Comments from ZiegfeldMan

Showing 126 - 150 of 230 comments

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Apr 4, 2008 at 5:46 am

saps

Well taken, I hadn’t looked, but just remembered him saying that the acting is “fair”; I should have looked at the rest. His subsequent Sunday piece was much more enthusiastic.

Here is today’s NYT review of “Shine A Light”—compare this to the Time Out and then come to the Ziegfeld and judge for yourself (the best critic).

View link

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Apr 3, 2008 at 1:12 pm

Ah “Blade Runner”

Can you really beat dialogue like this:

I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Apr 3, 2008 at 12:29 pm

Bill:

I have to admit that at age 17, when I first saw “2001.” and used to traditional Holloywood narrative fare, my reaction was the same as when I saw my first Antonioni film the following year, i.e., “What the hell was that?”

I didn’t make that line up. Several years ago, my friend went to a screening of David Lynch’s “Lost Highway” with David Lynch present at the screening. The first question to Lynch during Q and A was “Mr. Lynch, what the hell was that?” Lynch simply replied,“ That was ‘Lost Highway’.”

I still don’t know what “The Piano” is all about. I’ve been told I have to be a woman to really get it. But I bought the DVD and am going to give it another try.

The point of all this is: I don’t see how any critic can draw conclusions with only one viewing of any film.

Bosley Crowther, to his credit, after panning “Psycho,” saw it again and revised his review.

People always bring their own baggage to any film. Take a look at this review of “Shine A Light” opening tomorrow and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

View link

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Apr 3, 2008 at 9:48 am

Hi Bill;

I am happy to say that I did see “2001” at the Capitol. The year before-“In the Heat of The Night,” the first movie I ever paid $3.00 to see. How times have changed or as John Travolta’s father says in “Saturday Night Fever,” “ A $3 raise? $3 won’t even buy $2,” or something like that.

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Apr 1, 2008 at 8:22 am

Irv:

I’ve been closely following the whole evolution of INDY IV over the past 19 years. A lot of care went into getting it right. It won’t be “Raiders,” and Indy won’t look like the 1930’s—I’m fine with that. I’ll be there opening day-probably all day.

I’ve e-mailed Craig with the great enthusiasm that this series has been getting-especially with comments from people who contacted me about the great time they’ve been having at “APES.”

I’m begging him to run another series during some down time in the fall.

On to the STONES

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Apr 1, 2008 at 6:59 am

Received this Today from someone in the Yahoo “Planet of the Apes” group. I never knew Heston did an SNL episode.

“While I never agreed with Mr. Heston’s conservative politics, nor Ronald Reagan’s policies, either, I pray for his family and for him in this most trying time. Having just lost my Dad last year to a 5 year battle with cancer, I can empathize with the Heston family. Taking care of a loved owns health at home while their condition deteriorates over time, is a very difficult task for the family and the caregivers.

Fortunately, movie fans shall always have Charlton Heston’s many wonderful movies to watch over and over again from Ben Hur to 10 Commandants to POTA to Soylent Green as well as his very very funny hosting of a Saturday Night Live show in the mid 1990s when he proved he could do comedy and make fun of himself in a good natured way."

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Apr 1, 2008 at 4:53 am

Ed:

Redford and Fonda, absolutely. I can think of a whole bunch of their films that I would love to see in the Classics series. My favorite Redford is “The Sting”;my favorite Fonda, well actually two, “Coming Home” and “Klute.”

Best

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 31, 2008 at 7:06 pm

P.S. After “Shine A Light” which looks terrific, the Classics resume with Bond, James Bond. I will introducing GOLDFINGER on Sat night April 19th, so please come!! And come to all the BOND movies.
I definitely have issues with Mr. Goldfinger’s “politics.” (LOL)

Best
The Ziegfeldman

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 31, 2008 at 7:01 pm

Hi Scott:

No fight at all, we are exactly on the same page, politics are also of no interest to me and that is exactly what I meant when I said “however one feels about his politics.” I said it because I know people, actually, quite a few people, who refused to come to see “Planet of the Apes,” because of their feelings about Heston’s politics. And these are people who love “Planet of The Apes."
Likewise there are people now who won’t see Woody Allen films or Tom Cruise films. I only care if the film is good and the actor is good.

My real motivation for bringing this point up at all has to do with Heston’s impending death, and ironically, shortly after my post someone e-mailed me this:

This is what was printed in “Parade” (3/30/08):

Q: Charlton Heston’s family hasn’t commented on his condition since he revealed he has Alzheimer’s. What can you tell us?

A: Heston, 83, is in the final stages of the disease and has 24-hour care at his home in Beverly Hills, which he built with his pay from “Ben-Hur”. His son and daughter visit regularly. “He’s not plugged into machines”, a family friend tells us, “and his wife Lydia doesn’t plan to use any to extend his life”.
It also has a picture of Heston and Lydia from 2002.

To me, Alzheimer’s, like ALS, is an incredible tragedy that NOBODY deserves “however one feels about his politics.” Scott, unlike you, and me, and Howard, and 99.999% of humanity, someone, somewhere will even disagree with this. That is unfortunate, but true. This is why I said what I said.

Peace

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 31, 2008 at 5:11 pm

Hi Scott:

One of the issues I have always had with e-mail and any type of e-communications (which this forum basically is) is that it is potentially vulnerable to miscommunication. I guess this is why things like LOL and smileys exist.

Anyway, I need some help from you here because I appreciate your question and really do want to answer it.

I have looked over everything that I have written here regarding Charlton Heston and “Planet of The Apes,” and, honestly, I don’t understand how I have manifested “ the prism of my political views.”

So, since I would really like to straighten this out, and before I say anything else, please tell me what I wrote that brought you to say what you did above.

Many Thanks

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 30, 2008 at 7:45 pm

Bill:

There was only some very, very slight laughing at his monologue at the very beginning, and now I think I understand why. It seems a little “stagey” until you realize that there is a microphone right near him and that he is actually recording a ship’s log. If this isn’t clear to the viewer, then it almost seems that he’s just talking to himself. Otherwise, I would say that the laughter was really at the right moments, “human see, human do,” etc.

I feel really awful about Heston. There is very little news about him and he was close to death almost a year ago. However one feels about his politics, this man gave us a lot of fabulous memories, and there are many of his films like “El Cid” that I’ve never seen. And such versatility from Judah Ben-Hur to Vargas in “Touch of Evil.”

Best

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 30, 2008 at 2:21 pm

Well Taken:

This is why I have always believed that a great film, like any true work of art, requires repeated viewings. Roger Ebert once asked,“ Why watch a film a second time when you already know the ending?” His answer was,“Style.” A great film has so many elements:including, among other things, screenplay,lighting, editing, camera angles and themes that it’s absolutely impossible to catch it all the first time. To me that’s what makes cinema so much fun. At one point I was looking at all the assorted camera angles and movements that commented on Taylor’s words about the whole place being a “madhouse.” And the final angle in the revelatory scene—that is cinema history!!

I saw “No Country For Old Men” four times. Each time I saw more and more. And that’s because I kept asking myself, “Who are these people,what is the filmmaker saying about them, and most importantly, how is he saying it cinematically?” It takes practice, but great fun. Even better when you get a group of people together and they see things that you missed!!!

Best

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 30, 2008 at 1:20 pm

Hi Vito:

My apologies, although I did mention that this was a brand new print, I did forget to mention the reel to reel, which I did notice, up in the projection booth was being very carefully set up.

For those who couldn’t make it—here is my intro from last night, and once again, for all who attended this and my previous Saturday nights, thanks for the warm reception. Next for me is GOLDFINGER

Good Evening, and welcome to a very special Anniversary screening in our Classics Series at The Ziegfeld. Many of you have traveled far to be here tonight, possibly even light years, and I especially want to thank you and those who took the time to e-mail me this week with your thoughts on this very special film.

  1. Now, there are good movies and there are great movies.

  2. Good movies are entertaining and have something to say, but great movies additionally SAY SOMETHING WHICH IS TIMELESS. Such films are classics.

  3. Not having seen “ Planet of the Apes” in forty years, I remembered it as a good movie, but not a classic, so I figured that with reverence to this film’s worldwide admirers, I better take another look.

  4. I started with Charlton Heston who, in his autobiography said “The film has a philosophical point to make. Taylor is a cynical misanthrope, so disenchanted with his fellow man that perhaps, unconsciously, he’s exiled himself from Earth, launched through time to an unknown future. The crash of his spaceship strands him in a civilization where he finds himself the sole defender of Homo sapiens as a species.”

  5. Interesting premise, I thought, with a nice twist-kind of part “Twilight Zone” and part H.G. Wells’ “The Time Machine.” Now the question-GOOD or GREAT?

  6. So, I watched the movie, again, and again and I read my e-mails, GRADUALLY OPENING MY “Bright Eyes” AND FINDING Questions with NO EASY ANSWERS.
    Questions about:

RACIAL STEREOTYPING

RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM

TOLERANCE AND IGNORANCE

SOCIAL CASTES

THE USES OF SCIENCE AND ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION

CREATIONISM VS. EVOLUTION

THE USES OF TORTURE AND HUMILIATION AND FINALLY,

QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE VERY NATURE OF HUMANITY ITSELF

ANY OF THESE ISSUES SOUNDING A LITTLE FAMILIAR?
I HAVE A FEELING THAT LIGHT YEARS FROM NOW, SOME FUTURE CIVILIZATION WILL BE ENJOYING THE FILM, ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS , AND STILL FEELING THE ANGUISH AT TAYLOR’S FINAL WORDS AND REVELATION. “PLANET OF THE APES” IS A CLASSIC!

FINALLY, LET’S REMEMBER THIS IS A GREAT ADVENTURE AND A LOT OF FUN.

THANKS FOR COMING AND WHEN YOU LEAVE TONIGHT SAY A SPECIAL PRAYER FOR CHARLTON HESTON AND FOR HUMANITY.

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 29, 2008 at 9:51 pm

Wonderful turnout tonight for the 8PM show. I thought the print looked magnificent. Thanks for the warm reception to my intro, especially from those who traveled very far to be here tonight.
A great evening for a great film.

Best

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 28, 2008 at 8:57 pm

Hi Bill:
When the restored “Vertigo” was released at the Ziegfeld, I remember one particular scene that aroused laughter-“Scottie” has lost his love to suicide, and now, alone, sits lost and depressed. His expression is very disturbing and that can arouse “uncomfortable” laughter. A similar thing happened at a recent screening of “Leave Her to Heaven.” When the moment of revelation comes in “The Crying Game,” the audience gasped. Today, an audience might laugh—just because that moment is disturbing. “Planet of The Apes” has some intentionally funny lines and scenes and some very controversial, thought-provoking, and, yes, disturbing ones as well.

Regardless, I would rather see a film with an audience at the Ziegfeld, any day, than alone on DVD. Laughter is fine, just no cell phones and no talking.

Best

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 27, 2008 at 10:02 am

Hi Everyone:

“Planet of the Apes” in a glorious, new restored 40th Anniversary print promises to be one of the major highlights of this edition of the Ziegfeld’s Classics series. The film has an incredible following and many are traveling great distances to be here ( maybe even light years). I am humbly privileged to be introducing the Saturday evening screening of this amazing film.

Hope to see you there.

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 23, 2008 at 1:39 pm

Great turnout for JAWS last night, beautiful print. This movie just gets better and better. Thank you all for your warm reception. I love doing these intros and meeting you all. Next week-the long awaited new print of APES. Hope to see y'all Saturday night.

By the way, from the trailer, Shine A Light, looks incredible. Really looking forward to that!!!!!!!!

Best

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 22, 2008 at 6:33 am

Thanks Vito:

I really miss the place, remember seeing “Joe” at the D-150 in 1970, I think. Or maybe it was “Diary of a Mad Housewife"
Nobody talks about "Joe” anymore, quite powerful, made Peter Boyle a star. Saw “Hook” there opening night. Very late show and after work, but determined to see it there. Was falling asleep driving home, but happy. Hope to see you at JAWS tonite.

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 21, 2008 at 7:39 pm

Rory:
Here’s the story. This is the third Classics series run at the Ziegfeld. The first two were in the winter and fall of 2006. During the first, after attending a few screenings (Ben-Hur and West Side Story), I think, cards were handed out with patrons asked to suggest a few titles. I think I listed ten, most importantly, Close Encounters, my favorite film. When the first series was extended a few more weeks and Close Encounters was indeed chosen I asked the management if I could introduce the film one evening.

I continued with the second series, and with this series, I hope to be introducing every Saturday night. Last week, Sound of Music, This week Jaws, and yes, the following Sat night, APES.

I think that I’ve been going to the Ziegfeld since 1972 (Cabaret?).
Doing these intros is a dream come true. I’m having a ball, the staff is super, and I meet really nice people at the screenings and especially here.

So it’s kind of like Hannah Montana-working stiff during the day and Ziegfeld Man Saturday nights. maybe I saw Saturday Night Fever too many times.

Have a good trip, you won’t be disappointed.

Craig O' Connor from Clearview puts together the Classics series, and as you see above, he said:

Just wanted to let everyone know that the print of PLANET OF THE APES is brand new! We will be the very first theatre to run it! So, it will look and sound amazing!

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 21, 2008 at 12:30 pm

Rory:

You may be talking about the Cinema 150-the absolutely best venue that ever existed on LI (excluding some movie palaces in the boroughs-that’s LI also) Anyway it was in Syosset and unfortunately gone. Read about it here and weep.

/theaters/3510/

I believe that Vito, one of our Cinema Treasures regulars was a projectionist there. He would know!!

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 20, 2008 at 8:34 pm

Bill:

Speaking of HTWWW, rumor has it that with the impending Warners DVD restoration due out in August, one of the Cinerama venues ( Cinerama Dome in LA, Seattle Cinerama, or Bradford, England) will definitely revive the film. I am living for this!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rory-Welcome to New York

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 20, 2008 at 1:06 pm

Hi movie534:

I took a look at The Ritz page and the picture of the interior.I am totally blown away, what a gorgeous place. Tell me more about bringing the Classics there. I would go.

Thanks

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 20, 2008 at 10:34 am

For Arthur C. Clarke fans re: Chelsea Hotel, Here’s something interesting at the Museum of the City Of New York. Sometimes we have to pull ourselves away from the movies and do other things (LOL)

THURSDAY | APRIL 3 | 6:30 PM
Legends of the Chelsea Hotel: Book Talk and Panel Discussion

The Chelsea Hotel is perhaps the most famous bohemian enclave in New York City. Famous artists who have resided there include Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, Ethan Hawke, Jack Kerouac, Madonna, Arthur Miller, Edie Sedgwick, and many others.
Ed Hamilton, author of Legends of the Chelsea Hotel: Living with the Artists and Outlaws of New York’s Rebel Mecca wil lead a discussion about the Chelsea’s history. $

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 19, 2008 at 4:47 am

There is a bronze monument on the Chelsea Hotel, which says that he wrote it there. It’s also mentioned in one of the doc’s on the new “2001” DVD which is fabulous.

See you all at JAWS-special tribute to Roy Scheider.

Thanks

ZiegfeldMan
ZiegfeldMan commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Mar 16, 2008 at 7:19 pm

Bill:

Thank you for the kind words-doing these intros to the classics and being “The Ziegfeld Man” is a dream come true. The enthusiasm for “The Sound of Music” was clearly felt throughout the place. A perfect evening. I look forward to introducing most of the Saturday night screenings with “Jaws” next-which will include a tribute to the late, great Roy Scheider who left us in February.

DEFINITELY a bigger boat!!!!!!!