The Great Ziegfeld is a good movie. Great cast. Interesting biopic. But it's freaking 900 hours long. I hate to say it but every time it's on TCM or I pop it into the DVD player I can't help but comment on the movie's length. Toooo long! Also, I have no idea why Luise Rainer won a Best Actress Oscar for her role. Her character was pretty annoying. No idea why she won for The Good Earth either...

You know, TCM just added a lot of 70's films to their rotation. Yes, I still love TCM, but I can't help feeling that they don't belong. I mean, I like The Bad News Bears, Carnal Knowledge and Rollerball but... oh well.




PS - The Bad News Bears has one of the best last lines in a movie.

In a slightly related comment the recent The Princess and the Frog has one of the creepiest last lines ever, definitely creepiest for a Disney movie.

The Bad News Bears is just so delightfully wrong. I haven't seen the recent-ish remake. Did it end with all the kids being handed beers as well? I bet not.

I don't remember the last line of The Princess and the Frog, and couldn't find it in a quick search. Can anyone remind me?

"O-ho-ho! Ho did we end up in zis soup?"

Actually, still haven't gotten around to seeing that yet. Yay netflix!

Last week I finally saw The Treasure of the Sierra Madre... wow what an awesome flick!!! I frickin love that old man. I was knee slappin' and toe tappin' right along with him on the sofa. It was making Jim nuts.

And Bogey played quite the looney... can't believe I never watched that one before. Five steenkin badges out of five.

Well, TCM is trying to attract a younger audience, since it appears to them, 20 somethings won't watch a movie if it's in b/w. Hence the addition of the obnoxious Ben Mankiewitz (or however you spell it) as a host. I realize Ben was added a few years back, nevertheless, adding him removed some of the terrific preservation/restoration/documentary programming.

I do not have an issue with TCM showing modern classics at all, providing they're good films, or in line with a theme they're running. I can always elect not to watch. But, I'd hate to see some of the earlier era films (especially one's they've not shown in a long long time) suffer in the rotation for the newer films. That said, it pains me to see Russell Crowe on the cover of the February Now Playing guide since February is the dreaded Oscar month.

Rollerball has some cheesy charm, John Houseman at his grumbly/gravelly best. It's horribly dated, and probably was in the 1970s when it premiered, too.

As long as TCM runs their films uncut, in the original aspect ratio, I'm good.

But, I would dearly love to see some really creaky old pre-codes and some films they've not run since year 1 or 2 of TCM. I also wish they could get some rights to early (1930's) Paramount films that have not seen the light of day since old TV 36 in San Jose in the late 1960's early 70's. Universal has them and I'd love to see them, so many I've not seen.

Okay..............off the proverbial soapbox now. Jeez, GC, did you hit anerve or what?:D

I'd say they need a TCM Classic Channel and a New Coke TCM Channel.

I'm not too bugged by Ben Mankiewicz (or however you spell his name) because his last name and his lineage is legendary. But, yeah, he's a cocky schmuck.

All he got was the name, he got none of the talent of his illustrious predecessors. Yes, he is a cocky schmuck.

Agreed. I like saying "cocky schmuck" out loud. Try it, it's fun.