What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[LizzieMaine]

The little film intro clips they used to use to segue between films. Up until about ten years ago they were animated pieces using Edward Hopper-inspired imagery, often accompanied by the music of 50s jazz soloist Chet Baker.

[video=youtube;Qg8MyAZYYb8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg8MyAZYYb8[/video]

Much nicer than the pretentious hipster stuff they use nowadays.

 

[Fading Fast]

The little film intro clips they used to use to segue between films. Up until about ten years ago they were animated pieces using Edward Hopper-inspired imagery, often accompanied by the music of 50s jazz soloist Chet Baker.

[video=youtube;Qg8MyAZYYb8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg8MyAZYYb8[/video]

Much nicer than the pretentious hipster stuff they use nowadays.

Agreed - I used to love those. Has it really been 10 or so years - I would have guessed half that time. I will say, on the hipster point, I didn't immediately like Ben Mankiewicz when he first started as he seemed a bit flippant, but he's grown on me as I believe his love of old movie is sincere and it comes through.

 

[Fading Fast]

And I hate the stupid Rube Goldberg steel ball thing they do now. Although, some of the film noir intros are still well done.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I go back and forth on him, but he's definitely improved from when he started. But I have a hard time watching TV hosts who are younger than I am.

No movie host ever, anywhere, can beat Dana Hersey, who hosted "The Movie Loft" on Channel 38 out of Boston in the '70s and '80s. He was classy, knowledgeable, and didn't have to depend on cue cards to get his point across. If I ran TCM, he'd be the first person I'd put on the air.

 

[Fading Fast]

I go back and forth on him, but he's definitely improved from when he started. But I have a hard time watching TV hosts who are younger than I am.

No movie host ever, anywhere, can beat Dana Hersey, who hosted "The Movie Loft" on Channel 38 out of Boston in the '70s and '80s. He was classy, knowledgeable, and didn't have to depend on cue cards to get his point across. If I ran TCM, he'd be the first person I'd put on the air.

I've never seen him - sounds fantastic. When AMC was all old movies / no commercial format they had a host, Bob Dorian, who I always enjoyed. It took me some time when they switch format and I moved to watching TCM to adjust to Robert Osborn (as I like how Dorian did it better).

 

[LizzieMaine]

Hersey was great -- he could be very serious and thoughtful introducing a movie, and then go right on to be a wonderfully dry comedian hosting the station's "Ask The Manager" show. And in the morning, he was even the straight man for the station's clown show, hosted by "Willie Whistle."

Every station used to have an all-around personality like that, and their loss is a big part of what's wrong with contemporary tee vee.

I remember Dorian well. I was also rather fond of Nick Clooney. I don't think I've watched AMC since they started airing commercials and ditched their movie hosts.

 

[Fading Fast]

Hersey was great -- he could be very serious and thoughtful introducing a movie, and then go right on to be a wonderfully dry comedian hosting the station's "Ask The Manager" show. And in the morning, he was even the straight man for the station's clown show, hosted by "Willie Whistle."

Every station used to have an all-around personality like that, and their loss is a big part of what's wrong with contemporary tee vee.

I remember Dorian well. I was also rather fond of Nick Clooney. I don't think I've watched AMC since they started airing commercials and ditched their movie hosts.

I do understand (because I've read about it - they get a percentage of each subscriber's fee [or a fixed dollar amount per subscriber] from the cable system that airs TCM), but at another level I don't understand how TCM can be commercial free and all these others aren't.

I rarely watch AMC because most of the movies are contemporary and I hate commercials. But I watched "Peyton Place" early this morning on "Movies -" some in the very high numbers cable channel that popped up about a year ago on my cable system - and because I didn't recored it first, I had to sit through the commercial breaks (some were over 5 minutes long). It was painful and I'm pretty sure they cut parts of the movie as there were some scenes and dialogue that I think were missing. How does "Movies" need to do that, yet TCM sails along without commercials and without cutting the movies?

 

[Fading Fast]

Hersey was great -- he could be very serious and thoughtful introducing a movie, and then go right on to be a wonderfully dry comedian hosting the station's "Ask The Manager" show. And in the morning, he was even the straight man for the station's clown show, hosted by "Willie Whistle."

Every station used to have an all-around personality like that, and their loss is a big part of what's wrong with contemporary tee vee.

I remember Dorian well. I was also rather fond of Nick Clooney. I don't think I've watched AMC since they started airing commercials and ditched their movie hosts.

Yes, I remember Nick Clooney. He was very, very comfortable in front of the camera. You felt like he was just sitting in your living room chatting with you.

 

[LizzieMaine]

From what I understand cable systems have to pay a surcharge to Time Warner to carry TCM. It actually has a very low overhead for Time Warner, considering that the vast majority of movies it shows come from libraries that they own, and which have long since been fully amortized. AMC owns no film library, and has to lease its programming from other companies, hence $$$ and commercials.

 

[Fading Fast]

From what I understand cable systems have to pay a surcharge to Time Warner to carry TCM. It actually has a very low overhead for Time Warner, considering that the vast majority of movies it shows come from libraries that they own, and which have long since been fully amortized. AMC owns no film library, and has to lease its programming from other companies, hence $$$ and commercials.

You provided more detail (when don't you with that giant brain full of incredible information), but I had read something similar and I guess that explains it. Also, maybe TCM gives Time Warner some positive glow or halo effect that makes it worth doing even if it isn't a big money maker. I just worry that when something isn't profitable, it isn't sustainable. I'd gladly pay a fee per month for it, but have no idea if enough people would to make it work. Conversely, I would be heartbroken if they added commercials.

 

[Zombie_61]

...The real war for many people was pretty bleak when their loved ones never came home. War is not a subject for an uplifting message. Maybe if we portrayed it more accurately then there would be less of them.....

Never going to happen because the people who start the wars are almost never the people who fight them, so there's no real incentive to discontinue the practice.

How many hundred times have you seen it?! Is it like:

Over the years I've actually only seen Them! when I've stumbled across it on television, so it's probably been fewer than 10 times. And no, I don't think I've ever actually seen The Hand. lol

 

[AmateisGal]

You provided more detail (when don't you with that giant brain full of incredible information), but I had read something similar and I guess that explains it. Also, maybe TCM gives Time Warner some positive glow or halo effect that makes it worth doing even if it isn't a big money maker. I just worry that when something isn't profitable, it isn't sustainable. I'd gladly pay a fee per month for it, but have no idea if enough people would to make it work. Conversely, I would be heartbroken if they added commercials.

AMC has REALLY changed over the last 10 years or so what with Mad Men and The Walking Dead plus a whole slew of contemporary movies. On Saturdays I think they play westerns all day, though.

I have to say that I'm thrilled TCM doesn't have any commercials. Many times I will just leave the station on with a movie in the background while I do other things; it's a relief to just have the movie playing instead of loud, obnoxious commercials.

 

[Touchofevil]

I love that TCM is doing the summer of noir.

Definitely makes me happy even though I am usually too busy to watch as many as I would like.

 

[Touchofevil]

If only they'd bring back those old Edward Hopper-style interstitials they used to have in the '90s.

I had forgotten them until you refreshed my memory, but they were fun. And now, I realize that I miss them.

 

[Stearmen]

Lost Squadron. (1932) Funny to see one pilot in the air, flip "the bird" to the other flying formation! Shows you, nothing is really new.

 

[LizzieMaine]

There's a startling bit in Harold Lloyd's "Speedy" where he flips off his own reflection!

 

[AmateisGal]

Here Comes Mr. Jordan. What a great film!

 

[AmateisGal]

Definitely makes me happy even though I am usually too busy to watch as many as I would like.

I wish I could watch more, too!

 

[DavidJones]

"Many Rivers to Cross" Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker

 

[AmateisGal]

The Mating of Millie with Glenn Ford and Evelyn Keyes. Absolutely loved it. Sweet and wonderful. A must-buy!