Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine So what are you WATCHING?

Time for Blacula's shameful confession #2 - I was *REALLY* disappointed with Vertigo when I finally saw it.

It's been a couple of years now so I can't quite remember what it was about it that I hadn't warmed to but I remember complaining my poor rommate's ear off about how it was totally overrated by the critics and everything.

I remember some things I liked about it - that vertigo camera effect at the beginning (and later on maybe), the twist, the end... others I've forgotten right now. But unfortunately, I don't remember them being enough to make me actually enjoy the film.

It probably didn't help that I'd seen Mel Brooks' High Anxiety many years before it.

Also, I am not much of a James Stewart fan. He's another one with a weird voice IMO. Plus, it's hard for me to forgive him for It's a Wonderful Life - (shameful confession #3) one of my most disliked films *ever*.

I did like Rear Window a lot though. And I really want to see Rope. As well as all those Cary Grant films on EDE's list. I can't believe how few of his films I've seen. I guess when an actor's as famous as he is, I just assumed I'd seen him in lots of stuff. Only now do I realise it's just North by Northwest and Suspicion.

I especially really need to see Notorious. It sounds like a good 'un.

I agree that The Man Who Knew Too Much is not one of Hitch's best efforts and that Doris Day is probably one of his most miscast leading ladies ever - but I could listen to her sing Que Sera Sera forever so it wins based on that alone for me.

Confession time for me: I've never been much of a fan of Doris Day, the actress because of The Man Who Knew Too Much, and therefore have not seen all that many of her films. Doris Day, the person, however, seems pretty groovy!

My mother-in-law when she was younger was a dead ringer for Doris Day.

I'm not much of a Doris Day fan either. I like a lot of old movies, even pretty cheesy ones, but most of hers just haven't really aged that well, imo.

Come to think of it, one of the reasons I dislike Doris Day is that she was in several remakes of movies from the 30s/40s that I thought were better the first time around.

See High Society (a remake of The Philadelphia Story) and Move Over, Darling (a remake of My Favorite Wife), for example.

BTW, even though The Philadelphia Story is one of the greatest movies of all time, maybe it's not for Blacula. Between Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, and Katherine Hepburn, it's pretty much a <strike>weird</strike> distinctive voice extravaganza!

I'm with you on High Society! It doesn't even come close to the Philadelphia Story. Sinatra chews up the scenary (and I like Frank quite a bit but not always), Bing Crosby was at the end of his career when he was kind of competing with Sinatra in 'cool' and that wasn't something I enjoyed seeing, and even Louis Armstrong shows up in a role that really makes me go . Definately not for me.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Story is great! You're right Eryk--if the voices distracted Blacula and Jorge before, they'll really flip for this one. I love it for the witty banter and its the quintessential Katherine Hepburn film and the quintessential Cary Grant film all rolled into one.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was on TCM this morning (for 4th of July Weekend) and I couldn't help but watch it again. Terrific movie! And the quintessential Jimmy Stewart performance--if you don't like him here, you just don't like him. (Spoiler alert--I like him quite a bit).

Claude Rains, naturally, steals the entire movie.

Started rewatching the new Gattlestar Galactica this last week. I've gotten through the mini series and first 2 regular episodes so far.

It is an interesting watching it again knowing where the ride is heading. Knowing who the cylons are gives a whole new level to the show. It'll be interesting to see how it all works watchng it now that it's over.

I love the level of realism they used on this show. The guns firing bullets, the characters are all flawed in different ways, and there are the whole religious intonations with Baltar (onbe of the best characters in this reboot).

^ Man. I LOVED Battlestar Galactica... until the end and now I can barely bring myself to think about it. I have never been more disappointed in the ending to a fictional story ever. It was like it was written by competely different people to the ones who'd been giving us the smart, sophisticated show we'd been watching until then. That or the previous writers just had *no idea* how they were going to resolve all those cool mysteries and storylines they'd been setting up since the first episode.

I totally agree with you on Baltar though, Dev Em. Fantastic character and just amazing acting by James Callis. A revelatory performance I thought. Tricia Helfer too. For a sexy, sultry, model turned actor she showed that she has some serious acting chops. Grace Park as well, Lucy Lawless... gosh, I could list the whole cast (except Jamie Bamber - and even he wasn't too bad). Great acting in that show.

I have always wanted to see The Philadelphia Story. Maybe I can watch it with subtitles?

But seriously, the "weird" voices of Grant, Stewart, et al aren't enough to make me dislike a film. Just wonder where on earth they came from to get accents like that. lol

P.S. Does anyone think Tony Curtis was copying Cary Grant's voice when he was pretending to be the rich, yacht owner in Some Like It Hot? I always chuckled at the voice he used in that movie but now think it had a remarkable similarity to Grant's. Or is that accent just typical of a certain region of the USA? Like Hepburn's New England (I think) accent?

Singing in the Rain. Just bought it on DVD.

Some other great Cary Grant movies:

BRINGING UP BABY
HOLIDAY
PENNY SERENADE

I'll second TALK OF THE TOWN and ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (both co-starring my favorite classic movie actress... Jean Arthur, also a possessor of one of the most distinctive voices ever).

Also entertaining- SYLVIA SCARLET... but it's a heap of weirdness and not for everyone.

Cary Grant was originally a member of an acrobatic troupe from England, Katherine Hepburn was from New England (New Hampshire, I believe).

I'm pretty sure it was Grace Kelly in HIGH SOCIETY, not Doris Day. I like the couple of movies she made with Rock Hudson- late '50's or early '60's sex farces.

Blacula- I disliked VERTIGO the first time I saw it as well. Decades later, I watched the restored version, with much better color and loved it. I'm sure the print made a difference, but I think I wasn't mature enough to 'get' it.

In particular, the scene where Kim Novak emerges from that foggy green light, her appearance and demeanor changed to meet Stewart's character's specifications is a haunting, beautiful piece of cinematic work.

A few years from now, watch it again and see if you don't find a new appreciation for it. I'll bet you do.

I also saw the last few minutes of The Women, the original, last night. I saw it at the nursing home once before and I've gotta say, it's pretty funny.

She's really good in TEA AND SYMPATHY, though the movie itself is maybe not so great. NIGHT OF THE IGUANA is a movie of hers I like alot, though it's a bit talky. It's by Tennessee Williams and it shows.

BLACK NARCISSUS is another good movie of hers. Very striking looking and would never have been made by an American studio.

Hmmm. Not to take anything away from Claude Rains, but I always thought Jean Arthur was the bandit in this case.

I just watched OKLAHOMA on a much better TV than I've seen it on and it was like seeing it for the first time. The colors were beautiful and the Arizona landscape (standing in for OK) were beautiful. As was the music, of course-- Gordon Macrae's about the top of singing movie actors, in this style of music, anyway.

I lived in Oklahoma years ago and saw an outdoor production of the musical that played every summer. Probably still does, for all I know. Anyway, you'd think it was a rock concert the way the audience cheered when the title song was performed.

Yeah, Jean Arthur is just terrific in every scene she's in. The sequence where she gets drunk (with the actor whose name I forget but love, especially in 'It's a Wonderful Life') is really great.

One of my favorite movie ever. O'Conner is briliant in his "Make 'Em Laugh scene, and Gene Kelly is my favorite singer/dancer from that genre of actors.

I will definitely do that Mystery Lad. There was enough in there that I could see what people liked about it but I think maybe I just wasn't in the mood or was expecting something more or something. I actually have it on DVD somewhere so I will give it another go sometime.

I have always wanted to see that movie (the original, not the apparently terrible remake). It looks like a hoot.

It is. There's this part where they're in Reno and one of them has this little freak-out.

Tony Curtis is a huge Cary Grant protegee, so I'd say "yes". Grant's accent is some sort of English accent mutated by living/working in America (it may be "English trying to sound Amerian").

Stewart's from Eastern Pennsylvania, as I recall, but I don't think that has much to do with his voice.

I just watched SILENCE OF THE LAMBS for the first time. Memphis? Crazy transexual-wannabees? I had no idea.

^Great film! And the final sequence is FREAKING SCARY!

I watched that when I was like 12 and it was the first time I learned what the words 'serial killer' meant.

Same here Cobie. I watched it when I was 14 and couldn't sleep that night.

Watched Shutter Island a few nights ago. It was pretty good. While I'm not a big Leo fan I am a big Martin Scorcese (sp) fan. Beautiful film (shots, music, etc). The overall story? Pretty good.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Saw it last night and LOVED it. Nice to see Gilliam using modern special effects in such a glorius way. Good acting all the way around. My wife was pleased with the 4 good looking guys in it.