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This or That

Messages
17,263
Location
New York City
The Saint. Excellent character who's long overdue for a comeback.

Ellery Queen or Philo Vance?

Philo Vance

Seilerjp - you must have posted while I was typing:

Holmes (Watson deserves a better rep than those who only know him through the movies and not the books have of him, but Holmes is still the force of those stories)

The Val Kilmer / Elizabeth Shue bland version probably killed The Saint for a decade or so; so, yes, now would be a good time to try again. The challenge is finding a way to bring his uniqueness to the movie without just making another Bond / Bourne / Die Hard simulacrum. I am for setting it back in the time it was written as he was a product of his time and culture and that would give the movie the best chance to capture the Saint's distinctive personality and how it aligned to the mindset of the day. But if they don't do that, we always have the books, which I re-read periodically - fun escapism.

I, too, thought Moore was better in "The Saint," still a bit too flip for my tastes, but The Saint was a bit more flip than Bond, so it was more appropriate for that character. Plus, always fun spotting the young, soon-to-be stars who pop up in those old "The Saint" TV shows.

"The Group" by Mary McCarthy or "The Best of Everything" by Rona Jaffe
 
Messages
17,263
Location
New York City
Let us not skip over this "this or that:"

"The Group" by Mary McCarthy or "The Best of Everything" by Rona Jaffe?

and 2jakes: Amos or Andy? (I never liked the show - heard it as a kid on an "old time" radio station in the late '60s / '70s - and have almost no memory of it - but I know it was very popular), so I'll leave it to others to choose.
 
Messages
17,263
Location
New York City
Sorry , didn’t mean to jump over your this or that !
I never like either Mary McCarthy or Rona Jaffe so I’ll leave it up to others to
choose. :D

"The Best of Everything" was a one-off good piece of fluff for Jaffe where she captured a niche cultural zeitgeist well, but I do like McCarthy in small doses. Even though I don't agree with a lot of her underlying philosophy, I respect her writing talents. I thought it was a neat "this or that" as, while the books are very different in style and several decades apart in period, they cover a similar time in their characters' lives who are facing similar challenges.
 
Messages
17,263
Location
New York City
Astaire, he did it with such apparent ease (I know he worked his butt off in reality), the fluidity _ almost nonchalance - of his dance is what I love the most. Kelly is, of course, extremely talented, but he dances in an almost aggressive, "I'm dancing damn you" way that is fun to watch, but doesn't have, IMHO, the grace of Astaire.

Hitchcock's Major Blonde Stars in the '50s and early '60s: Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, Eva Marie Saint, Janet Leigh or Tippi Hedron?
 

swanson_eyes

Practically Family
Messages
827
Location
Wisconsin
I agree about Astaire. I like watching him. I guess I'd have to say Tipi because I like The Birds so much.

So, pinstripe or houndstooth?
 

swanson_eyes

Practically Family
Messages
827
Location
Wisconsin
It's hard to choose, but windowpane seems more...fun, so I'll go with that.

You're going to the drugstore. Do you get a chocolate malted or an ice cream soda?
 

Stearmen

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,202
Buffalo! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Stanley Steamer or Doble steam car?
 

Stearmen

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,202
The Marx Brothers... but they both shared this common denominator: as they grew older, their timing fell, and it got to the point where watching them as they aged was like watching an old boxer who was once a champion getting pummeled in the ring. Just...sad.

P-51D or Grumman Bearcat?
Talking to the late great Howard Pardue on many occasions, the F8F-1 Bearcat, hands down!----------------------------------------------------------------------------Grumman Goose, or Widgeon?
 

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