This article put into print what I’ve been saying for many years: 1959 (and 1962 while we’re at it) were both better movie years than 1939. But that’s just me – it does feel good to see someone else thinks the same way.
While we’re on the topic of personal opinions, I’d like to recommend three movies to anyone who thinks Marilyn can’t act: “Bus Stop”, “Some Like It Hot” and “The Misfits”.
I’m hoping Cinerama in September will become an annual event. I was lucky enough to be able to attend last September, and even got a free Blu-Ray of “How the West Was Won” (which has since been screened more than any other movie in my collection).
I enjoyed the Frank Langella version also. Of course, seeing it at the Ziegfeld in NYC couldn’t hurt. I also saw Langella in that role on Broadway, and he was amazing. Some of the best audience reactions I’ve ever experienced at a live theater production was during that performance of “Dracula”.
My favorite line from “Love at First Bite”: as the Count is being thrown out of his castle, he turns to his evictors and says, “Without me, this place will be as exciting as … Bucharest. On a Monday night.”
“Last night, John Sittig said that shortly into the screening it will be easy to see why it was never released.”
Now I’m more curious than ever. I never would’ve believed a Cinerama film would fall into the “so bad it’s good” category (though some people do feel that way about “Krakatoa East of Java”).
I hope the Cinerama shows in September are better attended. I also hope we get some reports here on the various shows. I’m really curious about “The Golden Head”, and why it never got a U.S. release.
Reminds me of Bette Davis as Baby Jane being delusional about her flop 1934 love story “The Longest Night”: “It was the best thing I ever did. They never even released it in the United STATES!”
I saw the trailer for “Alien” at the Criterion in NYC in early 1979, with “The Great Train Robbery”. They didn’t show much besides an actress I’d never seen before (Sigourney Weaver) creeping along a corridor holding a flamethrower, but it did look intriguing.
I didn’t go to the Criterion on opening day. I figured it would be too crowded and by all accounts, it was. I should’ve gone there anyway – that would’ve been part of the fun. I saw it at the Orpheum on 86th St., the first and last time I’d ever been there.
It was in 70mm there also, and I was so impressed I stayed to see it twice (I miss being able to do that. I miss having movies out there good enough to WANT to do that). The theater reeked of marijuana, but that was quite common in those days, especially at a sci-fi picture.
I knew what to expect when the infamous dinner scene came on – an article in Rolling Stone practically gave the whole thing away.
A few weeks later I finally got to see it at the Criterion with my brother. By now the afternoon shows were practically empty, but that was effective in its own way – this huge cavernous theater with hardly anyone in it … the Dolby stereo blasting away. It was kind of like being onboard the Nostromo.
I like how the theater had pre-printed displays of the stars' first names, like George (Peppard) and Carroll (Baker). It shows how popular they were back then.
Michael: I assume you will be at every Cinerama show, even “The Golden Head”. How lousy could that movie be to have never been released in the US? (unless it was for other reasons).
JSA: I’m glad you appreciated and enjoyed the hype. Like I said to Michael, St. Louis' ads seemed to have more and funnier Cinerama hype than most other cities so far. Maybe because it’s in the Show Me State, so the ads went all out to show ‘em? I sure miss movie ad hype …
Will you be attending any of the upcoming Cinerama shows at the Dome? This will be the first time since 2003 that they’ll be showing Cinerama in LA and I won’t be able to go see it.
LMHG: 1939 sure was a banner year for movies. Also nominated were THE WIZARD OF OZ (my choice for Best Picture) and STAGECOACH. They easily found 10 titles to qualify for Best Picture. The big question is: in 2009, will we?
I also went to a movie in Grauman’s Chinese just for the experience of seeing a movie there. It was THE SCHOOL OF ROCK in 2003 – pretty good, too. I wonder what dud is playing there now. I’ll check:
HARRY POTTER. Also a good movie. I shouldn’t pre-judge that way :)
I’m very curious about the new practice of nominating 10 movies for the Best Picture Oscar instead of 5, starting next year. It was presumably done to get some popular box-office hits into the race (3 of the 2008 nominees listed above made very little money, though they were all excellent). But do “Transformers 2” or “The Hangover” really deserve a shot at Best Picture, no matter how many hundreds of millions they made?
Can’t wait to see what those “second 5” are. I hope they’re all little films that didn’t make mega-millions but are really good, like “(500) Days of Summer” (which I haven’t seen yet. I didn’t see “Transformers 2” either but I saw the first one, and that was enough).
This article put into print what I’ve been saying for many years: 1959 (and 1962 while we’re at it) were both better movie years than 1939. But that’s just me – it does feel good to see someone else thinks the same way.
While we’re on the topic of personal opinions, I’d like to recommend three movies to anyone who thinks Marilyn can’t act: “Bus Stop”, “Some Like It Hot” and “The Misfits”.
Wow – “Vertigo”. I figure it hasn’t been shown at the Lafayette since 1958, right?
For $30 and up, they’d better open and close the curtains VERRRY slowly at every show :)
Maybe they were selling Cinerama T-shirts. The one I got in Dayton OH is 13 years old, but no holes in it yet.
Good to hear they’re selling Cinerama merchandise. Last January I asked about that in the Arclight store, but they had nothing. Things are looking up.
I’m hoping Cinerama in September will become an annual event. I was lucky enough to be able to attend last September, and even got a free Blu-Ray of “How the West Was Won” (which has since been screened more than any other movie in my collection).
Thank you, Manwithnoname, for making me feel like I attended the show myself. Looking forward to your next comment.
Was either show sold out, or at least close to it? Big crowds for Cinerama can only mean more Cinerama shows.
Hollywood90038: if these were taken yesterday, how was the rest of the show?
I should also thank Phil Tisi if he was the one responsible for me finally getting to see “Marty” on the big screen.
Looking forward to seeing the new schedule. It’s just like the good old days (2004-2005 :)
That’s wonderful news. Congratulations to Pete and Nelson!
That’s my friend Jeff S! His comments can be found all over CT, mostly on the Lafayette Theater page.
I enjoyed the Frank Langella version also. Of course, seeing it at the Ziegfeld in NYC couldn’t hurt. I also saw Langella in that role on Broadway, and he was amazing. Some of the best audience reactions I’ve ever experienced at a live theater production was during that performance of “Dracula”.
My favorite line from “Love at First Bite”: as the Count is being thrown out of his castle, he turns to his evictors and says, “Without me, this place will be as exciting as … Bucharest. On a Monday night.”
“Last night, John Sittig said that shortly into the screening it will be easy to see why it was never released.”
Now I’m more curious than ever. I never would’ve believed a Cinerama film would fall into the “so bad it’s good” category (though some people do feel that way about “Krakatoa East of Java”).
I hope the Cinerama shows in September are better attended. I also hope we get some reports here on the various shows. I’m really curious about “The Golden Head”, and why it never got a U.S. release.
Reminds me of Bette Davis as Baby Jane being delusional about her flop 1934 love story “The Longest Night”: “It was the best thing I ever did. They never even released it in the United STATES!”
I hope everyone who attended “Mad Mad World” last night had a wonderful time. Any reports from the front lines … I mean, the front rows?
I saw the trailer for “Alien” at the Criterion in NYC in early 1979, with “The Great Train Robbery”. They didn’t show much besides an actress I’d never seen before (Sigourney Weaver) creeping along a corridor holding a flamethrower, but it did look intriguing.
I didn’t go to the Criterion on opening day. I figured it would be too crowded and by all accounts, it was. I should’ve gone there anyway – that would’ve been part of the fun. I saw it at the Orpheum on 86th St., the first and last time I’d ever been there.
It was in 70mm there also, and I was so impressed I stayed to see it twice (I miss being able to do that. I miss having movies out there good enough to WANT to do that). The theater reeked of marijuana, but that was quite common in those days, especially at a sci-fi picture.
I knew what to expect when the infamous dinner scene came on – an article in Rolling Stone practically gave the whole thing away.
A few weeks later I finally got to see it at the Criterion with my brother. By now the afternoon shows were practically empty, but that was effective in its own way – this huge cavernous theater with hardly anyone in it … the Dolby stereo blasting away. It was kind of like being onboard the Nostromo.
Hi Vito! Good to see you’re back on the site.
“Artists and Models” was a 1937 release:
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0028587/
I like how the theater had pre-printed displays of the stars' first names, like George (Peppard) and Carroll (Baker). It shows how popular they were back then.
It is a wonderful idea, but I’m surprised they’re bypassing Manhattan completely. New York sure ain’t the movie town it used to be.
Michael: I assume you will be at every Cinerama show, even “The Golden Head”. How lousy could that movie be to have never been released in the US? (unless it was for other reasons).
JSA: I’m glad you appreciated and enjoyed the hype. Like I said to Michael, St. Louis' ads seemed to have more and funnier Cinerama hype than most other cities so far. Maybe because it’s in the Show Me State, so the ads went all out to show ‘em? I sure miss movie ad hype …
Will you be attending any of the upcoming Cinerama shows at the Dome? This will be the first time since 2003 that they’ll be showing Cinerama in LA and I won’t be able to go see it.
LMHG: 1939 sure was a banner year for movies. Also nominated were THE WIZARD OF OZ (my choice for Best Picture) and STAGECOACH. They easily found 10 titles to qualify for Best Picture. The big question is: in 2009, will we?
I also went to a movie in Grauman’s Chinese just for the experience of seeing a movie there. It was THE SCHOOL OF ROCK in 2003 – pretty good, too. I wonder what dud is playing there now. I’ll check:
HARRY POTTER. Also a good movie. I shouldn’t pre-judge that way :)
I’m very curious about the new practice of nominating 10 movies for the Best Picture Oscar instead of 5, starting next year. It was presumably done to get some popular box-office hits into the race (3 of the 2008 nominees listed above made very little money, though they were all excellent). But do “Transformers 2” or “The Hangover” really deserve a shot at Best Picture, no matter how many hundreds of millions they made?
Can’t wait to see what those “second 5” are. I hope they’re all little films that didn’t make mega-millions but are really good, like “(500) Days of Summer” (which I haven’t seen yet. I didn’t see “Transformers 2” either but I saw the first one, and that was enough).
It’s still a great shot, though. Thanks, Ken.
It was only Jack’s second film. For his fourth film, “Mister Roberts”, he won an Oscar.
Strange how Jack Lemmon did not get his name up in lights for the movie “Phffft”. I thought he and Judy Holliday were the stars of that film.