeah, huh?"...One of my favorite lines they used to say on "Blue"...also "I'll hold a good thought" and "Reaching Out." Best cop show in history (IMO). I remember Giardella...when he was in witness protection held up in a hotel with feds, Sipowicz put a dog turd in his lasagna from room service! Gotta love it!

"I'm just squeezing your shoes" was another great "NYPD Blue" expression. The scripts, the acting, it was all great. I'm always torn between "NYPD Blue" and "Hill Street Blues" for greatest cop show. They were both so very good.

Good one, Babe. I forgot about that one. Another good phrase was "I'm gonna jamb you up!"

FX is showing "Snakes On A Plane". Unprobable, if not impossible story for sure, but I like the movie. Good thing I saw it first on HBO because they massacre Samuel L. Jacksons "MFing Snakes On A Plane" rant. This is a fun movie to watch IMHO.


TIS

Samuel Jackson is fantastic. How many actors can make a B movie like "Snakes" that enjoyable?

Slightly off topic: About 10 or 12 years ago, when I first read that Jackson was going to be in the STAR WARS prequels, I was honestly expecting the movie posters to read: May the force be with you, Mother*****r.

I think my favorite of Samuel L. Jackson's roles was in "Unbreakable". He was all kinds of crazy in that movie.

Samuel L. Jackson will always be "Stacks" from Goodfellas...I love it when Joe Pesci says; "You got one of your bitches in here?" before he shoots Stacks.

Wasn't he in one of the Die Hard movies?

pulp fiction is what i consider one of his best...he truely was a bad ass mother fucker.

'WISEGUY'
I see Don Cardi and some others have mentioned this in this thread. But I have only just seen this today in a store on DVD!

The TV series of 'Wiseguy'?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiseguy
Is it any good? Is it worth $50?

I don't know if it's worth that much, but it was a very good and innovative series and the writing was superb. It would have continued if its star had not been injured in a motorcycle accident.

Hey, Sicilian Babe & all the other NYPD Blue lover's...remember "Upstairs John"? He was the gay PA in the squad upstairs who eventually came down after Medavoy frightened Miss Abbandando into retirement! However, John kept her fuzzy troll top pencils! What a great character!

Lonesome Dove with Robert Duvall & Tommy Lee Jones is on now. What a great movie.

My brother just got me hooked on the three guys with "Top Gear" after a YouTube clip marathon of their crazy car challenges! I was wondering if any of our British members watch the show, as I think it's on the BBC?

They're so funny and cause such destruction...

Videos

Has anyone seen the Transformers sequel? Any good?

THE SEINFELD CHRONICLES, which was the pilot episode of SEINFELD, aired 20 years ago today.

SEINFELD wouldn't air as we know it (with Elaine) until May of 1990. And even then, it wasn't picked up for a full season until the fall of 1991. They came thisclose to giving up on it like 5 different times. Lucky for us they didn't!

Still, I can't believe it's been 20 years!

No and no.

Has anyone ever completely "misheard" a movie quote, and then were corrected? For years, I thought that Anna in "Predator" described the alien as "the demon that makes truffles of men", meaning that it hunted men as a highly desired prize. I found out today that it's "trophies", not "truffles", and I feel like a total ass.

I have that problem with music. I refuse to singalong with music because I will definitely have someone laughing at me for getting the lyrics wrong.

Yes on both!

Well, on Capo's Nos actually.

Michael Bay can go to hell.

Does anyone but me think that there should have been a sequel to Close Encounters? I would like to have seen the volunteers return to earth 20 years hence. It seems that a sequel could have followed any number of storylines.

"E.T. was the sequel to 'Close Encounters'" - Richard Dreyfuss

I guess it's still possible for a Close Encounters sequel. Every movie ever made is either getting remade or having sequels lately.

There's some truth to this.

From Wikipedia:

"Night Skies" was a sci-fi horror film that was in development in the late 1970s, but never actually made. Steven Spielberg conceived the idea after Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Instead, material developed at the time was used in Poltergeist and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

Origins:

Steven Spielberg came up with the idea for Night Skies in the late 1970s when Columbia Pictures wanted a sequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He had no interest in a sequel, but also didn't want Columbia to make a sequel without him, as Universal Pictures had done with Jaws. Instead, he came up with a horror film treatment for a Close Encounters follow-up initially entitled Watch the Skies (which had also been a working title for Close Encounters). Spielberg based the story on a tale of alien encounters he had heard from noted UFOlogist J. Allen Hynek while doing paranormal research for Close Encounters: back in 1955, a Kentucky family claimed that they had been terrorized by gremlin-like aliens who surrounded their farm (note that Spielberg was one of the main driving forces behind the movie Gremlins).

In Spielberg's original treatment for Watch the Skies, eleven malicious extraterrestrial scientists try to communicate with chickens, cows, and other cattle in an attempt to discover which of Earth's animal species are sentient, before turning their unwelcome attentions on the human family and dissecting their farm animals. Fueling Hollywood rumors about the film, NASA announced that Spielberg paid to reserve cargo space for the 1980 inaugural Space Shuttle flight, in order to film the Earth and its Moon from orbit for the film's opening sequence. Spielberg stated that he would produce Watch the Skies but not direct it, as he was under contract to direct his next film for Universal.


John Sayles and Rick Baker:

Spielberg at first wanted Lawrence Kasdan to flesh out his Watch the Skies treatment into a fully fledged script, but Kasdan was too busy writing Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, so Spielberg turned to John Sayles (who had written Joe Dante's Roger Corman-produced Jaws spoof Piranha, which Spielberg had loved). Watch the Skies was renamed Night Skies because someone owned the rights to the words "watch the skies" (which was the last line in The Thing from Another World). Some called Night Skies "Straw Dogs with aliens", but Sayles says his inspiration was the 1939 western film Drums Along the Mohawk. Sayles even named one of the aliens "Scar" (a character who was said to be "a real badass") after a Comanche Indian badguy in the John Wayne film The Searchers. Spielberg suggested that Tobe Hooper, best known for directing and co-writing The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, direct the film. The film was scheduled to begin shooting after Spielberg returned from filming Raiders of the Lost Ark. Spielberg chose make-up and special effects master Rick Baker (who at the time was also working on John Landis's An American Werewolf in London) to design and create the alien creatures.

Rick Baker built a working prototype of the lead alien that cost $70,000 and thrilled Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy when they saw a videotape of it in action while filming Raiders in London. In mid-1980, Sayles delivered his first (and in the end, only) draft of the screenplay, which featured five aliens (cut down from the original eleven) including the aforementioned Scar; "Squirt"; and "Buddy", who was kind and befriended the human family's autistic son. Sayles's script opened with Scar (who was described in the script as having a beak-like mouth and eyes like a grasshopper's) killing farm animals by touching them with a long bony finger which gave off an eerie light, and ended with Buddy, marooned on Earth by his mean-spirited peers, cowering under the shadow of an approaching hawk. Although there was some differences over the new concept, Spielberg and Sayles parted amicably but the film project continued on.

Origin of E.T.:

While Baker worked on the aliens, Spielberg was having second thoughts about Night Skies. "I might have taken leave of my senses. Throughout [the production of] Raiders, I was in between killing Nazis and blowing up flying wings and having Harrison Ford in all this high serialized adventure, I was sitting there in the middle of Tunisia, scratching my head and saying, 'I've got to get back to the tranquillity, or at least the spirituality, of Close Encounters.'". While on the set of Raiders, Spielberg read the Night Skies script to Melissa Mathison (who was there to see her then-boyfriend and future husband Harrison Ford) and she cried after hearing it because "the idea of an alien creature who was benevolent, tender, emotional and sweet... and the idea of the creature's striking up a relationship with a child who came from a broken home was very affecting".

When Spielberg came back from Tunisia and Hawaii (where the opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark was filmed), he eagerly closed the door on Night Skies and began planning the film Mathison had dubbed ET and Me, but would in only a year and half be known to audiences all over the world as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Rick Baker, who had spent $700,000 on unused Night Skies designs, models and animatronics, had a huge fight with Spielberg, which led to Carlo Rambaldi (who had previously done alien creature designs for Close Encounters) doing creature designs for E.T.. John P. Veitch (then-president of Columbia's world-wide productions) and Frank Price (then president of Columbia) were also unhappy with the emergence of E.T. and didn't want to make "a wimpy Walt Disney movie". In February 1981 (six months after Columbia's desire for a Close Encounters follow-up had been fulfilled by Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Special Edition), Columbia put the Night Skies/E.T. project in turnaround. Sid Sheinberg (Spielberg's long-time friend and then-president of MCA, the then-parent company of Universal Studios) bought the Night Skies/E.T. project from Columbia, repaying them the $1 million that had been used thus far to develop the project and making a deal in which Columbia would retain 5% of the film's net profits (Veitch later said that "I think that year we made more on that picture than we did on any of our films).


Legacy:

Although "Night Skies" as a film did not come to fruition, it still has a rather interesting and long legacy, as it helped inspire not only E.T., but also Poltergeist (which had a family terrorized by paranormal forces), Spielberg and Mathison's proposed E.T. II: Nocturnal Fears (which had malicious, animal-mutilating cousins of E.T.), Gremlins (which had one innocent and kind member of a species of otherwise mean-spirited creatures), Critters (which had a farm family terrorized by cattle-mutilating aliens), the video game Destroy All Humans!, Signs, and Spielberg's recent War of the Worlds remake.

One of SC's fav. movies is on right now on CMT. Field of Dreams.

i need to get that movie...

My fav John Wayne movie is on AMC right now. Rio Bravo. Stumpy makes me laugh. I like Dean Martin in it to.

If I'm not mistaken, isn't that the one with Ricky Nelson? If I remember correctly, it was "Nelson" that was a draw to the movie,(he was big at that time) although I never saw it in the theater.



TIS

yea it is

TIS, here is a couple video's of Dean & Ricky singing in the movie
My Rifle, My Pony and Me


Cindy

Thanks Mig. You know as long as it's been since I've seen the movie, once I played the video I remembered that song. I forgot how smooth ol' Dino is and a young Ricky Nelson.

My cousin who was about 8/10 years older than I was crazy about Nelson. She very recently passed away from lung cancer and I got an extra chill thinking of her as I saw that video.

Thanks for posting.

Oh, and Walter Brennan. I forgot about him.


TIS

ricky did had talent...sad he passed away.

Anyone catch Paul McCartney on Letterman last night?

He was FANTASTIC. I never realized how funny he was (I guess our Brit friends would call it "droll"). Well, whatever you wanna call it, he was the perfect foil for Dave's caustic deadpan questions.

I don't know if it's on Youtube yet, but if it is, be sure to check it out. Don't forget, that's the EXACT same stage where the Beatles played Ed Sullivan back in '64. Lotsa memories.

I liked that one quip of his: "Well I played on a roof once."

here is a link for anybody that hasnt seen paul performing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjIY-BbmGBE

I've been watching reruns of Touched By An Angel on the Hallmark channel. What a great family show.

finally bought "Any Given Sunday"...cant believe i never seen this before, but yea i heard a couple good stuff bout this movie.

It was ok some of the parts I hated with a passion.

I hated it all with a passion, almost like everything else shot by Baynito Michaelini.

I just happened to see The Incredible Hulk with Ed Norton on HBO yesterday. I am not a comic book fan in the least, but did enjoy the tv show with Bill Bixby.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised at Norton. I couldn't see him in the role, but after watching the movie, I think he was fine as David Banner. I still like Superman films more, but this was at least a decent movie.

Btw, not being into the technology, the hulk and his rival were computerized right? They looked cartoonish.



TIS

I was just surfing through the TV movies listings and I came across The Pope of Greenwich Village which I haven't seen in years. I think that Eric Roberts' and Mickey Rourke's performances in it were outstanding, especially Eric's. It's a shame that despite Mickey's recent wrestler performance, neither of those actors has consistently found the right vehicles to display their considerable talents.

Anyone see the new reality dating show last night about a bunch of fat women?

Not easy to watch. I mean, why don't they just do a show about homely people, call it "Butt Ugly," and get it over with?

i really hope reailty tv dies out soon...i want sitcoms, dramas, action, etc.

It seems that a lot of "reality" shows these days are appearing more and more "scripted". Gene Simmons, Brooke Hogan, Denise Richards, etc...They all seem to be a bit rehearsed and predictable. Just my opinion.

You know what I'm wondering? What if eventually your basic tv channels (CBS,ABC,NBC) all end up showing these reality shows. I was searching for a "regular" tv show to watch and for the most part, primetime was all reality with I believe Dateline or one news show at ten. I ended up with a cable channel (but even then there are repeats).

I remember my dad saying years ago, "some day we will pay to watch tv." (Well, with cable most of us do, but he has always had regular tv). This conversion/digital box that everyone who didn't have cable were forced to get, may only be the beginning.

Not being a fan of reality tv, it really sucks.


TIS

GWTW on TCM right now.

You and me both.

It's only been a week or so snce I watched the HBO documentary Prom Night in Mississippi. I don't know if it's been discussed on this Board already, but, if not, it needs to be. In it Morgan Freeman offers to finance a racially integrated Charleston, Mississippi high school prom. When I learned of that, I was stunned that there are racially segregated (on purpose) proms in 21st century America. Well, try to watch it.

I just had to post this. I'm watching a rerun of The Andy Griffith Show, an episode about Malcolm Merriweather (he's English) visiting Andy. He's telling Andy about his vehicle maintenance experience and he uses this phrase:

"Dickey up the hooter."

Yogi, you might want to chime in here.

It's an alternate act of love in which the male places his organ between the woman's mammary glands.

Well, if so, that ought to keep either his organ or the woman's mammary glands humming right along ... or is that another maintenance procedure?

I hope Aunt Bee wasn't present when he said this.


I think we need a translation from Yogi.

No Aunt Bee, but the gay blades Goober and Floyd were present.

Translation: Tell Howard Sprague to oil up and get his ass over here.

Does anyone watch AMC's Mad Men? Season premier is tomorrow. It's been so long. I forgot where it ended.


TIS

Season 2 finale spoiler alert!! (Courtesy of Capo and TIS)



I'm excited for the new season, but I hope it doesn't copy of The Sopranos' storylines as much as season 2 did.
For what it's worth, AMC's Breaking Bad is a much better show. THAT is the best show on TV, IMO.

I'm three episodes into season one and love it. Thankfully, I only read the first few words of Sopranoleone's reply.

Thanks for the update Sopranoleone, but don't forget to "hide" the plot lines. Many haven't seen it and especially in the UK (like Capo), they don't get it til much later than us.


Capo, I find the show really appealing because it's so different (for lack of a better word.) Also, the 60's is my era and I can relate to certain things (i.e. like the backdrop of an election/politics and generally what was going on in the world).

This won't reveal anything plot wise, but rather just an observaion:

My friend from work and I, last year were talking about it. She commented on how EVERYONE smoked. When I saw the first season, I laughed and yet recalled when one could smoke anywhere. Smoke was everywhere.

That aside, I find the characters/storylines rather interesting and look forward to watching.

TIS

what is mad men about anyways? i never seen an episode either.

Oops, my bad Capo and TIS! I'll be sure to edit my post now.

Hi Bam,

In a nutshell it is the story of an advertising firm taking place in the 1960's showing climbs up the corporate ladder and centering around a main character (among other interesting characters), Don Draper.

This show is on AMC and really, I think, gets little promotion, in spite of the fact it's won several emmys.

Here's the link. They may have a few short video links, I'm not sure.

Btw, I swear there was a thread titled Mad Men. Of course, I can't find it even on a search.

http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/about/


TIS

I still have not seen Public Enemies. Damn it.

Have ya'll noticed that the GF hasn't been broadcast in quite awhile except on HDD? I wonder if that's the way it's going to be from now on.

When "Will and Grace" was on network tv, I don't think I watched it 5 times. Now I watch it every night. Sean Hayes (as Jack) has to be one of the funniest secondary characters in the history of television. I mean that. I put him up there with Kramer, Ed Norton and Barney Fife. Megan Mullaly (as Karen) is also a hoot. Will and Grace are pretty much the straight men.

Exactly, PB. I watch reruns of several shows of which I rarely watched original broadcasts. Friends, Frasier, and Two and A Half Men are a few examples.

Actually I did that with Seinfeld, where I never watched the first few seasons. I'd tune in breifly and then turn the channel. Then I started watching some on the rerun channel and loved it. I do think it's one of the comedy shows ever. Who knew "nothing" could be so funny?


TIS

"Frasier" was a fantastic show. Very intelligent. I think it stayed on a year or two too long, though. In my opinion, it was much better prior to Niles and Daphne getting together.

She was much funnier and more at ease as a flighty housekeeper/physical therapist, than as an overnight socialite. Their relationship just didn't seem very natural. To be painfully honest, it didn't seem realistic, either. I mean, the rich may diddle the help, but they don't marry them.

Well, for me it didn't make sense that Niles would pine for Daphne while married, then divorced, then married again and never make a move on her. But, alas, Frasier did stay on one season too long. However, I could watch Peri Gilpen all day. She's from Waco, ya know.

Yeah, I knew she was a Texan. But I love her, anyway .

I agree. She was great!

I never watched The Nanny till I seen it on Lifetime Channel.



Same thing happened on The Nanny.

"anyway"?

Has anyone watched any of the new season shows yet? I pretty much have a few of my old favorites, but have watched The Vampire Diaries first two episodes and am surprisingly pleased. Of course, it's a take-off sort of, of Twilight, but the first two episodes caught my interest.

I am a Ghost Whisperer and Medium fan and saw the first episodes of that. I wanted to see the Opener for Law and Order. Did anyone catch that yesterday? It'll be o again tonight, so I'm hoping to see it. I sawy the Monday night comedy line-up on CBS too.

TIS

We're addicted to "Glee" in our house. I watched Leno's new show twice, which was twice too much. REALLY BAD. Other than that, not really into anything new.

I just saw where they are bringing back The Prisoner. Preview looks pretty good. It was a great concept that seems even more timely nowadays.

just re-watched the movie "heat", and over the years i can always go back to this movie and still be in aw over it. the story is great, and the acting with pachino, de niro, and kilmer was great.

just sucks that mann couldnt do this to the dillinger movie.

Perhaps some minor news that you guys don't know since I think I'm the only one who watches Desperate Housewives....

Drea DeMatteo aka Adriana from the Sopranos has now joined the cast as a new neighbor on Wisteria Lane. It's nice seeing her again. She was only introduced yesterday but plays the part of a wife and mother of a teenage son who has an "Edward" from Twilight look. Drea looks a little older but still the same, so far losing the Ho-ish look. What a different type role for her though.

Oli was right....Aid lives!!





TIS

Ye TIS, she's apparently fully recovered. Sil, on the other hand ...

Now don't get a big head now Oli.

I like some of the "off the wall" storylines in DH along with sometimes dark humor. It's hilarious.

There's almost always a new neighbor moving in every season (usually a regular "temporary" guest like I'm guessing Aide is this year). One time Alfre Woodrey was mother of a boy (Caleb) who the family kept locked in the basement because he was wanted for a crime. They made it into a comedy in which every neighbor was wondering what they were hiding and Caleb gets loose.

Yesterday Teri Hatcher's character married her love (long story). The season ended where you didn't know "which" woman Mike was gonna walk down the aisle with Susan or Katherine. Anyway, the woman who 'lost" was a neighbor who use to be friends with her (Hatcher).

This neighbor (in flashbacks) received Susan's wedding dress thru UPS cause Susan wasn't home. Well when Susan got home, saw that UPS left her dress at her rival's house she ran right down there to get it. Lo and behold when she opened the door, Katherine was wearing her wedding dress (out of spite of course). Susan asked her to take it off, and she said, "let me stir my sauce first. She goes right up to a pot of spaghetti sauce and starts stirrin away, while Susan is freaking out as she gets close to the sauce.

Ok, I probably wrote this for nothing, but I like the unusual stories that are turned in to comedy. Lot of great characters. I've liked this show from the beginning.

Oh, and Aide's character ended where she takes off her shirt to get ready for bed, and her back has all these open wounds. Remember it's a comedy, for the most part.

TIS

Anyone else watching "Glee"? This show is sweet, darkly humorous, has terrific musical numbers, teenage angst, crazy characters and serious eye candy, all rolled into one. It's not like any other TV show I've seen, and I find that I'm totally addicted. Tonight's episode has Kristin Chenoweth guest starring, who I love.

I originally started watching it because I'm a musical theater fan, but now am completely invested in the various characters and their psychoses.

While I agree that capitalism, at it's worst, is a very flawed system, I think it's been pretty good to Michael Moore. I mean, isn't shelling out $14 to see one of his movies capitalism at it's most blatant?

Moore's whining about capitalism is starting to echo Rush Limbaugh whining about socialism. At this point, the guy just sounds like a broken record. Had he made a film about corporate greed in general, as opposed to taking on the entire capitalist system, he would have reached a much broader audience.

I think he's finally gone off the deep end. And as I implied earlier, I think he's a bit of a hypocrite, in that he depends on the capitalist system to earn his living.

Moore and Limbaugh are simply point/counter-point.

But I don't get the gripe about capitalism. I make money selling a good or service. You buy it or you don't. I employ people to help me sell it. I offer them a compensation package. They take it or leave it. They risk nothing; I risk everything.

I'm watching Any Given Sunday mainly cuz it's a Pacino movie. And who shows up in a couple scenes? Gianni Russo aka Carlo. I'm not even sure what his role in the movie is. But good movie none the less.

Tonight the History Channel has another JFK assassination program on. Also The Robe is on CBN. They used to show it only at Easter. I haven't seen it shown then in several years. The actor who plays Emperor Caligula is outstanding.

Kate Beckinsale and Gabrielle Anwar would make a nice sandwich. A nice, feisty British sandwich.

Every time a new show comes on that I like, it gets canceled. Last year it was "Moonlight" which won People's Choice for best series. It got canceled after only a few episodes aired.

Last weekend I discovered "Mercy" & "Trauma". I enjoyed both shows but read that they will be getting the ax. Also, they indicated that Law & Order (the original) was on thin ice as well. I STILL like it. I like the new cops and the guy who took Sam Waterson's job (don't remember his name)grew on me. I am so disappointed.
I guess I won't bother to watch any of those I liked if they aren't gonna be around. Sometimes I don't think they give enough of a chance to these shows.

TIS

Has anyone caught the recent repeats of Angels in America on HBO? I watched much of it in 2002-3. It was a good production. I thought the Roy Cohn segments were intersting.

Is anyone planning on seeing The Wolfman???? I think it looks pretty good, but then I love the Wolfman.

TIS


Wolfman

i want to see this...if anything this might be as good as the classic...one thing though that i am happy bout is that they are using real make-up, and no CGI (as far as i know of).

The new tv show "The Forgotten" is a pretty cool show. I've been watching it since it first came out. Christian Slater plays a leader incharge of a team of Private Investigators called the Forgotten Network. Their job is to try and solve murders. It's a must see!!

Oh gosh, I got to see Edward Scissorhands yesterday, and ended up crying my eyes out at the end! I'd seen enough bits and pieces to know the whole story, but I think this was my first time watching it through. I will always adore the Depp/Burton mix. I remembered it being very odd and funny, but didn't expect to get so emotional about it.

Does anyone watch the "Vampire Diaries?" I must admit, I do like it. The storyline is interesting thus far and it's keeping my attention. Then again, I like vampire shows.

TIS

I'm not a big vampire fan. My girls, in protest of the "Twilight" craze, refuse to watch anything vampire-related.

I've always liked vampire and werewolf films.

No doubt this show is styled after the Twilight film, but so far I like the storyline which seems a little different. I liked last years Moonlight which was a vampire show, (that won People's Choice award) and still was canceled. Anyway so far it's good.

I'll probably see the new Twilight film but most likely when it's on HBO or DVD.

TIS

you should tell them that not everything with vampire's is bad...like salem's lot or bran stroker's dracula. personally though i really don't care for the twilight series, and also too stephen king is 1000x's better...book or movie wise.

Anyone a fan of "Glee"?

Finally! After God knows how long of GFI&II being shown only on HDD, they'll be on AMC this weekend.

I watched "Jaws" again recently...and in Spanish, which is quite an experience.

There is a scene in the movie, I noticed, which is a bit dated. Quint opens a can of beer (where the tab is removed from the can). After he drinks it, he looks at Hooper and crushes the can in his hand. In 1975 aluminum cans were much harder and sturdier than the cans of today, so it actually took a good bit of strngth to crush the can with one hand. In today's world Quint would look really silly crushing a can to look intimidating. Also, because cans for the past 20-25 years are thinner and lighter, the act takes away from much of the humor when Hooper responded by crushing a styrofoam cup.

1. Why did you watch Jaws in Spanish? Do you speak Spanish?

2. Which movie are you referring to with the beer cans (I assume a Quentin Tarentino movie?) I remember people crushing beer cans.


TIS

No, that's in Jaws, TIS. Hooper is feeling a bit intimidated by Quint, so when Quint crushes the beer can, he crushes his styrofoam coffee cup.

Klyd, if you are a Jaws fan, I have an amusing story for you. On the news the other day, they were showing a 10 foot shark that was found dead in Australia, bitten nearly in half by a larger shark. Matt Lauer said something about Quint/Jaws and Al Roker started to sing, "Farewell and Adieu to ye fair Spanish ladies, Farewell and Adieu ye ladies of Spain..." and Meredith Viera just looked at him as if he had just started speaking in tongues. He explained that it was Quint sang it in the movie, and she just said, "Well, we know what the shark did to him!"

The puzzled look on Meredith's face when Al started singing was hilarious.

Thanks SB,

Now I know what part you are referring to. Quint didn't ring any bells.


TIS

OMG, did they really remake 90210 and Melrose Place?? I saw "NEW" next to both of those on the ZAP2it listings and thought it was a mistake.

It was on the HBO Spanish language channel late one night when I had a few drinks. It was funny to hear the voices of the characters.

We recently switched from Comcast to Verizon Fios and part of the deal was a few months of free HBO and Cinemax. We used to get these channels on Comcast, but there's really no interest in these networks in my house, so I discontinued them. I'll probably discontinue them when the promotion ends.

That's funny. Quint delivered a lot of memorable moments in that movie. My favorite is when he ended his dramatic account of the sinking of the Indianapolis that had Hooper and the chief spellbound, by calmly stating, Anyway...we delivered the bomb."

GREAT scene!! I also love "You go in the cage, cage goes in the water, shark's in the water - OUR shark." Shaw's delivery was impeccable.

I read somewhere that Sterling Hayden, our Captain McCluskey, was supposed to play Quint, but had to flee the country because of tax woes. I'm sure he would have done a fine job, but now it's hard to imagine anyone but Shaw in that part.

Great line. I didn't know that about the role of Quint.

I've seen that movie plenty of times but you guys know it better than I do.

My daughter and some of her friends are going to the midnight showing of the new Twilight movie..."A New Moon?" next week Friday. Anyway, I saw the first one and it wasn't bad, but I'll wait to see this one probably when it's on HBO or on video.

TIS

Jon Stewart recently caught Fox News. It's pretty self-explanatory. I'd say it's amazing, but considering it's FOX maybe not.

TIS


http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-no...protest-footage

I just saw the John Stewart thing on Hardball. Pretty funny.

Jay Leno is hurting NBC.

http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/the-jay-leno-show-is-taking-nbc-down--777

Yea, I heard that. The thing is, I never really watch Jay,because I have my other shows I'm accustomed to watching at that time, but I do like him. I saw a couple shows and they seemed very similar to the Tonight Show to me.

I'm thinking that late night is his niche. What happens now. Can he take back his time slot? I like Conan too, but I hate to see Jay get the boot.

TIS

Lilo, I kind of figured that new Leno show wouldn't do very well. I've watched it a few times and it appears as if he is tortured to be doing it. Also, he seems to be trying to add on a bunch of new characters and skits that just aren't funny at all. Nice guy - bad timing and time slot.

I never watch Leno because it's too late but he seems a decent enough guy.
My understanding is that for whatever reason the suits wanted Conan to have that Tonight show spot. Leno wasn't very happy about this and so to prevent him from going to another network they agreed to let him do his 10 o'clock show. I didn't watch his 10 PM show either...

It's not particularly funny. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was far funnier. Conan wasn't doing very well against Letterman. I don't know if his numbers have gotten any better.

I wonder if it's the time slot. I mean, as far back as Johnny Carson, remember, you'd come home after a date, or a night out; you'd go to bed and turn on tv and Johnny was there. Or, you'd check out late shows but knew that if nothing else Johnny was there. Not always hilarious, but the conversation with guests and the idea that it was late night and it was just you and your tv made it all the better.

Now both Johnny & Jay were good which of course matters, and I think both more consistently than not, won their time slot. So maybe it's that different kind of audience or the late-nighter crowd. Maybe they are easier to please. I don't know. Just speculating.

TIS

TIS,it's mostly the time slot. I'm watching him at 9 which just seems a little too early. I imagine rocky moutain time viewers are watching him at 8. That early, it is a different audience. Also, his simply moving his show to another time slot seems like he's offering second-hand stuff.

Longtime anchor Lou Dobbs leaving CNN

7:28 p.m. CT, Wed., Nov . 11, 2009
Lou Dobbs, the longtime CNN anchor whose anti-immigration views have made him a TV lightning rod, said Wednesday that he is leaving the cable news channel effective immediately.

One fewer bore on CNN... cool

I haven't seen Leno in the new time slot. In fact, I don't regularly watch talk shows, but when I do, it's usually Letterman.

I'm reading that John King is taking over that time slot the beginning of the year. Don't know that it's much better. I wonder if he'll take all his charts with him.

TIS

Leno's ratings are abysmal and Conan has been a major disappointment for NBC, as well. Meanwhile, horny old man Letterman's numbers are at an all time high. The honchos over at NBC made a HUGE mistake in pushing Leno to take the 10 o'clock show. That timespot just isn't conducive to that type of television.

I have seen a couple of episodes of Lou Dobbs and find his anti-immigrant rants annoying. The only thing I remember of King is him standing in front of a huge computer touch screen during election times.

Many, many people no longer want news and a responsible discussion of topics. I think most who tune in want their emotions assuaged. Thus, we have the popularity of Hannity Insanity and Glenn Wreck. Lou Dobbs moved in that direction. He had a platfrom on which to emote and he did and many emoted with him. That's why you have to listen to a variety of news and talk shows to be informed enough to come to a reasonable conclusion and form a responsible opinion

Anybody watch "Cake Boss" on The Learning Channel? It's about Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ. Pretty good stuff...

Mark, I got hooked on that show one day when my roommate left the TV on - I couldn't stop watching it!

Buddy's quite a character, and his sisters are hilarious. The cakes are AMAZING! I would love to learn how to do that kind of thing. I make cakes for friends' birthdays and have recently tried special themes and decorations, but I can't imagine how they even get the ideas for what they do, much less how they're able to create them.

I hear you, Gina. About a month ago they ran the entire first season marathon and I was hooked after about 10 minutes! What a great show. Buddy has great television presence and his family has a good thing going in Hoboken. The humor, creativity and challenges they show is teriffic!

I finally got to see Pulp Fiction last night. What a flick!!

Have any Board members been watching the high definition color films of WWII on the History Channel? Most films of the War are in B&W. In color, it all seems so much more real. I look at those guys and think of what they accomplished and the fact that probably most of them are dead now. It's a shame that we couldn't honor each one of them individually.

if you get a chance, surf over to the Channel and watch at least a little of it.

Hulu is the best. I was just watching an old episode of Kojak from 1975 (Season 3, Epidode 3). An unknown Sylvester Stallone (one year prior to Rocky) played a cop who accidentally shot and killed a young boy. He was so thin! If I had to guess, I'd say no more than 155 pounds. No way he could have fought heavyweight.

I would love to see a "pre-Rocky" Stallone in Kojak.



TIS

Here ya go, Tis.


http://www.hulu.com/watch/55174/kojak-my-brother-my-enemy

Awwww Thanks PB. He looks so cute and so young. Even his voice sounds young. I'm guessing that was filmed in 70 something.

Thanks

TIS

I remember that episode. He hid the fact that he had a second weapon on him. Theo was instrumental in getting him fired. At the end after he has been fired, he and Theo passed nearby each other. It was one of those uncomfortable situations we all find ourselves in from time to time. Good television.

Recent ratings

FOXNEWS HANNITY/PALIN 4,200,000
FOXNEWS O'REILLY 3,868,000
FOXNEWS BECK 2,512,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,383,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 2,235,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 1,980,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,041,000
CNNHN GRACE 1,036,000
MSNBC MADDOW 957,000
CNN KING 835,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 625,000
CNN COOPER 611,000

CBS News, which has the lowest ratings of the three networks news shows, recently had 5.2 million viewers. Its only a half hour show while the cable offerings are 1 hour.

HBO is showing Dark Knight. It's not so much that I love the movie itself, but I always find myself navigating back to see the scenes with Heath Ledger, who makes the entire movie IMHO. I just love the guy's performance. One of my all time favorite villans, being both creepy and humorous.


TIS

Agreed - its almost like he knew that was the last time.

Last night I watched the remake of the day the earth stood still. Madonne! What a waste of money, time, and talent. I didn't realize that the movie would be a shill for the environmental movement. Gort is 50' tall. Why? It seems to be in the movie just to show off special effects. The troubled little kid. Again, why? I just don't know why these producers and directors think that a product like this will sell.

The Dark Knight was only wasn't Ledger's last completed film. His final performance was in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, during the production of which he died. I saw it recently, and it's a great performance. He was just blossoming as a major star, and was a far better actor than Johnny Depp.

Yeah, but Depp looks prettier in eye makeup.

While I totally agree with Ledger's acting abilities (although his time was cut so short), I disagree with Capo regarding Johnny Depp. I think he is one of today's best. I have not seen every movie he's made, but am amazed at how versatile he is. From oddball roles like Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas to true story characters as in Blow not to mention Ed Wood (even tho a flop). To me the guy is multi-talented. Oh, and let's not forget earlier mentioned "Nick of Time" to Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean.

I'm no expert in reviewing movies/performance, but to me Depp is one of today's best. The fact that he is good looking too is simply an added bonus I guess. Again, I don't disagree at all on Ledger, but think Johnny deserves a kudos too.

TIS

So Donny Osmond won DWTS huh?

Has anybody seen The Virgin Suicides? Is it any good? I only got to see the first half hour of it today.

If anyone knows when the next airing of the "25th Anniversary of the R&R Hall Of Fame airs on HBO, please let me know. I have HBO and have been missing the reruns of it. I checked the HBO site and couldn't find it. I guess that could mean they aren't airing it any longer.


Thanks

TIS

1 pm cst tues

10:30 pm cst tues

12:45 pm cst weds

I think though that they are all on HBO-L

Thanks Oli. I get HBO-L but doesn't do me much good.



TIS

Keep checking. It'll probably be on other HBO channels in the near future.

Try these:

8th - 5 PM

9th - 4:45 PM

I'm not sure what time zones.

Thanks Oli. I also have On-Demand for which I get free HBO shows. I'll check there too.

It's my fault. I've seen it was on a few times and didn't want to start watching in the middle or just couldn't watch. It's not like I didn't have any chances. Plus I really want to see Simon & Garfunkle (along with many others).

TIS

This was one of the best concerts I've seen in a long while! So many great moments -- some quite emotional, even. You'll laugh, you'll cry -- you'll enjoy it.

Thank God for DVR!

Hi Geoff. How's the new house?

Ok, give me a brief rundown on the performers. I heard The Stones? Damn, I wish I would have seen it.


TIS

Ok, I finally got to see it last night..or at least half of it. Are their two parts? Cause I didn't see Simon & Garfunkle. I saw a two hour show with Springsteen, Bono, Mick Jager, Crosby, Stills, Nash... I'm hoping there's a part II.


TIS

I'm in luck. I just happened to turn TV on and HBO is running part II of the RR HofF special. I missed most of Aretha but that's ok by me. Paul Simon is on now though.


TIS

Oh and Dion Dimucci!!!

Finally! After decade after decade of watching The Wizard of Oz, I found out the words to the chant by the guards of the Wicked Witch's castle: "O - Ee- Yah, Eoh - Ah!"

Now I can die in peace.

Did you see him do "Abraham, Martin and John," Tis?

Goosebumps.

Why goosebumps, you ask?

Because that's the first 45 rpm that a 9 year old Pizzaboy ever bought, in the fall of 1968. True story.

But even better than that, here he talks about getting hit by the thunderbolt, like in "The Godfather," as the basis for "A Teenager in Love."

That was the year I got married and I remember that song very well. It brings back alot of memories.

Time has listed it's top ten worst tv shows of 2009. I've seen only one (Leno), heard of a few and never heard of several. Note: Jersey Shores is on the list.


TIS


http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2009/12/21/vacation-robo-post-the-10-worst-tv-shows-of-2009/

CNN) -- Actor Charlie Sheen was arrested early Friday and charged with several offenses with a domestic violence component, Aspen, Colorado, police said.

Sheen, 44, is being held without bond in the Pitkin County Jail pending a court appearance. A date for that appearance has not been set.

The actor was charged with second degree assault and menacing, both felonies, and criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, police said. Additionally, Colorado law mandates a protective order between someone arrested for domestic violence and the victim.

I've read this story too, but they don't mention who he was domestically violent with. We can assume his wife, but I haven't heard, have you?


TIS

These actions from a guy who has spoken out against war and violence on so many different occassions?

What a f**king hypocrite!

I never liked Charlie Sheen. There was always something about him that irked me when watching him on TV or the big screen.

I don't think I've seen many of his films, but I do like his tv show.

Boy, what a difference from his dad. As far as I know, Martin's been married to the same woman for years and aside from expressing his political views, I don't think Martin's had many of the issues that Charlie seems to have or gotten much bad press.


TIS

In a twist, it turns out that it was Mrs. Sheen who was drunk. According to TMZ anyway, she recanted her story. Don't you love how they get the worst possible picture to fit this kind of story.

TIS



http://www.tmz.com/2009/12/26/charlie-sh...and-a-half-man/

I'll bet Tiger Woods is happy to hear about this...

doubt it...you need somebody famous to sleep with 15+ bimbo's before tiger is in the clear.

Has anyone seen the show - I think it's called "The Grizzly Man Diaries" on Green. It's the videos of Timothy Treadwell, who lived among grizzly bears in Alaska for about 13 years before he was killed in 2003. It's entertaining and fascinating.

Green also has another show where teams of 2 or 3 people are placed in separate areas of the Alaskan wilderness, and must fend for themselves for several months in the winter. They struggle to get necessary protein, stay warm and avoid predators. It's also a good show.

Did anyone catch the "Alice" miniseries on SyFy? It aired earlier this month, I believe, and I finally watched the DVR recording we had. It was such a cool adaptation, and I really enjoyed it! It has Tim Curry as the Dodo and Kathy Bates as the Queen of Hearts - the "White Knight" character was hilarious, and I've totally fallen for the adorable "Hatter." I don't know if it repeats (do the original movies usually air again?), but I hope so!

I'd also like to see SyFy's Wizard of Oz adaptation.

Klyd, do you mean Grizzly Man, the documentary by Werner Herzog? It's pretty good, yeah.

I caught the back end of the 1989 documentary For All Mankind the other night. It was great. I think I'll buy it.

Capo, plan to also buy the Criterion CHE along with FOR ALL MANKIND?

Me and my kids watched alot of the Looney Toons maratnon today. Gotta love Bugs.

Yes. The documentary is interesting. The Diaries are 30 minute vignettes taken from Treadwell's camera.

Does anybody watch Dirty Jobs? I watched one the other day that he to bite the nuts off of sheep.

Hu????? This is a tv show? Why oh why would anyone want or "have" to bite the nuts off of sheep??


TIS

I see they are making another "Wall Street." Believe it or not, I never saw the first one. I don't know why, but just never did. Maybe I wasn't interested in it then, but I am now. I hope they show it (or I'll rent it) before the new one.

Btw, Michael Douglas is back in the new one, but don't know about the rest of the cast.

TIS

TIS, do yourself a favor and rent the movie. It's a truly gritty portrayal of the greed that overtook us in the '70s and '80s. Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas were absolutely wonderful in their respective roles.

SC, I will. Boy, can you imagine the material they have to work with on this one?

TIS

Rumors swirl as NBC says Leno not canceled Jan. 7, 2010, 6:13 PM EST
TheWrap.com

Following denials by NBC executives that "The Jay Leno Show" had been canceled (after rumors first appeared that it had), TMZ.com is now reporting that after the show's Olympics hiatus on Feb. 1, it will move back to the 11:30 p.m. time slot. Citing sources it does not name, the report says it's not clear whether Jay's show, would be a half-hour lead-in to Conan O'Brien, or a full hour -- presumably sending O'Brien to the curb.

If any such a decision has really been made, it would be a complete surprise to the camp of O'Brien, who currently occupies the 11:30 slot, according to a person close to the situation who spoke to TheWrap.

I didn't particularly like Jay's show at first, but it's grown on me.

Like with Johnny Carson, I don't watch all the time, but it was always nice to have him there. I like Jay and hope he goes back to late night, if that's what works for him. I really don't mind Conan either though.

Last I heard, they were talking of giving Leno an 11:30 - 12:05 show and THEN Conan will follow. All speculation though I think.

TIS

I've never watched Jay's show or Conan's Tonight show.

Report: NBC giving Conan an ultimatum Jan. 8, 2010, 1:24 PM EST
MSN Entertainment

After TMZ.com reported on Thursday that Jay Leno would be moving back to the 11:30 p.m. time slot on NBC, the site is now reporting that NBC executives have told Conan O'Brien -- who currently holds that time slot -- that he now has a choice: He can move to the midnight to 1 a.m. time slot, or he can leave the network.

TMZ is also reporting that Conan has not decided what he wants to do, but that he and his people are considering the offer. The report also indicates that if Conan does in fact take the midnight time slot, Leno's show would only be a half hour long. However, if Conan leaves the network, Leno would get a full hour of programming.

That's a disgraceful way to to treat O'Brien, a 16 year employee. I'm not even a fan of his, but that's just wrong. And I have to say, if Leno is in on the negotiations (which I'm CERTAIN he is), then he turned out to be a bum, too. I'll stick with Letterman, thank you very much.

To me, it sounds like the network wants Leno and might be trying to squeeze Conan out. I like them both, but would still go with Leno.

What's funny is, none of these late night shows are a half hour only are they?


TIS

Report: O'Brien not keen on NBC plan -- but what about Fox? Jan. 8, 2010, 6:59 PM EST by Josef Adalian TheWrap.com

Fox has a message for Team Conan: If NBC doesn't want you, we might be open to a deal.

And if the latest reports are true, O'Brien might be interested. The New York Times Friday indicated that O'Brien's camp isn't interested in what NBC is currently offering.

"Representatives of Mr. O'Brien made it clear the comedian has not accepted NBC's plan and was likely not to agree any time in the near future," the paper noted in a post on its Media Decoder blog.

That would be perfect. I hate to see Leno go but also think it's not real fair to Conan. I like them both, so that would be perfect. But then, who cares what I think?

If Conan goes to FOX, then they'll be rivals, assuming they both have the same time slot.


TIS

Meaning that Conan and Leno will split the NBC viewers, making Letterman the clear winner. The Ross Perot Effect .

Ha ha ha!!!! Yea, good chance. Good for Letterman I guess.


TIS

If Conan goes to Fox at midnight, it'll get real interesting there when it comes to programming. Conan will follow (I guess) O'Reilly's 11PM (EST) rerun. That will give Conan a tremendous lead-in audience for his 12midnight show, but still less than Letterman's which typically pulls in about 5 million viewers (plus, he starts at 11:30). But to do that Fox will have to eschew Greta's midnight rerun. Yes, it will be interesting.

Oli,

I thought they were talking channel 11 FOX, not the cable fox (O'Reilly and the political channel). They are affiliated, I know, but two separate channels. At least here, they call it Fox.

The same network "24" is on.


TIS

I know TIS, but there are Fox affiliates that broadcast O'Reilly also.

i never seen o'reilly on the fox network...just stupid crap like 'girls gone wild' with censors.

I haven't either Bam, but then I can't think of any of my favorite shows that are on FOX. I just don't watch it much.


TIS

January 11, 2010, 12:32 pm
Sarah Palin to Contribute to Fox News By JIM RUTENBERG

Former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska has signed on as a contributor to the Fox News Channel.

The network confirmed that Ms. Palin would appear on the network’s programming on a regular basis as part of a multiyear deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Republican or not, how can anyone give credence to anything this woman says? I've never seen anyone embody The Peter Principle so profoundly. She has failed upwards by being attractive and glib. How can anyone admire her?

Sarah "Can I call you Joe?" Palin is the biggest joke in politics today. It's fitting that Fox News will be hiring her.

Raw Story site titled the story: "Fox Signs On Palin......and the sun sets in the west."

It might be a good thing. People can see just how inept she really is. Although we're talking FOX.


TIS

lets see no bill o'reily, glenn beck, geraldo rivera, and now palin...wow lol.

Haven't seen Rivera in a while... Palin's a joke... O'Reilly's been finished since Beck showed up... so what's new?

Conan's Reaction

I'm sure some folks were talking about this a while ago but we have the new show starring Edie Falco on over here now, NURSE JACKIE.

It is very good and although it is strange to see here looking so un-Sopranos like, she really is a damn fine actress!

Yogi,

We have that too. I only have HBO an don't get it. It would seem very strange to see her in anything other than the Carmella Soprano role.

Btw, just the other day I saw a very young Falco as a lawyer on Law & Order.



TIS

That was great!

Fox is reporting that Conan said he is leaving NBC. He released a statement.

Yea, MSN is just now reporting to. He doesn't sound too happy. Can't say I blame him. BUT, I think another network will jump in soon and make him an offer he can't refuse. What do ya bet????? He does have a following.


TIS

Your right TIS. What I meant to post is that Conan on Fox at 11 would compete against O'Reilly's rebroadcast.

he should go back to writing the simpsons...they haven't been the same for a long time.

other wise though fox should, and will pick him up.

Yeah watching Conan tonight, it was obvious that he was heading out. Tonight's episode shall be absolutely fascinating and what he'll say.

I think what pisses me off is that NBC (and to a degree Leno) really fucked Conan here. I mean Conan worked what, 16-17 something years at 12:30, 5 of the last 6 years promised the Tonight Show, which Leno agreed to retire gracefully like Carson did for him.

Then last year, Leno made motions that he wasn't ready to go, talked openly about maybe going to ABC. NBC panicked, and gave him 10 PM. Where he bombed. He's being rewardard 11:30 for failing. Just wrong in everyway. Yes Leno's contract prevents NBC from directly canning him for another two years, but dammit if Leno is the present, Conan is the future.

I mean NBC gave Leno what, 2+ years to get his act together on Tonight Show when Letterman was kicking his ass nightly. Conan got shanked after 7 months, and now NBC is going to pay $40-80 million to a guy who won't be working their network.

Conan's press statement effectively is a final ultimatum to NBC: Pick me or Leno. You can't have us both.

----------------------------------------------------------

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I
want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second
feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I
love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky.
That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my
bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight
Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson
every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant
everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed
up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally
hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the
future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would
have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of
ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting
audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months,
with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their
terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their
long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight
Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years
the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I
sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to
accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider
to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight
Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move
I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David
Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot.
That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be
unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy
hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is
for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably
hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The
Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its
destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the
Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I
believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set
the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have
no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this
quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of,
for a company that values our work.

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair;
it's always been that way.

Yours,
Conan

I agree 100 percent, Ronnie. That's no way to treat a 16+ year employee. NBC is a laughingstock, as far as the networks go.

That was great .

Funny thing is, this wasn't the first NBC/Tonight Show PR disaster. Nor was it for the "Late Shift" saga.

The first was when Jack Paar (on live TV) walked off TS, after NBC censored a toilet joke of his.



My hero!

Man even Hitler is pissed about all this.

I agree that Conan deserves better. I don't watch the Late Night Shows often. When I do, I prefer Letterman. I prefer Conan over Leno though.

I loved Conan's statement. He'll undoubtedly land on his feet. I also believe that given time, he'd have succeeded in the 11:30 Tonight Show slot.

Agreed. NBC gave Leno two years to get his ratings up. Conan really got screwed.

I, too, prefer Letterman. Now I'll really never watch Leno, on general principle.

Honestly, I don't watch any regularly and am not familiar at all with those shows that air at 12:30 after the main three. However, I honestly like Leno, Letterman & O'Brien about the same. I think Leno will do fine going back,ratings wise, and O'Brien, wherever he goes (someone will pick him up) will too. From some of the blogs I've read, I think much of the young generation will go with O'Brien, but I find him funny too.

TIS

Letterman is loving this, since Leno getting The Tonight Show was what prompted his move to CBS.

Exactly. NBC screwed Letterman back then. He deserved that show more than Jay did. He was the older talk show host, and he was stepped over!!!!

I gotta say, ALL of them are making great jokes. Leno said the other night,"NBC wanted to put a "drama" on at ten o'clock. Well, now they got it."


TIS

I feel sorry for Conan. He packed up moved across the country and for what to get shafted after a few months.

Yea, I do too. He did get the shaft. However, from what I understand, NBC still needs to pay him like 20 million or something. So, it's hard to feel too sorry for him. But yea, he definitely got the short end of the stick.




TIS

20 Mil. Well I feel less sorry for him now.

Try maybe $30-50 million.

Fun Fact: Leading two Tweets on Twitter are #SaveConan and #FuckLeno.

A lot of Sopranos actors and actresses were also on Law & Order. A few that come to mind are Uncle Junior, who was in several episodes, Hesh who I remember playing a Judge, Christopher, Artie Bucco's wife Charmaine, Artie Bucco himself, Big Pussy, Janice, and of course Gigi (John Fiore who played Detective Profaci for many years).

You know, this is really unprecendented the amount of angry shooting by NBC employees against their own network. Conan and his gang, Kenneth the Page (from 30 Rock), Jimmy Fallon, Chevy Chase (Community) over on Jimmy Kimmel's program on ABC, Ricky Gervais (hosting the Golden Globes for Conan on sunday)and SNL too.

This fuckup has made Late Night (all programs, except Leno he's doing reruns now) must-watch nightly.

Conan’s Tonight Show Crushes Letterman’s Late Show Again On Wednesday

NBC Statement:

"NBC’s The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien has topped all broadcast and cable competition in the key late-night demographic of adults 18-49 for the week of January 4-8. At 12:35 a.m. ET. Last week also saw Conan deliver bigger audiences than CBS's Late Show with David Letterman and the ABC lineup of Nightline and Jimmy Kimmel Live in adults, men and women 18-34, men 18-49 and men 25-54. Conan has finished #1 or tied for #1 among broadcast networks in adult 18-49 rating for nine of the last 11 weeks. The median age of Conan’s audience last week was 45.6, nine years younger than Nightline's" 55.0 and 11 years younger than Letterman’s 57.3."

------------------------------------------------

So, let me get this straight: NBC is crowing about the numbers of the guy they want off The Tonight Show and off NBC in favor of Jay Leno. Yes, that makes a lot of sense

I can't stress it enough, Ronnie, I agree 110 percent.

I never cared for Leno, anyway. But I'll go out of my way to not watch him now.

Welcome back, Jay - and goodbye, Conan?

Jay Leno is on track to retake the helm of the "Tonight Show" - and Conan O'Brien could be gone by next week, according to two new reports.

The moves would solve NBC's late-night woes, restoring Leno to 11:35 p.m. in his old hour-long slot.

NBC sources denied any deal was struck.

At the same time, other sources, noted that the network can't announce any moves until its legal wrangling with the disgruntled O'Brien is solved.

Just as TMZ.com was reporting Thursday that Leno's back, People.com posted a story quoting an O'Brien source who insisted "Conan does not currently plan on doing any more new shows after next week."

Well Jimmy Kimmel (who brutally parodied Leno to the teeth the other night) was on Leno and...I gotta get the video posted ASAP, but he rips Leno a whole new asshole.

Jay: What was the best prank you ever pulled on someone?

Jimmy: I promised someone I'd give him my show in five years, and after five years I gave it to him, but then I took it right back.

Kimmel on Leno

Report: NBC to pay Conan $30 million Jan. 15, 2010, 7:27 PM EST

NBC has its way out of the Conan Crisis.

The network has agreed to pay O'Brien $30 million to vacate the 11:35 p.m. "Tonight Show," individuals involved in the negotiations have told TheWrap. The deal, which still has to be formally signed, could be announced as early as Friday. Individuals in O'Brien's camp declined to comment.

As TheWrap previously reported, Team Conan was insisting that NBC has breached O'Brien's contract because, it argued, the deal had a timeslot guarantee. NBC's response: No, there is no such guarantee of a specific timeslot for "Tonight." So as long as we keep something called "The Tonight Show" on the air, there is no breach. If NBC had been in breach, it would have owed Conan around $40 million (and as much as $50 million, according to some reports, as a penalty. People close to NBC insisted the network would not yield on this point-- it wouldn't admit it had breached O'Brien's deal.

Under this proposal, the sooner O'Brien starts a new gig -- if he starts one -- the less money it would have to pay. So if Conan managed to land a new job at Fox within a year, the Peacock might shell out less than the full $30 million.

In spite of how he was treated, I can't feel to badly for anyone who walks away with 30 mil.


I saw part of a movie on HBO last night with Edward Norton. It was called Pride & Glory. I always catch it late at night (twice now) and have never seen it all the way thru. Anyone hear of it?

TIS

Man Stern was psychic!

TALL, SLENDER REDHEAD AVAILABLE FOR NIGHTTIME RECREATION - m4ww - 30 (Universal Studios)

- Tall, slender redhead available for nighttime recreation.

- 6’4”, completely ripped, VERY Caucasian.

- Drapes match the carpet.

- Currently homeless, must meet at your place.

- Can go a whole hour (with scheduled breaks every 7-10 minutes).

- Fatties welcome.

- Not afraid to take two people at once, and then a musical guest.

- NOTE: If you want me to perform after midnight, it'll cost you!



http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cas/1558679241.html

I saw it. I thought it was a worthwhile cop drama. Colin Farrell comes very close to stealing every scene he's in. Rick Gonzalez does a great cameo. It's DEFINITELY not a new story by any stretch of the imagination but it was well done.

There's a movie with Edward Norton and Ben Stiller. They play two boyhood best friends. Norton grows up to be a priest and Stiller a rabbi. They become known in the neighborhood as "The God Squad" and try to bring youth and energy to their respective congregations. All goes well until their third childhood buddy Anna, played by Jenna Elfman, comes back into their lives. Naturally, they both fall in love with her.

The movie is cute and light-hearted. It was nice to see Norton in such a role. I can't remember the name of it, but try to catch it if I'm flipping channels and it's on. Ann Bancroft is very good as Stiller's mom.

That was a good movie. I believe it was called Keeping The Faith.

Lilo,

For some reason, I'm not destined to see the entire movie. It was on HBO and I caught it twice and fell asleep midway. The other night, I watched it at my convenience, using "on demand". I was able to fast forward to the spot I left off. It was later at night and once again I fell asleep.

A very disturbing scene was the one with the baby and the iron. Horrible! I cringe.

Anyway, I may just give up.

TIS

It's Finalized: Conan, NBC reach $45 million Divorce

Conan O'Brien and NBC worked out their final conflict hours ago and have reached a $45 million settlement ... and we've learned it's a sweeter deal for Conan than anyone thought.

Network sources tell TMZ the "mitigation" clause was taken off the table. Translation -- Conan will get a severance of $32.5 million, regardless of whether he gets another hosting gig. Not bad for seven months work.

As we first reported, NBC will pay $7.5 million to Conan's "Tonight Show" staff -- and our sources believe the network added several thousand more to the pot at the last minute.

In addition, NBC will pay a whopping $4.5 million to the executive producer.

Conan's last show is Friday. We're told NBC hasn't decided who will replace Conan for the period between Monday and the Winter Olympics.

http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0dGJ8RNm6

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I like all the support Conan got from the other late night talk show hosts (minus Leno) and comedians. Last night at the TV Hall of Fame banquet, where Gene Roddenberry (creator of STAR TREK) got inducted by Seth McFarlane (FAMILY GUY). Ole Seth's comment about TREK's cancellation:

"NBC, not known for its good programming decisions even back then..."