TCM announces it is sunsetting the TCM Forums

[Dargo]

Who's upset by it? Calling it a sewer doesn't mean I'm worked up about it. If you can't see why it was the worst part of those message boards, I don't think I could help you figure it out. I also didn't feel the need to change my screen name on here, either, so what do I know?

I figure if someone calls something an open sewer that they are at least a bit angry about it, even if it's to a very minor degree.
Things did get rough there every once in a while, but over time that was an expectation. I wouldn't say worst, just different, as
things can get very heated over political topics. I recall when any political discussion in Off Topics was discouraged. I don't know
why TCM suddenly decided to allow it. I really didn't feel a need to change my screen name, I just thought it was time for a
change, seeing as it was a new venue. Vautrin lasted a lot longer than my other half dozen or so names. TCM censors, screw
you.

Andree, I've been meaning to ask you who your latest avatar is.

I'm sure it's an actress who I should recognize but who I don't.

(...still am reasonably sure that it's NOT another mass-murderer here though, and am VERY sure that THIS hot babe doesn't look ANYTHING like a young Peter Boyle in drag)

[Andree]

I'm tempted to be coy and drop one hint at a time but I'll just come clean right away. That's Vera Clouzot. I've had
a filmgoer's crush on her for a while, especially when she's wearing pigtails. Ooh la la. I doubt she'd be an instantly
recognizable face to many film buffs. Of course she did play a non-mass murderer, though a somewhat reluctant
one, in Les Diaboliques. I've seen every film that Vera made......all three of them.

[HoldenIsHere]

I saw Breakfast at Tiffany's for the umpteenth time the other night when it was on, and I ditched the film immediately after it ended, because I was certain that Ben's words after the film would be another rerun of how racist and terrible Mickey Rooney's performance as Mr. Yunioshi was. Newsflash: It was always that way. It never was good, it was always odd and irritating, and for society to allow a lousy performance that only has three minutes of screentime in an otherwise excellent film that has 106 minutes without him derail the entire reputation of the rest of a sterling classic is absolute poppycock. None of us need to be lectured over something we have known for a long time.

Nah, I think Rooney's performance in that was the cherry on top of the whole bowl of dog vomit. Rooney doesn't get full blame, though, as the writer and director, one would assume, had some say over what was said and done by the hired actor. I've always found the movie lousy, and Rooney's shtick the worst part of it.

While I wouldn't go as far as to equate BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S with dog vomit, I do think it is one of those movies that has been placed undeservedly on a pedestal by movie fans, largely because of the iconic imagery of Audrey Hepburn as Holly Goliightly (the high chignon hairstyle, the Givenchy dress and hat, the sunglasses) and her undeniable charm. It is a Hollywood movie with a sappy Hollywood ending: Holly finds the cat and she and the male lead romantically embrace in the rain as "Moon River" plays. But in Truman Capote's source novella, the cat is not found, and there is no romantic ending (the narrator -- Holly's male writer friend --- is understood to be Truman Capote).

You're right that it's wrong to blame Mickey Rooney the most for the caricatured portrayal of the Japanese character. The blame rests mostly with director Blake Edwards, the movie’s producers and the executives at Paramount. How did no one not see this performance was offensive long before the movie was released to the general audience???!!!
I think Robert Osborne said it best when he called it "a racial slur" and "totally embarrassing" during a Q&A session during one of the TCM Classic Cruises. (He also, like Truman Capote, thought Audrey Hepburn was miscast as Holly.)

[nakanosunplaza]

I'm tempted to be coy and drop one hint at a time but I'll just come clean right away. That's Vera Clouzot. I've had
a filmgoer's crush on her for a while, especially when she's wearing pigtails. Ooh la la. I doubt she'd be an instantly
recognizable face to many film buffs. Of course she did play a non-mass murderer, though a somewhat reluctant
one, in Les Diaboliques. I've seen every film that Vera made......all three of them.

I recognized her right away, she was married to the great French director Henri Georges Clouzot.He starred her in his film Les Diaboliques, eerily like her character in this film she had a heart condition ,she died from a heart attack in her mid forties,her few films were all Clouzot's.

[HoldenIsHere]

I have a few other thoughts on the subject:

1) The usual defense of films like Breakfast at Tiffany's and their "brief offensiveness" is, to me, like someone saying they went to a nice restaurant, where the food was very well prepared, the ambience and décor were pleasing, and the staff were nice, and, oh yeah, at one point one of the staff, with the express permission and endorsement of the management, dropped his trousers and took a dump on a table. Now, it wasn't my table, so I didn't let it ruin what was an otherwise fantastic dining experience.

Some people don't care for restaurants where anyone's table gets crapped on, even if it's not their own, and even if the rest of the meal was great.

Lawrence, all three of your points were excellent, but I'm singling out the first one because I was trying to think of an equivalent to "it's a great movie except for this one part" and the restaurant example that you came up with was perfect!

The one I came up was when someone says something like "So-and-so is a great candidate for public office. Yes, he's an-Semite, but that just one thing."

[Andree]

I recognized her right away, she was married to the great French director Henri Georges Clouzot.He starred her in his film Les Diaboliques, eerily like her character in this film she had a heart condition ,she died from a heart attack in her mid forties,her few films were all Clouzot's.

I guess if you only have three film credits, those are a good trio. Les Espions used to be on YT, probably not anymore.
It's okay, a little reminiscent of Beat the Devil in some aspects, though I don't think it's as good as the other two.
Vera did die much too young.

[Hibi]

The Mr. Yunioshi character was in the book, but he was not a running gag like in the movie. Not sure how he was portrayed in Alexrod's script, but the broad slapstick portrayal is on par with Blake Edward's other comedies. He wasn't exactly a wit. I'm not sure it's fair to blame Mickey Rooney. Obviously the director wanted it played that way or it wouldnt have been in the film.

[EP Millstone]

I have a few other thoughts on the subject:

1) The usual defense of films like Breakfast at Tiffany's and their "brief offensiveness" is, to me, like someone saying they went to a nice restaurant, where the food was very well prepared, the ambience and décor were pleasing, and the staff were nice, and, oh yeah, at one point one of the staff, with the express permission and endorsement of the management, dropped his trousers and took a dump on a table. Now, it wasn't my table, so I didn't let it ruin what was an otherwise fantastic dining experience.

Some people don't care for restaurants where anyone's table gets crapped on, even if it's not their own, and even if the rest of the meal was great.

Lawrence, all three of your points were excellent, but I'm singling out the first one because I was trying to think of an equivalent to "it's a great movie except for this one part" and the restaurant example that you came up with was perfect!

The one I came up was when someone says something like "So-and-so is a great candidate for public office. Yes, he's an-Semite, but that just one thing."

If there was a Nobel Peace Prize emoji, I'd award it to both of you!

Bravo! Kudos! And Hear, Hear!

[Swithin]

I guess this comment should go in the "Really..." thread, but since the film came up here, I have to admit I've never seen Breakfast at Tiffanys. I've seen glimpses of it, but never more than a few minutes, for no particular reason. I generally love movies shot in New York City, so it's kind of strange that I've never seen it.

[MerryPickford]

A little late to the party but I just found out the TCM forum is completely gone today. I had no idea the forum closed back in November. While I wasn’t actively participating all the time, I loved lurking and reading all the discussion threads. I used to look up old threads from 15 years before to see how people thought of old actors and TCM programming from that golden era. I’m currently going through a weird grieving process since I wasn’t really warned and I never had a chance to say goodbye to the regulars. After finding this forum from Reddit, I’m thankful to see some familiar usernames and see that some of the community has migrated here for the time being. First the forum and now the Underground. Do you guys think they’re eventually going to do away with TCM altogether at some point? I don’t know what I would do without that channel as it’s been my everything for the last several years. Anyway, long story short, I’m the Mary Pickford and Debbie Reynolds “expert” from the TCM forum so I’m looking forward to continuing to contribute in this new community.

[Intrepid37]

I understand very well what you mean by "weird grieving process". I just found out a couple of days back and the feeling I had after I did kept getting heavier and heavier as minutes passed.

I'd never really used Facebook before for anything at all - but the feelings I was having sent me searching for where the daily posters might have gone.

And here I now find myself. And I feel better now.

[laffite]

I understand very well what you mean by "weird grieving process". I just found out a couple of days back and the feeling I had after I did kept getting heavier and heavier as minutes passed.

I'd never really used Facebook before for anything at all - but the feelings I was having sent me searching for where the daily posters might have gone.

And here I now find myself. And I feel better now.

The forum has been archived at archive.com, minus the Off-Topic section, which has been wiped out completely. One cannot post anymore but it's open for browsing and copying. A consolation that will be more and more appreciated as time goes by.

[Swithin]

Back to the trigger warnings topic for a moment: I'm off to London Tuesday morning. Here are two warnings that are fairly specific, for plays I have tickets for. Both were in emails sent to me by the theaters.

For Medea, with Sophie Okonedo (not exactly a content trigger warning):

"Please Note: We kindly request that you do not bring nuts into the venue due to severe airborne allergies in our cast. Thank you for your cooperation."

For A Little Life, directed by Ivo van Hove and starring James Norton:

We want to make you aware that this production includes strong language, nudity, sexual violence, physical and emotional abuse, self-harm, and suicide.

These themes are not just suggested but will be portrayed throughout the production realistically and emotively which some viewers may find upsetting. It is intended for mature audiences and viewer discretion is advised.

For useful support resources on these themes, please visit the production’s Content Warning & Resources webpage by clicking the link below:

https://alittlelifeplay.com/content-warnings/

[EP Millstone]

. . . "Please Note: We kindly request that you do not bring nuts into the venue due to severe airborne allergies in our cast. Thank you for your cooperation."

Are theatregoers in London allowed to eat during theatrical performances?!

Never been to London. I haven't been to live theatre stateside in years, so perhaps "theatre etiquette" has changed. But, I never attended a live theatrical performance in which the audience could eat snacks (or drink beverages).

[txfilmfan]

. . . "Please Note: We kindly request that you do not bring nuts into the venue due to severe airborne allergies in our cast. Thank you for your cooperation."

Are theatregoers in London allowed to eat during theatrical performances?!

Never been to London. I haven't been to live theatre stateside in years, so perhaps "theatre etiquette" has changed. But, I never attended a live theatrical performance in which the audience could eat snacks (or drink beverages).

A few people eat candy, on both sides of the Atlantic, but it's the minority. Both city's audiences also now carry drinks to their seats both before the first act and at intermission. In London, it's common for people to buy ice cream at intermission. They even sell them in the aisles so you don't have to visit the bar.