Bad Movies You Love

Discussion of programming on TCM.
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JackFavell
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by JackFavell »

Love The Blob. Especially that nurse who falls into it from sheer fright. It's a a family favorite in our house.
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knitwit45
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by knitwit45 »

Saw The Blob at the local movie house when I was a pre-teen, thought Mr. McQueen was too cool. AND it was a movie where teenagers(gasp!!!!) actually save the day while the old folks wring their hands.. THIS WAS HUGE!!!!
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MissGoddess
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by MissGoddess »

Saw one of those today: The Strange Door. It actually has the great Charles Laughton and Boris Karloff in it and is based on a Robert Louis Stevenson story, so it shouldn't be in this category but...but...well some scenes are just so over-the-top and you can hardly believe they were played straight.

One scene looked as though Lucas might have lifted it for his first Star Wars movie (no kidding, have a look if you don't believe me).

One of my favorites: The Alligator People. I never tire of that one! The sequel wasn't as good but still fun.



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CineMaven
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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Whenever you have the time, you must go to IMDB and read Frieda Inescort's mini-biography.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0408586/bio
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MissGoddess
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by MissGoddess »

Poor Frieda, she didn't have a good start or end. Life is so unfair sometimes. I hope she had a moment or two of joy in between, at least.

It's amazing how many performers would have really been lost if it weren't for the Motion Picture Home. An admirable organization.
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knitwit45
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by knitwit45 »

What a remarkable woman. Rising above a worthless mother, having a 40+ year marriage, moving from stage to movies to stage again. AND she was a KNITTER!!!!!!
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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Yay! I'm glad you both read FRIEDA INESCORT's IMDB entry. I liked her more after I read it. I hope more folks read about her.

Oh, and I love "THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE. Lon Chaney Jr. is a H :shock: :shock: T.
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by Rita Hayworth »

MissGoddess wrote:Poor Frieda, she didn't have a good start or end. Life is so unfair sometimes. I hope she had a moment or two of joy in between, at least.

It's amazing how many performers would have really been lost if it weren't for the Motion Picture Home. An admirable organization.
CineMaven wrote:Image

Whenever you have the time, you must go to IMDB and read Frieda Inescort's mini-biography.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0408586/bio
I read her mini-bio that CineMaven provided for us. She is an interesting lady that got lost in the transition. That's why she had a history of making "B" movies and some of them (I seen a couple of them) were gems. Just like Miss Goddess said "Life is so unfair sometimes" and that what happen to Frieda. There were too many wonderful actors/actresses in the world of entertainment that I feel that got lost in the shuffle and Frieda is one of them.

I enjoyed reading the mini-biography that CineMaven posted here.
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by RedRiver »

ALLIGATOR PEOPLE is adorable! I don't think I knew there was a sequel. I like Lon, Jr. in THE INDESTRUCTIBLE MAN. And that wonderful cobra film with Richard Long. To be fair, it's not bad. It's run of the mill suspense. But I so enjoy it!
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srowley75
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by srowley75 »

Good news for bad movie fans (such as myself): One of the films on TCM's December schedule is George Cukor's rarely seen The Chapman Report (1962), starring Jane Fonda, Shelley Winters, and Claire Bloom.

This one has been near the top of my "to find and view" list for a number of years, right along with Claudelle Inglish (which I finally acquired a few months ago). It's got a pretty bad reputation, but the cast is such that I can't believe it's not worth at least one look.

Also, for those into those Fox disaster movies of the 1970s, I highly recommend the special editions of both The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno. Both DVDs are loaded with special features, and The Poseidon Adventure even features commentary with Carol Lynley, Pamela Sue Martin and Stella Stevens (which I'll try to report on soon).

Both are still available used for a good price on Amazon but, as more and more DVDs go out of print to make room for Blu-ray, I'd waste no time snatching these up if you're a fan of either or both films.
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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I met Claire Bloom at the Film Forum (NYC) a couple of months ago, when they had her appear for a two-hour interview about her career. They showed a clip from "THE CHAPMAN REPORT" and she said she was glad her daughter was not in the Film Forum audience that night. The audience "ooohed" at Chad Everett ("Medical Center") as he was one of the objects of Bloom's many affections in the movie. Can't wait to see it.

Also coming up in two weeks (October 16th @ 9:30AM (EST) "Youngblood Hawke." I've been looking to see that one for a long time.
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Sue Sue Applegate
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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Read it and loved it, Cinemave! I am also just reading The Viceroy's Daughters which is all about the naughty Cliveden set and naughty Nancy Astor,
so this tidbit arrived just in time!

What an emotional roller-coaster ride of a life she had! And, yes, thank goodness for the Motion Picture Home.

Youngblood Hawke! Haven't seen it in ages, but I remember enjoying the heck out of it. Suzanne Pleshette and that adorable hunk...James Franciscus!

Glad to read about Claire Bloom. Did she chat at all about Richard Burton?
I remember The Chapman Report very well, and I can understand why she felt that way about her daughter visiting.
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by CineMaven »

I'm glad you read Frieda's mini bio Sue x 2. There's a warm place in my film shelf for her. As for cutie pie James Franciscus...I've loved him ever since tv's "MR. NOVAK." I'm really looking forward to the youngblood...and "THE CHAPMAN REPORT." She did speak of Burton; yes they had a..."relationship" and she thought he was one of the finest actors...

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moira finnie
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

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The Chapman Report is great fun, full of repression, twisted passion, Jane Fonda fidgeting with unexpressed lust and Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. gliding above it all, though Claire Bloom's walk on the wild side is pretty memorable. It is one of the many movies in which Shelley Winters made her...uh...impression on me as a kid. I suspect that it may prove to be fairly tame now. George Cukor, according to interviews and a couple of biographers, felt that he was pushing the envelope in those last days of the production code and was inevitably disappointed with the results (due to alleged interference from a timid studio).
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Youngblood Hawke! Haven't seen it in ages, but I remember enjoying the heck out of it. Suzanne Pleshette and that adorable hunk...James Franciscus!
Now you're talkin', Christy. "Mr. Novak" aka James Franciscus was born too late. Imagine how he might have done as an actor in the studio system if he'd been 10-15 years older (even though Hollywood always seemed ambivalent about blonde men). Poor Suzanne Pleshette--the best theatrical movies she was ever in may have been If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium and Support Your Local Gunfighter. Not exactly the dramatic career she had planned for her talented self. (Say, isn't it time for that doozie, A Rage to Live to pop up in rotation on TCM?)

Youngblood Hawke is definitely not to be missed, especially once you learn that it was all allegedly based on novelist Thomas Wolfe and set designer Aline Bernstein's amour fou. I think that the throaty-voiced Genevieve Paige plays a character based largely on Aline, (with "Norman Normal" aka Kent Smith as her dull hubby) while Suzanne plays a career gal who has some elements of famed editor Max Perkins and Aline Bernstein. I gotta see this one again! HEY! I just noticed that YB is a Delmer freakin' Daves production!! I forgot that he did this one. Oh, I'm in heaven.
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Speaking of Herman Wouk books made into "interesting" movies, wouldn't it be great if (...chorus humming...) Marjorie Morningstar (1958) could be shown on TCM again? "Noel, Noel Airman, you are my doom, my fate, my bete noir--even if my parents can't stand you." Gene Kelly & Natalie Wood were great together, even if Wally (Martin Milner) was the real mensch she was born for. Carolyn Jones almost stole the whole movie--especially in the scene when she has her pre-wedding jitters (well, she was marrying a cigar smoking Jesse White), and says that she would "give my eyes to look like Marjorie!" And ol' Marg just poo-poos her friend's heartfelt revelation as a dip on the hormonal roller coaster.

I think I first noticed how deeply appealing Gene Kelly's divine discontent and general disdain for mere mortals could be when I saw this when I was babysitting at age 12. (Now I can see both sides a bit better. I love Claire Trevor and Everett Sloane as a very concerned Mom and Pop Morgenstern and think that sweet Dr. Marty Balsam was very cute--if perhaps a bit too hairy when his arms were exposed. Think Robin Williams hirsuteness and you'll understand). And Natalie. Gee, guilelessness is too long a word for her spritely, angst-ridden awakening in this film. I have read that Kelly, who was having his own troubles at the time as his dancing career wound down along with his first marriage to Betsy Blair, felt creepy in the clinches with a teenage Nat--though I don't think it showed and may have added to the electricity between the two of them.
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Re: Bad Movies You Love

Post by RedRiver »

Burton was a fine actor. Perenially dark and brooding perhaps. A little showy for some people's tastes. But he had depth and intensity. He committed to the character. He's outstanding in "Virginia Woolf." Good in BECKET. And I like his little part in THE LONGEST DAY. Upon his death, it was said he could have been the great actor of his generation, but chose fast living instead. I have no opinion on that. But I appreciate the work he did.

Whatever happened to that HAMLET film? I heard about it vaguely when it came out. Never seen it or been aware of a showing.

Blonde leading men? Not in The Golden Age! They were all tall and dark. Come to think of it, most of the women were too. Blondes have more fun. But they don't star in movies!
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