I've Discovered

[mrsl]

I've discovered a few things this weekend that finally hit me between the eyes. Knowing I was going shopping, I looked at the schedule to see if there was anything I wanted to record on my spiffy new DVR from Dish Network. I did notice the very first movie I ever recorded on my spiffy new VCR, video recorder about 30 years ago was on - Where the Boys Are, loaded with some of my teen idols. Oddly, since I still have that video and watch it often, I decided to watch the Perry Mason mystery on Hallmark, and lo and behold, Yvette Mimieux was the guest star!!! She had changed very little from the 1960's to the 90's except for a few crows feet which only characterized her face.

But I found that TCM had sneeked in a new schedule and I didn't realize it until today. I shouldn't say sneeked because that denotes some trickery, and I'm not saying that. However, they seem to be showing true classic movies from early (3:00 a.m.) Monday thru Friday to about 3:00 p.m. Then from the afternoon to early morning, and all weekend except for TCMU and silent Sunday, they show the more recent movies from 1970 on through now. It occurred to me that I haven't watched TCM in primetime for months now, and I realize it's either because I have their viewings on tape, or they are still being shown on the movie channels, as I mentioned with Quiz Show recently. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, as long as they still play my oldies, even during the night and early daytime, I can still see them, so I'm happy.

Unfortunately my 70's, 80's, and 90's are not as re-watchable as my 30's, 40's, and 50's, so when I start transferring from video to disc, I'm going to be more selective. I realize from the hundreds of movies I have on video, there are actually less than 50 that I re-watch often, and they are the true old classics. e.g. I have watched The Women once a week for 5 weeks between videos and live TV and never got bored, but as much as I love Pretty Woman, and Julia Roberts, once a month every 6 months or so is plenty for me.

Finally, this is hard to explain and I hope you understand what I mean here, but all these years of wishing I could look like Liz Taylor, or move like Stanwyck, or be attractive enough to lure someone like Mitchum or Peck, I always knew it was simply an element of being a fan. These were real people with real lives, but they were also bigger than life on that screen and my adoration of them was what kept them up there for half of my life. On the other hand, while watching a movie from the 70's and up, I never had that same feeling of idolatry. The newer actresses were definitely beautiful and the men were certainly handsome, but they didn't exude that magnetism their predecessors did. From Valentino through to Rock Hudson those were magnificent movie stars. I don't see that shining through from anyone now.

About 35 years ago we were having a family discussion at Christmas about who would replace the present (at that time) great actors - the following are the ones we named and expected to be around in the 90's:

Robert Redford
Robert DeNiro
Dustin Hoffman
Al Pacino
Harrison Ford
Sean Connery
Sean Penn - My brother's donation, but he was right!

A few other names came up but those people are long gone by now. We never got around to women, but I wonder who we would have named. But these guys all showed fire when they were starting out.

In any case to keep from getting angry over Dubya, and this March snow, and paying $3.45 for gas, these are the things I think about to keep my sanity - how about you?

Anne

[Bogie]

Sean Penn was around 35ish years ago? I'm surprised you guys didn't mention Jack Nicholson.

Your main point is correct though, too many of today's stars are only superficial. They don't have the gravitas or the kind of bearing to catch us in their grip. I also think it's the movies themselves. If you notice you don't really see very "ordinary life" stories on the big screen anymore. Everything has to be bigger, louder, flashier. There's nothing to make us really connect with them like how someone could connect with Cooper or Bogart or Stewart. They often played characters who were just like us or at the very most were only a few steps above/below us in social standing.

[charliechaplinfan]

I can't rationalize the success of some of the big screen names of today .Many of the top women stars are around fortyish, that's no bad age but sometimes they play characters that are too young for them. Why can't they play forty and be proud or mid thirties.

Maybe I'm just being a grouch

[Dawtrina]

I can't rationalize the success of some of the big screen names of today :? .Many of the top women stars are around fortyish, that's no bad age but sometimes they play characters that are too young for them. Why can't they play forty and be proud or mid thirties.

Maybe I'm just being a grouch :P

It's all about publicity and expectations.

If you hear someone's name often enough, you equate it with substance. Then when you see them you see substance, unless you have enough depth to know better. Very few people have enough depth.

[MissGoddess]

I've noticed that weekends and primetime @ TCM are often "softer" in their program appeal to me for a long, long time now. I work and sleep during the hours when most of my favorites, or intriguing obscuriosities are on.

[Bogie]

I've noticed that weekends and primetime @ TCM are often "softer" in their program appeal to me for a long, long time now. I work and sleep during the hours when most of my favorites, or intriguing obscuriosities are on.

Isn't that the truth!

I planned to watch some movies today but well they were on in the morning and I missed them all

I really need to get a recording device again "sigh"

[Dawtrina]

I honestly can't remember the last time I watched live TV. It may be a decade.

Most of my recordings tend to be very early morning, whether they be on TCM or Sundance.