I Just Watched...

[Swithin]

I don't remember SNORKY at all.

For the record, I don't recall Prince Saliano having any of Snorky's unpleasantness. Snorky didn't like many but he liked the Prince.

I just did a search for "Snorky" on the TCM Board and saw his posts. Some crazy stuff, and a lot of fights. He seems to have "flourished" around 2008, and in threads that I didn't generally explore (like DVD talk), which is probably why I never heard of him.

[laffite]

I've seen both but the Peter Finch move I hardly remember at all. I agree with you regarding Robert Morley. And I remember (but not clearly) really taken with the end of the film. Wasn't there some great flourish at the end, either by Morley or the movie? I remember being quite thrilled with it. I yearn to have my memory jogged. Can you help? Something more than the usual end of a Oscar Wilde movie, the hotel death bed and the remark about the wallpaper. Something else! Thanks. [Laffite wrote this]

Detective Jim Mcleod wrote this : The end has a drunken WIlde sitting in a French cafe and telling a musician with an accordion to "play something GAY!" followed by him laughing raucously.
[/quote]

[laffite]

I saw Oscar Wilde (1960) and intensely disliked it. I suppose mostly because of disliking Morley, but was disappointed that the movie was only about his trial. I was looking for something more general, well rounded story of his life, less sensationalism. I know, focusing on one incident can illustrate a personality through reaction, but just found it sordid and insulting.

But certainly not shocked I hope. Oscar is pretty well known. But yeah, all that sensationalism, and not a mention of the blue china.

The BBC is the thing, if they have done something on Oscar ; less sensationalist, more well rounded, but definitely Wilde.

[Swithin]

I haven't seen the Wilde film with Robert Morley, which surprises me, because I've done a lot of professional work on Wilde (including working with his grandson Merlin Holland), and Robert Morley's son Sheridan was a good friend of mine.

[Masha]

Blazing Saddles (1974)

It has been many, many years since I have watched this movie. I love it very much but it was not high on my list of movies to rewatch in the near future. The fact that it is leaving: TubiTV in a day or two prompted me to select it.

I did wonder if the humour held up well. It is nearly fifty years old and topical humour often does not age well.

I must admit that I did not laugh aloud as much as I have in previous viewings but it remains far funnier than most other movies. The only bit which left me cold was the repeated: Hedley/Hedy gag. I must wonder if that is because: Airplane! (1980) did this type of wordplay humour so much better that the standard is now very much higher than it was then.

[laffite]

I haven't seen the Wilde film with Robert Morley, which surprises me, because I've done a lot of professional work on Wilde (including working with his grandson Merlin Holland), and Robert Morley's son Sheridan was a good friend of mine.

It's worth it. Morley is well suited enough. True, most of it is the trial. Lots of Wildean repartee both in and out of Court. John Neville as Bosy, it is actually said in the trial that he is 24 years old. Neville is much older but the movie unabashedly doesn't care. Ralph Richardson is the prosecutor and verbally duels with Morley. Amusing. How much weight did Morley have to gain to play the last scene!?

[Feinberg]

I'm jumping the gun. Bob Hoskins' great The Long Good Friday (1980) is playing on the telly next week in the UK. The reason I mention this is our TV Guide has a great article on the film. The productions execs who made the film were so disturbed by its outcome that they trimmed 20 minutes from it and actually revoiced Hoskins with another actor with a posher voice. Hoskins threatened to sue but it wasn't until he bumped into Eric Idle who was hot of his success with Life of Brian that the film was saved from ruin. Hoskins asked Idle if he wanted to buy a film. Idle put him in touch with George Harrison who snapped it up for 700,000 pounds. It had cost 930,000 pounds to make. Harrison then released it at its original length and the film and Hoskins went on the great acclaim.

[Allhallowsday]

THE CHOSEN (1981) was on TCM in the past week or so. ROD STEIGER is stunning.

[Masha]

She (1935)


A man tracing the disappearance of a distant ancestor discovers a civilization hidden in forbidding mountains. He then gives up an opportunity to become an immortal king because he favors a young skirt he picked up along the way over the self-empowered, mature queen.

Helen Gahagan's performance borders on being over-the-top but it conveys perfectly the eccentricities and power of the character.

Randolph Scott is his usual slightly-wooden boy scout persona.

It is very nice to see Nigel Bruce as something other than B. Rathbone's sidekick.

The movie has been very tastefully colorized.

The special effects must have seemed spectacular at the time and remain quite impressive.

This movie is available for viewing for free with commercials on: TubiTV.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

Der Verlorene (1951) Youtube 7/10

A German scientist (Peter Lorre) in post WWII is confronted with his past.

Being a big Peter Lorre fan I always wanted to see this one, first time viewing for me. It is a significant film in his career, the first time he returned to Germany in 20 years and the only one he directed. The film is very dour and looks dreary but Lorre directs it well and it is one of his best and most restrained performances. As in his more famous Hollywood films he plays a killer, the murder scenes are chilling to watch.

The film did not do well and received negative reviews at the time, it did not get a US release. He become ill soon after this and when he finally emerged back on the screen 3 years later in Beat The Devil, he had gained over 100 lbs and had sagging jowls which is how he looked for the rest of his life.

[laffite]

Blazing Saddles (1974)

It has been many, many years since I have watched this movie. I love it very much but it was not high on my list of movies to rewatch in the near future. The fact that it is leaving: TubiTV in a day or two prompted me to select it.

I did wonder if the humour held up well. It is nearly fifty years old and topical humour often does not age well.

I must admit that I did not laugh aloud as much as I have in previous viewings but it remains far funnier than most other movies. The only bit which left me cold was the repeated: Hedley/Hedy gag. I must wonder if that is because: Airplane! (1980) did this type of wordplay humour so much better that the standard is now very much higher than it was then.

Blazing Saddles is the worst movie I have ever seen (or close) I have made two attempts. The last probably 10 years ago. The gags were like some cheap Wannabe SNL succession of skits that fell absolutely flat. I remember holding my hands over my face and yelling, "I don't believe his!" The racial jokes were awful. And this from Mel Brooks!! Truly astonishing!

Everyone else loves it to death so I chalk it up "not getting it." I didn't like The Producers either. OTOH, Young Frankenstein is one of the funniest movies ever for me, and Airplane! was very funny. So I am not completely bereft. As far as I know, my sense of humor is still i-n-t-a-c---t..

[Feinberg]

Blazing Saddles (1974)

It has been many, many years since I have watched this movie. I love it very much but it was not high on my list of movies to rewatch in the near future. The fact that it is leaving: TubiTV in a day or two prompted me to select it.

I did wonder if the humour held up well. It is nearly fifty years old and topical humour often does not age well.

I must admit that I did not laugh aloud as much as I have in previous viewings but it remains far funnier than most other movies. The only bit which left me cold was the repeated: Hedley/Hedy gag. I must wonder if that is because: Airplane! (1980) did this type of wordplay humour so much better that the standard is now very much higher than it was then.

Blazing Saddles is the worst movie I have ever seen (or close) I have made two attempts. The last probably 10 years ago. The gags were like some cheap Wannabe SNL succession of skits that fell absolutely flat. I remember holding my hands over my face and yelling, "I don't believe his!" The racial jokes were awful. And this from Mel Brooks!! Truly astonishing!

Everyone else loves it to death so I chalk it up "not getting it." I didn't like The Producers either. OTOH, Young Frankenstein is one of the funniest movies ever for me, and Airplane! was very funny. So I am not completely bereft. As far as I know, my sense of humor is still i-n-t-a-c---t..

I think I've only walked out of about two or three films in my life and this [BS] was one of them. Thankfully it wasn't on an airplane.

[TikiSoo]

Blazing Saddles is the worst movie I have ever seen (or close) I have made two attempts.
Everyone else loves it to death so I chalk it up "not getting it." I didn't like The Producers either. OTOH, Young Frankenstein is one of the funniest movies ever for me, and Airplane! was very funny. So I am not completely bereft. As far as I know, my sense of humor is still i-n-t-a-c---t..

Well stated, laffite.
I was amazed when showing it to my teen at the offensive language and stupid humor. But I had seen it as a kid, first run in the theater and it was hilarious to me, my brothers & my parents. Guess Americans had a more liberal sense of humor back then, it wasn't offensive to any of my Black, Asian or still-in-the-closet-gay friends.
But seeing it now, it's shocking. If I were viewing it the first time as an adult, I would be incredibly disgusted. Times change.

It's like those Hillbilly movies of the 80's. I was too old to see them when they were first out, so the humor just seems juvenile to me now.

[LawrenceA]

It's like those Hillbilly movies of the 80's.

What are "Hillbilly movies of the 80's"?

[EP Millstone]

Blazing Saddles is the worst movie I have ever seen (or close) . . . The racial jokes were awful. And this from Mel Brooks!! Truly astonishing!

Richard Pryor was one of the writers of Blazing Saddles. I wouldn't at all be surprised if much of the "awful" racial jokes were provided by Pryor . . . who was never shy about using the "N-word."

". . . I don’t think you could ever get away with the ‘N’ word being done by so many white people so many times. And I kept asking Cleavon [Little] and Richard, ‘Are we going overboard here? Is this too much? Are we going to be in trouble?’ You know, Richard said the most brilliant thing, ’cause he was a very good writer and a realist. And he said, ‘You know, Mel, if the racists and the bad guys use it, then it’s perfect. But if good people use it, then you’re in trouble.’" -- Mel Brooks

The gag "The jig is up!" "And gone!" to me sounds like pure Pryor.

I was employed at a movie theatre that showed Blazing Saddles, which did boffo box office. The campfire scene -- which I found thoroughly juvenile and unfunny -- always got the biggest laugh from audiences (an observation that taught me about the successful strategy of appealing to the lowest common denominator).

I never got the spectacular financial success of Blazing Saddles and I don't get its enduring, indomitable popularity and appeal. But then, Mel Brooks' brand of over-the-top, everything-AND-the-kitchen-sink humor never grabbed me.

The one element of Blazing Saddles that I did like -- and still like -- is the title tune performed by Frankie Laine.