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[narfstar]

My wife and I have been watching PEOPLE ARE FUNNY on Hulu. It has become one of our favorite shows. The prizes they gave and how elaborate they went to pull of tricks was amazing. It is free to watch without Hulu Plus

[Captain Audio]

People are Funny was a truly amazing TV experience. Probably the most popular program of its day.
Some Japanese TV series seem to have been influenced by People are Funny, though usually a bit cruel.

[paw broon]

Excuse my going back to Sherlock, please, but I think this from The Guardian newspaper will interest some of you.  Spoilers, so be careful.
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2014/jan/02/sherlock-holmes-10-ways-could-have-survived-fall

[narfstar]

Watched the first episode of Sherlock and agree it is really good and I am hooked.

[bowers]

PBS isn't going to make us wait this year. New season of "Sherlock" starts Jan. 19th! Cheers, Bowers

[paw broon]

bowers,
you should really enjoy Sherlock but I'm sure that Death Comes to Pemberley will be right up your street.  Apart from a stellar British cast,  the story and production values are excellent.  Watch out for it.

[jimmm kelly]

I blasted through both seasons of SHERLOCK in about a day, more than a year ago. It's been a long wait for the next season. Hopefully I'll get to see it before someone spoils it for me (as some British folks are wont to do).

[jimmm kelly]

There's an online channel where I get most of my TV shows (British and American). I've been checking there to see if the new SHERLOCK was available yet--and I had a happy surprise today. So now I have seen it--and the shoe is on the other foot, as I have to keep mum so I don't give away spoilers.

One spoiler-free observation. The chyron words on SHERLOCK are so small on my screen that I have to go close up to the screen to read them and even then they're hard to make out. I don't have a big huge computer screen, but it's not tiny either. I feel like these days they make TV shows for people who have large high def screens that take up half of their living room.

[paw broon]

Ha-ha, now you know how it feels guarding all that spoiler info.
Just to show off, we bought a new Sony t.v. a few months ago and the difference from our old set is amazing.  All h.d. now.  Those really big sets are too big for our small living room - we just couldn't get far enough away to take in all the screen.  So,  for example Sherlock, we can read the on-screen words.
These new tellies have usb ports so you can watch from a stick or external drive.  And they are wireless enabled meaning I can view youtube direct from the t.v. set.  If I can talk Linda into letting me buy a good soundbar, I can watch The Pirates or Dr. Feelgood and turn the vol. right up without ruining the built in speakers.

[josemas]

Feature filsm watched the last couple of months-

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), This is the End (2013), Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), Inspector Clouseau (1968), Meet Dr. Christian (1939), Too Many Suspects (1975), Safety Not Guaranteed (2012), The Man From Planet X (1951), End of Watch (2012), An Adventure in Space and Time (2013), The Courageous Dr. Christian (1940), Mud (2013), Gravity (2013), The Time Travelers (1964), Undiscovered Tomb (2002), Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), Scoop (2006), King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1964), Dr. Christian Meets the Women (1940), The Assailant (Besouro) (2009), Super (2011), The 3 Worlds of Gullivar (1960), The Case of the Curious Bride (1935), The California Trail (1933), Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936), Remedy for Riches (1940), Thunder in the Pines (1948), The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959), The Killer that Stalked New York (1950), Don't Bet on Women (1931), The Great Gatsby (2013), Melody for Three (1940), Pacific Rim (2013), Jungle Goddess (1948), Christmas in Connecticut (1945), Silver Lings Playbook (2012), They Meet Again (1941), The Stranger Wore a Gun (1953), Arthur Christmas (2011), Bad For Each Other (1953), Man of Steel (2013), Les Miserables (2012), The Iceman (2012), Two of a Kind (1951), Scrooge (1951), The Glass Wall (1953), Secret Service of the Air (1939), The Masque of the Red Death (1964), Francis Goes to the Races (1951), Marley and Me (2008), 42 (2013), Dick Tracy (1990), Charlie Chan in London (1934), Elysium (2013), The Skull (1965), The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959), Women's Prison (1955), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), Madhouse (1974), The Deadly Bees (1967), Night Editor (1946), Francis Goes to West Point (1952), Black Godfather (1974), The Bandits of Sherwood Forest (1946).

A nice mixture of older and newer films- including the six Dr. Christian films starring Jean Hersholt (this was my follow up series to my Saturday morning John Wayne Monogram-Lone Star western watching. And following up the Dr. Christian films a couple of Francis the Talking Mule films (with one more in the cache to go).  The second Warner Bros' Perry Mason film, an early Warner Oland, Charlie Chan film, two George Reeves/Ralph Byrd B movies, the first of Warner Bros' Brass Bancroft movies. the next two Inspector Clouseau/Pink Panther movies, the pilot movie for the Ellery Queen 1970s TV series and the first of several Robin Hood films that the Lil Missus and I plan on watching.  Plus a good number of vintage noir, horror, sci-fi and fantasy films as well as some holiday films.

Best

Joe

[Roygbiv666]

Yes, it's called the 21st Century - I highly recommend it. ;-)

Seriously, once you switch, you cannot go back. "Standard definition" - I spit just mentioning it.

General rule of thumb - the diagonal of the screen should be less than twice the sitting distance.

I feel like these days they make TV shows for people who have large high def screens ...

[jimmm kelly]

There are many times in any given week when I have cause to regret living in the 21st century. I'm always thinking of ways I might escape from it.

I think my TV screen is high definition, but I haven't used it in a couple of years, since everything went to digital and I don't have a digital box--it's only good for watching DVDs now, but I mostly watch those on my computer. My desktop screen is about the same size as my TV screen, but it might not be high defintion--I should consider buying a new computer screen (or a whole new computer), but I don't think I'd want a screen that was much bigger.

A couple of my sibings have large screen TVs and whenever I visit them, it's an off-putting feeling. The size of the TV is just too big for the room. It's like being in a scene from FAHRENHEIT 451. I expect the firemen will burst in at any moment and conviscate the books I have in my backpack.

I have nothing against movies that are made for theatrical release--but movies made for television ought to be different. And I wonder about the people on the bus who are always watching shows on their smartphones.

Ideally, it would be nice to have the option of seeing these TV shows in an actual movie theatre--but I guess there are all kinds of reasons why that can't happen.

[narfstar]

I loved the Doctor Christian movies

[profh0011]

"I wonder about the people on the bus who are always watching shows on their smartphones."

It's the most IDIOTIC thing I can imagine!

[profh0011]

My 1st-ever H.G. Wells marathon continues tonight. My TCM copy of THE TIME MACHINE has-- maddenningly-- gone missing, and so far refuses to turn up. Since I still don't have a copy of THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON, that means tonight's film is THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU from Samuel Z. Arkoff. American International (or whatever this is) and Hammer weren't that much different. They tended to have GREAT casts, miniscule budgets, and borderline scripts. This one's actually much better than I remember it. Best way to describe it is "different", the most far afield from the book (I have a book-on-tape, so I know). But I've gotten so much into watching multiple versions of stories in recent years, I'm probably enjoying this more than I did when I taped it (back in the 80s, I think).

What a cast-- BURT LANCASTER as the most "intelligent"-seeming version of Moreau; Nigel Davenport as "Montgomery", the mercenary who's his sidekick; Michael York as Braddock, the main character; Richard Basehart as "the speaker of the law"; and Barbara Carerra as the mystery girl who may or may not be more or less than she seems. This version-- inexplicably-- NEVER makes it clear!

While parts of the film seem "dumbed down", other parts seem more intelligent than the other 2 versions combined-- particularly, any time Lancaster & York on onscreen together.

[paw broon]

Death in Paradise is back on our screens and what a shocker of a 1st. episode.  Almost impossible to give any idea of it without major spoilers.  Suffice to say we thoroughly enjoyed it.

[bowers]

Thanks for the heads -up Paw. "Death in Paradise" was one of my favorite shows. Completely enjoyed  the first two seasons and am really looking forward to the third. About the only new(er) Brit mysteries our local PBS is now showing are "Father Brown" and some newer (but still several years old) episodes of "Midsomer Murders". "Father Brown" isn't great, but it is good. Also lots of "Foyle's War" reruns. Heard there may be a new season of "The Bletchley Circle" in the future. Saw a very good episode of "Nova" this week about the Zeppelin raids on Britain during WW1. Particularly interesting were the explanations as to why it was so difficult to shoot them down, even using both explosive and incendiary bullets. Also showed the highly unusual materials (yuck!) and methods used to construct the interior gas bags. Ready for "Sherlock" this Sunday! Cheers, Bowers 

[profh0011]

Tonight's movie (and I use that word loosely)...

EMPIRE OF THE ANTS  (1977)


How's this for an "auteur"? WRITER! PRODUCER! DIRECTOR! And Director of SPECIAL EFFECTS!

What's the problem? It's not Stanley Kubruck, folks. It's "Mr. BIG"... Bert I. Gordon! He's teamed with the infamous Samuel Z. Arkoff (AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL) to do a film that is tackier than anything Roger Corman was ever responsible for, and in many ways, far worse than anything from the old days, because this one's from THE 70's!!

It's got 2 STAR TREK alumni in it-- Robert Lansing and Joan Collins ("ASSIGNMENT EARTH" and "THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER") plus a LOST IN SPACE alumni, Albert Salmi ("THE SKY PIRATE" and "PLANET OF THE LOST TREASURE"). It's got some of the WORST writing, WORST directing and WORST acting I've ever seen.

Let me put it this way... earlier today, I was watching a SLASHER movie from the late 70's.. and it had MORE style and better writing & directing than this thing.

One of the dumbest bits on the whole film-- a group of tourists run headlong thru the jungle to escape death. Abruptly-- for no damn reason-- an elderly couple stop, and change direction. "Let's go THIS way!" Within 5 minutes, THEY'RE TOAST.

Anyone who thinks the later non-Corman POE films from A.I.P. were bad, believe me, those things have nothing on this ALLEGED "H.G. Wells" film.

I just realized there was one more person in this film I recognized-- but halfway thru the film, I didn't remember who she was-- Jacqueline Scott, who, on THE FUGITIVE, played Richard Kimble's sister!

Joan Collins is AWFUL in this thing! Her character's a real cranky B****, a few minutes running the the jungle and she looks horrible, and even HER acting is terrible. "I don't care what the rest of you are doing, I'M going THIS way!" 5 seconds later, she stops dead in front of some ants, and starts screaming.

While they were in the jungle, it hit me, this is like JURASSIC PARK (or maybe J.P. 2 or 3) only with NO budget.

[narfstar]

I have not seen the movie probably since it came out. I need to watch it again for some bad goodness.

[Roygbiv666]

THE COLLECTION (2012)

http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-collection-v562636

Apparently a sequel, caught this on Netflix. It's simple, over-the-top, etc. etc. -- and I frickin' loved it. If you've ever been watching a horror movie and just wished someone would kill this doucebag (i.e. the serial killer) already, this may be for you.

[narfstar]

I believe I watched the first movie The Collector

[Captain Audio]

There was a British movie of the 1960's titled "the Collector", about a young weirdo that kidnapped and imprisoned young women. A very disturbing film.
He apparently was not intent on killing or even harming the women, but they ended up dead just the same. I think one died of pneumonia.
He had collections of butterflies and such, just collecting specimens of whatever he found beautiful or of interest.

[Roygbiv666]

Yeah, based on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Collector

Seems like an influential work in that regard.

I enjoyed The Collection, because whenever the movie had something going on and I wished "why doesn't someday do X?" - they did. 

There was a British movie of the 1960's titled "the Collector", about a young weirdo that kidnapped and imprisoned young women. A very disturbing film.
He apparently was not intent on killing or even harming the women, but they ended up dead just the same. I think one died of pneumonia.
He had collections of butterflies and such, just collecting specimens of whatever he found beautiful or of interest.

[jimmm kelly]

As a change of pace from watching U.S. and U.K. television shows, I just finished watching a filmed theatrical production of ELISABETH--which is purportedly the most successful (modern) German-language musical [I think THE MAGIC FLUTE is probably the most successful German-language classical musical]. In fact, ELISABETH has been performed continuously in Japan since 1996. A Viennese musical, it was written in 1992 for das Theater an der Wien.

It's a rather dark musical, although it resembles other musicals of the '80s and '90s. Some parts of this performance annoyed me. It's the story of Empress Elisabeth and a lot of the story is told through a narrator in the person of her assassin. The man who killed Sisi is not worth even naming--he was like a lot of modern assassins who just want to be famous for killing someone famous--and it turns my stomach that this creep gets a starring role when he has no good reason to be the star of anything.

But the show stopping number is "Ich geh

[narfstar]

I just watched S II. I had forgotten how silly it was. Yes it was great fun but not to be taken seriously at all.