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Spotlight on: Classic Hollywood Turkeys

Queen of Outer Space

If you're going to eat a turkey this week, why not watch a couple as well? Movies so bad they're good...

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Laurie's Classic Movies Blog

What to Watch on TCM This Weekend

Friday November 27, 2009

Look for a real treat on Friday with the immortal classic comedy, Some Like It Hot, named the No. 1 comedy of all time by the American Film Institute. Also, for boomer nostalgia, a few fun old Disney live action movies -- Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Son of Flubber, and The Shaggy DA.

On Saturday, I'm setting the TiVo for The Thin Man, the deliciously witty detective story that sparked a series of sequels and launched Dick William Powell and Myrna Loy as a sparkling screen couple. I'll get my classic 1950s paranoid sci-fi fix with Invasion of the Body Snatchers (The original 1956 version, although I love the 1978 Donald Sutherland version just as well.

And Sunday, two utterly charming and very different love stories - Heaven Can Wait, the 1978 remake of Here Comes Mr. Jordan, with Warren Beatty as an angel; and The Shop Around the Corner, the Ernst Lubitsch comedy with a very young Jimmy Stewart (remade much later as You've Got Mail.)

Enjoy!

Rifftrax Takes on Christmas

Wednesday November 25, 2009

Had it with The Nutcracker? So over A Christmas Carol?

Here's somethinga little different for the holdiays. The guys from Rifftrax, formerly of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame, will be riffing on the deeply weird and wonderful stop-action tradition Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in a live performance December 16th, broadcast to theaters around the country.

It's another of those live events from the people at Fathom, who have a very interesting business model. They've done other live Rifftrax events, and sports, concerts, operas and classic movie anniversarys showings, like Wizard of Oz.

I hope this is working out for them, because a lot of what they're doing is great fun. (I'll pass on Glenn Beck's Christmas Sweater and opera, though. Each just plain crazy in its own way.)

TCM Festival Plans Metropolis, A Star is Born Screenings

Tuesday November 24, 2009


Oh, I hope I can get to this.

In April, Turner Classic Movies is headed for Hollywood and its first annual classic film festival. They're kicking it off with a newly-restored version of A Star is Born, the 1954 George Cukor version with Judy Garland and James Mason.

They're also screening the newly restored version of Fritz Lang's silent sci-fi masterpiece, Metropolis. This is the version they discovered in Buenos Aires last year, with 30 minutes of footage that hasn't been seen in decades.

Tickets are already on sale -- a touch pricey, but it looks like a great event.

Bacall Finally Gets Her Oscar

Monday November 23, 2009


With a ton of Hollywood royalty in attendance, legendary Lauren Bacall has finally received her Oscar - four months before the annual televised Academy Awards program to be sure, but many, many years overdue.

With Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Norman Jewison, Warren Beatty, George Lucas, Quentin Tarantino and many more paying homage, Bacall took home her statuette from the Governor's Award ceremony. B-movie prince Roger Corman, producer John Calley and genius cinematographer Gordon Willis were also honored.

IIn one way, it's too bad. There were probably genuine, emotional moments here that would probably have served the academy better than some of the lame schtick and over-produced musical numbers the show usually comes up with.

Nevertheless, I have high hopes for this year's show. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will co-host. The two men who are constantly battling for the title of "Hosted More Saturday Night Live Shows than that Other Guy" award are funny, intelligent, accomplished performers. If they can't make it funny and good, no one can.

Of course, that's what I said about Jon Stewart....

Bacall at the ceremony, by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

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