TCM Genre movies schedule...

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Klaus, Sep 27, 2011.

  1. Klaus

    Klaus Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Ahh, missed that one. :D
     
  2. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    Finally got around to watching it on the DVR. It's a good thing it had a break in the middle, because I needed to watch it in two parts. It was interesting, and I tried not to hold the slow pace against it, since that was clearly a deliberate artistic choice. Still, some parts of it did seem arbitrarily prolonged. I don't get the point of that endless driving sequence they did early on.

    Nor did I understand the logic behind the transitions from color to black & white. Initially it was clear enough, to distinguish "now" footage from recorded or onscreen footage, but then it just became seemingly random whether a given portion was in color or monochrome. Then the second half was mostly in color except for the dream sequence and the penultimate Solaris flyover where Kris was voiceover-philosophizing, so that kind of made sense. But in the middle there, what the hey?

    I liked the actress who played Hari, Natalya Bondarchuk. Not as lovely as Natascha McElhone from the 2002 version, but similar-looking. I wonder if McElhone was cast for her resemblance to Bondarchuk.
     
  3. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

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    The commentary on the Criterion disc discusses this. As I recall -- someone with the disc on hand can check -- the historians point out that the driving sequences were shot on location in Japan, an unusually expensive move for a Soviet film. Tarkovsky possibly kept them in because he wanted to show his backers where all the money went. Moreover, at the time, the city (Tokyo? Bad memory at work here.) was pretty futuristic.

    Apparently, Tarkovsky cut out the score from those sequences at the last minute, which don't do them any favors. The historians on the commentary agree that it's the most problematic portion of the movie, and I agree.
     
  4. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    I was sort of wondering if it was a satire of the 2001 Stargate sequence -- an interminable scene of lights zooming past. "My God -- it's full of cars!" ;) (And yes, I know that line wasn't added until the sequel, but I can never resist a lame pun.)

    And yes, Wikipedia says it was a suburb of Tokyo.
     
  5. Mr. Adventure

    Mr. Adventure Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    TCM celebrates the end of the world on Friday with doomsday movies.

    0700a The Lost Missile
    0830a The Satan Bug
    1030a The Last Man on Earth
    1200p The Bed Sitting Room
    0200p Five
    0400p Panic in Year Zero
    0600p The World, The Flesh and the Devil
     
  6. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    A lot of post-nuclear movies on that list. Oh, for the good old days when people actually had a sane, realistic reason to expect the end of the world instead of silly superstitions.

    No, wait, those were the bad old days. Hooray for silly superstitions!
     
  7. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    Okay, somebody at TCM has an inspired sense of humor! :)
     
  8. Saga

    Saga Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    :lol:
     
  9. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

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    Cool. It's been quite a dry spell at TCM. And I think there's a couple on that list that I haven't seen.
     
  10. Klaus

    Klaus Vice Admiral Admiral

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    They're actually showing The Bed-Sitting Room at noon :lol:... that'll confuse the frak out of a lot of casual afternoon viewers!! :eek:
     
  11. Agent Richard07

    Agent Richard07 Admiral Admiral

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    I don't think she looked like McElhone, but I liked her too. She's a dead ringer for someone I used to know.
     
  12. Mr. Adventure

    Mr. Adventure Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    New Year's Update

    Friday Jan 04
    0800p Creature From the Black Lagoon
    0930p Tarantula
    1100p The Incredible Shrinking Man
    1230a It Came From Outer Space

    I skimmed through, looks like slim pickings this month.
     
  13. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Just around the bend.
    The ramp up to Halloween has begun.
     
  14. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    Ah, a tribute to Richard Arnold, I'm guessing.
     
  15. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    ^You mean Jack Arnold, the director of all those films, right? (Although I get why a Trek novelist would make that particular slip.)
     
  16. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    Oops!
     
  17. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

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    I don't think I've seen Tarantula in quite a while and I don't have it on DVD, so I'll tape that one.
     
  18. Silvercrest

    Silvercrest Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I'm deciding whether to record "It Came From Outer Space." Don't know much about it and want to avoid spoilers. Any recommendations?
     
  19. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    I think it's one of the better '50s B-movies. Ray Bradbury was involved in the writing, and... well, if I said the main thing I liked about it, that would be a spoiler. Let's just say it's not your conventional Red-Scare-era alien invasion movie.
     
  20. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    Plus, it features the Professor from "Gilligan's Island"!

    Be aware, however, that it was orignally released in 3-D (like "The Creature from the Black Lagoon"). So don't be surprised if meteors come zooming at the screen! :)
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2013