Additions to Your Collection

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Dargo
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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EP Millstone wrote: January 18th, 2023, 8:04 pm
Dargo wrote: January 18th, 2023, 7:51 pm . . . Do you also think that that doesn't look that much like Eleanor Parker than it does say maybe Rosemary Clooney? . . .
The drawing was done during Clooney's audition for the role for Mary McLeod.

When Eleanor Parker -- who had been promised the role by writer Philip Yordan (after Parker threatened to reveal his paraphilia for being smeared with cream cheese while listening to La Bohème sung by Virginia O'Brien) -- found out, she crashed the audition and got into a fight with Clooney and pulled out all her hair (the incident was hushed up on account of it might not have actually happened).

The rest, as they say, is history.
LOL

Ah, so THAT 'splains this then, eh?!

(...knew it had to be somethin' along these lines)
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speedracer5
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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LawrenceA wrote: January 18th, 2023, 3:21 pm
speedracer5 wrote: January 18th, 2023, 3:15 pm In a move that should surprise no one, I just placed my pre-order for the blu ray of "The Long Long Trailer" that is coming out next week! Finally!
:D :smiley_cheer:

You know I thought of you as soon as I saw it announced.


In other disc news, the latest Criterion release announcement may be the weakest batch I've ever seen: two 4k re-releases, and only two new titles, both from the past couple of years. Blah.
I agree. I have not been impressed with Criterion's announcements for awhile now. I did get the release of "Imitation of Life." I love "Mildred Pierce" but I already have the Criterion Blu Ray, so getting the 4k isn't that exciting to me. There are barely any Criterion that I'm interested in now. They need to up their game.
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LawrenceA
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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speedracer5 wrote: January 20th, 2023, 1:55 pm
I agree. I have not been impressed with Criterion's announcements for awhile now. I did get the release of "Imitation of Life." I love "Mildred Pierce" but I already have the Criterion Blu Ray, so getting the 4k isn't that exciting to me. There are barely any Criterion that I'm interested in now. They need to up their game.
There's still been at least one a month that I've been interested in. I got Malcolm X in November, Velvet Underground in December, Baron Munchausen this month, and I have Romeo & Juliet in February and Inland Empire in March ordered. But there's nothing in April. I also saw an article that said that Criterion signed a deal with NEON films to release some of their new releases, including the already announced Triangle of Sadness, as well as the David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream, another documentary titled All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, and the foreign films Saint Omer and Petite Maman.

So they seem to have a focus now on new(er) films, and upgrading prior releases to 4K. The only 4K releases I'd be interested in are any of the titles that never got a Blu-ray upgrade already, which seems unlikely.
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speedracer5
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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LawrenceA wrote: January 20th, 2023, 2:14 pm
speedracer5 wrote: January 20th, 2023, 1:55 pm
I agree. I have not been impressed with Criterion's announcements for awhile now. I did get the release of "Imitation of Life." I love "Mildred Pierce" but I already have the Criterion Blu Ray, so getting the 4k isn't that exciting to me. There are barely any Criterion that I'm interested in now. They need to up their game.
There's still been at least one a month that I've been interested in. I got Malcolm X in November, Velvet Underground in December, Baron Munchausen this month, and I have Romeo & Juliet in February and Inland Empire in March ordered. But there's nothing in April. I also saw an article that said that Criterion signed a deal with NEON films to release some of their new releases, including the already announced Triangle of Sadness, as well as the David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream, another documentary titled All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, and the foreign films Saint Omer and Petite Maman.

So they seem to have a focus now on new(er) films, and upgrading prior releases to 4K. The only 4K releases I'd be interested in are any of the titles that never got a Blu-ray upgrade already, which seems unlikely.
I'm more interested in the Classic Hollywood/New Hollywood films. I have a couple French films, but I only feel comfortable buying foreign films if I've already seen it before, or have a strong hunch that I'll enjoy it. I've been wanting to see more Marlene Dietrich films, so I may watch some of her films with Josef Von Sternberg to see if I'm interested in the Criterion boxed set. My problem right now is that I'm running out of room for box sets. I also discovered Alain Delon last year and have now watched "La Piscine" and "Purple Noon" which I enjoyed. I may try to watch more French New Wave movies on the Criterion Channel before committing to any physical media purchases. Thankfully the big 50% off Barnes and Noble sale isn't until July, so I have some time. I know that Criterion will have its 50% off Flash Sale in February/March, but I don't know if I'll be compelled to purchase anything.
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LawrenceA
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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speedracer5 wrote: January 20th, 2023, 2:36 pm
I'm more interested in the Classic Hollywood/New Hollywood films. I have a couple French films, but I only feel comfortable buying foreign films if I've already seen it before, or have a strong hunch that I'll enjoy it. I've been wanting to see more Marlene Dietrich films, so I may watch some of her films with Josef Von Sternberg to see if I'm interested in the Criterion boxed set. My problem right now is that I'm running out of room for box sets. I also discovered Alain Delon last year and have now watched "La Piscine" and "Purple Noon" which I enjoyed. I may try to watch more French New Wave movies on the Criterion Channel before committing to any physical media purchases. Thankfully the big 50% off Barnes and Noble sale isn't until July, so I have some time. I know that Criterion will have its 50% off Flash Sale in February/March, but I don't know if I'll be compelled to purchase anything.
Yeah, I wish they'd do more Classic Hollywood films. That Dietrich/Von Sternberg set is terrific, and I recommend it. If you like Alain Delon, I'd also recommend Le Samourai and Le Cercle Rouge which are both on Criterion. I love both of those. Rocco & His Brothers, L'eclisse, and The Leopard are also worth seeing, and are also on Criterion. Most of those have also been shown on TCM at least once or twice.

I still haven't seen La Piscine but I want to.
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speedracer5
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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LawrenceA wrote: January 20th, 2023, 2:44 pm
speedracer5 wrote: January 20th, 2023, 2:36 pm
I'm more interested in the Classic Hollywood/New Hollywood films. I have a couple French films, but I only feel comfortable buying foreign films if I've already seen it before, or have a strong hunch that I'll enjoy it. I've been wanting to see more Marlene Dietrich films, so I may watch some of her films with Josef Von Sternberg to see if I'm interested in the Criterion boxed set. My problem right now is that I'm running out of room for box sets. I also discovered Alain Delon last year and have now watched "La Piscine" and "Purple Noon" which I enjoyed. I may try to watch more French New Wave movies on the Criterion Channel before committing to any physical media purchases. Thankfully the big 50% off Barnes and Noble sale isn't until July, so I have some time. I know that Criterion will have its 50% off Flash Sale in February/March, but I don't know if I'll be compelled to purchase anything.
Yeah, I wish they'd do more Classic Hollywood films. That Dietrich/Von Sternberg set is terrific, and I recommend it. If you like Alain Delon, I'd also recommend Le Samourai and Le Cercle Rouge which are both on Criterion. I love both of those. Rocco & His Brothers, L'eclisse, and The Leopard are also worth seeing, and are also on Criterion. Most of those have also been shown on TCM at least once or twice.

I still haven't seen La Piscine but I want to.
I actually bought Le Samourai as a blind buy, because it sounded like something I would like. I'm interested in Le Cercle Rouge as well. La Piscine is great if you like a movie about sexy people lying around the pool with a bit of a thriller thrown in. La Piscine also features Delon's co-star (the one who Delon kills) from Purple Noon.

It's been rumored for years, but I feel like Amadeus is coming down the pipeline at some point. It's being featured at the film festival this year, which as I understand it, is often a good indication that a restoration will soon be released.
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Detective Jim McLeod
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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Paths Of Glory (1957) Criterion Collection Blu Ray

This is my favorite Stanley Kubrick film and one of my favorites of all time. I just got the Blu Ray. The transfer is beautiful and crystal clear.
Kirk Douglas is excellent as the army officer who defends his men when they are accused of cowardice, he keeps his performance under wraps until his final explosive moment toward the end. Other great scenes are George MacCready as a cold blooded general who (like Patton) slaps a shell shocked soldier, the gritty trench and battle scenes and the final heart rending one where a captured German female singer is forced to sing a song for some jeering French soldiers. They soon become ashamed and tearful when they hear her delicate voice and realize that she is not an enemy.

There are some OK extras but nothing great.

A cheat interview is an audio one Kubrick did in 1966, barely 5 minutes long.

There is an entertaining 1979 Kirk Douglas appearance on the British chat show Parkinson. He has some funny anecdotes about his career, only briefly mentions Paths Of Glory.

Best extra is an interview with Kubrick's producer James B. Harris newly done in 2010 for this Blu Ray release. The part I enjoyed the most was Harris talking about Timothy Carey, who plays one of the doomed soldiers. He says Carey was a notorious scene-stealer and tried all kinds of tricks to achieve it. Carey also was held by German police when he claimed he was kidnapped but it turned out to be a hoax. Harris fired him from the film and had to use a double in a couple of scenes to finish the film, this was something I never knew.

Other new interviews were quick ones with Suzanne Christian (who would marry Kubrick after this) who played the German singer and producer Jan Harlan who produced some later Kubrick films.

A 1997 French news story tells of a WWI incident which inspired the story of this film.
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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My #1 favorite film, "The Long Long Trailer" was just released on blu ray on Tuesday, and my copy just arrived at my house this morning!! Because I had some credit on my Amazon account, I also picked up the blu ray of "Kitten With a Whip" (1964) and DVDs of "The Valley of Decision" (1945) and "Fashions of 1934" (1934). I have a digibook blu ray of "King Kong" (1933) enroute to my house. Supposedly it should be here on Monday.
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laffite
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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speedracer5 wrote: January 28th, 2023, 7:57 pm My #1 favorite film, "The Long Long Trailer" was just released on blu ray on Tuesday, and my copy just arrived at my house this morning!! Because I had some credit on my Amazon account, I also picked up the blu ray of "Kitten With a Whip" (1964) and DVDs of "The Valley of Decision" (1945) and "Fashions of 1934" (1934). I have a digibook blu ray of "King Kong" (1933) enroute to my house. Supposedly it should be here on Monday.
I would like to see TLLT mainly because it is your favorite as you have said so often. But I cannot get around to it. Of course it has to turn up somewhere. It is inherently interesting to watch someone's avowed #1 favorite. The movie is imbued with a certain distinction.

I've never strove for a big collection. I gave that up when I had to abandon a vast VHS treasure trove. I vowed not to do the same with DVDs but a small number of faves have come unto my possession. I have to really like them or out they go. But I generally never get to them. They are like trophies. The ones I have I love passionately. I'll get to one soon. I think I'll make a list of my avowed faves. :smiley_chinrub:
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speedracer5
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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laffite wrote: February 3rd, 2023, 3:39 am
speedracer5 wrote: January 28th, 2023, 7:57 pm My #1 favorite film, "The Long Long Trailer" was just released on blu ray on Tuesday, and my copy just arrived at my house this morning!! Because I had some credit on my Amazon account, I also picked up the blu ray of "Kitten With a Whip" (1964) and DVDs of "The Valley of Decision" (1945) and "Fashions of 1934" (1934). I have a digibook blu ray of "King Kong" (1933) enroute to my house. Supposedly it should be here on Monday.
I would like to see TLLT mainly because it is your favorite as you have said so often. But I cannot get around to it. Of course it has to turn up somewhere. It is inherently interesting to watch someone's avowed #1 favorite. The movie is imbued with a certain distinction.

I've never strove for a big collection. I gave that up when I had to abandon a vast VHS treasure trove. I vowed not to do the same with DVDs but a small number of faves have come unto my possession. I have to really like them or out they go. But I generally never get to them. They are like trophies. The ones I have I love passionately. I'll get to one soon. I think I'll make a list of my avowed faves. :smiley_chinrub:
The Long Long Trailer airs on TCM fairly frequently. I think it was still On Demand the last time I looked. However, I'm sure you could find it at the library.

I had a few VHS (including 2 copies of The Long Long Trailer), but I never had a sizeable collection because I wasn't old enough to have my own income and means of acquiring a lot of movies when VHS were popular. I did have a lot of TV recorded on VHS because it was easy to find blank tapes around the house. I could usually manage to get a pack of blank tapes out of my parents at times too (lol). I didn't even really have a big DVD collection until I had a job and an income to purchase said movies. Lol. I like having a large physical media collection because I can always find something to watch if TCM isn't showing anything of interest to me, or there are no longer classic films on streaming. I hate watching movies on my computer, or worse, my phone! For me to stream, I have to be able to cast the movie to my TV and it makes it much easier to watch.
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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Sometimes this website makes mistakes but here is where you should be able to rent The Long, Long Trailer:

https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the- ... ng-trailer

It is an interesting concept to me. From a technical standpoint, a 6 cylinder car should struggle to tow a 40 foot trailer. The movie is hilarious. You won’t be sorry. I think there is just one song, so you can’t call it a musical. After years of being on TV in black and white, I think people were eager to see Desi and Lucy in color.
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EP Millstone
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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jimimac71 wrote: February 3rd, 2023, 4:29 pm Sometimes this website makes mistakes but here is where you should be able to rent The Long, Long Trailer:

https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the- ... ng-trailer
The Long, Long Trailer is available FOR FREE -- in English -- on the Russian OK website:

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speedracer5
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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jimimac71 wrote: February 3rd, 2023, 4:29 pm Sometimes this website makes mistakes but here is where you should be able to rent The Long, Long Trailer:

https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the- ... ng-trailer

It is an interesting concept to me. From a technical standpoint, a 6 cylinder car should struggle to tow a 40 foot trailer. The movie is hilarious. You won’t be sorry. I think there is just one song, so you can’t call it a musical. After years of being on TV in black and white, I think people were eager to see Desi and Lucy in color.
I always wondered about that car too. The car they trade in seems like it would be better suited to pull "40 feet of train." Lucy and Desi sing "Breezin' Along with the Breeze" and Desi sings the "Ragout of Beef" song while Lucy is tossed around in the back of the trailer. But this movie definitely is not a musical.

My favorite part is when they go off-road in the trailer and end up stuck on a muddy logging road. The trailer is all lopsided and Lucy ends up falling out of the trailer.
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jimimac71
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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Okay, haven't seen it in a bit, so I must paraphrase.
My favorite line is when Desi says, "That's not the population, but the elevation."
And of course, "Trailer Brakes! Trailer Brakes!"
Well now, I have egg on my face. According to Wikipedia it is a 36 foot trailer and the car is a 125 HP V8.
At the bottom of the Wikipedia page is something fun to read:
http://www.trailerite.com/longlongtrailer.html
That site claims a 32 foot trailer. Sheesh!
My favorite, "Victor/Victoria" is not exactly better on Blu-ray.
My eyesight can't see the difference, but there are no extra features on the Blu-ray that are not on the DVD.
The Blu-Ray is too loud compared to the DVD for the music numbers.
Warner Archive did your film and mine and they didn't go out of their way to put extras on the Blu-ray.
What are your feelings about the Blu-ray?
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Detective Jim McLeod
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Re: Additions to Your Collection

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I just received my DVD copy of The Little Rascals Centennial Edition, It has all 80 of the Hal Roach era sound comedies from 1929-1938. They are in chronological order so I am watching them that way, So far there are two I saw for the first time.

Small Talk (1929 The very first Our Gang talkie. The pacing is a bit slow, but there are some humorous and touching moments. Wheezer is an orphan adopted by a rich woman. His sister Mary and the rest of the gang run away from the orphanage and visit him in his new mansion. There is a happy ending where all the gang are adopted by rich women. Farina is the only one not chosen so he goes off and cries in a poignant scene. He is noticed by the black maid who tells him she will be his new "Mammy".

Lazy Days (1929) is an even slower paced one. Farina is lazing around stuck taking care of his baby brother. It is so lethargic that the humor rarely works. The rest of the gang want to win money in a baby contest but this plot is not really developed.

The films have all been restored and the picture and sound are excellent.
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