Thursday, June 7, 2012

10 Classic Movie Things to Do This Month

1. Watch a classic foreign-language film, such as Federico Fellini's Nights of Cabiria (TCM, June 18, 10:00 PM EDT), which features a moving, charming performance by Giulietta Masina (aka Mrs. Fellini).

2. Listen to Bernard Herrmann - The Essential Film Music Collection. You get to experience the rapturous themes of Vertigo, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and others.

3. Watch a cult movie, such as The Horn Blows at Midnight (TCM, June 8, 11:30 AM EDT). Jack Benny made fun of it for years, but it's surprisingly amusing.

4. Read Hitchcock by Francois Truffaut, an incredible series of in-depth interviews with the Master of Suspense. Even if you're not a Hitchcock buff, you'll be fascinated by the insights shared by these two great filmmakers. And if you are a Hitch fan...well, you probably own this book already.

5. Watch a movie with a non-Beatles soundtrack by Paul McCartney. Well, there aren't many choices here, but you're in luck! TCM is showing The Family Way with Hayley Mills on June 27th at 6:00 PM EDT. By the way, Hayley went on to marry director Roy Boulting, who was 33 years her senior.

6. Host an Inspector Clouseau party, show A Shot in the Dark, and require all guests to talk like Clouseau. I recommend placing a stuffed monkey somewhere in the room just so a guest can make a remark about the "min-key."

7. Watch a famous movie that you don't like, but haven't seen for years. Then, re-evaluate it to determine if you like it now. I call this the "Marnie experiment," because I went from a Marnie detractor to a big fan over the span of several years.

Susan Hamphire in The Pallisers.
8. Watch one of the classic British TV miniseries of the late 1960s and early 1970s. While that's not technically movie-related, you'll see lots of past and future British stars such as Derek Jacobi, Roger Livesey, Susan Hampshire, Patrick Stewart, and Jeremy Irons. My personal recommendations include Poldark, The Pallisers, and Lord Peter Wimsey (start with "The Nine Tailors").

9. Support feminine Japanese monster equality by watching Mothra (TCM, June 15th, 11:00 PM EDT). She proves she's just as tough as Godzilla...but still loving enough to raise two offspring. You may want to break out the mothballs, however.

10. Build an elaborate tree house like the one in Disney's Swiss Family Robinson (the only tree house that can rival it is the one in the 1999-2002 TV series The Lost World).

You may need a big backyard!

13 comments:

  1. Great list! I especially love number 8. Have you seen "The Duchess of Duke Street"? That's one of my favorite British period drama TV shows from the 70s. It doesn't have so very many big names in it, but I love Gemma Jones as Louisa Trotter, an early feminist whether she'll admit it or not!
    http://thegreatkh.blogspot.com/

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    1. Margaret, if you click on the "British TV miniseries" hot link in #8, you'll find THE DUCHESS OF DUKE STREET listed on one of our 10 "Must See British TV Series." Gemma Jones is indeed marvelous in that show. In its second season, the show's portrait of the war from the home front was extremely well done.

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  2. What a fun, film-filled list! Thanks for the heads up on "The Horn Blows at Midnight" as I will set the VCR to tape it. I love the idea of number 7 because sometimes things we don't like, we find we do when we revisit them. The same is true, however, for not liking things we liked once. There are many things that can truly influence our movie-watching experience.

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    1. Toto, I agree wholeheartedly! Typically, once I love a movie, I never dislike it. However, some movies have slipped from "favorite" status to "like" status.

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  3. I'm right there with you Rick; I just picked up Hitchcock by Truffaut from the library. I'm a big fan of "La Strada", but my favorite Fellini/Masina film is "Nights of Cabiria". I wonder how you feel about people showing up in character to your "Shot in the Dark" party? The women could dress in maid's uniforms and the men could dress in trench coats and fedoras (while avoiding the nudist look, of course), "I believe everything...and I believe nothing". I'm planning to catch up with "The Duchess of Duke Street", which I found on YouTube. Great inspiration for the month of June, now if I can only find the plans for the tree house.

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    1. whistlingypsy, the description of your Clouseau party is very visual! Be sure to pass around guitars just in case they're needed during the evening. THE DUCHESS OF DUKE STREET is excellent. My wife and I are currently watching the original FORSYTE SAGA, the series that inspired MASTERPIECE THEATRE. After four of 26 episodes, I think we're going to like it a lot.

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  4. Great suggestions for June. A Shot in the Dark is the best of the Sellers/Clouseau series, yet it seems to be the least known. A great way to heighten its profile is to introduce it to friends at a party. And for classic British tv series, definitely add 'I, Claudius,' probably the most brilliant of them all.

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    1. GOM, the same hot link goes to a series of posts that includes I, CLAUDIUS as well as ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY, UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS, and those previously mentioned. I love them all!

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  5. Glad to see you're a fan of great British television as well as American, Rick! All the series you've linked to are great. I'm especially fond of POLDARK.

    Very fun post, lots of good ideas there. I especially like your exhortation to give an unloved but long unseen film another try. 2001 - A SPACE ODYSSEY was a film I just never got until a few years ago (it helped to see it closer to its original glory on Blu-Ray). 'm slowly coming around on THE SOUND OF MUSIC, too.

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  6. Rick, I love/love this post!!

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  7. These sound like fun! I think I'll have to try a few :)

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  8. This is a hilarious post! I nearly spewed my tea when I saw the "Shot in the Dark" suggestion!! I think that is an excellent idea.

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  9. Thank you for including BBC miniseries...even today so many actors get their start on those! Great suggestions.

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