The Silver Screen Oasis

Here is a MASTERPIECE of BAD MOVIE Making:

Bronxgirl48 wrote: ↑July 10th, 2023, 6:42 pm SINCERELY YOURS -- Liberace goes deaf. Decides to do a REAR WINDOW and use special WWII binoculars to spy on random people in Central Park from his penthouse patio so he can more effectively learn to lip read from a distance. This inappropriate behavior is encouraged by his doctor and manager. In the midst of this peep fest Lee discovers certain individuals on the benches who need help so he goes into Good Samaritan mode in order to take care of their life problems. Two women vie for Lib's affections, Joanne Dru and Dorothy Malone. I couldn't have been more surprised than if they had been Jayne Mansfield and Yvette Vickers. Chopin, The Beer Barrel Polka, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling and a host of other favorites are performed by the personably wooden Liberace, who also treats us to some deft tap dancing in between keyboard numbers. This special brand of '50's kitsch will move you to tears.

I didn't see this yesterday but I remember liking it. It's true Liberace can't act, but there are many compensations. In addition to Dru and Malone there is a great supporting performance by William Demarest as the manager. The color cinematography looks great and I liked Gordon Douglas' direction, he had done Them! just a year before this. I would like to see it again, hope it turns up.

Allhallowsday wrote: ↑July 10th, 2023, 8:10 pm

Bronxgirl48 wrote: ↑July 10th, 2023, 6:42 pm SINCERELY YOURS -- Liberace goes deaf. Decides to do a REAR WINDOW and use special WWII binoculars to spy on random people in Central Park from his penthouse patio so he can more effectively learn to lip read from a distance. This inappropriate behavior is encouraged by his doctor and manager. In the midst of this peep fest Lee discovers certain individuals on the benches who need help so he goes into Good Samaritan mode in order to take care of their life problems. Two women vie for Lib's affections, Joanne Dru and Dorothy Malone. I couldn't have been more surprised than if they had been Jayne Mansfield and Yvette Vickers. Chopin, The Beer Barrel Polka, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling and a host of other favorites are performed by the personably wooden Liberace, who also treats us to some deft tap dancing in between keyboard numbers. This special brand of '50's kitsch will move you to tears.

I watched about 15 minutes today. Dreadful. LIBERACE could not act. Poor DOROTHY MALONE. I think I need to see more of this farce! He just "...loves talking to all of you..." 4 old ladies while sitting on the edge of the stage he was invited to play on from the audience he was in... The big lady is invited to touch Anthony Marin...she's delighted.

(in my best Clarence Day Junior voice from LIFE WITH FATHER): You better see it all the way through, let's have no nonsense! This was a piece of cake for Dorothy's character -- imagine what she had to put up with in THE MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES and WRITTEN ON THE WIND, lol. I did empathize, however, with Joanne Dru. Long-suffering mistress to Willie Stark and then winding up with Liberace. A girl can't win!

Detective Jim McLeod wrote: ↑July 11th, 2023, 8:17 am

Bronxgirl48 wrote: ↑July 10th, 2023, 6:42 pm SINCERELY YOURS -- Liberace goes deaf. Decides to do a REAR WINDOW and use special WWII binoculars to spy on random people in Central Park from his penthouse patio so he can more effectively learn to lip read from a distance. This inappropriate behavior is encouraged by his doctor and manager. In the midst of this peep fest Lee discovers certain individuals on the benches who need help so he goes into Good Samaritan mode in order to take care of their life problems. Two women vie for Lib's affections, Joanne Dru and Dorothy Malone. I couldn't have been more surprised than if they had been Jayne Mansfield and Yvette Vickers. Chopin, The Beer Barrel Polka, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling and a host of other favorites are performed by the personably wooden Liberace, who also treats us to some deft tap dancing in between keyboard numbers. This special brand of '50's kitsch will move you to tears.

I didn't see this yesterday but I remember liking it. It's true Liberace can't act, but there are many compensations. In addition to Dru and Malone there is a great supporting performance by William Demarest as the manager. The color cinematography looks great and I liked Gordon Douglas' direction, he had done Them! just a year before this. I would like to see it again, hope it turns up.

Gordon Douglas directed THEM? Wow, I didn't remember! Must admit I do like SINCERELY YOURS' cinematography, and old pro Demarest always delivers. (my favorite performance of Bill's is THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK)

For better or worse, Liberace was (and still is) an American cultural phenomenon. Still, for my money this movie is no THE EDDIE DUCHIN STORY but then, what could be?

You know what's kinda ridiculous about the question?

If I "love" the movie, then I couldn't possibly think of it as "bad".

Best I can do is "Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes"

Can't say I LOVE the movie, but do think it's kinda cute, in a way.

Sepiatone

Sepiatone wrote: ↑July 11th, 2023, 11:40 am You know what's kinda ridiculous about the question?
If I "love" the movie, then I couldn't possibly think of it as "bad".
Best I can do is "Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes"
Can't say I LOVE the movie, but do think it's kinda cute, in a way.
Sepiatone

You are narrow minded. I really enjoy some BAD movies and really dislike others. I posted a YouTube link to a bad movie I LOVE:
FASTER PUSSYCAT KILL! KILL! (1966)

Speaking of bad movies, I was able to record and watch The Oscar a few weeks ago which I missed back in Oscar month! What a stinker! Even worse than I remembered. Cant decide which was worse: the script (Harlan Ellison co-wrote!!); or Stephen Boyd's performance. It's a close race! Tony Bennett is pretty bad too, but he's not really an actor (playing a character called HYMIE KELLY! He had a Jewish and an Irish parent!!) SOOOOOOO BAD. Some of the worst wigs/falls imaginable on poor Elke Sommer's head! BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sepiatone wrote: ↑July 11th, 2023, 11:40 am You know what's kinda ridiculous about the question?

If I "love" the movie, then I couldn't possibly think of it as "bad".

Best I can do is "Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes"

Can't say I LOVE the movie, but do think it's kinda cute, in a way.

Sepiatone

I have that trouble too. Questions like this and guilty pleasure questions also befuddle me. If I like it, then it is not a guilty pleasure. Maybe this is why I find it difficult to determine whether a movie iis good or bad. I don't usually officially declare a move "bad" in the objective sense. Doing that, as a movie critic might do, is the notion that everybody should think it bad, which will not be true. If I don't like a movie, subjectively, then that take would not be appropriate for the current thread here. It's an opinion, which does not necessarily indicate the all should not like it. I see many movies that I don't like but would not think of as a "bad" movie. Perhaps if I had more confidence in knowing a bad movie when I see it, I would not be as conflicted as I seem to sound like here. I cannot think of a single movie that I deem as a guilty pleasure. I don't revisit that many movies but I do it's because I like the damn movie. And there is the question, bad according to whom?. //

Hibi wrote: ↑July 11th, 2023, 1:12 pm Speaking of bad movies, I was able to record and watch The Oscar a few weeks ago which I missed back in Oscar month! What a stinker! Even worse than I remembered. Cant decide which was worse: the script (Harlan Ellison co-wrote!!); or Stephen Boyd's performance. It's a close race! Tony Bennett is pretty bad too, but he's not really an actor (playing a character called HYMIE KELLY! He had a Jewish and an Irish parent!!) SOOOOOOO BAD. Some of the worst wigs/falls imaginable on poor Elke Sommer's head! BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes! I enjoy that one like THE V.I.P.s... terrific over-acting and melodramatic corn.

[deleted by laffite ///]

Allhallowsday wrote: ↑July 11th, 2023, 3:56 pm

Hibi wrote: ↑July 11th, 2023, 1:12 pm Speaking of bad movies, I was able to record and watch The Oscar a few weeks ago which I missed back in Oscar month! What a stinker! Even worse than I remembered. Cant decide which was worse: the script (Harlan Ellison co-wrote!!); or Stephen Boyd's performance. It's a close race! Tony Bennett is pretty bad too, but he's not really an actor (playing a character called HYMIE KELLY! He had a Jewish and an Irish parent!!) SOOOOOOO BAD. Some of the worst wigs/falls imaginable on poor Elke Sommer's head! BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes! I enjoy that one like THE V.I.P.s... terrific over-acting and melodramatic corn.

Terrific over-acting? Hey, Rod Steiger wasn't in The V.I.P.

^ snicker

Sepiatone wrote: ↑July 11th, 2023, 11:40 am ...Best I can do is "Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes"

Can't say I LOVE the movie, but do think it's kinda cute, in a way.

Sepiatone

Now that's a bad movie I hate. Liking or loving bad movies is an acquired taste. It's like learning to drink whiskey.

“Bad movie” is one’s opinion but as far as cheesy B movies I really enjoyed Absolutely Quiet last week when it was part of the retrospective on B films. That was very suspenseful, tense and funny for a one hour movie.