Hello
Posted: May 27th, 2008, 5:14 pm
Hello. My name is Kevin and I’m new to this board (and posting in forums at all), so please forgive me if I’m doing this incorrectly.
I’ve loved movies since I got my very own (albeit used) 8mm projector for Christmas when I was eight years old (and discovered how wonderful it was to watch the 4-minute Castle Films version of House of Frankenstein...backwards!). My public library had a few 8mm films available to take out, one of them being The Hunchback of Notre Dame staring, my hero at the time, Lon Chaney. Unfortunately, the first time I watched Hunchback (it was 5-reels if my memory serves, so not quite “complete”, but close), I hated it! My favorite book, A Pictorial History of Horror Movies by Dennis Gifford clearly showed that Quasimodo was a monster, yet, here he was, the HERO of the picture! He even rescues the girl! (All eight-year old boys--especially those with a big sister--know that no self-respecting monster would ever rescue a girl!) While it was quite a disappointment, I got over it and continued to check out The Hunchback on a regular basis, as well as starting my own collection, mostly from the Castle Films catalog, (which offered either the “short” 4-minute or the “complete” 12-minute silent versions of films, mainly from Universal Studios). Since all of these films were silent, I grew up with a real passion for the Silent cinema, and movies in general, a passion which only grew with the advent of home video, laserdisc and now, DVD.
Basic info (subject to change when my memory returns):
Favorite film: Without a doubt, King Kong (the 1976 version---only kidding)
Favorite actor: Spencer Tracy is probably the best Hollywood actor, and one of my favorites (I like him best in the screwball comedies like Libeled Lady), but Bogart is probably my favorite. Wait, there’s also Lon Chaney, William Powell, John Gilbert, Gary Cooper, Chaplin...phew, too many to mention, but you get the idea.
Favorite actress: Garbo. (Runners up include: Jean Arthur; Kate Hepburn (my wife’s favorite); Myrna Loy; Ida Lupino; Fay Wray; Louise Brooks (ooh la la); Carole Lombard; Clara Bow; Mary Pickford...ditto on the too many to mention....
Favorite director: Bergman; Truffaut; Wilder; Rohmer; Allen (Woody); Kurosawa; Lubitsch; Scorsese; Griffith; Scott (Ridley); Whale; Burton (Tim), etc. (see the “too many to mention” line in Favorite actors/actress...)
I’ve run on too long, sorry. Obviously I love movies and this looks like a fun forum.
Thanks.
Kevin
I’ve loved movies since I got my very own (albeit used) 8mm projector for Christmas when I was eight years old (and discovered how wonderful it was to watch the 4-minute Castle Films version of House of Frankenstein...backwards!). My public library had a few 8mm films available to take out, one of them being The Hunchback of Notre Dame staring, my hero at the time, Lon Chaney. Unfortunately, the first time I watched Hunchback (it was 5-reels if my memory serves, so not quite “complete”, but close), I hated it! My favorite book, A Pictorial History of Horror Movies by Dennis Gifford clearly showed that Quasimodo was a monster, yet, here he was, the HERO of the picture! He even rescues the girl! (All eight-year old boys--especially those with a big sister--know that no self-respecting monster would ever rescue a girl!) While it was quite a disappointment, I got over it and continued to check out The Hunchback on a regular basis, as well as starting my own collection, mostly from the Castle Films catalog, (which offered either the “short” 4-minute or the “complete” 12-minute silent versions of films, mainly from Universal Studios). Since all of these films were silent, I grew up with a real passion for the Silent cinema, and movies in general, a passion which only grew with the advent of home video, laserdisc and now, DVD.
Basic info (subject to change when my memory returns):
Favorite film: Without a doubt, King Kong (the 1976 version---only kidding)
Favorite actor: Spencer Tracy is probably the best Hollywood actor, and one of my favorites (I like him best in the screwball comedies like Libeled Lady), but Bogart is probably my favorite. Wait, there’s also Lon Chaney, William Powell, John Gilbert, Gary Cooper, Chaplin...phew, too many to mention, but you get the idea.
Favorite actress: Garbo. (Runners up include: Jean Arthur; Kate Hepburn (my wife’s favorite); Myrna Loy; Ida Lupino; Fay Wray; Louise Brooks (ooh la la); Carole Lombard; Clara Bow; Mary Pickford...ditto on the too many to mention....
Favorite director: Bergman; Truffaut; Wilder; Rohmer; Allen (Woody); Kurosawa; Lubitsch; Scorsese; Griffith; Scott (Ridley); Whale; Burton (Tim), etc. (see the “too many to mention” line in Favorite actors/actress...)
I’ve run on too long, sorry. Obviously I love movies and this looks like a fun forum.
Thanks.
Kevin