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Post by topbilled on May 23, 2023 14:07:40 GMT
I've always felt they went overboard with this. Often, they broadcast five days of war films, starting on Friday evening and going until Tuesday morning.
I think it would be better if it was just Sunday and Monday.
My feelings have nothing to do with the holiday itself, as it is important...but TCM never tries to get war films from studios outside the Turner library, so it's the same old titles each year and a high percentage of them are WWII films. They shy away from films about Vietnam or Iraq.
Thoughts...?
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Post by Guest on May 23, 2023 17:16:58 GMT
Looking at the schedule, I see a few non-WWII movies: The Young and the Brave (Korea);Ace of Aces (WWI); Steel Helmet, Pork chops Chop Hill, The Rack (all Korea); Fallen Sparrow (Spanish Civil War), Red Badge of Courage (Civil War), Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (WWI) ...
But yeah, in general TCM does tend to show the same film s every for certain holidays.
I did notice that are showing Coming Home tonight, coincidentally.
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Post by I Love Melvin on May 23, 2023 19:02:51 GMT
Hopefully without disrespecting our vets, I agree that five days is a lot, especially if TCM is going to continue to recycle year after year. I also agree that they could look beyond the Turner library. For instance, why not Universal's Away All Boats, something I haven't seen in ages? I also don't believe they've shown Warner's Empire of the Sun (1987), Steven Spielberg's prison camp film with a very young Christian Bale. And have they ever ventured into comedy: I can't remember, but what about Operation Petticoat, Father Goose and Teahouse of the August Moon? I think they've used Mr. Roberts, or no?
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Post by topbilled on May 24, 2023 14:06:23 GMT
Hopefully without disrespecting our vets, I agree that five days is a lot, especially if TCM is going to continue to recycle year after year. I also agree that they could look beyond the Turner library. For instance, why not Universal's Away All Boats, something I haven't seen in ages? I also don't believe they've shown Warner's Empire of the Sun (1987), Steven Spielberg's prison camp film with a very young Christian Bale. And have they ever ventured into comedy: I can't remember, but what about Operation Petticoat, Father Goose and Teahouse of the August Moon? I think they've used Mr. Roberts, or no?
I agree about AWAY ALL BOATS...it is a fantastic movie that deserves to find a wider audience. Universal also made BATTLE HYMN, which would be a good one to include...but this means TCM leasing films outside the Turner library.
Plenty of Paramount classics go unscreened by TCM during Memorial Day weekend...like WAKE ISLAND (an Oscar nominee for Best Picture), SO PROUDLY WE HAIL and THE STORY OF DR. WASSELL (which stars Gary Cooper and was directed by Cecil DeMille). |
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Post by topbilled on May 24, 2023 14:08:16 GMT
Looking at the schedule, I see a few non-WWII movies: The Young and the Brave (Korea);Ace of Aces (WWI); Steel Helmet, Pork chops Chop Hill, The Rack (all Korea); Fallen Sparrow (Spanish Civil War), Red Badge of Courage (Civil War), Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (WWI) ... But yeah, in general TCM does tend to show the same film s every for certain holidays. I did notice that are showing Coming Home tonight, coincidentally. |
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Post by Guest on May 24, 2023 18:45:06 GMT
Looking at the schedule, I see a few non-WWII movies: The Young and the Brave (Korea);Ace of Aces (WWI); Steel Helmet, Pork chops Chop Hill, The Rack (all Korea); Fallen Sparrow (Spanish Civil War), Red Badge of Courage (Civil War), Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (WWI) ... But yeah, in general TCM does tend to show the same film s every for certain holidays. I did notice that are showing Coming Home tonight, coincidentally. I 've always liked Coming Home. I'll look for your review. |
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Post by topbilled on May 25, 2023 16:29:00 GMT
Tomorrow I will be posting a review in the Neglected films area on THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK (1933), a great Paramount precode about WWI flyers in Europe.
It's such a great one, and it should be shown on TCM.
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Post by Fading Fast on May 25, 2023 16:47:36 GMT
Tomorrow I will be posting a review in the Neglected films area on THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK (1933), a great Paramount precode about WWI flyers in Europe.
It's such a great one, and it should be shown on TCM.
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Post by kims on May 29, 2023 14:49:04 GMT
I'm watching THE LONGEST DAY airing on the Movies! channel. Don't have a clear reason why I watch this every time I see it is airing. Is it all the great actors who each seem to have their big moment in the film. Note the two luftwaffen pilots strafe Normandy one time and laugh about their great moment. Is it the various viewpoints presented-British, American, French, the Resistance and German? Is it because the obvious stereotypes of the 40s propaganda films is missing? I don't know why, but it's a film I can watch hundreds of times. I wish TCM could show it so I could watch without commercials.
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Post by kims on May 27, 2024 12:35:36 GMT
I'm compelled to share this, though it is not a film, because I have not seen a film with this experience. My parents had a neighbor who was on Bataan. He survived the death march. On the march he carried a man on his back, there was some explosion and afterwards the neighbor had only the man's arms-the rest of the body blown away. The neighbor continued, in the 1970's to be angry at MacArthur, saying that the General had all of his family's furniture on the ship taking him to Australia. The Neighbor believed more men could have been saved-the General found his furniture more important. He knew the Japanese were his enemy, but had a bit of respect for his captors at the POW camp because they did not eat more food than the prisoners, only had more water than the prisoners.
He couldn't sit still always stood shifting weight from foot to foot, constant motion, even playing chess with Dad he stood. I have no moral or brilliant conclusion. I don't have a grasp of psychology to analyze the neighbor's feelings. People who I have told this to mention Stockholm Syndrome, Post Traumatic Syndrome. Maybe, but his psychological condition isn't what was important to me. His opinion was unique for me. Maybe the closest film to that opinion was MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE.
Again, not trying to "sell" any idea. After meeting the neighbor, I think his story should be preserved even modestly.
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Post by Fading Fast on May 27, 2024 13:37:55 GMT
I'm recording a few "Memorial Day" movies I haven't seen before:
"Decision and Dawn"
"They Were Expendable" (thought I had seen it, but hadn't)
"Attack"
I started "Decision and Dawn" yesterday, and so far, I'm enjoying it.
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Post by I Love Melvin on May 27, 2024 14:23:14 GMT
I'm recording a few "Memorial Day" movies I haven't seen before:
"Decision and Dawn"
"They Were Expendable" (thought I had seen it, but hadn't)
"Attack"
I started "Decision and Dawn" yesterday, and so far, I'm enjoying it. (1945) is my favorite of the genre. The title is almost ironic because by the time it was released in late 1945 the War in the Pacific had been over for months, so there wasn't the same appetite for the subject as there had been. There's been criticism over the years over how effective PT boats actually were in battle, but for a story based partly on fact and partly on dramatic imagination, I think it's super-effective. It seems to be thought of as a "John Wayne movie", but Robert Montgomery is actually the star; he even took over as director for a bit while John Ford was sidelined. And Donna Reed, other than Maureen O'Hara of course, is my favorite Wayne co-star; they were together again years later in Trouble Along the Way (1952) and she was able to bring out a sensitive side of him as an actor that was often downplayed.  |
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Post by I Love Melvin on May 27, 2024 14:35:28 GMT
I'm compelled to share this, though it is not a film, because I have not seen a film with this experience. My parents had a neighbor who was on Bataan. He survived the death march. On the march he carried a man on his back, there was some explosion and afterwards the neighbor had only the man's arms-the rest of the body blown away. The neighbor continued, in the 1970's to be angry at MacArthur, saying that the General had all of his family's furniture on the ship taking him to Australia. The Neighbor believed more men could have been saved-the General found his furniture more important. He knew the Japanese were his enemy, but had a bit of respect for his captors at the POW camp because they did not eat more food than the prisoners, only had more water than the prisoners. He couldn't sit still always stood shifting weight from foot to foot, constant motion, even playing chess with Dad he stood. I have no moral or brilliant conclusion. I don't have a grasp of psychology to analyze the neighbor's feelings. People who I have told this to mention Stockholm Syndrome, Post Traumatic Syndrome. Maybe, but his psychological condition isn't what was important to me. His opinion was unique for me. Maybe the closest film to that opinion was MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE. Again, not trying to "sell" any idea. After meeting the neighbor, I think his story should be preserved even modestly. That's a brutal story. Speaking of preserving the stories, PBS carries the National Memorial Day Concert which is held every year on the Mall. Every year there are personal stories read by actors, with the person present, and this year they were particularly stark and troubling, which I guess is part of the point. Remembering is important, but we also have to take into account how painful those memories can be for people who lived it and the damage to lives that continues long after wars are over. |
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Post by I Love Melvin on May 27, 2024 14:54:22 GMT
I don't know who's seen this, but this goes with your idea of preserving stories, kim. From yesterday's CBS Sunday Morning.
And this is one of the stories from yesterday's concert.
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Post by kims on May 27, 2024 18:31:48 GMT
I know there are projects to preserve memories from WWII. Maybe this wasn't the day to share my parents' neighbor's memory. His story made me think, could MacArthur have considered his furniture more important than men? Of course, the neighbor couldn't know all the factors MacArthur did. But I can't help thinking about how many people can fit in a moving van and how much space the furniture took in the ship. THEY WERE EXPENDABLE is the film that always reminds me of his story-at the end, the men left behind while Brick and Rusty leave.
I don't challenge his perception of that time. I don't agree or disagree with his perception. He survived Bataan, the death march, and years in a POW camp-he earned the right to his opinion. Truly war is hell.
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